How to Send a Message

 

Over the last week in baseball there have been some pretty angry pitchers. Two pitchers, and a manager received game suspensions and/or fines, and it seems after Tuesday night that there are possibly two more pitchers and maybe another manager who might be taking a few days off work and opening up their wallets as well. And it’s all because of a little chin music.

Back in the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s when baseball was real chin music was a part of the game. It was a way for a pitcher, a team, to send a message to the opposing team. There was no harm intended, just buzzing a 90+ mph fastball around eye-level so the hitter didn’t feel quite as comfortable in the box. The message could signal a number of different quandaries that a team had with a different situation in the game. “Hey, that slide into second with spikes up was bush league.” Or, it could be to retaliate after one their own players was hit at the plate earlier.

The difference between today and back then is that back then the players knew it was coming. They played the game the right way to avoid situations. Today, players take offense to getting hit (no matter where they get hit). Back then, getting hit was a free base; a way to get on and start a rally for your team. Back then, players walked around with bumps and bruises after taking pitches to get on base. Today, all that is walking around with bumps and bruises are players’ egos.

I am going to highlight three situations that recently happened and detail why I agree with what the pitcher did or disagree.

Jared Weaver (Angels) vs. Detroit Tigers – July 31

Weaver is the ace of the Angels staff, and leads the league in ERA. It was a great game which also featured Justin Verlander flirting with a no-hitter (again) into the eighth inning. But that was overshadowed by Weaver.

There had been jawing between the two sides all game, and in the bottom of the 7^th Carlos Guillen hit a “no-doubter” homerun. But what piqued Weaver in the wrong way was Guillen standing and admiring his home run, then looking at Weaver and appeared to blow him a kiss. The home plate umpire immediately warned each bench as he’d felt things had gotten to the boiling point. Surely the on deck batter Alex Avila had to know what was coming. And surely Weaver had to know what would happen if he threw at him. Weaver sailed a fastball past Avila’s head, and was immediately tossed from the game. And for a good five minutes there was some good banter between both dugouts.

Weaver was suspended six games and the Angels Manager was suspended one. Seems like there still might be bad blood between these two teams, could be intriguing if they meet up in the playoffs.

Carlos Carrasco (Indians) vs. Kansas City Royals – July 29

Carrasco is a young kid, with a great arm. But he seems to lose focus to easily which leads to giving up big innings. In the fourth inning of the game on Friday between the Indians and Royals, Carrasco gave up a grand slam that made the game 12-0 and immediately fired a fastball up near Billy Butler’s head. Carrasco was taken out of the game and the Indians lost 12-0 to the Royals that night. Soon thereafter Carrasco was fined and suspended six games for his actions.

The fact that this happened after giving up 12 runs shows how easily this kid loses his cool.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers – August 2

In the midst of a tight playoff race, when pressure mounts, it is expected that emotions will flare and tempers will reach their pinnacle. What happened in the seventh inning of this game was how all of these “messages” should be sent. After Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols had been hit in the hand, the Cardinals retaliated by throwing once in tight on the Brewers’ Ryan Braun, and then plunking him in the back on the second pitch.

The Cardinals defended their superstar by hitting one of the Brewers’ stars, and they retaliated by hitting him square in the back. Loud enough to send a message, but not too loud to injure anyone severely.

There is a difference between being stupid and sending a message. Stupid is trying to bean somebody in the dome. Sending a message is hitting them right between the shoulder blades. And if you don’t believe me consider this fact: The “message” Weaver and Carrasco were trying to send, never made it to its target, but the message the Cardinals sent to the Brewers hit Braun square in the back. If you want to send chin music there is nothing wrong with getting high and tight up around the shoulders, but if you want to make sure you message is heard loud and clear there is no better place than the center of the back.