"If a pitcher doesn't want to hit another human being with a deadly object, that should be fine."

Being a bit dramatic today?

Plunking is part of the game. No one is saying he has to throw a heater at the guy's face.

Exactly Dave. They also lost 8-0, so winning wasn't a big objective there. Unity is though.

There's a reason this type of thing has been going on for decades. And it happens on almost every team so apparently there are a lot of baseball jerks out there.

I think you missed David's point, dave. He didn't say plunking wasn't part of the game, he just didn't see why not plunking someone is reason to be demoted, seeing as trying to get batters out is the primary job of a pitcher. And I agree with him. Not throwing at someone doesn't mean you aren't doing your job as a pitcher, but not getting them out does. As far as "No one is saying he has to throw a heater at the guy's face", well, we don't know what he was told. All we know is, he did his job, and in return, he got yelled at and is possibly being demoted. And there's no logic that can defend that.

Of course there is logic that can defend that. If his manager asked him to do something and he didn't, some people are going to have a problem with that. Do you think it would go over well if a pitcher was told to intentionally walk someone, but he pitched to him anyway? Even if he got the out, there is a problem with insubordination there.

That said, I support the rookie here. He didn't do what he was told to do and that is wrong, but he did what he felt was right.

Let's not forget how universally disliked Pierzynski is. Maybe Tracey didn't have it in him to defend someone who by all accounts is kind of a jerk.

Guillen's a coward for calling on the rookie to handle that job. Why didn't he ask Vazquez to do it? Guillen's also a coward for showing up a teammate in the dugout, and making a public display of such goonish baseball. What kind of manager tells one of his pitchers, "You are expendable, go plunk a guy and take the suspension?"

"There's a reason this type of thing has been going on for decades."

Yeah, it's childish macho crap from boys trap in men's bodies, and there will always be Ozzie Guillens in baseball.

Isn't this the sort of thing that would make a real Commissioner of Baseball would step in and intervene? You know, the whole "acting in the best interests of the game" thing?

Isn't this the sort of thing that would make a real Commissioner of Baseball would step in and intervene? You know, the whole "acting in the best interests of the game" thing?

If I was Selig, Guillen would have woken up this morning to a two week suspension and a big fine on top of it.

Also, if the Player's Union was doing its job, they would be filing a grievance on Tracey's behalf for Guillen's actions in punishing a player for *not* breaking the rules. This isn't just about Tracey--managers shouldn't be allowed to pull this kind of crap.

The REAL reason he got sent down is the ChiSox trade with the BoSox today. David Riske for Javie Lopez. They needed to make room for Riske on the roster.

That said, he did get chewed out though :)

Randy gets 5 games for throwing at, but not hitting Eduardo Perez.

Ozzie? Still nothing when it's universally accepted that he wanted to hit Blalock.

If anybody goes down to Triple A it should be the umpire for some remedial training. How can you not eject a pitcher who beans the same guy twice? On two pitches, the first two times the guy comes up at bat? The more I think about it the more ridiculous it gets.

Guillen is a coward for sending a rookie to do it? try genius. He was trying to have his cake and eat it too. He would get to do what neede to be done and have it done by someone who is expendable, so there would be no repercussion to anyone on the roster that they need to make the pennant run.

M. Scott, I think you are totally overblowing this.