September 17, 2014

Rays and HBP

The Yankees are very upset that their batters have been hit frequently by the Rays pitchers, and Joe Girardi blames inexperience:

Protecting a five-run lead, Geltz faced Jeter in the midst of an 0-for-26 slump. Geltz was up 0-2 in the count when the 95 mph fastball got away.

“If you are going to pitch inside, learn how to pitch inside,” Girardi said. “You pitch down in the zone. You don’t pitch up. This is not practice. This is guys’ livelihood.”

Chase Headley took it further:

Headley said that if the Rays can’t control where they are throwing the ball, they are not ready to pitch inside at this level.

“You shouldn’t be in the big leagues if you keep doing that consistently,” Headley said. “I mean, guys are throwing too hard with too good a stuff. Granted, I know that balls get away every now and then. I get it. It can’t keep happening. If a guy can’t control the fastball, he can’t pitch in there. He can’t be in the game. He can’t be in the big leagues because guys’ careers are at stake. You can’t have it happen. Again, I don’t think there is intent, but that doesn’t change what can possibly happen.”

Tampa Bay is in the middle of pack this season in Hit Batters with 53, tied for 12th with the Royals, so maybe the Yankees are being a bit too generous here. New York, to their credit, has not retaliated.

This may be the downside of the Rays strategy of letting veterans go.

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