Acuna HBP

pocketpiececommems · August 16, 2018 11:24AM

I haven't seen Jeters take on this one. If this would have happened to Mattingly in his 8 game homer streak he might be singing a different tune now. Or if they gave him an intentional walk each time he came up to bat. Leave the bat in Acuna's hands.

Brick · August 16, 2018 11:51AM

I think the Marlins hierarchy should be scolded in Spanish.

keets · August 16, 2018 12:35PM

I think MLB is a shadow of itself, no one knows how to bunt, hit behind the runner or go to the opposite field, they only know how to pull the ball and swing as hard as they can with no worry of striking out. the catcher has to give the runner a clear path to the plate and a pitcher doesn't even have to throw the ball for an intentional walk to be issued.

now this latest --- the batter owns the plate, can be as comfortable up there as he wants and the pitcher is no longer allowed to brush them back. woe is me, but I can't feel sorry for Acuna.

DrBuster · August 16, 2018 1:04PM

Did you even see it keets? That was no brushback.

grote15 · August 16, 2018 3:14PM

He was bound to get plunked. Keith Hernandez in the booth last night said it would have happened back in the 80s, too.

stevek · August 16, 2018 3:47PM

Of course it was deliberate. The pitcher's target wasn't the catcher's mitt, it was Acuna's rib cage.

Brick · August 16, 2018 4:11PM

It's a shame the ump threw the pitcher out of the game. His would be an interesting AB.

pocketpiececommems · August 16, 2018 6:55PM

How many times did Pete Rose get hit during his hitting streak?

keets · August 17, 2018 8:00AM

I think it was intended as a brushback pitch but it was thrown by a pitcher who doesn't have the control of Greg Maddux. watch MLB, the way these guys show up the pitcher with the stance or the bat flip when they jack one, the pitcher has no defense against that and the strike zone is already shrunk so he can't do much. backing that guy off the plate was all he could do, he just threw inside to much.

it used to be that the pitcher owned the plate and the batter the box, no more. Acuna was on a roll and pretty aggressive, when he was hit he started with his feet away from the plate, back in the box but his hands close to the inside corner of the plate. what a pitcher do, surrender and let him hit another homerun??? the Umpires won't let them throw inside anymore and a pitch at the letters is a ball today. the only "out pitch" available is a slider or change-up that dies and comes in low with the batter swinging over the top, or a slider that runs outside at the plate that a hitter can't reach(that's why they crowd).

Acuna never hesitated, he kicked his leg and moved towards the plate, never moved and couldn't because he was too aggressive. a pitch not even in the batters box probably would have hit him, even one coming in at only 90mph.

Tabe · August 18, 2018 1:36AM

@keets said:
I think it was intended as a brushback pitch

It wasn't.

but it was thrown by a pitcher who doesn't have the control of Greg Maddux

You're joking, right?

. watch MLB, the way these guys show up the pitcher with the stance or the bat flip when they jack one, the pitcher has no defense against that

Sure they do - getting the guys out.

and the strike zone is already shrunk so he can't do much

And yet hitters are striking out far more often than ever before.

. backing that guy off the plate was all he could do, he just threw inside to much.

First pitch of the game. C'mon.

Acuna never hesitated, he kicked his leg and moved towards the plate, never moved and couldn't because he was too aggressive. a pitch not even in the batters box probably would have hit him, even one coming in at only 90mph.

Did you watch the pitch? Acuna doesn't dive toward the plate. He picks up his foot and puts it back down and it moves all of about 4" toward the plate. The pitch was thrown right into the middle of the box. At 97mph. He literally had no chance. He wasn't "too aggressive". He got BEANED.

It was very obviously intentional. If you're unsure, just watch Urena's body language and actions after the pitch.

keets · August 18, 2018 2:42AM

well, I guess we see things differently(though I could certainly examine your reply word by word. what's that about?? are you an Insider2 alt??).

stevek · August 18, 2018 3:23AM

I just thought of a good idea for MLB.

Just like now with the intentional walk, the pitcher needs to throw no pitches. If the pitcher wishes to intentionally hit the batter, with the stevek rule, he needs to throw no pitches. Just walk up to the batter, punch him in the stomach, and that will signal an intentional hit by pitch, and the batter automatically goes to first base. Perhaps the rule can be extended with if the pitcher punches the batter in the face, the batter would be awarded second base as well.

bronco2078 · August 18, 2018 3:36AM

@stevek said:
I just thought of a good idea for MLB.

Just like now with the intentional walk, the pitcher needs to throw no pitches. If the pitcher wishes to intentionally hit the batter, with the stevek rule, he needs to throw no pitches. Just walk up to the batter, punch him in the stomach, and that will signal an intentional hit by pitch, and the batter automatically goes to first base. Perhaps the rule can be extended with if the pitcher punches the batter in the face, the batter would be awarded second base as well.

the problem with that is the pitcher will be within fist range of the batter. Pitchers , being a bunch of sissy bedwetters will probably not do much of this

lwehlers · August 18, 2018 2:37PM

I also do not understand why baseball has become so soft. I remember the seventies and eighties where it was common to see pitcher hit a young player to show them that you cannot crowd the plate. it started at the beginning of the 2000's where pitchers started to be afraid of throwing at hitters to get them off the plate.

1951WheatiesPremium · August 20, 2018 2:39PM

He wanted to hit him and he did so.

There was a time when it was ok for people to be aggressive. Acuna is aggressively going after pitches and Urena is aggressively going after the inside of the plate. There was no head hunting.

This is pro baseball. What’s the problem?

keets · August 21, 2018 3:25AM

1951, it's hard to argue with anything you said except intent, I think the intent was just to go inside and Urena doesn't have pinpoint control.

I have watched this video on Youtube to make sure I saw what I thought. here's what I see: as the pitcher winds-up two things happen, Acuna "cocks" his swing and leans slightly towards the plate, the catcher motions with his mitt towards the ground and literally hops closer to the batter. that tells me he was expecting a low, inside pitch. actually, you can see the pitch curve away from the plate and upward towards Acuna.

furthermore, I have seen enough "beanballs" thrown where the Umpire doesn't even hesitate, he throws the pitcher out. in this case, he walked a short distance to the mound, gave a fresh ball to the catcher and was ready to continue once Arena was off the field. that tells me he didn't think anything intentional had happened. once the Braves came onto the field, not once but twice, the Umps huddled and figured they better get control of things.

as the announcers noted, when they threw Urena out they issued warning and had gained control.

1951WheatiesPremium · August 21, 2018 4:00AM

Bottom line, these two good young players are in the same division. Urena has to get him out. That pitch is now out there. Does he flinch on inside pitches now? If so, mission accomplished.

Pedro threw at Jeter and Posada and Bernie all the time - on the hands. It’s part of the game. You don’t have to like it but you know what Jimmy Dugan said...

Acuna HBP

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