After the Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang injured himself running the bases during a 13-0 rout of the Astros, the typical reply could be heard well before it came out of Hank Steinbrenner's fool mouth.
"My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century."
"Am I pissed about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."
It is a pastime of sports analysis to worry about athletes doing something deemed unnecessary or beyond their normal job description. "What if during preseason Tom Brady gets sacked and breaks his leg? What then, America?"
Mike Mussina, Wang's teammate, adds, "We don't hit, we don't run the bases. You get four or five at-bats a year at most, and if you happen to get on base once or twice, you never know. We run in straight lines most of the time. Turning corners, you just don't do that."
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Turning corners!? Holy crap! What tragedy has befallen you to make such a difficult maneuver! What exactly do you do when you cover first base? That requires not one iota of this extremely athletic "turning" you speak of, not to mention agility.
But I forgive Mussina for this one, because if I remember correctly, the American League famously banned pitcher-covering-first in 1987 when the Royals' Bret Saberhagen injured his shoulder slamming into the Twins' Kent Hrbek. The American League then called a conference banning things like "fun" and "love." We were entering a new era, and the American League was there to pounce.
As a result, in all American League parks there is now a designated fielder who just hangs out by the mound who picks up weak grounders and blow-dries the pitcher's hands and runs errands.
The fact is, athletes can get hurt doing almost anything, and it never seems fair. The problem is, even if Wang didn't get hurt running the bases, let's say he got hurt on a line drive back to the mound, inter-league play would still be blamed.
Steinbrenner would lament, "This would have never happened in Boston or Seattle, towns renowned for their American League sensibilities and family values."
My biggest problem with the whole thing is the idea that "we don't do it that much." As if running the bases is a break dancing competition or escaping from quicksand.
Every pitcher growing up and playing pee-wee through college had to bat and run the bases. Now that they're professionals they've suddenly forgotten how to run 90 feet per-base in a counter-clockwise rotation.
It's not that they don't do it that much, it's that it could happen (and does, many times) to anyone and it bit Wang this time, who happens to be an American League pitcher.
It's also happened to position players in both leagues throughout the history of baseball. I certainly wish it didn't happen, but there's no reason to be stupid when it does, blaming the National League for it.
I wonder what that pitcher Babe Ruth would have had to say about all this.
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2 months ago
when is the last time the national league took the series again? yep. okay. nice article. you stink, not hank, and certainly not the AL. When a pitcher can hit better than, say Poppi, let us know, until then Hank is right. it is way more comptetive in the AL, because they actually hit the ball, and dont have to rely on ...small balls! That is why the best pitchers are in the AL, and NL pitchers that do great with their teams and are then traded to the AL (JOHNSON, amongst many) fall flat on their faces. it is because we have bats, not lil girls who have to steal and bunt. Tuche
2 months ago
Nice use of the language in your headline too, what are you 12? grow up.
from 2 months ago
By the way, next time read the article. Your comment is only on the title itself, and I made absolutely no comments against the American League. I mean, do you just look at titles and then make comments blindly? You take a snide guess at my age but can't understand the basics of a humorous article? I'm so deeply sorry I offended and confused you so much.
2 months ago
Obviously, you have no idea what satire is. You make me sad.
2 months ago
What? Is Wang a puss? I guess we've reached a point in history that it's asking too much for a professional athlete to run. Yup, running the bases is scary and too dangerous for the poor, poor Yankees. Give me a freakin' break.
2 months ago
"Turning corners, you just don't do that." Awesome. Maybe one of my new favorite sports quotes of the year. Pitchers can't be expected to turn corners, for Pete's sake.
Great read. Not sure where Commenter Patrick is getting his anger, but I'm guessing he's a Yankee fan. No one ever likes to admit that their favorite team is a bunch of whiners. Or at least their owner is.
I also hate whenever an owner or manager complains about a long standing rule only after their guy gets hurt. Like in hockey when some guy gets jack-knifed going after an iced puck, and that team's coach immediately begins yammering about the automatic icing. Always smacks of insincerity when they weren't yammering about the rule anytime before the injury.
from 2 months ago
Yeah I am a Yankee Fan, and no I didnt read the whole article, why would I with a stupid title like that. It reflects poorly on all that write here. Not in it that he complains about Hank...everyone does that, it is the word "sucks"...no class what so ever, and I am sure the writer is better than that. I am not angered at all, just disappointed by the writerss choice of words. Bunch of WHINERS? YEAH dude, we have 26 RINGS and we whine all the way to the post season for the last 14 years! Do that and then give me your opinion on how we whine! The Yankees are the most winningest team of all sports, all time. Hate on though. .... When you pay 220 million dollars to field a team it tends to tick some off that their pitcher is hurt running bases...which they dont do, nor practice in our league. We pay more in revenue sharing to Florida, than Florida does for their whole team. Just cash our subsidy checks and let Hank have his say! Hows that, he pays for it, and deserves the right to say whatever he wants...he owns more shares of more teams than should be alowed. its socialism. cuba is more south of our borders, though castro is probably proud of Selig. ....Tell me about hockey brother, my pop is in the HOF in Toronto..Bill Read! Frank Reads son, ex-manager of the Syr Crunch of the 1930s. The team was traded after winning the cup before WW2 and became the Buff Bisons...later the Sabres. So, genius, tell me about the "new rule" that the league imposed on AVERYS move on the goaltender. As a player we're taught to "SCREEN THE GOALIE INTENTIONALLY" right? OR tell me about the "new rule" of instant replays, and shot clocks too (also invented in Syracuse)...just thoughts though. no biggy. rock on all. A little fuel for the fire never hurt anyone, did it? Any press is good press, ever hear that one?
2 months ago
Projectionist, it seems I am not the only one that "disagrees with your horseshit", it "sucks." Like I said, "tuche." It is all in fun dude, with the exception of the language in the title. I kind of take exception to it, it isnt too classy, and maybe doesnt reflect well on all those that write on this site..but whatever dude. Consructive criticism is all. Saitre as fine man, it just doesnt seem like your kidding too aweful much. Good to see you are though. Rock on player.
2 months ago
First of all Patrick doesn't know what he's talking about.
Second, Wang is indeed a baby.
Third, the American league had the pitchers batting 9th up until the mid 70's.
Fourth, you obviously are not a real athlete if you can't step on home-plate without getting injured.
Fifth, Hank Steinbrenner will never be what his dad was to baseball or the New York Yankees, and needs to go find himself a better way to spend his money, maybe invest in a fast food chain, I think his expertise would be better suited there.
Finally, great article, I was going to write this one myself before I came across yours, good points.
2 months ago
Ohh and about his comment that the rule is from the 1800's.
So is every single rule in baseball you idiot (hank). The homerun mark, foul pole, 90 foot bases, using bats to hit a baseball, having to score more runs than the other team, pitching off of a mound.
Those are other rules from the 1800's. Hank, should we just throw those out too?
2 months ago
"the typical reply could be heard well before it came out of Hank Steinbrenner's fool mouth."
-thats satire? or sour grapes? they have a point. the leagues shouldnt differ in their "RULES." and like the constitution, all is subject to change. Moose nailed it, "we dont hit or run bases," nor do they practice it. The most pathetic quote I saw regardin this issue was by Posada saying, "wang is aout best pitcher" because he aint our best pitcher this year, and now he is out 6 weeks minimum...and makes millions to get injured in an event that is not regulated in our league. He has a right to be "pissed."
The analogy with Brady in the pre-season is off...now if brady were regulated to have to reutrn punts in another league and then got injured....how would BOSTON feel then?
Lets take a look at pre-season in baseball when catchers are getting plowed, and spikes are being thrown around...but that IS part of the game. Pitchers hitting is not...UNLESS YOU ARE ROGER CLEMENS who hit 300 plus for the 'STROS. Hate on playa. ;o)
from 2 months ago
Patrick, I'm fine with you not liking my use of "sucks" and you can tell me my article is garbage, but your attack came out of nowhere. I'm OK taking some shots if it seems like you're informed about what you've just read, but instead I'm getting, "No, I didn't read the whole article, why would I?" And with that, I might as well have written the same title and talked about butterflies for a thousand words.
As to "not kidding that much," well, I don't know how much exaggeration I have to include in an article before you start realizing that I'm poking fun (and yes, I'm definitely poking fun at Hank and the Yanks). Maybe I should have written, "Chien-Ming Wang Gets Hurt, Hank Blames NL," and then maybe you'll read the whole thing next time. I wonder, really, what your opinion of the ARTICLE would have been then.
And as to the Yankees, I am well-versed on all of their championships and their history of success. They are an absolutely fantastic franchise, the best in the history of all sports. But it seems like fans always have to advertise this like no one knows, as if 26 championships aren't enough noise. I'm not hatin' dude. Tell me where "hatin'" and "dude" and the misspelling of "touche" fall on the "class scale," by the way.
And your comment about not practicing running the bases in our league is exactly the kind of thing that I was poking fun at Mussina for saying. Because running the bases is not a stressful thing (tell me any pitcher who is told to take extra bases or run full throttle, and I'll show you a manager who is unemployed), especially in a game that was a rout. It's Girardi and/or his staff's fault for not telling Wang, "Hey, take it easy out there." Instead, no one on the Yankees gets blamed. It's the National League. Baseball has been doing interleague for over 10 years now, and this is the first significant injury I can think of due to an NL rule.
As to the NL and the last time they won the series? It was way back in 2006, when the Cardinals beat the Tigers. There was that 2003 Marlins win over the Yankees, and then there was the Diamondbacks over the Yankees in 2001. Not exactly ancient history. But it's not exactly what my article was about, anyway.
2 months ago
I'm a Yankee fan and I agreed with Hank Steinbrenner's desire to get Johan Santana in the off season and his push to get Joba into the rotation, but I have to disagree with Hank here. His comments were ignorant but this whole thing is getting blown out of proportion. They were just stupid comments by a guy who was very frustrated because he had just lost his ace pitcher to a silly injury.
2 months ago
this article is absolutely halarious. i love it when NL make fun of the AL. The AL wouldnt be anything that they are if they always had a pitcher hit
2 months ago
hey look there...a mention of 26 titles, when the article is about baserunning injuries, typical yankees fan
and baby steinbrenner needs to grow up already, i'm sure if that were josh beckett out there getting injured, he wouldnt be slaming the national league to change their ways
29 days ago
Has anyone out there noticed that Patrick S J is a flat-out ignoramus? What a douche! A true "conservative" archetype. Lots of luck buddy. I regretfully predict that your life is going to be very confusing and hard. The Yankees (and all their championships) have been bought and sold by the same type of corporate greed that ruins this country for most honest hard-working people. As you get older (and hopefully wiser) perhaps you'll realize that those at the top have usually gotten there because the deck has been grossly stacked in their favor. Level the economic playing field and those championships will "magically" dry up as well. The Skankees payroll is what "wins" them championships. Actually they, and their fans, should all be deeply embarrassed. They are a badly mismanaged team that would have a difficult time playing .500 ball if they had the payroll of the San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, Florida Marlins, or even the N.Y. Mets (who have the 2nd highest payroll in the league and still spend 80 million less on player salaries). Patrick, I'm sure that someone of your "special intellectual capabilities" would predictably respond with something like this: "Don't hate the playa', hate the game." My response to that type of reactionary crap would be that the game will never change as long as there are "playa's" who want to exploit it. Have fun voting for McCain in November butt-wipe.
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