The A-Rod suspension argument

Here is the exchange between myself and Aaron Hull in regards to my earlier post about the suspensions handed out after last weekend's New York-Boston brawl:

Aaron says...

Here we go again...another Yankee Fan that thinks their precious Yankers got shafted.

First of all...I talked to a fellow colleague of mine here that is more die hard Yankee Fan then you then you (he knows every Yankee Team back to the 50's) and he even agrees with me that A-Rod started it. Let's get it straight...

1. A-Rod got hit in the shoulder. Amazing he realized that the pitcher was pulling a "Roger Clemmens" and hit him on purpose. 2. As John Cruck said, at this point, a batter has two choices, they can either charge the mound or shut-up and walk to first base. None of this mouthing-off pretty boy stuff. But A-Rod want's his cake too...so of course, A-Rod, the pretty boy, doesn't want to ruin his manicure so instead of charging the mound, he decides to start shouting the "F" word numerous times at the pitcher (This is clearly shown in the replay). 3. Now, in steps Varitek. Now every Yankee fan, except for my colleague, is saying why would Varitek get involved. The answer...that's his job. It his job to protect the pitcher...his teammate. When he heard pretty boy mouthing off, he probably told him to shut up and go to first...again, he is protecting his pitcher.

Well,

from there it escalated and Varitek and pretty boy got in each others faces, and finally...A-Rod said something that I'm sure he regrets now...He taunted Varitek into a fight by saying "Come On" to Varitek (This is clearly shown in the replay and reiterated by the announcers). 4. As soon as he said that, Varitek bashed him in the face....and we all know what happens next.

So if you wasn't to sit there and say it is all Varitek's fault, be my guess. But all I can say is that if A-Rod simply walked to first after he got hit...I wouldn't be writing this e-mail. But he didn't...and that is why he got 4 games. Yes, he got hit with a ball...I don't really know if he got hit on purpose...But I also I don't know if Roger hit Piazza in the head on purpose either...according to most Yankee Fans, clemmons was trying to go "inside". It's amazing how people know when a pitcher is going inside and when pitcher is going after someone's head, I mean shoulder. Regardless, I do know it's a unfortunate part of the game that could be alleviated if they did away with the DH...but that is another argument... A-Rod is just as at-fault as Varitek. Veritek started the punching, but A-Rod started the whole thing with his mouth. Just shut-up and go to 1st.

Aaron

Chris says...

Aaron:

1. When are you going to let the Clemmons/Piazza thing go? No one wants to talk about it anymore. Even Fox (?!?) barely mentioned it at the All-Star game. Move on with your life.

2. I'm sorry that you failed reading comprehension in school. You actually agreed with 90% of what I said. I never said A-Rod had no fault. He did mouth off to everyone -- he should have shut and taken his base. I agree with you -- it is Veritek's job to protect his pitcher.

But I don't care how much of as***le A-Rod behaves like, it is not Veritek's job to shove A-Rod in the face. He would have come off looking much cooler, and A-Rod would have looked much more like a chump, if he took the high road and kept his hands to himself.

A-Rod has culpability. He deserves something. But there is a difference between mounting off and throwing punches from behind your catcher's mask.

Veritek earned his four games. A-Rod deserves three.

Aaron says...

Chris:
"But there is a difference between mounting off and throwing punches from behind your catcher's mask" Come-on Please...When you are in a hostile situation and someone taunts you to start a fight...Guess what...it's time to rumble. How can you give the person who started the whole thing with his mouth less punishment then someone who throws a punch?...By doing that you are not punishing the whole problem/issue, you are only punishing part of the problem...the punch. Baseball knows that if A-Rod simply walked to first...this never would have happened.
He was the INSTIGATOR when he starting yelling the f-word and he was the instigator when he yelled COME-ON. That is why he got 4 games. As for the Clemmons/Piazza...it was brought up to prove a point....The Yankees have done stuff like this many times before, and yanker fans never bitch then.

Chris says...

Cut the macho crap. "Its time to rumble." Please! This isn't the WWE, it's baseball. A-Rod was being a baby. I would have had much more respect for Veritek if he took the high road.

Aaron says...

Chris:

When I say "By doing that you are not punishing the whole problem/issue, you are only punishing part of the problem...the punch"

what meant to say is "By doing that you are charging less blame to the instigator then the person he threw the punch"

Chris says...

And I have never said A-Rod should get off. But there is no denying that Veritek let his emotions get the better of him (as did A-Rod) and made a bad situation worse.

Yes, A-Rod started by mouthing off and deserves punishment. He did not start the brawl.

We're never going to agree on this. This is last week's news. Lets find something new argue about.