Derrek Lee, Chris Young to face big suspensions

Fair enough, Buck. But people don't throw Lee inside any more. He's a great average hitter no matter how you pitch him, but he's a 40-homer guy when you throw him inside. If you miss inside, he'll take you out of the park. Maybe that's why he was so extremely high and tight.

Or ... maybe he threw at him. Throwing at Soriano could (and probably would) have gotten him ejected, and Soriano is a serious threat to steal second. Lee is the only other superstar in the lineup with Ramirez out, and without Ramirez to protect him, it's much easier to put him on.

 

a) If you're going to throw at somebody, you're not going to think that deeply about strategy because it's so early in the game. Nobody's going to throw at Lee because they're worried about Soriano stealing second. No manager in baseball is smart enough to come up with that theory, I guarantee you.

2) If you are worried about Soriano stealing second, you hit him in the kneecap. Problem solved.

III) Lee can be pitched to. And Lee can be pitched inside to. He doesn't hit 1.000, for god's sake. ... A confident pitcher -- and Chris Young is that -- is always, ALWAYS, going to believe he can get any great hitter out, whether he pitches to the batter's strengths or his weaknesses. If nobody was pitching Lee inside, he'd be hitting a lot higher than .342.

I respect that you're trying to come up with an idea for why that ball was thrown so close to his head, but it's really this simple: Sometimes an inside pitch is just an inside pitch.

 

And sometimes a guy throws at another guy's head. Lee said he wouldn't have done what he did had Young not said something that made him think it was intentional.

You're telling me NO manager is smart enough to prefer throwing at Lee instead of Soriano because Soriano would probably steal second? Come on, buck ... If you hit Soriano, then he can steal second and score on a single from Pie or Lee. If you hit Lee with no one on, and Ramirez isn't in the lineup, you're not exactly terrified of what's coming next. Cliff Floyd isn't chopped liver, but he's no healthy A-Ram. They were going to hit someone, and Soriano isn't a guy you want to give first base to.

 

Peavy all but declares somebody's getting fucking drilled today and no fucking warnings are issued before the game? I guess the cocksucker behind the plate isn't clar-fucking-voyant like the guy in Atlanta last week.

 

Except the guy in Atlanta didn't issue any warnings, I don't think.

 

Great sequence of photos from the Trib:

 

A Major League 2 reference? You need to get out more.

 

Hey, you knew the reference, so .. yeah.

I have 20 premium movie channels. It was bound to come on once, and it did last night. What can I say?

 

I've read a few articles and I've seen nobody report what Young said to Lee. Maybe I've missed it ... has anybody reported what Young said?

 

This was a great shot. AP had this as a main shot and I think they used it on the MLB site and the Yahoo sports site, IIRC.

 

You're right. He just told Piniella he "knew" Lilly was going to throw at someone.

Supposedly, Young, with a shit-eating grin, asked Lee, "You ok?" When Lee said he was Young said, "then take first base motherfucker."

 

Chris Young, you da man.

He obviously didn't miss the course "Take First Base, Motherfucker 301" in his junior year at Princeton.