Farnsworth To Be Suspended

Mark Feinsand reports that Kyle Farnsworth will be suspended three games and fined $2,000 for throwing behind Manny Ramirez's head Thursday night. Schilling weighed in on his impression of intent, and to some extent, he got part of it right: you have to be "first" within any frame of reference when retaliating. ARod homers off Buchholz -> Aardsma drills ARod in the numbers with a fastball next at bat = okay. The next night, Manny homers off Moose(x2) -> Farns throws behind Manny's head (but doesn't hit him and umps let the game continue with warnings issued) = suspension (never mind Kyle's ludicrous "it got away" statement).

Frankly, I think this incident was settled on the field just fine.

Comments

[YF]

YFs everywhere ask, "Can't they suspend him for longer???"

[Lar]

Ah, so _this_ is the dumbest discussion ever..

[SF]

This is so stupid. Tyler Kepner's article Friday spent the first paragraphs making an issue of the pitch despite all seven paragraphs clearly indicating that NOBODY ON EITHER TEAM CARED.

This was a non-event, why has it been made into an event by MLB?

[Micah-SF]

Yeah, I think we've been over this by now. If you're going to throw at someone - don't throw at their head. It's dangerous and irresponsible.

That said, as SF mentioned, the attitude of both teams towards this whole thing has been "whatever" - there's frankly been a lot more chippiness between the Yanks and Rays this season (thanks to spring training), from what I can tell, than the Yanks and Sox. So there's no reason to keep dragging it out. Farnsworth most likely won't do something like that again anyway.

YF: I know the feeling - I wish someone would suspend Timlin the games that we play you guys. Specifically for Giambi's at-bats (although everyone else hits him too).

[TJ]

I dont think every didnt care. Beckett sure looked like he was making a mental note for a game in July.

Everyone understands the tit-for-tat dynamic -- though personally I'm against retaliating this way under *any* circumstances, let alone punishing a hitter for being successful).

But even if you disagree with the practice, how can anyone make excuses for a retaliatory pitch in the high 90s near someone's head?

If Manny had been hit in the face and lost a season or his whole career, what would people be saying? It's not that hypothetical. If he'd dodged the wrong way, it could have been ugly.

[Hudson]

Everyone understands the tit-for-tat dynamic -- though personally I'm against retaliating this way under *any* circumstances, let alone punishing a hitter for being successful).

But even if you disagree with the practice, how can anyone make excuses for a retaliatory pitch in the high 90s near someone's head?

If Manny had been hit in the face and lost a season or his whole career, what would people be saying? It's not that hypothetical. If he'd dodged the wrong way, it could have been ugly.

[Bob]

You forgot Mussina pegging Ellsbury twice. Yeah, but really kinda pointless suspension

[attackgerbil]

> If he'd dodged the wrong way, it could have been ugly.

One could say the same about Aardsma drilling ARod high in the numbers with a heater the night before.

This was settled on the field and should have been left there.

> You forgot Mussina pegging Ellsbury twice

Considering Moose's velocity, do you think Jacoby noticed?

[SF]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/sports/baseball/18yankees.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=ramirez+farnsworth&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Seriously, read this story that I referred to. Kepner spends the first half on "the pitch", and there's really nothing there. Even MANNY acknowledges that A-Rod got plunked the night before and this might have had something to do with it, but no big deal. I understand the need to send a message to headhunting pitchers (and Farnsworth's lame excuses only heighten the fact that he was throwing at Manny), but seriously, isn't it plausible he was going in on Manny and it rode up? Isn't it possible that a guy who isn't a great pitcher to begin with threw a bad purpose pitch? This doesn't seem like a suspension-worthy event, but rather an event that MLB should make the mental note about. Another moment like this from Farnsworth and they can take him to the woodshed, if they feel like it. But not this one. MLB is making the Sox and Yanks into a spectacle when they shouldn't be doing so. This fuels a media narrative for July, it would be great if us fans could be above it. The players, to their credit, certainly have been.

[YF]

Moose is famous for not intentionally hitting opposing batters, and given his velocity and whom he hit, those go out the window. So it's a reasonable question. If Farnsy gets suspended, Beckett should as well, though I think headhunting is the far worse crime. But what is the message here? You're allowed to retaliate, just not at the head? In the past it's been no retaliation allowed at all. So this is MLB getting this wrong all over the place.

[SF]

YF:

Do you mean Buchholz? Beckett didn't do a thing.

[walein]

I think the suspension is a good thing if only because Kyle Farnsworth has no business trying to get high and tight on anyone until he can prove that he has some kind of control. He throws way to hard and could put somebody's eye out with that thing.

[Adrian-YF]

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quowynn.shtml

Just keepin' it real.

[sam-yf]

this is a total sham, if you watch the replay it wouldnt have even hit manny in the head the ball was shoulder high, which is exactly where Arod got plunked the night before. What a joke...

[TJ]

Former Sox catcher John Marzano passed away today from an apparent heart attack.

Red Sox Nation has lost a former member.

John Marzano who was a catcher for Boston from 1987 until 1992 died Saturday from an apparent heart attack.

Marzano was in his first year of work with Major League Baseball's BaseballChannel.tv where he was a co-host of Leading Off with Vinny Micucci.

Prior to that he had been a regular guest of Phillies Post Game Live on Comcast Sports Net, Marzano played college ball at Temple in Philadelphia.

Marzano was a favorite catcher of Roger Clemens (pictured together) and a close friend of Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

Marzano is survived by his wife, two daughters and two grand-daughters.

[sf rod]

if you look at the replay iwamura's knee attacked shelley's cleat.

[attackgerbil]

Manny says "he (Farnsworth) doesn't deserve that", regarding the suspension.

[WebmistressEMC]

Manny probably meant Farnsworth deserves a lot more, like standing in against a like pitcher (see what it feels like, Farnsie?).

Love all these "yabbut" excuses and carefully parsed explanations about the ARod HBP. Getting hit between the "1" and the "3" with an 87MPH fastball is NOT like seeing the ball whiz past the back of your head at 97MPH.

[dc]

even though i agree with what you're saying sf, and you too manny, i don't disagree with the fine and suspension...is it a bit of an over-reaction by mlb/watson who seems obsessed with proving that he has no lingering fondness for his former employer?...big yep...but, it's going to be a long season, the yanks/sox have a history for some animosity, so why not try to nip it in the bud early on...the tricky part will be for them to be consistent...the first time a yankee gets plunked or has to duck like manny did, and i'll expect to see similar punishment for that pitcher [regardless of the team]...

[I'mBillMcNeal]

How much of this is solved if Vanover does his job and tosses Farnsworth immediately?

I do understand the concept of pitching inside, a la Pedro, and headhunting. Maybe Aardsma SHOULD have been tossed, too.

There is a pretty obvious line, don't you think?
Moose vs. Ellsbury: Even if Moose was going inside, not caring if he hit a kid, just wanting to scare him, I call that gray. The scouting report on Ellsbury is to go inside until he proves he can hit. Let it go.
Aardsma vs. Arod: Pretty close to, if not over the line. These teams have a history. Toss him just to be safe. No warnings.
Farnsy vs. Manny: Pretty obvious intent. should have been tossed. Given Aardsma and not this, warn both benches.
I think the umps are irresponsible when they let it go and then place it in Watson's hands.
And speaking of irresponsible umps, any ump who jaws back at a player and then tosses him should be fired. Period.
Don't fncking egg them on and then play Mr. Authoritarian Guy with the ejection finger. That's a disservice to the game. I don't care if the player IS wrong about the strike zone.
An ump's job is to be in control, not prompt a situation to escalate out of control.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Sorry. "Concept of" in the second graf should be "difference between."

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Lastly, Farnsworth's and Girardi's comments about being "Shocked" over the suspension were a little too convenient.
You really think either of them is dumb enough to admit it?
Same thing with Manny. Why egg them on? "No, man, it was no big deal."
Manny know what was going on.