And as far as I'm concerned, this is a nonissue. Dallas Braden did the right thing by defending his mound. Alex Rodriguez did the right thing by skipping through the pitcher's mound if he thought it would rattle Braden.
I don't know whether it's an "unwritten rule" or not that batters avoid going over the mound ... but whether it is or not is not the issue. These are world-class athletes performing under levels of stress we can't even begin to imagine. If A-Rod thinks it'll help his team win, and he is willing to face the repercussions, then by all means he should do it. It actually speaks volumes about his character that he cares more about winning than what the opposition thinks about his actions -- that he might be willing to take a heater in the ribs the next time up for the sake of rattling Braden. Good for him. And good for Braden for having some personal pride and letting A-Rod know that he noticed.
3 comments:
I disagree with you on this one Mangan. While I understand doing whatever you need to do to get a competitive edge (and Arod has certainly does that both within and outside the rules) there is some degree of etiquette that should be followed. The problem is, Arod is likely not going to face any consequence for his action. Nobody is actually going to throw inside as pitchers are basically not allowed to hit a batter on purpose anymore. Hell, Cliff Lee was almost suspended for tossing a ball above a guys head in spring training.
So who is going to read that "Unwritten Rules of Baseball" book to see if this is actually a rule? I can see that a pitcher wouldn't want people going over the mound because it messes with the terrain which affects their performance, but I think it's stupid otherwise. Yell at him after the play, but what the heck was the point of throwing stuff in his dugout? That guy is nutcase.
Hahah... okay yes, Braden was probably over the top. But I think he was right to defend his turf (even if he was a little overboard).
Harris - don't you be stepping on my mound. Even though I'd never intentionally hit you, and even if I did I do not throw hard enough to hurt you, I will still yell.
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