Comments on: Bob Watson has lost his mind http://www.pitchershiteighth.com/2008/08/21/bob-watson-has-lost-his-mind/ A St. Louis Cardinals blog. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:35:38 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: PHE http://www.pitchershiteighth.com/2008/08/21/bob-watson-has-lost-his-mind/#comment-371 PHE Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:12:03 +0000 http://www.pitchershiteighth.com/?p=225#comment-371 Exactly Sarah-bug. It was almost a 'harken back to old days' kind of moment. The players understood what was happening, no one charged the mound, no one got out of hand with their behavior, and the game finished without incident. It's not as if Lohse continued throwing at Volquez until he finally plunked him. There was a message pitch sent and message was received. I should also give kudos where due to Volquez for dealing with the situation like a true professional. The more I see of that kid, the more I really like. As I've mentioned several times, I thought it was handled quite well by the umpire. Why Bob Watson thought it was necessary to go any further is beyond me. Exactly Sarah-bug.

It was almost a ‘harken back to old days’ kind of moment. The players understood what was happening, no one charged the mound, no one got out of hand with their behavior, and the game finished without incident. It’s not as if Lohse continued throwing at Volquez until he finally plunked him.

There was a message pitch sent and message was received. I should also give kudos where due to Volquez for dealing with the situation like a true professional. The more I see of that kid, the more I really like.

As I’ve mentioned several times, I thought it was handled quite well by the umpire. Why Bob Watson thought it was necessary to go any further is beyond me.

]]> By: Sarah-bug http://www.pitchershiteighth.com/2008/08/21/bob-watson-has-lost-his-mind/#comment-370 Sarah-bug Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:09:09 +0000 http://www.pitchershiteighth.com/?p=225#comment-370 "a situation that was completely diffused by the players’ behavior" That's the frijoles of it, isn't it? Nothing else happened. There was no fighting, no more conflict (unless you count the ball Lopez took to the back), but somehow MLB decided that an example needed to be made. A stand-up organization like the Cards' does not need a lot of outside monitoring. It's not like we're getting into throw-downs every other week with the visiting club. Sheesh! ps-Thank YOU for the link! I can't believe anyone reads me! “a situation that was completely diffused by the players’ behavior”
That’s the frijoles of it, isn’t it?
Nothing else happened. There was no fighting, no more conflict (unless you count the ball Lopez took to the back), but somehow MLB decided that an example needed to be made.
A stand-up organization like the Cards’ does not need a lot of outside monitoring. It’s not like we’re getting into throw-downs every other week with the visiting club. Sheesh!

ps-Thank YOU for the link! I can’t believe anyone reads me!

]]> By: PHE http://www.pitchershiteighth.com/2008/08/21/bob-watson-has-lost-his-mind/#comment-369 PHE Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:41:07 +0000 http://www.pitchershiteighth.com/?p=225#comment-369 That's certainly a valid point - and undoubtedly the reason for the suspension being doled out, as MLB tries to protect its players. If that's the case however, Lohse should've been thrown out of the game. The umpires certainly have the ability and the MLB-given power to determine if a pitcher is throwing at someone's head and to immediately eject them. Gibson apparently didn't think that was the case. I still can't believe I'm in such agreement with an ump... That’s certainly a valid point – and undoubtedly the reason for the suspension being doled out, as MLB tries to protect its players.

If that’s the case however, Lohse should’ve been thrown out of the game. The umpires certainly have the ability and the MLB-given power to determine if a pitcher is throwing at someone’s head and to immediately eject them.

Gibson apparently didn’t think that was the case. I still can’t believe I’m in such agreement with an ump…

]]> By: StLCards http://www.pitchershiteighth.com/2008/08/21/bob-watson-has-lost-his-mind/#comment-368 StLCards Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:25:09 +0000 http://www.pitchershiteighth.com/?p=225#comment-368 I definitely agree. The one thing that I thought about at the time, and something I didn't agree with, was that Lohse got the ball dangerously close to Volquez's head. I thought the message could have been sent with a low tight ball just as easily. True, the one that Lohse ducked out of the way from was around the head too, but I'm not as sure that was intended to be so high. Just look at what happened to Mitch Maier. I heard someone say that when Maier squared to bunt that the pitcher lost his target and the ball got away from him. I'm more of the mindset that when the player squares to bunt, the pitchers are more often throwing at the batter as an intentional pitch to force a defensive foul ball or pop up. In this case the ball was up and right in the nose resulting in 3 broken bones. I don't agree with a 5 game suspension since there was no brawl, no ejection, and the pitch was even a strike! I don't agree with throwing near a batter's head on purpose either though. You miss just a few inches and the batter doesn't quite get out of the way then you could have a very serious injury. I definitely agree. The one thing that I thought about at the time, and something I didn’t agree with, was that Lohse got the ball dangerously close to Volquez’s head. I thought the message could have been sent with a low tight ball just as easily. True, the one that Lohse ducked out of the way from was around the head too, but I’m not as sure that was intended to be so high.

Just look at what happened to Mitch Maier. I heard someone say that when Maier squared to bunt that the pitcher lost his target and the ball got away from him. I’m more of the mindset that when the player squares to bunt, the pitchers are more often throwing at the batter as an intentional pitch to force a defensive foul ball or pop up. In this case the ball was up and right in the nose resulting in 3 broken bones.

I don’t agree with a 5 game suspension since there was no brawl, no ejection, and the pitch was even a strike! I don’t agree with throwing near a batter’s head on purpose either though. You miss just a few inches and the batter doesn’t quite get out of the way then you could have a very serious injury.

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