Giants' plunking of Fielder (March 4, first ST game)

[NYChez]

Best retaliation: trade for a knuckleballer before the Brewers' first series versus the Giants and bring him in to plunk Zito.

[bacon06]

If it weren't for the Giants making a stink about this, no one would even remember it was them who the walk off homer was hit against. Every time the highlight of the celebration at home plate is played, there is nary a Giants player or personnel in sight. Hopefully the faux payback yesterday can put this petty feud to rest before someone besides the Giants' fragile egos really gets hurt.

[twobrewers]

Rematch today - I hope the Brewers try plunking Zito on the bench.

 

I don't mind Zito plunking Prince. I do mind that Macha hasn't had Prince's back. I'd love the whole team go into "screw you" mode - if you don't like it, stop it!

 

Ned always took his teams side. Macha never takes his teams side. Can't we just have one coach who will bench a slumping player - but still support them in the press?

[logan82]

I can't imagine that the players were to happy about Macha apologizing to Bochy over the offseason for the celebration.

[strawbossisevil]

Ah yes, baseball. Where if someone acts childish, the other team is required to assault said player by throwing a heavy ball as hard as they can at him. Kids, be sure to take note, this is THE correct way to play the game.

[logan82]

Here's the thing that bothers me. Fielder is talking about how he wants to grow up and then after getting plunked instead of just running to 1B and continuing to play, he claps and basically taunts Zito. I really have no problem with anything that transpired, but don't say you are trying to grow up and taunt other players.

[theavrock]

Here's the thing that bothers me. Fielder is talking about how he wants to grow up and then after getting plunked instead of just running to 1B and continuing to play, he claps and basically taunts Zito. I really have no problem with anything that transpired, but don't say you are trying to grow up and taunt other players.

Huh? He threw the bat to the dugout and picked up the ball and tossed it back to the mound. I don't see any clapping, much less taunting. Am I missing something here?

[battlekow]

Huh? He threw the bat to the dugout and picked up the ball and tossed it back to the mound. I don't see any clapping, much less taunting. Am I missing something here?

The reports said he loudly clapped at Zito from first base:

 

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100304/capt.16ee2add9a2d4d87b89eab82a06702ee.brewers_giants_spring_baseball_azer103.jpg

(AP)

[theavrock]

Interesting. Which report was it? I don't recall the MLB one mentioning that.

[pretendastronaut]

That's disappointing to see Prince did that, and odd that people decided to rail on Prince for what they thought he was maybe, possibly, totally going to do, by staying in the game later, instead of commenting on that.

[LouisEly]

Yeah, somebody at the Chronicle's messageboard wrote yesterday that Zito's plunking stood for "dignity and class" and I replied that if he knew anything about those things his musical career would've ended a long time ago. Didn't go over so well.

I know people who know Zito personally. Let's just say a former college teammate of his, as well as people who work for a service that he is a customer of. They said that when Zito logs on to his laptop it plays a message that says something like, "You are the greatest pitcher of all time." No joke.

 

Asked whether his post-homer theatrics were worth absorbing the impact

of Zito's pitch, Fielder said, "Hell yeah. Shoot, that was something

with me and my teammates. It had nothing to do with [the Giants].

You're damn right it was worth it."

 

Mark A., back up the Brinks truck. I have a new favorite Brewer.

[WV Brew]

I wonder how the Giants fans would respond if the Brewers had a Bochy type manager and he plunked Lincecum in his first at bat against the Brewers? Just upholding baseball traditions you know. An 80 mile an hour pitch can break your hand if it hits right (or wrong depending on how you think of it).

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

FWIW, I've begun collecting baseball cards again and I just opened a TOPPS pack today with Prince Fielder's 2010 card: It's the moment of the bomb dropping with all the teammates lying in ruins around him. It is fantastic. Immortalized forever.

[hawing]

FWIW, I've begun collecting baseball cards again and I just opened a TOPPS pack today with Prince Fielder's 2010 card: It's the moment of the bomb dropping with all the teammates lying in ruins around him. It is fantastic. Immortalized forever.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0XTsSbguLu0/S245wB7btRI/AAAAAAAAEaI/nEvRmIx2Wcc/s400/2010Topps001.jpg

 

Nice! I trust that Cardinal Nation will now launch a boycott of Topps.

[LouisEly]

Anyone want to go in on a billboard of that somewhere near AT&T Park?

[jrodbrewcrew]

Anyone want to go in on a billboard of that somewhere near AT&T Park?

 

Oh, wow...that would be AWESOME! That's the best idea I've heard in a long time!

[jjkoestler]

I'm willing to contribute. How do you think we would need to raise?

[Dragonbait]

Just need to pitch the idea just right to the nice people over at Topps...

[TooLiveBrew]

Deadspin's Will Leitch with a post on the Fielder celebration/incident. Excerpt:

 

I thought it was fantastic when Prince Fielder pretended he was a bowling ball after hitting a game-winning homer over the Giants last September. It was clever, it was original, it was funny and it even involved the whole team. Prince Fielder is like a big bowling ball. It made one giggle.

 

Of course, I Never Played The Game. This spring, when Barry Zito plunked Fielder with his first pitch in an exhibition game, he was praised by the baseball punditocracy for meting out what, in baseball, passes for frontier justice. What Fielder did was "Bush League." He didn't Respect The Game. Fielder needed to be punished. Fielder offended the baseball gods, because, for one brief trip around the bases, he appeared to be enjoying himself. Heaven forbid.

[Dragonbait]

Great read...

 

Had a nice link to the "unwritten rules" of each sport... that was interesting too.

[davemakovec]

Meanwhile, Cliff Lee gets suspended for five games in the Major League season. Someone should teach Cliff Lee that retaliating two innings later is not ok, but wait four months and you'll be fine!

 

Cliff Lee Suspended

[jjkoestler]

Meanwhile, Cliff Lee gets suspended for five games in the Major League season. Someone should teach Cliff Lee that retaliating two innings later is not ok, but wait four months and you'll be fine!

 

Cliff Lee Suspended

Apples to oranges. Lee threw at Snyder's head. He should be suspended.

[lcbj68c]

Apples to oranges. Lee threw at Snyder's head. He should be suspended.

 

What?!?!?! Threw above an uprotected head as opposed to an unprotected spine? I don't understand that thinking at all. Certainly McIntosh Apples to Delicious Apples at worst.

[jjkoestler]

Prince was intentionally hit in the back by some high 70s junk from Zito. Lee intentionally threw a fastball at Snyder's head. Lee's intent was more malicious and dangerous.

[Diskono]

that's why they wear helmets