Deadspin
I'll admit to not being 100 percent up to date on the unwritten rules of baseball; I'm still working on that whole wearing-a-shirt-at-the-dinner-table thing. But it seems to me that if you're a runner heading home, and the catcher is blocking the plate, you do what God intended. You run over the sucker like Mr. Plow.
Yankees' manager Joe Girardi disagrees, however. And Don Zimmer disagrees with the disagreement.
So there was Zim Sunday, saying he was "dumbfounded" to hear that Girardi had taken exception to the way Rays rookie Elliot Johnson had bowled over Francisco Cervelli at the plate on Saturday, a collision that left the Yankees' catching prospect with a broken wrist. "What happens if our man slides in with the plate blocked and breaks his leg?" Zimmer said. "Their guy blocked the plate and our guy bowled him over. What's that got to do with spring training? That's the way you play the game."
Girardi had said on Saturday that the play was "uncalled for" in spring training. But instead of whining about it, catchers should be proactive and start wearing spiked shin guards.
Joe Girardi's Stance On Collision Stuns Mentor And Tampa Coach Don Zimmer [New York Daily News]
Where's The Line Between Playing Hard And Playing Dangerous? [AOL Fanhouse]
Comments
You play to win the game. You hear that? YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!
Pete Rose doesn't know what the big deal is.
Ray Fosse sticks another pin into his Pete Rose voodoo doll.
Nice catch, blanco nino. But too bad your ass got saaaaaaaaacked!
You dont wanna get hurt, dont block the plate.
Simple.
The catcher referred to them as the "Devil Rays".
He had it coming.
Totally called for in Girardi's mind: blowing out the arms of Hughes, Joba and Kennedy in the next two years.
...unwritten rule...POPPYCOCK!
baseball nerds don't scratch their sacks without scoring it. rattle that cunt's teeth!
Mr. Plow? Christ, even Rick has the Simpsons' reference bug.
At least his was in context...
I love the idea of putting spikes on catchers shin guards. As long as it will stop the unnecessary breaking of an innocent catchers wrist I say we put it into action.
was he wearing the cushy black ninja turtle mask?
Oh god. So I guess all we're going to hear again from ESPN is "Yankees and Rays, Yankees and Rays" blah blah blah. The same fucking thing every single season.
Don Zimmer also thinks it is highly appropriate to grab octogenarians by their heads and slam them to the ground.
@Lady Andrea: I think Zimmer understands that his head is so gargantuan that it has its own gravitational pull making not grabbing his head all but impossible.
Robin Ventura's limping around behind Zimmer and nodding.
then all the Puerto Ricans stab each other. yes, even the pregnant one.
@The Fan's Attic: [locomomo.com]
complaintjack/
wow! I finally got titles! now I just need my homepage link in the banner back and I might be all set
/complaintjack
this is a bigger story if i'd actually heard of the guys involved in the play. Girardi is as assclown to try to play the "spring training" card along with the YES broadcasters.
I'm guessing since I've never heard of Elliot Johnson he's fighting to make the team. you think it's a "meaningless spring training game" to him?
@The Fan's Attic: yikes. He's like Mr. Potato Head.
@Sir Hotbod Handsomeface: do you use IE? B/c I use Firefox and I haven't had any problems today.
Yankees' manager Joe Girardi disagrees, however. And Don Zimmer disagrees with the disagreement.
We apologise again for the fault in the disagreement. Those responsible for disagreeing with the people who have just been disagreed with have been disagreed with.
"Bucs fill receiver hole with Antonio Bryant"
hehe
maybe spring training should be played with a wiffle ball and bat...would that be alright Girardi/yankee broadcasters?
pansies
@Lady Andrea: Some of us wish we could use Mozilla at work. The first half of my day was horrendous, I couldn't check Deadspin or Jalopnik, both staples of my work-wasting repertoire.
And I don't see the big deal about bowling over the catcher. Spring training or no, if you don't wanna get hit, don't block the plate. I feel even less sorry because its the Yankees too.
The New York Yankees and Rhode Island Orioles are required to turn in their uniforms after each game.
@Lady Andrea: yes, at work... so i don't really have a choice (i'm not tight with the IT people here)
at home I'd have Safari... if time warner didn't suck ass so much - i've been without the ebays for a week waiting for a technician
@Al Czerviks Ride on the WMU Bronco Bandwagon: Could not agree more. If you don't want to get knocked down you probably shouldn't be in the baseline. Good to see Girardi likes the taste of the new "Yankee Douchewater" flavor Kool-Aid though.
The unwritten rule, as promulgated by Joe Girardi, with help from Hank Steinbrenner:
Yankee catchers are allowed to practice blocking the plate in spring training.
Opposing runners may not run into them.
Yankee runners are allowed to practice scoring runs in spring training.
Opposing catchers may not block the plate.
Well both Girardi and Yogi have said they never once in their career were hit in spring training. I can't say I know the ethics in the Spring but if neither of them ever had then it has to be something unusual
Complainin' 'bout a little contact?
Elliot Johnson says, "That's rubbin' and rubbin's racin'
@Casual33: Did they happen to mention how many times they blocked the plate in spring training and someone ran around them?
@Jefferson Short Bus: I wonder if that catcher needs a body massage.
Dan Hawkins says to go play intramurals.
Girardi would like it to be renamed Spring Walk-Through, since Training gives the impression that potential game situations might be practiced.
Girardi is right. Everyone can feast on it.
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