(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Right after big hits and great plays in the field, there is nothing that gets a fan more excited than some good old sweet chin music.  Immediately, fans begin yelling, “Oh!” and, “Hey!” whether they are for the players getting thrown at or not. 

Throwing inside to knock a player off the plate or to try to get an inside strike used to be part of the game of baseball, but now it seems like nobody wants to do it anymore.

And I think I finally figured out why...they can’t.

For some reason a guy can throw any pitch to any part of the strike zone he wants almost at will, however you ask him to go inside and all kinds of crazy, ridiculous things happen. 

I used to think that the pitchers did not want to get what I call “Mussinad”—where the player who gets hit with the pitch charges the mound and beats the heck out of you in front of 40,000 people, not to mention everyone watching on T.V. or now on the Internet.

However, after watching two incidents in the past week or so, I am positive that throwing purpose pitches is an art and just like with any other form of art—some got it and others don’t.

The first was when the Angels took on the Texas Rangers last Saturday.  The night before, Rangers second basemen Ian Kinsler hit two home runs to beat Los Angeles. 

So, on Saturday Angels starter John Lackey decided to take care of Kinsler himself.

Kinsler, the lead-off hitter for Texas, stepped up to the plate and quickly had to dodge out of the way as the first pitch from Lackey came in high and tight.  Kinsler got back up, dusted himself off, and quickly hit the dirt again as the second pitch came for Kinsler—this time Lackey hit his target.

The umpires threw Lackey out of the game for intentionally throwing at a hitter. 

First off, this was a stupid move by Lackey—you want redemption, throw one inside.  You miss...you miss, move on to your next pitch and try to get him out. 

Second, how do you miss him?

Sure you can blame it on it being Lackey’s first start of the season and maybe his control was not all there yet, but still...would Nolan Ryan miss? 

How about Roger Clemens? 

Just ask Robin Ventura and Mike Piazza, they will tell you that they would not.

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