No one would have blamed the Astros pitchers for retaliating...The pitches thrown at Taveras was something the astros didn't hide as to how they thought of it as being a cheapshot...But the Brewers classless act coupled with the right mindset from the Astros is likely to be the differance if the astros make the playoffs...Right now, they have the right mindset at the time it is utterly needed... Other than a sore neck, Taveras said he felt fine. By the way, several folks inside the Astros' clubhouse believe Milwaukee Brewers righthander Tomo Ohka hit Taveras on purpose both times with the first pitches of the plate appearances in the first inning and seventh inning. The Astros didn't retaliate Tuesday, though, because manager Phil Garner wants to focus on the wild-card race. Garner should be commended for keeping his club focused. "We're in a situation where we need to win ballgames," Garner said. "Yeah, there's the whole issue of players getting hit. Also, the thing that baseball's been trying to do is eliminate brawls and all kinds of bean balls and all kinds of stuff. No, we don't like it when Willy gets hit. And it's really a rotten thing to happen. There were two at-bats last night he didn't get a chance to hit when he gets plunked on the first two pitches. "The overriding factor is we want to win the ballgame. We're not here to fight. We're here to win ballgames. We need to win a ballgame tonight." http://blogs.chron.com/gamedayastros/
understand but i think the astros need to stick up for themselves, granted they want to focus on the race, but that was a classless act by the brewers and they got away with it because we didn't retaliate....i really thought clemens was going to plunk a couple batters today
i think it helps unite the team, knowing they stick up for each other....which im sure they already know
i too thought for sure clemens would hit atleast one guy tonight but you know what, if roger clemens of all people didn't think it was necessary, it probably wasn't.
Not a good idea to retaliate in this game. It was a scoreless tie until the very end. Too much at stake to risk on a bean-ball war.
If players really think their teammate was plunked on purpose by the other team, I think the best way to get back at them is in such a way as to piss the other team off without risking anything (like getting tossed in a game for a retaliation plunk). To me, what should have happened was several teammates get together, and work up a scheme where Willy T makes a point to tell reporters, when asked about it, something like this "I don't know if it was on purpose, but it really didn't matter. I mean, it's Tomo Ohka. I might as well have had Michael Jackson throwing at me." Then, when they ask anyone else about it, stress that they didn't feel the need to retaliate because getting hit by Ohka (or whoever) barely qualifies as even remotely painful. Make that mother****er look bad. Yeah, I know that's classless too, but I would enjoy that kind of attitude coming from the Astros every once in a while.
Word is the umps informed Garner that if they thought a Houston pitcher was intentially going after a Brewer that they could be thrown out without a warning. If this is the case then it's not worth the risk. If a player with a 30 game hitting streak gets hit twice in a game you have to hit one of their batters regardless, if not now then later. Even if it was an accident, and I doubt the first one was, you have to send a message that it's not okay to repeatedly hit any of your hitters.
yea, agreed, roger getting thrown out is not worth the risk, however they should have had a relief pitcher thrown at somebody yesterday, i know it was a tight game but still, i hope they plunk somebody today!
I think your trying to spin your negativety. You REALLY thought they were dead and now your trying to "de-jinx" the team or something. Your a true bandwagon fan.
