Girardi Cries Over Spilled Milk
Apparently, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi thinks that when Brad Penny drilled Alex Rodriguez during the Red Sox' 4-3 win on Thursday, it was on purpose. Excellent deduction Joe.
This leads me to two conclusions. Either A) A-Rod wasn't aware that the Yankees were due for a hit batsman (which I thought was unlikely, considering the classy way he took his base after a 97 mph heater to the ribs), and Girardi was defending him, or B) Girardi was unaware that the Yankees are owed a serious amount of beanballs.
Girardi apparently complained to the media about the beaning on Friday, and also called the Commisioner's Office to look into the matter. You know what the League Office is going to see, Joe?
They're going to see Joba throwing at Kevin Youkilis so many times you can't count on one hand over the last two years, including 3 - 3 times at his head.
They're going to see that Yankee pitchers have hit 9 Boston batters to the Red Sox' two before this incident.
They're going to see Bay get nailed twice last time the two teams played, both times by fastballs between the numbers.
They're going to see, after Bay's second beaning, the entire Red Sox clubhouse talk about how it couldn't be unintentional at that point, and how they basically openly declared they were going to police this themselves. The Office will also see Manny Delcarmen try to hit Jeter twice on Wednesday night, though fail miserably both times. If the league didn't step in after all this, they clearly know what all of baseball knows.
New York had it coming. Someone was going to get hit this series, the Yankees deserved it. The league knew it, Boston knew it, all the fans knew it, the umpires knew it, and they all knew that the Sox owed New York one. Apparently everyone but New York, or at least Girardi knows it.
The problem with Girardi's comments isn't that he was just saying the right things. I could understand that. But to talk about it again Friday, and to call the League about it?
Look, I've always thought Joe Girardi was a good players' manager and a great baseball person. He, of all people, should know this situation. For him to go crying to the Commisioner over this, well, it just doesn't look good on him.
Maybe he was just upset about losing to the Sox again, for the eighth time this season. Maybe he was upset because he thought his ace could take Brad Penny, only to watch Penny keep the Yankees quiet with high-nineties stuff all night while the Red Sox finally broke through and chased the Hefty Lefty out of the eighth. Maybe he was upset because the New York bullpen couldn't stop the bleeding in time, while he has to watch the Red Sox' bullpen be far and away the best in the game.
Either way, Joe, I know you're a classy guy, so just please, get over it.
-Matt
