Another Peeve

I know, I know, I'm behind on my reporting. It's just that when I have to work, it's hard to blog right after a game because I am having to get ready for my real job. And so, here I am, sitting in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, writing about a Sunday afternoon game that happened in Texas. Since the game itself is old news (I keep using the word "tidy" but this one fits that description as well. 3-0 over the Angels after Feldman goes 6.0 without giving up a run.), I am instead going to take the opportunity to complain about another of my Big League pet peeves.

In the seventh inning of Sunday's game, Angel Howie Kendrick stood in against Rangers picther Jason Jennings. Jennings, who was pitching from the stretch, began his pitching motion just before Kendrick asked for, and was granted, time out. Jennings, who was half way through completing his arm motion, threw in a week throw to his catcher.

Last month, after a game also involving the Angels, Josh Beckett was suspended for six games after he threw above the head of Bobby Abreu after Abreu asked for, and was granted, time out in the middle of Beckett's wind up. Beckett sailed in the pitch above Abreu's head, Bobby (a famous baseball chicken, afraid if the outfield wall and, apparently, pitches too) thought it was on purpose, the benches cleared, and Beckett was suspended.

Of course, Beckett insists that he did not throw above Abreu on purpose and, in this case at least, Beckett deserves the benefit of the doubt. Any picther will tell you that it is extremely hard to stop a pitch once he has started his motion. After all, this is a motion that produces a big league fast-ball. For this reason, we are seeing more and more pitchers finish the motion and throw the pitch in, albeit weekly, just to keep from being injured.

Of course, even this doesn't totally protect the pitcher. He still slows the throw way down and drastically changes his arm motion mid-throw. If nothing else, the quick motion of the batter moving out of the box, coupled with the umpire yelling "time" is going to startle many pitchers and cause him to flinch in the middle of a pitch. During his pitching motion, a pitcher's muscles are stretched like a sling shot and any sudden change is motion can injure the muscle just as one could snap an elastic string.

If Beckett did throw above Abreu's head on purpose, more power to him. If umpires aren't going to protect pitchers by refusing to allow time once a pitcher starts his wind-up, then pitchers will protect themselves by sending the message, "if you endanger me, I'll endanger you." Instead of suspending Beckett, the MLB should come down on umpires who continue to give time, endangering major league pitchers. If a batter's timing is messed up, so be it. Let him take a strike. This is much less costly than a picther's career.