What happened during the 9/6 Cubs/Nats game?

[TommieAgeefan]

Maybe I'm biased because I liked Ventura as a player.... but that wasn't a fight with Ryan - he's a legend - virtually untouchable. It's like fighting Gretzy in hockey - you cannot win. if you look at any replay, all Robid did was grab the waist and stay low. I he threw a punch his own teammates might be against him.

Nolan threw at him. The right move (at the time) was to charge him and not embarass yourself hitting a older man. Robin did that. Honestly, I don't care about the legend of Nolan Ryan, if Robin (who was a pretty big kid at the time) wanted to take him down, I doubt Nolan could stop it. It was a respect move in my eyes. He HAD to charge the mound but instantly gave it up because nailing an automatic HOFer is a no no.

I remember that incident. IIRC, Nolan wrapped up Ventura in a headlock and started delivering "nougies" (sp?)

And the best part was that Ventura was ejected, Nolan was not

[Ben Grimm]

I'm not sure it was three years, but I'm just saying the seed was planted when Ryan hit Guillen and Grebek.

Maybe I'm biased because I liked Ventura as a player.... but that wasn't a fight with Ryan - he's a legend - virtually untouchable. It's like fighting Gretzy in hockey - you cannot win. if you look at any replay, all Robid did was grab the waist and stay low. I he threw a punch his own teammates might be against him.

Nolan threw at him. The right move (at the time) was to charge him and not embarass yourself hitting a older man. Robin did that. Honestly, I don't care about the legend of Nolan Ryan, if Robin (who was a pretty big kid at the time) wanted to take him down, I doubt Nolan could stop it. It was a respect move in my eyes. He HAD to charge the mound but instantly gave it up because nailing an automatic HOFer is a no no.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

well you said 1990 and the fight was 1993

[ol' aches and pains]

^ 3 years later?

I'm not sure it was three years, but I'm just saying the seed was planted when Ryan hit Guillen and Grebek.

[Ben Grimm]

I totally agree to the posts directly above. Come on, this was the 5th inning. It's not like it happened in the 8th or 9th. This should be a non-story but was blown out of proportion.

[Bothrops Atrox]

And what about players with personal goals/quotas/performace incentives? Shouldn't they be allowed to reach these goals regardless of the score (as long as it doesn't hurt their own team)?

Yes, they should.

[dgarza]

And what about players with personal goals/quotas/performace incentives? Shouldn't they be allowed to reach these goals regardless of the score (as long as it doesn't hurt their own team)?

[dgarza]

I am fine with players giving their all for the sake of entertaining paying customers and fans, even in blowouts.

[Ben Grimm]

"I mean, if they get mad at my guys in the fifth inning swinging 3-0 or running, they better get used to it," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said.

He apparently was given the green light. Or, maybe Davey is just sticking up for Werth.

I'm sure Werth - like any other $20M hitter has the green light at all times. It's up to their discretion to know the situation. Davey probably also stuck up for his player like you said, but I'm sure he had to at least talk to Jason about swinging at that pitch.

[ipitch]

IMO, the one who should be ticked off the most should in that situation is Davey Johnson. No matter who you are as a hitter, the last thing I'd want a player doing against a pitcher who just walked the bases loaded is swing on a 3-0 count.

"I mean, if they get mad at my guys in the fifth inning swinging 3-0 or running, they better get used to it," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said.

He apparently was given the green light. Or, maybe Davey is just sticking up for Werth.

[Bothrops Atrox]

well still it is very present in baseball to not run up the score in a blowout. in LL doing that too much is considered bush league. you don't strike out intentionally of course but you don't run or drive up the pitch count if you are way ahead (but this means 10+ runs and not 5 of course).

in european soccer it is the other way round. here taking it easy and not playing your best is considered an insult to your opponent.

there is even a long wiki entry on running up the score
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_up_the_score

And the Euro's have it right.

I never said it wasn't happening - just that I think most of the unwritten rules are bologna.

[Ben Grimm]

IMO, the one who should be ticked off the most should in that situation is Davey Johnson. No matter who you are as a hitter, the last thing I'd want a player doing against a pitcher who just walked the bases loaded is swing on a 3-0 count.

[dominik]

Yup. To me, not performing your absolute best/watering down your potential quality of performance is far more of an insult to the integrity of the game than most of these unwritten rules.

well still it is very present in baseball to not run up the score in a blowout. in LL doing that too much is considered bush league. you don't strike out intentionally of course but you don't run or drive up the pitch count if you are way ahead (but this means 10+ runs and not 5 of course).

in european soccer it is the other way round. here taking it easy and not playing your best is considered an insult to your opponent.

there is even a long wiki entry on running up the score

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_up_the_score

[9RoyHobbsRF]

^ 3 years later?

[ol' aches and pains]

Those things seem completely different to me.

The big swing thing also has a particularly stupid adjunct, namely that if you're not a home run hitter and you take a big swing at a pitch, some jackasses (Nolan Ryan for one) think they're entitled to plunk you for your effrontery.

Back around 1990, Nolan Ryan gave up home runs to Ozzie Guillen and Craig Grebek of the White Sox in the same game. Neither of them were known for hitting the long ball, and the next time he faced them, Ryan drilled both of them. I believe this was the beginning of the bad blood that culminated in Robin Ventura charging the mound when Ryan hit him with a pitch.