What is more important ... winning a game or hitting AROD?

[marklmw]

What happened in last night game made absolutely no sense to me. Hitting AROD as the lead off hitter with the Sox ahead 2-0 in the 2nd inning was insane. If you want to send a message there are better times to do it. ... like with 2 outs or later in the game when you are ahead by 5 or when first base is open. Does anyone else feel the same?

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Too cool for the game thread?

[a700hitter]

What happened in last night game made absolutely no sense to me. Hitting AROD as the lead off hitter with the Sox ahead 2-0 in the 2nd inning was insane. If you want to send a message there are better times to do it. ... like with 2 outs or later in the game when you are ahead by 5 or when first base is open. Does anyone else feel the same?

O feel very much the same way, but I am e ven more confused. What message needed to be sent? What message was geing sent? Was Dempster send ing a message that he doesn't like steroids? It was too stupid for words.

[marklmw]

O feel very much the same way, but I am e ven more confused. What message needed to be sent? What message was geing sent? Was Dempster send ing a message that he doesn't like steroids? It was too stupid for words.

 

Note to mention the bomb that AROD hit next at bat. Dempster has been a big disappointment for sure.

[Thunder]

Note to mention the bomb that AROD hit next at bat. Dempster has been a big disappointment for sure.

 

He had an AB in between. Get your facts straight.

[mvp 78]

He had an AB in between. Get your facts straight.

 

Facts don't matter on TS.

 

It is known.

[marklmw]

He had an AB in between. Get your facts straight.

 

Whatever ... lol

[SoxFanForsyth]

Hitting ARod didn't lose the game last night.

 

The other 9 hits he gave up in 5.1 and the walk to Chris Stewart is what lost the game.

 

The Red Sox lost by 3 runs. ARod scored 2 runs.

[a700hitter]

Hitting ARod didn't lose the game last night.

 

The other 9 hits he gave up in 5.1 and the walk to Chris Stewart is what lost the game.

 

The Red Sox lost by 3 runs. ARod scored 2 runs.

What was the reason for throwing at him? What message was being sent?

[marklmw]

Hitting ARod didn't lose the game last night.

 

The other 9 hits he gave up in 5.1 and the walk to Chris Stewart is what lost the game.

 

The Red Sox lost by 3 runs. ARod scored 2 runs.

 

I have to disagree ... respectfully of course. The Sox had a 2 run lead and the Yankees had yet to get on the board. Dempster was throwing at AROD with his first pitch. Lead off walks have a way of coming back to haunt you. So with a 2 run lead Dempster decides on putting the lead-off hitter on base. There is not a pitcher on earth who would rather pitch in a tied game vs. having a 2 run lead. It was stupid and he was lucky that more runs were not scored that inning. Your logic is flawed to be kind.

[SoxFanForsyth]

What was the reason for throwing at him? What message was being sent?

 

I'm not defending hitting him. I'm saying it didn't cost them the game.

[SoxFanForsyth]

I have to disagree ... respectfully of course. The Sox had a 2 run lead and the Yankees had yet to get on the board. Dempster was throwing at AROD with his first pitch. Lead off walks have a way of coming back to haunt you. So with a 2 run lead Dempster decides on putting the lead-off hitter on base. There is not a pitcher on earth who would rather pitch in a tied game vs. having a 2 run lead. It was stupid and he was lucky that more runs were not scored that inning. Your logic is flawed to be kind.

 

How is my logic flawed? Your logic assumes that Dempster would have gotten him out, which by the way he didn't do the entire game.

[Thunder]

Dempster did hit A-Rod at the wrong time. I believe it fired the Yankees up, but didn't cost the Sox the game.

[marklmw]

How is my logic flawed? Your logic assumes that Dempster would have gotten him out, which by the way he didn't do the entire game.

 

Fine, you think it was a good idea to put a lead-off hitter on base in a 2-0 game in the 2nd inning ... why exactly? You logic is flawed because if you change anything about a game it changes the entire game ... to say that AROD was only responsible for 2 runs and since the Yankees won by 3 that it did not matter is flat out wrong.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Fine, you think it was a good idea to put a lead-off hitter on base in a 2-0 game in the 2nd inning ... why exactly? You logic is flawed because if you change anything about a game it changes the entire game ... to say that AROD was only responsible for 2 runs and since the Yankees won by 3 that it did not matter is flat out wrong.

 

Not sure how that is wrong? Those are the facts. I'm not saying it was a smart move to hit him, I'm saying it didn't cost us the game. You're 1) completely ignoring the other 7 runs that were scored, and 2) making a ridiculous assumption that ARod wouldn't have produced a single hit or run had Dempster not hit him..

[mvp 78]

How is my logic flawed? Your logic assumes that Dempster would have gotten him out, which by the way he didn't do the entire game.

 

Should have just IBB'd him everytime? Game could have turned out better.

 

Yeah, hitting him didn't lose the game.

[mvp 78]

Not sure how that is wrong? Those are the facts. I'm not saying it was a smart move to hit him, I'm saying it didn't cost us the game. You're 1) completely ignoring the other 7 runs that were scored, and 2) making a ridiculous assumption that ARod wouldn't have produced a single hit or run had Dempster not hit him..

 

SFF, marklmw doesn't care about things like "facts." Just make it up as you go along. Sports takes!

[Bellhorn04]

I know I'm saying this with the benefit of hindsight, but I firmly believe this was one of the stupidest moves in baseball history, and the whole team has to own it.

 

-What if Dempster had been tossed from the game? This could easily have happened. Then the bullpen would have had 8 innings to cover!

-Why the hell didn't the team talk about this before the series? Why didn't somebody do it in Friday's game?

 

I'm livid. I'll calm down, but I know this was a disastrously boneheaded move.

[mvp 78]

In the history of baseball?

[marklmw]

SFF, marklmw doesn't care about things like "facts." Just make it up as you go along. Sports takes!

 

Hey dumb s*** ... what facts are you talking about? Idiot.

[marklmw]

I know I'm saying this with the benefit of hindsight, but I firmly believe this was one of the stupidest moves in baseball history, and the whole team has to own it.

 

-What if Dempster had been tossed from the game? This could easily have happened. Then the bullpen would have had 8 innings to cover!

-Why the hell didn't the team talk about this before the series? Why didn't somebody do it in Friday's game?

 

I'm livid. I'll calm down, but I know this was a disastrously boneheaded move.

 

Exactly, for the low information fans out there ... this is the point of the thread.

[Thunder]

Exactly, for the low information fans out there ... this is the point of the thread.

 

I don't think there are any low information fans here.

[a700hitter]

I'm not defending hitting him. I'm saying it didn't cost them the game.

It didn't help any.

[jung]

Does not matter whether it "directly" cost the game or not. It did lead to runs being scored and it was moronic beyond belief. If it were not for the oblivious Ump, Dempster would have been and should have been tossed right then and there forcing the Sox to the pen in the 2nd inning of the game. That was nothing more than the Ump being thoughtless or taking pity on the idiot.

 

As just about everybody in baseball with a brain has said, he should have taken his one shot at hitting him, if he did fine...if he didn't get on with the game. It still would have been stupid because he would have put the lead runner on with nobody out. It at least would not have been moronic because he would not have risked being tossed from the game itself. But no, the idiot threw four straight at A-roid and left himself and his team at the mercy of the home plate ump in a game that they really had to have....FOR f***ING WHAT? There is no room for this horse s*** in a pennant race! But excuse me, this is not a baseball team in a pennant race. It is just a bunch of fun lovin' guys that can't get enough of each other for 162 days of the year.

 

On top of that, he left the skanks no choice but to man up in support of a teammate whether they disliked him or not...something that might have a lasting impact and might make it more likely that they continue to play better baseball than they have played all season long against a team they have six more against I think. In addition it is clearly already gaining A-roid some sympathy which he does not deserve and should not get. Turning A-roid into a sympathetic figure even by a little bit is pathetic.

 

Then there is the potential impact on the Sox players who will now be left answering endless media questions about what they knew and when they knew it and what they thought about it and on and on in the middle of a pennant race. The media is not going to be satisfied with Farrell's response. We now know by the way that for poker players, getting Farrell in a poker game would be a dream come true. Dempster put himself AND his team right in the eye of the storm and there will be no way to make this go away easily until the damned media has driven everybody crazy or gets answers they believe. Moronic does not even come close to describing this, one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in baseball. Casey Stengel is baseball's Einstein comparatively speaking.

[marklmw]

Does not matter whether it "directly" cost the game or not. It did lead to runs being scored and it was moronic beyond belief. If it were not for the oblivious Ump, Dempster would have been and should have been tossed right then and there forcing the Sox to the pen in the 2nd inning of the game. That was nothing more than the Ump being thoughtless or taking pity on the idiot.

 

As just about everybody in baseball with a brain has said, he should have taken his one shot at hitting him, if he did fine...if he didn't get on with the game. It still would have been stupid because he would have put the lead runner on with nobody out. It at least would not have been moronic because he would not have risked being tossed from the game itself. But no, the idiot threw four straight at A-roid and left himself and his team at the mercy of the home plate ump in a game that they really had to have....FOR f***ING WHAT? There is no room for this horse s*** in a pennant race! But excuse me, this is not a baseball team in a pennant race. It is just a bunch of fun lovin' guys that can't get enough of each other for 162 days of the year.

 

On top of that, he left the skanks no choice but to man up in support of a teammate whether they disliked him or not...something that might have a lasting impact and might make it more likely that they continue to play better baseball than they have played all season long against a team they have six more against I think. In addition it is clearly already gaining A-roid some sympathy which he does not deserve and should not get. Turning A-roid into a sympathetic figure even by a little bit is pathetic.

 

Then there is the potential impact on the Sox players who will now be left answering endless media questions about what they knew and when they knew it and what they thought about it and on and on in the middle of a pennant race. The media is not going to be satisfied with Farrell's response. We now know by the way that for poker players, getting Farrell in a poker game would be a dream come true. Dempster put himself AND his team right in the eye of the storm and there will be no way to make this go away easily until the damned media has driven everybody crazy or gets answers they believe. Moronic does not even come close to describing this, one of the dumbest things I have ever seen in baseball. Casey Stengel is baseball's Einstein comparatively speaking.

 

Not to mention Ortiz wondering when he was going to get plunked each time he stepped in the batters box.

[MJantomaso]

I have to disagree ... respectfully of course. The Sox had a 2 run lead and the Yankees had yet to get on the board. Dempster was throwing at AROD with his first pitch. Lead off walks have a way of coming back to haunt you. So with a 2 run lead Dempster decides on putting the lead-off hitter on base. There is not a pitcher on earth who would rather pitch in a tied game vs. having a 2 run lead. It was stupid and he was lucky that more runs were not scored that inning. Your logic is flawed to be kind.

 

we then went up 6-3 after that. Hitting ARod did not hurt us. Dempster not being able to back his s*** up after hitting ARod is what made us lose. You cant hit someone intentionally and then go out and get shelled.

[MJantomaso]

Not to mention Ortiz wondering when he was going to get plunked each time he stepped in the batters box.

 

Ortiz knew he wasnt going to get hit. Warnings were issued immediately. If CC hit Ortiz he would have been tossed.

[jung]

Ells got into the batters box very gingerly as the first LH hitter up with any cred for the Sox. He was dancing so much in the box you would have thought he should have visited the little boy's room before heading to the plate...the polar opposite of digging in. But after Ells, I think the rest of the Sox took pretty reasonable stances...none of them dug in as much as they usually do but Ells was the only one doing the Irish Jig in Box.

[a700hitter]

I know I'm saying this with the benefit of hindsight, but I firmly believe this was one of the stupidest moves in baseball history, and the whole team has to own it.

 

-What if Dempster had been tossed from the game? This could easily have happened. Then the bullpen would have had 8 innings to cover!

-Why the hell didn't the team talk about this before the series? Why didn't somebody do it in Friday's game?

 

I'm livid. I'll calm down, but I know this was a disastrously boneheaded move.

Hitting ARod was not an accident. As a strategy move, it made zero sense. Did it cost them the game? Truthfully, we will never know, but we do know that it didn't help prevent losing the game. We do know that it gave Girardi the opportunity to rally his troops and wake up the Yankee team. Did that make the difference? We'll never know, but it didn't help our cause. It clearly got ARod fired up. Would he have hit the HR if he hadn't been plunked? Who knows. The HR fed more positive energy to the Yankees than it would have had it not been for the plunking. It was gratuitously stupid, and in sports and in life, it has been my experience that gratuious stupidity always comes back to bite people.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

-What if Dempster had been tossed from the game? This could easily have happened. Then the bullpen would have had 8 innings to cover!

The real treat would have been watching some baseball goon in the media (like Eckersley or Merloni) stand by Dempster and call him a bulldog or something.