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Disgraced player Alex Rodriguez was drilled in the ribs by a 92 mph pitch Sunday, causing an uproar on both benches in the New York Yankees 9-6 win over Boston.
Rodriguez, who is playing despite a 211-game suspension for his involvement in the Biogenesis of America doping scandal, was plunked by Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ryan Dempster in the second inning at Fenway Park. The incident also led to the ejection of Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
"You can't start throwing at people," Girardi said of Dempster. "You don't take the law into your own hands. Whether you agree with something or not you can't skip the judicial system."
The incident came during the first at-bat of the contest for Rodriguez, who was jeered and booed by the Boston crowd which held up signs saying "A-Roid" also chanted "You're a cheater" at the Yankees' third baseman.
"It was a little bit odd. It was a weird situation," Rodriguez said of the incident.
"Not everyone agrees with me. It seems with all the boos I still have a lot of people in my corner."
Rodriguez said Sunday he is used to being the bad guy.
"I have always been booed," he said. "Obviously I am going through a tough time right now."
On his first pitch to the 38-year-old American Rodriguez, Dempster fired a 89 mph fastball behind his back. Dempster seemed to be in no mood to let Rodriguez get a hit, as two pitches later he nailed the Yankee with a laser to the rib cage.
Dempster then walked towards Rodriguez, who did not charge the mound -- but instead an upset Girardi stormed out of the dugout to confront umpire Brian O'Nora. Girardi also had a few choice words for Dempster.
That's when both teams also came out onto the field and were given warnings by O'Nora. No punches were thrown by the players and no one was injured.
"The game has a way of policing itself," Rodriguez said.
Girardi was so livid that O'Nora kicked him out of the contest. At one point Girardi appeared to throw a right cross in the direction of the home plate umpire.
Rodriguez responded to the plunking with a home run off to the outfield seats off Dempster in the sixth inning to cut the Boston's lead to 6-4. Dempster turned his back to Rodriguez as he rounded the bases.
"I didn't scream anything at him. I was very excited to hit the home run," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez, who was slapped with the longest non-lifetime suspension in Major League Baseball history, is now booed vociferously when he travels outside of Yankees' stadium, especially to Fenway, the ballpark of New York's long-time American League rivals.
Earlier this month, the league banned Rodriguez and 12 other players following a probe into the Florida-based clinic, which has been accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs.
Rodriguez's homer was the 649th of his career. He needs 11 more to tie Willie Mays on the all-time list, which would net him a $6 million Yankee bonus.
© (C) 2013 AFP
23 Comments
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GalapagosnoGairaishu
Nothing sweeter than revenge like that! I'm not a huge fan of A-Rod, but this must have been particularly satisfying for him.
Kurobune
A-Rod is "a fraud" !
spudman
Two stinking franchises who deserve each other. Red Sox players have done PEDS just as much as Yankees.
nath
"Plunking"???? What a pathetic term. who says baseball isn't just glorified rounders?
lostrune2
It fired up the Yankees.
edojin
The pitch didn't hurt A-Rod as it plunked him on the upper arm. The umpire immediately warned both benches that there should be no bean-ball war while he was behind the plate. I doubt if it was aimed at him on purpose as there were other hit-by pitches during the game.
When he hit that home run later in the game, he got booed roundly. And when he stood on home plate and pointed upward, i think he deserved the boos he got for that show.
Look at his body ... what's he on now? His body surely is much bigger than it was last year this time. If he is cheating again ...
Elbuda Mexicano
The hell with those cry babies in Boston! I am no fan of the Yankees, but these loud mouth, good for nothing trouble making Red Sox fans! They can boo, they can cry, but Rodriguez seems to have had the LAST LAUGH! Dempster, better change his name to DUMPSTER or chumpter! Go A Rod go! Same like all of that scandal with Pete Rose, give the man a break!
therougou
Haven't watched it yet but from what I hear he was aiming for a-rod several times before he hit him. cheater or not, the umpire can't just allow a pitcher to hit someone on purpose.
tmarie
Why is he allowed to play if he has a 211 game suspension??
Graham DeShazo
Lesson learned. Next time it's his brain, not the ribs. A-Roid is a cancer on the game and should be targeted each and every time he comes to the plate.
sf2k
plunking? also keep reading about a walkoff hit, to mean 9th inning or winning run hit. Annoying when news uses language that doesn't work when there are perfectly useful words to use instead.
ToshiYori
A video of Rodriguez' entire at bat is available at http://deadspin.com/ryan-dempster-beans-a-rod-and-somehow-joe-girardi-is-t-1164355300
It was very clear that Dempster was trying to hit him. Several pitches were way inside. Dempster should have been thrown out. The fact that he wasn't and Girardi was ejected made it look like a "hometown call" by the umpire. Maybe, the umpire was afraid those "rabid" Boston fans would storm the field, if he threw Dempster out of the game. LOL
About using the work "plunk," when I was youngster, the batter got "hit by pitch," "beaned" or "drilled," never "plunked."
Also, "walkoff" is a relatively new term. "Winning hit" or "game-winning hit" was the term I remember. Except when I was in Japan and the game-winning hit was called a "Sayonara" hit.
badsey3
That first pitch hit him in the left knee. The 4th pitch hit him in the elbow and then hit his ribs. =Not one pitch was over the plate.
=Shameful Garbage beantown baseball, but at least NYY showed some class. Even more pitiful was all the Boston players storming in (pitchers etc) = staged event.
nath
I also was wondering this.
Shar999
A-Rod can continue to play amid his suspension due to his appeal. Here in the US, if someone appeals their suspension, it's usually put on hold Until their appeal is heard, thus leaving him free to continue playing.
lostrune2
NYY skipper Girardi was upset because of the timing of the umpire warning both benches. It's clear Dempster was after A-Rod, who's a frequent topic in the Red Sox clubhouse, particularly pitchers like Lackey quote: "He took me deep the first time I faced him as a rookie, and he admitted to doing stuff back then. There are a lot of things I want back from him."
When Dempster threw behind A-Rod then threw consecutive inside pitches to him, what the ump should had done either:
(a) warn both benches right then, so the next incident means automatic ejections for the offending player and manager, or
(b) after Dempster finally beaned A-Rod, should had waited until after the Yankees are given the opportunity to even things out ("the game polices itself"), before warning both benches.
What blew Girardi's top was the timing of the ump warning right after Dempster's intentional beanball since it took away the Yankee pitcher Sabathia's incentive to pitch inside Red Sox batters. It's only the 2nd inning but because the next inside pitch that hits a Red Sox batter, whether intentional or by accident, means automatic ejections due to the previous warnings.
And that's also why Dempster's act should be infuriating to the Red Sox too. It's only the 2nd inning, and Dempster could/should have been ejected, possibly leaving their bullpen a surprise 7 or more innings to piece together a game and at a tiring night before they have to fly cross-continent to play at the San Francisco Giants. A-Rod is a bum, but Dempster is no hero.
Because in the collective bargaining agreement between the MLB league and players association, of which a couple of the Red Sox pitchers were prominent player representatives, they agreed on the deal that a player appealing his suspension would be allowed to play until his appeal process is heard and decided. So too late for them to be crying about that now.
sf2k
@ToshiYori
Yeah that's been my experience as well.
lucabrasi
What a bunch of crybabies. A ball in the face is all part of the game in cricket. You just wipe the blood away and get on with the game.
canadianbento
If a lot of people are going to cheat, then why not open up the whole thing, ie let anyone take what ever they want... I really don't think the cheaters are going to out do the real players who do not cheat...Oh, Arron, Mantle etc. etc...
lostrune2
Cricket helmets have face guards.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_helmet
tmarie
Thank you Shar!
Lizz
A-Rod was targeted not because of the PED but because he went from cheater to rat cheater...squealing on other players, especially his own teammate,.Cervelli, not as a whistleblower but to help himself. This is as sick as it gets in the MLB, even for the union, and he is absolutely going to lose if not his life, at least the respect of everyone involved.