Throwing at Ortiz

You know what, if you're going to call out your players to throw at someone:
IT'S ABOUT TIME THE BOMBERS DROP DAVID By MIKE VACCARO - New York Post Online Edition: sports

THE Yankees have to droppy Papi. They need to brush the beast back. They need to pick out one of David Ortiz' chins and let a little music dance across the whiskers. And they need to do this immediately.

At least have the guts to admit that's what you're suggesting.

Look, no one is suggesting the Yankees aim at Ortiz' head, or his ribs, and nobody is suggesting they should be looking to injure Ortiz - or even give him a free base by plunking him in his posterior.

I think throwing at players is a disgusting part of the game, but I also understand it. If you need to move someone back off of the plate, and if you have the control to do so, fine. So, be it. It's part of the game of baseball. As long as you're not throwing at someone's head (aim for the thigh or something), it's understandable.

Especially if you're defending your own teammates. If someone throws at your guys, you should have the right to throw one right back at them. But to initiate it? That's a different story.   Especially only as a retaliation for someone hitting a home run off of you.  That's childish and smacks of revenge, not competition.

In a related story, I have to admit I thought that once Pedro entered the National League and had to face his own music, he wouldn't be throwing at people as much. Looks like I was right. In 2004 with the Boston Red Sox, Pedro hit 16 batter. In 2005, with the New York Mets, Pedro hit only 4. He hadn't hit so few since back in 1996 when he played for Montreal. To be fair, he has hit 3 batters already this year, but I would expect he won't be letting that number climb much higher.