Hawkins suspended for three games
-
- May
- 22
This press release from Major League Baseball:
Pitcher LaTroy Hawkins of the New York Yankees has been suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for intentionally throwing a pitch in the head area of Luke Scott during the top of the sixth inning of the Tuesday, May 20th game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Bob Watson, Vice President of On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement.
The suspension of Hawkins had been scheduled to begin tonight, when the Yankees host the Orioles. However, he has elected to file an appeal. Thus, the discipline issued to him will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.
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on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 1:17 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
Was there bad blood between Watson & the Yankees/Steinbrenners when he left?
did farns get a fine for not hitting someone? i don’t remember…
Why does bob watson hate the yankees? didn’t he won a championship as GM in ‘96?
Why aim for the head? At least aim for the crotch region.
“Maximum” Bob speaketh – all hail Maximum Bob
IMHO it was pretty stupid of LaTroy (#21 in our hearts) pledge to appeal a suspension before it was levied.
How predictable are Mike and the Mad Dog.
They arent even fun to listen to anymore.
If I have to listen to Mike and Chris anymore about the importance of a starter versus an eighth inning guy, I’m going to throw-up. Why do I listen and add to their ratings?
Why is it always a Yankee pitcher being suspended? Besides they reduced Kyle to 1 game, so if they are going to suspend Hawkins why not give him 1 game and be done with it.
mike and the maddog are as stupid as ever today.
it is highly probable that whoever replaces Joba as the set up guy will not be as good and that is fine.. if Kyle fails(will happen) they have other optios(edwar, veras, latroy, melancon, cox, and others) it is probable that these guys will not be as good as Joba that is fine as long as they are pretty good.
since fatboy and wimp have no idea that the Yanks have young talented pitchers in the minors they have no idea the Yanks have options..they think the yanks only options are latroy, kyle, and etc.
again why waste the guy with the best arm to pitch 60 innings?????
Shouldn’t have thrown at his head.
you see this umping crew is an anti-yankees crew or just an insain crew! not calling a-rods 2nd home run and now convincing mlb to suspend Hawkens! FIRE THEM NOW!!!
Hawkins knew he was going to be suspended. Its not like this is his first year pitching. He knew the climate and the suspensions that the Yankees now get for NOT HITTING A BATTER intentionally.
Where are the suspensions for those pitchers who actually hit batters? I wonder if the Yankees have some legal grounds to be working on here, given the disparity.
that’s exactly it. they have no idea who the yankees have in the fold. finally, we have an ace. and we have the depth in the system to put together a young, cheap, lights-out bullpen in the next two years.
That’s a legit suspension. He should have just let it go after the first inside pitch.
The second one? Way too close to the head.
This one is deserving.
SJ44…that is YOUR opinion.
The undisclosed amount is $2,000 acoording to the New York star Ledger.
I agree that he should be suspended, but I think they’ll knock it down to 2 from 3.
Unless, of course, they think that Girardi has started a pattern of retaliation – which could mean that future penalties will be stiffer.
“SJ44…that is YOUR opinion.”
hello? what is the alternative? It is a blog Einstein.
I have no problem with retaliation, but stay away from the head. Farnsworth and Hawkins were rightfully suspended. No one should throw at a batter’s head. Too dangerous.
The Yankees would be fine if Hawkins were suspended for the rest of the season. He is the definition of “non-factor”.
“The Yankees had little choice but to come clean on their plans for Joba last night.” from last thread.
It is the same old, same old.
Can Girardi and Cashman ever win the trust of our beloved Pete and his media peers. They will never see glass as half full, instead it is always half empty.
Girardi was proactive and even metioned it in the interview with Kim Jones immediately after the game instead of waiting until the manager post-game interview.
It is almost like there is a conspiracy that Cash and Girardi would have hidden it if they had a chance. Pete, I hate to say this, but it is time for you and your media peers to grow up a little bit and give benefit of doubt to Girardi and Cash. You guys made a big stink about Girardi not being forthcoming, he mended fenses with you guys and now informed Joba situation proactively to the whole world. There is nothing to read into it.
Hawkins should have thrown hand/butt level…not head level. I think he’ll get two games when all is said and done.
Talk radio in nothing but nonsense. Here’s the current successful formula: adopt a viewpoint which you know will be provocative to a majority, never budge from it even when presented with logical arguments to the contrary, and get free publicity by getting everyone all worked up.
Suggestion: Turn to a good classic rock station.
Correction: the fine is $2,000 according to the NY Daily News. (not NY star ledger as I posted).
You know, I was one of the “LaTroy get 21 off your back” guys, but I honestly believe he didn’t intend to throw at Scott’s head. As Pete has written Hawkins seems like a real stand-up guy, and, as I’ve written, muttered, and screamed before, he doesn’t often know exactly where the ball’s going anyway. So, I’m standing up for him on this one.
so now that we know the ball is rolling on the Joba plan – when will his first sart be? after AS break???
on mike and the maddog and other morons..
since they have no idea if the yanks even have a minor league system and even less knowledge of who there prospects are they do not understand that it is not impossible to actually develop some homegrown players. again they do not have to be as good as Joba to be a positive.
BTW I think Joba is internally developed, OOOPPS.. they did not trade for him or sign him when he is old and overpaid….
the key is if melancon, cox, robertson, or others can help if they can this move is good.. In the long run Joba has to be a starter….
TK,
Well said! lol
Take off the pinstripe glasses. He had to go after the second pitch.
When Farnsworth got nailed, I said it was a bogus suspension. Even moreso if Watson reduced it. Which he did.
By making it a one game suspension, he showed that he overreacted because of the teams involved. Not because of the pitch.
The pitch the other night? C’mon, that’s not even debatable.
That was way too close to the head and it merits a suspension. Perhaps it does get reduced to 2 games. Either way, he deserves to go on that one.
If he just stopped after he brushed him back the first time, he wouldn’t have gotten suspended. Unfortunately, he didn’t.
M&MD are making my blood boil. How can they not understand that this is still a development year for Joba and that he needs to throw X amount of innings this year to be able to start coming out of spring training in 09? Wow. Just Wow.
I am mixed on the Hawkins suspension. It seems strange to suspend a pitcher for NOT hitting someone. It’s like punishing someone for a thought crime.
We all like to say that pitching inside is necessary, but don’t like the consequences. The truth is that if you are working up and in and a ball gets away, it can end up at the head. Putting a fastball up and in at eye level has a much more profound effect on a hitter than inside at the belt.
Personally, I want my pitchers throwing up and in. Damn the consequences.
Off topic (because I was out until now and don’t want to post it in any other blog comments that nobody reads anymore):
I guess I didn’t notice anymore because he was in the lineup every day…but WOW what a joy it is to watch A-Rod’s swing (and fielding and running). We are so spoiled…
If you compare his swing right now to any of the swings the Yanks had while he was out…what a huge difference.
Stu,
I purposely did not listen to M&MD today because I knew exactly what they were going to be saying. Frankly, I was hoping we could keep Joba in the ‘pen until the end of the season, but, right now, the bullpen is 10x stronger than the rotation. So, I’m reserving judgment.
Of course, I found a better alternative than those two: a glass of wine, a good cigar, and ‘Nat “King” Cole’s Greatest Hits’. Really, the combination of the three will improve any day.
p.s.- Feel very free to substitute any of Sinatra’s Capitol albums or one of Ella Fitzgerald’s “Songbook” series, and, yes, I only just turned 30.
When will Yankee pitchers learn how to hit people? I doubt very much that Hawkins would have been tossed or suspended if he hit Scott in the backside on his first try. If he simply did that the message would have been sent, the fans would have been happy because Jeter was protected and nobody would get suspended.
Eiland needs to hold a class or something titled, “How to properly hit the opposing team”
Don’t mess around near a guy’s head, just peg him in the back or hip or leg and move on.
Mike is under the impression you can increase his workload from 80 innings this year to 160 innings next year. I’m sorry, but what an idiot.
It’s not JUST SJ’s opinion. It’s a sound judgment based on the rules of baseball.
If a pitcher throws at a batter’s head in an obviously retalitory situation (Jeter got hit), the pitcher will be suspended. Throw in that he tried to him earlier in the at-bat? It’s a no-brainer. If Watson hadn’t suspended Hawkins, it would have been suspisious and elicited calls of favoritism.
Also, to whoever accused the umpires of being at fault, they don’t suspend players. They just report what happened. And to think they shouldn’t have missed that call? Come on, the announcers had a better look and didn’t even consider it could have been a homer until A Rod reacted and they watched the replay.
seriously if you made $500,000 + a yr to talk about sports, learn about the minor league players, talk to scouts, and do some research..
mike and wimp do no research..
I am older I assume then most posters but I think this might be generational, the sabermetrics vs the old guys.. it seems like younger fans are more analytical about baseball then the older guys..I do believe your eyes do not lie but looking at BABIP and other things have a place.
How can Hawkins appeal that?? He should’ve gotten more then 3 games, he was lucky
I think they had no choice but to appeal, given the state of the bullpen. They have been overworked from Mussina game, Joba pitched two innings yesterday and may not pitch for two more days. So, they need enough arms in the bullpen right now.
Exactly how hard did that pitch hit the batter? The point is the Yankees keep getting suspensions over not hitting batters. While it was close to the head, which is not right, that doesn’t mean that is where the pitch was intended to go. I’ve seen a lot of pitches that are heading toward the Yankees heads, yet not one suspension has come to the opposition. If they are going to do this, then it has to be consistent throughout.
Joba got suspended last year and was told “that’s not how we pitch in the majors”. Yet we see it happening where Yankee batters get pitches going toward their heads and from pitchers a lot more veteran than a rookie, and nothing happens, nothing gets said.
That is a double standard. That is what is wrong.
This one of many reason why I like Girardi over Torre. In the Torre era the team became soft – the pitchers never protected their hitters. That has not been the case this year, and I think as the season winds on it will help the swagger of the team.
“seriously if you made $500,000 + a yr to talk about sports, learn about the minor league players, talk to scouts, and do some research..”
I agree BUT they have to talk about all sports not just baseball. I don’t mind that they aren’t super knowledgable about baseball but their attitude is what really bothers me. They think that they are right and everyone else is wrong and they don’t accept any new ideas.
Did that guy who threw at Sexson’s head get suspended? Pretty much the same situation so I’m assuming he got 3 games as well…
I’m not listening to M&MD as I’m on the left coast, but don’t they discuss all sports, not just baseball? Expecting a deep knowledge of guys in the Yanks org might be asking a bit much.
We here are all much more focused on the Yanks. And while they might have researchers, their job as stated above isn’t to be accurate analysts, it’s to provoke in the interest of ratings. So it’s a fools errand to expect detailed analysis there. Our responses are exactly what they are charged to elicit.
On Hawkins – can’t go at the head.
We need to recognize that we often see with our hearts as well as our eyes – that which raises our ire is what we recall. Jeter gets hit on the hand – by the imminently wild D. Cabrera – and we see intent where likely none existed.
Also on Hawkins. He’s not pitching to a key role at present, but if you look at his game logs, his numbers would be very good were it not for 3 bad short outings totaling 1.1 innings. Otherwise he’s allowed 2 ER in 19.2 IP over 14 appearances. I hope we’ll see more of the latter and he can help fill.
While we’re all high on our coming prospects, and apparently many here are more knowledgeable over Ohlendorf’s true potential than those in the Yanks’ org (by the way, he wasn’t a 1 inning set up guy when relieving in Scranton either – 7 of 12 apps were 2+ IP), these guys are still unproven commodities. So was Joba. But we can’t expect that performance level. Still, Joba in the rotation is the right move.
“Did that guy who threw at Sexson’s head get suspended? Pretty much the same situation so I’m assuming he got 3 games as well…”
i don’t think Kason Gabbard was suspended. I don’t think the pitch was that close either. He stayed in the game, but left later with bruises.
Sexson was suspended 6 games and had it reduced to 5, via appeal…
I didn’t think the pitch was close either but the intent was there and it was ‘near’ his head. Should have gotten 3 games as well.
Are pitchers from other teams getting suspended after not hitting someone?
Up and in should be legal. Sure it would suck to hit someone on the noggen, but a pitcher’s job is to make the batter uncomfortable, regardless of whether or not the other team has hit a team mate. Gotta make those batters hit the dirt sometimes. The umps and the league are taking more and more power away from the pitcher and giving it to the sluggers. Pitchers should be able to scare batters and not worry about suspensions. How many home runs would those old guys, from the 20s through the 80s, gotten if the pitchers couldn’t throw up and in? couldn’t knock guys down? couldn’t hit guys?