Varitek vs. A-Rod
 


Obviously as a Red Sox fan - I will take the side of Jason Varitek on this one but even looking at it without bias - Alex Rodriguez was in the wrong.

A-Rod was hit by a pitch in the elbow. The pitch was a change-up and A-Rod didn't make much of an attempt to avoid it. Plus the pitch hit A-Rod on his body armor that he wears on his elbow - so don't tell me the pitch hurt him very much.

Being hit by a pitch is part of the game. That's why they keep a stat for it. When you are hit - you are supposed to go down to first and take your base. But I guess A-Rod is different. I guess A-Rod is special.

Instead of taking his base A-Rod starts swearing out at Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo (who was named after Charles Bronson we should be reminded - so I wouldn't doubt if Bronson could handle himself in a pinch).  Jason Varitek, as is his job, stays between A-Rod and the pitcher's mound.

A-Rod then changed his focus to Varitek. The TV cameras clearly show him saying, "Fuck you" over and over right in Varitek's face. It then showed A-Rod saying "Let's go" to Varitek. Should he be surprised that Varitek gave him a catcher's mitt in the mug for his troubles? 

At the risk of sounding like Carl Spackler, my big disappointment was for Varitek's lost opportunity. In Baseball fights, players always go for the head or try some stupid two handed neck-grab. After Varitek smooshed his glove in A-Rod's face he went for a leg lift. Instead he should have gone for a series of short quick uppercut jabs to the ribs. He probably had time to get off three or four devastating body blows. Those shots could have at the very least cracked some ribs and taken away all of A-Rod's HR power for months.

Some additional observations about this run in.

I don't think A-Rod actually thought he was going to catch a punch. I think he was thinking that he was "Gumby damnit!" and could damn well say whatever he pleased. Varitek simply gave him a real world dose of what for. Also don't think that A-Rod was doing anything to defend "Yankee honor". He's been with the team for half a season. This was all about his spoiled self.

A-Rod reacted out a sense of unrealistic entitlement and frustration. He's hitting just .261 against the Red Sox this year and in "the clutch" of hitting with RISP this year - he's hitting just .222 as a Yankee. All of A-Rod's stats seem to happen with no pressure. He's Mr. May and I'm sure he knows it.

Varitek getting a suspension may actually be a good thing for him. First - this increases the argument of him being an "intangibles" player whose value to the team cannot be measured in stats. Secondly, last year he slumped badly at the end (just a .230 BA and a .741 OPS post All-Star game) and this July he was hitting just .259. Maybe a forced rest is just what the doctor ordered.

My final observation is that I find it strange that when you see the historical highlights of aggression between the Red Sox and Yankees - you never see the Jeff Nelson and his Hitler mustache jumping a bullpen attendant with Karen Garcia piling on for cheap shots. Just an observation.