As the entire Cardinal Nation knows as old news by now, Pittsburgh Pirates closer Matt Capps was ejected for hitting Albert Pujols with a pitch in the back during Sunday’s series finale at PNC Park.
Capps relieved starter Zach Duke with one on and one out in the eighth inning. His first batter faced, pinch hitter Skip Schumaker, hit a two-run home run to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. Pujols was up next.
On the 0-1 pitch, Capps drilled Pujols with a fastball to the back. Pujols glared at Capps, but took first base as Capps was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Mike Estabrook. Pujols was the third Cardinals batter hit in the series, while the Pirates had one.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was unhappy. “I think (Estabrook) read it exactly right. I think it was an intentional hit. And there’s no doubt in my mind it came from the bench. I really believe it didn’t come from the manager. Don’t ask me to expound on that. That’s my comment. It was intentional. It came from the bench; it wasn’t the manager who ordered it. The umpire handled it properly.”
La Russa implied the hit was ordered by Pirates’ pitching coach Joe Kerrigan. Once he calmed down, Pujols was more politically inclined with his remarks.
Pujols said, “I don’t think he did it on purpose, but it looked bad after that home run.”
In a most predictable reaction, Capps denied intent.
“Albert Pujols, he’s the classiest guy in baseball, he’s not a guy you’re going to intentionally hit, especially in that situation.” Capps said. “We were playing a good game. I understand I just gave up the homer, but I had him 0-1. I tried to go in and got too strong and it got away from me. I wasn’t happy he threw me out.”
Like others, I am awaiting a ruling from MLB disciplinarian Bob Watson, especially after Cardinals pitcher Brad Thompson was slapped with a three-game suspension for a pitch that did not even hit the Mets’ David Wright last week. There are differences in that Thompson’s pitch was near the New York star’s head, yet Brad was also not ejected as was Capps.
I would have let this story drift into history without comment had I not come across a 2007 article when reading about Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder’s well-publicized rage when hit by the Dodgers’ Guillermo Mota last week.
See if this scenario sounds familiar. If you have trouble making the connection, re-read the early part of this post.
In May, 2007, the Brewers and Pirates were squaring off when Milwaukee’s J.J. Hardy blasted a three-run home run off Capps. The Pirates’ closer, lauded for his excellent control in the game story, went 0-1 on the next batter, Fielder. Capps’ next offering came in at the slugger’s head, but fortunately was deflected by Fielder’s shoulder. Not surprisingly, Prince took exception to his shabby treatment, though he did not attempt to enter the opponent’s clubhouse as he did in Los Angeles.
Capps denied he hit Fielder, but Watson slapped him with a four-game suspension that even the Pittsburgh papers agreed with.
Further, just last month, these same Pirates and Brewers were involved in a bench-clearing incident as the result of another beaning. It was allegedly retaliation for an earlier plunking of Brewers’ star Ryan Braun, though Capps personally was not on the mound this time.
Clearly there is a pattern in Capps’ behavior (and that of his club) that needs to be reflected in a suspension. It is not obvious that one is coming, however.
I can’t help but wonder if Watson’s action would have been immediate had one of the New York teams had been involved.
Thats what Motte is good for. The assassin.
This Leher kid is a very good pitcher. He does everything well. He just doesn’t have an arm. Everyone that tried to take what he wasn’t giving was out. Pujols pulls out of a meat pitch again. Shu trying to turn something away……again….. and Ludwick forgetting that he wasn’t set up to go that way. Rasmus gets on with another defeated Hr attempt. Boggs is history.
Capps is a closer with an ERA of 6. He allows a homer every 5 innings. Schumaker is not a power hitter, but took him out to a deep part of the park. Probably made Capps mad.
Maybe Capps is a heaver. Throw as hard as he can and sometimes has zero idea where it is going. If velocity does not work, what does he have to fall back on, save scaring hitters by hurting some?
Men like Pujols and Fielder are important to fans and to the business health of the game. Watson should give Capps a long suspension. We will see if Bob is up to his job.
There is the issue of whether ejections, fines and suspensions is a more effective deterrent than letting such matters be dealt with on the field or in the clubhouse.
bb, I don’t see the two as mutually exclusive. Fine or not, suspension or not, I am pretty sure that next series, the Bucs are going to see one of their top hitters (who is left?) get drilled. Too bad Capps doesn’t bat.
Since they don’t have a slugger worth hitting, the strategy is to target the biggest orneriest guy they have, who would know who he has to thank. Clubhouse justice.
Brian, you are quite accurate with the observation that “there is a pattern in Capps’ behavior (and that of his club)”. In the same way that the miserable, insult-ridden culture of Philadelphia is seen in the capricious treatment of the city’s home town players, a violence-prone culture, for many decades entrenched within Pittsburgh society, is manifested in the manner that victorious opposing teams are treated. During the ’50s, when the NFL Steelers were perenniel losers, Art Donovan had observed that superior teams (like his Baltimore Colts) could not play in Pittsburgh, without sustaining significant injuries. I believe that the “pattern” of which you speak is not only “long entrenched”, but impossible to extricate: It will continue, impervious to fines and suspensions. When visiting the Pittsburgh Pirates, the attitude of superior teams can only be, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”: It’s like you said, Brian; “Too bad Capps doesn’t bat”!
WCW are you actually insinuating that Motte could actually hit a target he aims for???
We can put cross hairs on his glasses, and then screw with the sighting.
Motte’s problem is his motion. He can’t help but lift his breaking pitch. He needs to go throw in Memphis everyday for 10 days, then come back and try out for a playoff spot.
Westy, Motte would go to AAA, have great success, come back and be the same. His problem is the difference between AAA and big league hitters. Brute force alone doesn’t work for long in the bigs and his former catcher’s short arm motion doesn’t really lend itself to anything else.
You beat me to it, Ax. Motte may be an assassin, but maybe not an intentional one…
I don’t send him there to be succseeful BB. I send him there to work on his breaking pitch, like 60% of the time. 20% change ups and the rest gas.
Westy, I agree that would be good. I’m wondering if he would ever be able to get on top of a breaking ball and keep it down, or get a sharp break, or do much of anything except gas, with that short arm throwing from behind the ear motion of his. Trying to think of other hard throwing short arm pitchers who had other effective pitches, and what they were. Of course, I’m sure Super Dave is all over it.
Its is problematic. He would probably have to adapt his delivery, not so much just his arm motion. He needs to get to a place where he lessens the visual keys between the delivery for an effective slider and change up, and then find his fastball without to much deviation. Probably a years worth of work……….but doable.
Going back to the original topic; Matt Cain beaned David Wright in the head tonight. Does Watson have any choice but to suspend him for 5 or more games for it?
The crocodile tears of Wright were indeed moving, when he had absolutely no regard for what could have been a season-ending wrist injury to Albert! While Thompson’s missile represented a mere shot across the bow, Cain’s was a direct hit.
That shot was nothing compare to the line drive off of Kuroda’s noggin. That baby had tone and could have been fatal. A dangerous game this is.
“Thompson’s missile”; either a wonderful tongue in cheek remark or at the very least an oxymoron in it’s truest form. Good one CFS57.