St. Louis Cardinals: Beaning Ryan Braun, Is It Fair or Foul?

After Albert Pujols was hit in the hand with a pitch, Tony LaRussa all but admitted that the Cardinals hit Brewer Ryan Braun on purpose. He came as close to saying it without actually writing a written letter to Bud Selig asking for a suspension.

So the question is whether or not the Cardinals were fair in beaning Braun on purpose.

The history of baseball is that if you hit our guy, we're going to hit yours. As LaRussa pointed out, it was the second game in a row where a pitch had been delivered into the vicinity of Pujols hand.

Now if you don't think that's a big deal, just go grab yourself a ball peen hammer. Place your hand on the table. Now cock back and slam down really hard in the middle of your hand. 

Now, while your hand is throbbing, grab a baseball bat and slam it into a brick wall. 

How did that feel?

The fact of that matter is that while the pitches thrown at Braun might have inflicted a bruise and some very unpleasant feeling on Braun's part, there was little risk of injury getting injured by getting hit there.

How often have you seen a player go on the DL because they got beaned between the shoulder blades? I don't know if I've ever seen it. 

Getting hit on the hand though can end a player's season, and in the case of a player the caliber of Pujols, can seriously impact the playoff hopes of an entire team. 

So when you're throwing at the hand of a three time MVP two games in a row who plays on a team you're in contention for the division title with, it seems more than a coincidence. There's more than intent to hit a batter in question, there's intention to injure a batter which is in question.

And if the other team is coming out trying to injure your star player, then you have every right to send a message that it's not the sort of thing to be tolerated.

This isn't a "you disrespected me" kind of situation. This was not a reaction to a single pitch thrown. This was not an overreaction to an errant pitch.

Two games in a row Brewer's pitchers nearly broke Albert Pujols' hand. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on you.

Perhaps some people feel that Milwaukee pitching should just be able to continue throwing at Pujols until they end his season.

I don't blame LaRussa one bit for not being one of those people.

This isn't about "codes" or "unwritten rules." This is about protecting your star players and St. Louis was not only within it's rights to bean Braun, they had a responsibility to.