Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Apr 18, 2008 
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Manny Ramirez homered twice as the Red Sox beat the Yankees last night. Brian Heyman has the story.
Phil Hughes plans to take his time on the mound tonight after two rough starts in a row. This notebook also has updates on Joba Chamberlain, a testy Jorge Posada and the arrival of the Pope.
Sam Borden writes that the Yankees and Red Sox have become mirror images of each other.
Just because I cry, and I cry often, it doesn’t mean I’m not a tough guy. Just because Mussina stunk it up last night, it doesn’t mean he hasn’t been, maybe no longer but was once, a great Yankee. And just because you won, Beckett, it doesn’t mean the Red Sox aren’t, now and forever, the Ed McMahon to the Yankees Johnny Carson.
Now, do your belly laugh thing and get me a drink.
***
“Some pitchers don’t like pitching with a big lead. What do you think, Al?â€
“Uh, I’ll take 10 runs any time.â€
Good times, Kay. Thanks for the good times.
the Ed McMahon to the Yankees Johnny Carson…..classic !
9-8 Current Record
3-0 @ Balt.
2-1 @ CWS
3-1 @ Cle
2-0 vs. Det
19-10 Going Into May !
( I’m headed back into my padded room now )
4/25 @ CLE is Joe’s chance to break up the current Mussina Hughes IPK stretch…..Slot Andy and moving forward :
4/25 Andy
4/26 IPK
4/27 Wang
4/28 Moose
4/29 Hughes
IMHO, this is a good move to make…
farnsworth’s pitch was gutless and i hope its not arod that takes the retaliatoin head shot
yes, it is ALWAYS OK for all BoSux pitchers to pitch inside to Yankees and actually hit them all the time,,,but if Farsworth tries to go inside on Manny and sails one that doesn’t even hit him….he is gutless…..right ! jmo, nobody was actually throwing at this head BUT if anyone deserves chin music, it is THAT showboat !
trying to go inside is fine, moving a guy off the plate is fine, throwing behind his head is being a punk. if i was arod and saw that, i’d be thinking “if manny charges farnsworth, i might join him”
I love fans who KNOW what a pitcher’s intent was….you need to get yourself a mind reader’s business, goof, you’ll make a lot of money (NOT!)….you don’t KNOW he was trying to throw behind his head…..what we all DO know is that BoSux pitchers try AND succeed in hitting and injuring Yankees batters all the time and NOBODY does a damn thing about it….so since THEY get away with THAT punk move all the time,,,they keep doing it. Manny and Youk and Rat Boy and the rest of the maroons on that team can keep crying like the babies they are about getting thrown at….talk to me when one of them actually takes a fast ball off a bone, then we’ll talk about punk, PUNK !
there is no defending farnsworth. most of the guys he played with would jump the line to crack him one. he is the baseball definition of punk.
…oh yes and Beckett and the rest of those PUNKS over in BeanTown are complete angels….whatever….
Glad Manny is smarter than some people (I can’t believe I am actually saying that)!!, He said well we hit one of there guys so I guess thats what they were doing.
BRAVO!! YOU get it!!
I don’t know, Pete. I’m not a person who likes it when ANY team throws with the intent to hit, or with the “if I hit him, who cares” attitude. I’m guessing if Farnsworth had hit Manny between the shoulders, actually hit him, that would have been okay? But since the ball sailed and ended up behind his head, that wasn’t okay. We’ll never know for sure if Farnsworth was trying to hit Manny, scare Manny (worse, if it WAS a head-shot), or brush him away from the plate.
I read where Farnsworth was pleased with the cheers; well, I guess he’s desperate for those.
Derek Jeter didn’t seem to have a problem: The quote in the Star Ledger: “Close doesn’t hurt. When you get it it hurts. (Rodriguez) got hit. That wasn’t a big question (Wednesday). So I really don’t think it’s that big a story, Manny almost getting hit.”
Manny Ramirez seems to put things in a kind of perspective, as well: “Well, you know, we hit one of the best players (Alex Rodriguez) last night, and I guess they wanted to send a message that they needed to back up the player. They did.”
Now, one for one. Can this please be over????
However, the Star Ledger did go on to say that although the fans seemed pleased with Farnsworth’s actions, he didn’t “earn points” in the clubhouse, probably because it wouldn’t do any good in the long run – perhaps giving Ramirez even more motivation (as if he needs it) to do well against the Yankees. The back-up for this statement was Mussina’s statement that if you make a mistake, of course Ramirez is going to hit it.
I also don’t think calling Mussina a coward, as some did here, is fair. He doesn’t like throwing AT people. I happen to agree with that. However, I do agree he needs to be more aggressive pitching inside.
I know I’m rambling here. Sorry for that. To me, all these so-called “purpose pitches” ruin the game. It’s a distraction. Yet I do realize that for the most part, the Yankees are on the receiving end, with the opposing team usually getting one free shot with the Yankees risking ejections and suspensions if they try to “retaliate.” So, the Yankees took the first shot last night. It’s a condundrum for me: I don’t want the Yankees to be patsies, with their players being targets for every other team if they are hitting well. But I don’t like this game – tit for tat. Maybe if they changed the rules so that if a player gets hit, his pitcher comes in next inning and plunks a guy (softly) – one for one – and it’s over. No carry over into another game or another series. The teams take care of it, the umpires don’t get involved.
I am surprised, if Farnsworth was throwing at Manny’s head, that the umpire did not eject Farnsworth.
Again, sorry for the random sequencing of this post.
Yes, since the umpires admit with their INaction that they do know know that Kyle was not throwing at his head, he does not get ejected…but SOME PEOPLE who must have the ability to be 100% certain they can read a person’s mind,,,,the KNOW FOR SURE that he was trying to kill the man with a shot to the head with a 100mph fast ball…..RIGHT !
Doreen
You may have rambled but saved me lots of typing. My thoughts exactly.
to everyone who has played baseball at least up to the varsity high school level……..How bad would love to face 2008 Mike Mussina? There is no doubt in my mind that Id hit a ball 475 feet off of him.
agreeing with pat, on agreeing with Doreen
personally, i think he was just trying to go inside and the pitch got away from him. and i really didn’t think much of it until Kay started making an issue of it.
Kay is horrible this year. to top it off, he’s hosting EVERYTHING the yes network offers now. i’d love to watch YESterdays, but i really can’t stomach that guy any more than i need to. overkill.
sure you could Hugh
Saucy, Im 6’3, 230 pounds and a former professional baseball player…I used to hit bombs off HS pitchers that threw 10 mph harder than Mussina and I was about 50 pounds lighter/not as strong as I am now. I would destroy a Mike Mussina fastball.
From another story, but wanted to comment on “This is why they need to transition Joba into the rotation. Starters are more valuable than relievers, it’s that simple.”
I’ll tell you how simple: how are real number 1′s paid ($18-22 mil)? Good number 2′s ($14-16 mil)? The best reliever in the history of baseball ($10.5 mil/07). The numbers tell the story of what teams value most 1s and 2s. If Joba is at best a 3, then maybe he should stay in the pen. If he’s a real 1 or 2, then he has to start.