Alex Rodriguez was beaned on a 3-0 pitch by Ryan Dempster. Alex Rodriguez walked to first base. Fans were booing Alex Rodriguez. Joe Girardi got tossed for defending Alex Rodriguez. Do you notice a pattern here?
Every article I’ve written thus far for Through the Fence Baseball has been Alex Rodriguez related. I am getting sick and tired of writing about him. There are other stories in baseball other than this PED soap opera. I have yet to think of a title for this soap opera, though right now I’ll “steal” General Hospital, because that’s where Alex Rodriguez might’ve gone had he been hurt by Dempster’s fastball.
Did you know Alfonso Soriano had 18 RBI in a four-game span? Did you know Miguel Cabrera is batting .360 with 40 home runs and 120 RBI this season. Did you know Clayton Kershaw has a 1.80 ERA for the Dodgers. Other than MLB Network, I have yet to see any media outlet focus on the positives of baseball this season. Baseball writers like myself have been forced to cover baseball’s black eye, and it’s starting to be a “Kansas City Royal” pain.
I felt a series of emotions when Rodriguez was plunked by Dempster. First, I saw ESPN focus on Rodriguez’s face. There was pure disbelief in his eyes. It was as if all the emotions from the past year flew by A-Rod in the blink of an eye. Rodriguez stared in at Dempster, but it wasn’t an angry stare. There were no concrete thoughts in his head from what I could tell. Rather, it was a man facing his past and staring his future square in the eye. I have a feeling there will be many more Ryan Dempsters to come forward and send A-Rod a message. Baseball is tired of all this drama, and players seem to be taking it upon themselves to “knock it out” of the game once and for all.
I’ve never seen Joe Girardi so angry. He had a fire in his stomach that some men experience only once in a lifetime. He charged the umpires and began a tirade that would make Billy Martin stand up from his grave and cheer. Girardi proved to the baseball world that he supports Alex Rodriguez, the athlete. Whether he supports Alex Rodriguez, “the man,” is up for discussion. However, I think every Yankees player respected Girardi because of that argument. He proved once again that the team comes first. Like or not, Rodriguez is a Yankee. While the appeal process takes place, Rodriguez should be treated with the respect of a Yankee on the field. If someone doesn’t like A-Rod, they can make it known off the field. On the field, Rodriguez is a Yankee, and opposing players need to respect that.
Ryan Dempster should’ve been tossed from the game after hitting Rodriguez. However, the umpires only warned both benches (and tossed Joe Girardi.) That is the wrong message to send. Allowing Dempster to stay in the game gives other pitchers a reason to drill Rodriguez — “If Dempster wasn’t ejected, I won’t be ejected.” And the sad part is pitchers will think this and act on the impulse. Rodriguez won’t have to worry about being hurt by a play, but by a pitch. Major League Baseball should suspend Dempster for what he’s done, but I don’t believe that will happen.
Major League Baseball has made it clear they don’t want Rodriguez in the game. I don’t think they will suspend Dempster or even address the issue. Yet they should; because a 95 mph fastball can be dangerous. Can you imagine if A-Rod was badly hurt by a fastball? There goes even more fuel to the “future” lawsuit waiting to happen.
There is only one way to end this article, and it will be the way it began: Alex Rodriguez was beaned on a 3-0 pitch by Ryan Dempster. I think a quote from Harry Potter summarizes baseball’s current state:
“Neither can live while the other survives…….”
Baseball can’t thrive while Alex Rodriguez’s career continues to survive.