Derrek Lee, Chris Young to face big suspensions

A friend who is a Cubs fan said there was some talk back and forth previouisly between Young and Lee, who was also a very good basketball player coming out of high school. I can't find it. Does this sound familiar to anybody, that there might have been a previous issue between those two?

 

Maybe the ump from Atlanta could have been in Wrigley "knowing something was going to happen" and eject the first pitcher who threw inside. The Cubs were bent over with the Lilly ejection, and they were bent over when Renteria wasn't fined or suspended. I don't see how that's questionable. Then they didn't retaliate to Renteria, and some rightly called them out for being pansies. Then Peavy says what he says today, and they're probably a little edgy, and then one comes near the head of your all-star first baseman ... he had to do something.

All that said, yes, Lee deserves a few games for that. But here's the thing about Lee ... NO ONED THROWS HIM INSIDE. He has that high average but only 6 homers all season because pitchers throw almost every pitch to him low and away. Maybe he was trying to come up and in to set up a low-and-away out pitch, but I don't know. These guys have PHENOMENAL control with a baseball. When they come up and near the head, it almost always seems intentional to me. And I think it's fair to question someone who throws a baseball at a potentially-fatal 90-plus miles per hour near your head. When these guys miss their spots, it's by inches, not feet.

And let's step down from the high horse about throwing at people who show up pitchers. How many fucking guys in Major League Baseball stare at their home runs? Dozens. Maybe the batter should get to come out and punch Peavy in the fucking head when he pumps his fist after a big strikeout. I don't like when people stare at their home runs, either, but this was not a journeyman middle infielder who hit this home run. It was Alfonso Soriano, one of the best players in the game.

 

Was Young tossed for the pitch, or the punch? I thought it was for the punch.

 

Also, for the record, I would have not been upset if Soriano had been hit with a pitch today. That's baseball. Show someone up? You might get it the next day. But if your beef is with Soriano ... throw at Soriano. Lee was hit near the head, then Young came toward him and pointed to first base. Lee is one of the best hitters in the game, and you can't do that.

Anyone who read Peavy's quote today and didn't fully expect a Cub to get drilled is an idiot. The ump should have come between them immediately. Lee should be suspended for throwing a punch, but I can't say I would have reacted much differently in his situation. All Lee ever does is act professional in every way ... he's not the guy you throw at ... especially not near the head.

 

It was the punch. He had not been tossed before the fight.

And I blame the home plate umpire, too. Young is walking closer to the plate jawing at Lee. Lee is inside the baseline saying something to Young. And the ump is too busy talking to the catcher instead of doing his job and defusing the situation before it blew up.

 

made my fucking day to see that punk bitch zambrano lose his no-no and the game. anyone notice how he had his belt halfway off his waist during that fight? classic. i'm surprised he didn't look at young and point as his dome to get his message across. the fall in potential sat score from young to zambrano has to be around 1100 points (under the old system).

and d. lee, maybe you should bitch to your cadillacing teammate about taking one in the chin next time.

the cubs, what a fucking joke. stupid fans, stupid team. gotta love it.

 

I tend not to look at other guys' belts and crotches, but maybe that's just me.

 

After Peavy's quote, you really think Young didn't mean to throw at Lee?

 

At least with hockey the actual guy who runs afoul of the other team in some way is usually the one who will absorb retaliation later. Baseball has the most arcane code of retaliation of any sport. Geez...

 

If he was really going to throw at somebody, he would have thrown at Soriano. There's no DH here; Soriano can take care of himself.

No, I don't think he was throwing at Lee. Especially not on a 1-2 count. Especially not in a 0-0 game.

Yes, I think he was trying to throw high and tight to Lee, to push him off the plate and set up his next pitch. But there's a big difference between brushing a batter back and throwing at him. I think Young was trying to brush him back. Absolutely, and why shouldn't he? Lee's a dangerous hitter. I DON'T think he was throwing at him.

 

For those who haven't seen it, it is on MLB's home page

http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp

No way is CY throwing at DLee. Not with a 1-2 count and a 0-0 game. After the game, Russell Branyan mentioned that DLee is known for crowding the plate and CY was just trying to brush him back so he could throw him more inside. Like Branyan said, when you are hitting .360 you have to learn to take the good with the bad, and this was the bad.

They said Lee charged because CY had a few things to say to him, probably along the lines of: "Next time don't stand on top of the plate and you won't get plunked."

Got a little more respect for Zambrano, even though he came to the fight late, he could have easily hit the next Padre up at the plate but he thought of his team first (minus Barrett of course) and pitched a hell of a game.

The worst part of this was two 2-hitters are thrown by the wayside because of the fight.

 

* Young was having control problems earlier in the game. The catcher set up low for a slider that ended up going high and outside for a passed ball.

* You wouldn't have had to look at Zambrano's crotch to see his belt: It was in his hands. I thought he might have been ready to start busting heads with it, but the wire said he was in the clubhouse changing his jersey when the fight erupted.

* As for the punch, it really had to be something that Young said. You can see Lee stopping, turning his head and saying, "What?" before the fisticuffs.

* Did either Lee or Young LAND a punch? Talk about your swing and a miss.