Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
If you haven’t heard the story that transpired from Sunday’s High Class-A ballgame in Fort Myers involving top prospect Miguel Sano, take a second to listen. In the game, Sano hit his sixth homerun in 17 games and the Fort Myers Miracle lost to the Palm Beach Cardinals 6-5; however the outcome of the game was not the main headline.
According to a story written in the Star Tribune and Milb.com, during an at-bat in the fifth inning, Cardinals’ reliever Brandon Creath threw a first-pitch fastball behind the head of Sano. Likely angered, Sano responded by sending a 3-1 pitch out of the ballpark for a homerun and that is where the story begins.
During his homerun trot around the bases, Sano reportedly pumped his fists and shouted in the direction of the Cardinals’ dugout. This prompted home plate umpire Fernando Rodriguez to eject Sano before he reached home.
This ejection brought Miracle manager, and former Minnesota Twins’ first-basemen, Doug Mientkiewicz out to argue the ejection and he himself was also tossed. After the game Mientkiewicz explained that, “Basically, they threw at Sano for being good because they couldn’t get him out. They threw at him and missed him and he hit a home run three pitches later and the umpire threw him out of the game for yelling something at the other dugout.”
Mientkiewicz went on to say that, “Hit him in the back, I won’t like it, but it’s part of the game. Throw at his head and it messes with his future and I have a problem with it. It’s an embarrassment to the game of baseball.”
While it may have resulted in an ejection, Mientkiewicz’s statements were a breath of fresh air regarding an “unwritten rule” in baseball that involves pitchers throwing at hitters. It is an absolute joke, in my opinion, that pitchers feel the need to intentionally throw at a batter—in any capacity—to back them off the plate or retaliate for one of their players being hit by an opposing pitcher.
Mientkiewicz is absolutely right that if you throw at a player’s head, you can mess with his future. If that pitch were to connect with the batter’s helmet, it could cause serious psychological or physical harm. Yet, these acts continue to occur despite the attention being given to the devastating effects of concussions on athletes. Every year you see players whose careers are cut short, and lives are changed, because of complications suffered from concussions. If you throw at a player’s body it can cause bodily harm, but it likely will not impact the player’s future and health long-term; however, this act still doesn’t serve a purpose and is unnecessary.
While I don’t endorse any type of intentional “plunking” of batters, at least have the courtesy to hit a player in a place that won’t jeopardize his career. Granted there will be times that the pitcher accidentally loses control of a pitch and it hits the batter and that is understandable, but what purpose does it serve to intentionally hit a player? Does it show that you are tough? Does it show that you have your teammates back? In reality, it proves nothing and usually complicates the matter more by prompting further action like a brawl or suspension.
As a pitcher, if you really want to retaliate against a hitter, try getting the hitter out! It may sound like a novice idea, but nothing would make a better statement to an opposing player or team then striking the hitter out. If a pitcher consistently pitches inside and around the plate, they will naturally back hitters off the plate because it will be more difficult for hitters to consistently feel comfortable in the batter’s box and make solid contact.
As a pitcher, there is no need to hit a batter to prove a point, send a message or retaliate for a hitter performing well against you. If you want to prove a point, do your job and show professionalism. Performing well will drive home the point clear enough; violence is not needed. Mientkiewicz’s perspective is refreshing and reminds us that more should be done to prevent players from jeopardizing other players’ careers because of retaliation or following “unwritten rules” in baseball. It would be nice to see baseball address this “unwritten rule” before it is too late and a promising young player’s career, like Sano’s, is ended prematurely because of a reckless act of an inferior pitcher.
Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
