By Jim Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Sorry Sox fans, but what Josh Beckett did yesterday to Bobby Abreu was uncalled for. I have been a baseball player and fan all of my life. I understand and have practiced baseball code and the "unwritten" rules of the game, but throwing at, or over, a person's head because he called time in the batters box is unacceptable.
First off, Abreu is the wrong person to be mad at. It took Beckett 11 1/2 seconds to come to the plate. Any other hitter would have called time after standing in the box that long. If you want to blame someone, blame the umpire for granting time in the first place. Yes, he was practically in the middle of his windup. It's the umpires job to grant, or not grant time. He has no obligation to the hitter. If the pitcher has started his motion, then the umpire let's the pitch go.
If you haven't seen what happened, or need to view it one more time, I have attached the youtube link to the photo above. As Josh, Chad and Matt will tell you I was an uncaged animal on the ball field. I couldn't tell you how many times I've ripped up batting gloves, smashed a batting helmet over my head, or yelled at an umpire for a bogus call. What I would never do is throw at someones head. That type of action can end a person's career. I have no problem with a pitcher taking offense to styling after a home run or taking too long to run the bases, but you throw at a person's back, butt or legs. Not their head. That is just plain bush league.
So, I have a bit of advice for Josh Beckett. Stop trying to be Pedro, simmer down and play the game the right way. Maybe I should also send this to Joba "Crown Royale" Chamberlain as well.
I just have a few things that I would like to comment about this posting.
ReplyDeleteIf Josh Beckett was SO in the wrong like most Sox Fans and Talk Show Hosts seem to think, then why is everyone overlooking that no one got throw out from the Sox, and 4 Angels were thrown out of the game?
I think this is a classic case of mid-windup "Oh Sh*t." Josh Beckett was concentrating on quite a bit. I am sure was part of the reason it took him close to 11 second so move towards the plate. Anytime Chone Figgins is on base, a pitcher will have a lot going on in his head. When that concentration was thrown off by a mid-windup sighting of the umpire moving away from the plate, and the ball was released at a point which was not originally intended. I am sure we all know that the smallest interruption can distinctly disrupt a delivery of a low to mid 90s picth.
If Josh Beckett made the decision to throw at Abreau's head because he was mad at him calling time out, he would have had to gotten mad and made the adjustment mid pitch. I think that idea is a little unreasonable because that would have had to happen in less than a split second. There is no bad blood between the Sox and the Angels, nor is there bad blood between Abreau and Beckett. Beckett does not have any reputation of throwing at players head, and can’t really be involved in a comparison to Pedro or Chamberlain for that matter. Pedro is a well know head hunter, and Joba has some sort of issue with Youkilis that no one can explain.
Also, Abreu could have easily have avoided this entire conflict. If he had actually stepped out of the box like every other batter does after they are granted time out (especially when the pitcher is already in the process of their delivery), the ball would have been nowhere near his head thus the altercation is avoided.
In conclusion, I think we are all looking at the wrong guy if there was a scumbag in the group. It wasn’t Beckett, Abreu, or the Umpire for calling such a late timeout…but one Justin Speier for making the disgusting vow to throw at all of the Red Sox heads next time he pitches…wrong thing to say.
Well,what if Becket just threw a strike - none of this would have happened either!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, thank you for the spirited comment. This is what we want from our readers. I also like that I touched a nerve with at least one person. Do I think Beckett is really a scumbag? Of course not, I just didn't like the way he dealt with the situation. I don't care if it was Ricky Henderson, no pitcher takes 11 seconds to come to the plate. If you argued that Abreu should have called time earlier I would have agreed with you.
ReplyDeleteYou're wrong about Sox Fans coming down against Beckett. The Boston sports talk show hosts certainly are, but I haven't heard more than 2 or 3 callers rip Beckett. Most Sox fans are extreme homers, I know I'm a BU homer so lay off, and don't think he did anything wrong. I listen to WEEI pretty much all day at work and have heard so many stupid excuses for Beckett it makes me sick.
I think you need to watch the video again. Josh Beckett has a slow, deliberate wind up that allows him plenty of time to change his mind during the delivery. Becket hadn't even removed the ball from his glove when he realized time had been called. That's give a major league pitcher more than enough time to change the trajectory of the ball. It's not like He already had is arm cocked.
There may not be any bad blood between the Sox and the Angels, but how does any of us know there isn't something between Beckett and Abreu. They've pretty much played in the same division their entire careers. We don't know so we shouldn't jump to conclusions.
I'd love to add right now, but need to start work.
Thanks for the comments