A-Rod - Varitek suspensions handed out

[Transmogrifier]

I'll ask again. If you are mad that Arod should get less because he was defending himself, shouldn't Kaplar be in the same position? He was put in a choke hold from behind.

[Transmogrifier]

Here is how it happened:

-Arroyo hits A-Rod.
-A-Rod overreacts and mouths off to Arroyo WHILE walking to first base.
-Varitek follows A-Rod down the line to prevent him from charging the mound (completely OK).
-Varitek says something to A-Rod that obviously pisses him off.
-A-Rod focuses on Varitek and starts swearing at him.
-Varitek loses his cool and goes after A-Rod.

While A-Rod overreacted, he's not to blame. Players yell at eachother all the time. They don't get suspended. Varitek is the one that lost his cool and started a phsyical altercation. Here's how the suspending should have went:

Varitek- 4 Games
A-Rod- 2 Games
Sturtze- 4 Games
Arroyo- None
Ortiz- Fine
Nixon- Fine
Kapler- None
Lofton- I'd have to see what he did.

. We almost agree on the suspensions!! I think ARod should get 3 games, and I don't think Ortiz should be fined.

I agree, as long as Arod gets three. Sturtze should be villified for what he did.

[nsulham]

Just as an aside, does anyone find it odd that Yankee fans are in an uproar over a decision that basically one of their own made?

Yes Bob Watson is an MLB official now but for my money, I still think of him as a Yankee. Therefore, I would think he might be a *little* lenient when it comes to Yankee punishments, knowing he used to be a part of that organization. I'm not saying he would do that but you would think the possibility would exist, right?

I know if I were a Yankee fan (egads I can't believe those words came out of my mouth...where's the soap) I would want Bob to "hook a brother up" and remember his roots when it comes to handing down fines and suspensions---yet Yankee fans are the ones that seem to have the biggest beef.

Again, not an indictment on who's right or wrong or who's suspension should have been longer or shorter, I'm just saying it's interesting that the Yankee fans here are basically blasting one of their own, which at least I've always thought Yankee fans aren't the quickest to do.

Now us Sox fans, we'll skewer one of our own in a heartbeat (see Clemens, Roger)

[raiders_umpire]

He gets between ARod & 1st base AFTER the words said by ARod, he had all the oppurtunity in the world to just walk to 1st, but chose to start something...

uh - he started shouting at Arroyo on the mound - then Varitek gets between him and 1st - not him and Arroyo...Varitek had no business going down the line. ARod didn't say a word to Varitek until he got in the way of 1B.

whatever though..Arod will appeal and get 2 games. Varitek will appeal and get 3 games..

uuummm, i have to disagree here....i have seen the tape several times and in my unbiased opinion, Varitek did what any catcher does when there is a chance of a confrontation between hit batsmen and pitcher...also arod was not walking towards the pitcher nor was he walking straight to first base either, as he was sorta of lumbering to the second baseman position....Varitek got between arod and arroyo to begin with....After about 3 f bombs from arod, then did varitek intercept arod's casual half walk to mound and half walk to first base....it was also stated earlier that varitek started the talking, cussing match...i am not saying that u are wrong, but how can u be sure when varitek kept his mask on the entire time...unless u have a camera angle that shows through the mask(sarcasm), i dont see how u can be sure that varitek was even saying anything bad at all....

but in the ends this would be my suspensions

varitek 3 games for the first shove
arod 3 games mainly for the 3 f bombs that have been blasted on television basically 20 times a day since the incident..(too many kids watch sportscenter and ballgames to see words like that come out of a heroes mouth)
sturtze 5 games for his punch of kabler


and this is how i see it in the eyes of a yankee and red sox hater, as i root for my devil rays.........

[Lofunzo]

You watched the whole thing?? You can see A-Rod jabbing at Arroyo and then you see Varitek say something very heated. You can't read lips through the back of his head but you can see his head bobbing and you can tell by A-Rod's reaction that Varitek was saying things. Since this isn't a court of law, we don't need to prove what was said but something was. And you mention that Varitek did what all catchers do. That is far from the truth. Most catchers get between them to keep the peace. Once he started something physical, it was not what every catcher does.

I will repeat that they are both idiots but Varitek should get at least 1 more game because he turned it into a physical confrontation.

T-Mo.......I have no problem if Sturtze gets/got a more severe punishment.

[raiders_umpire]

You watched the whole thing?? You can see A-Rod jabbing at Arroyo and then you see Varitek say something very heated. You can't read lips through the back of his head but you can see his head bobbing and you can tell by A-Rod's reaction that Varitek was saying things. Since this isn't a court of law, we don't need to prove what was said but something was. And you mention that Varitek did what all catchers do. That is far from the truth. Most catchers get between them to keep the peace. Once he started something physical, it was not what every catcher does.

I will repeat that they are both idiots but Varitek should get at least 1 more game because he turned it into a physical confrontation.

T-Mo.......I have no problem if Sturtze gets/got a more severe punishment.

i dont see how u can be sure that varitek was even saying anything bad at all....
see i put BAD........

i said sarcasm in my post, but still we do not know "what " varitek said but we can plainly see what arod did say.......and i still say varitek did what he is supposed to do, he is supposed to protect his pitchers as all catchers will and have in the past....if varitek does not get between his pitcher and the batter, he would have to move out of boston, just as if it were posada, pudge, piazza, or any other catcher.....i have no problem with varitek or any catcher getting in between the pitcher and batter.......and again i think the reason arod got as many games as varitek did is mainly because of the f bombs...if those are not blasted on the tv, i could see arod only getting one game easily........

[Dr.DooM]

First, you have to discount EVERY opinion from somebody who is either a Yankee or Red Sox fan. I don't mean to sound brash but we're not going to get an unbiased point of view from these guys.

That being said, both Arod and Varitek should get suspended for a few games but Varitek should receive a slightly stiffer penalty for escalating the confrontation into physical violence. Plain and simple. I really don't want to hear anything more from Red Sox fans because they just won't get it. As for Yankee fans, face it; Arod deserves to sit a few games because Arroyo didn't hit him intentionally and he should have just taken the base quietly.

[rmeesig]

First, you have to discount EVERY opinion from somebody who is either a Yankee or Red Sox fan. I don't mean to sound brash but we're not going to get an unbiased point of view from these guys.

That being said, both Arod and Varitek should get suspended for a few games but Varitek should receive a slightly stiffer penalty for escalating the confrontation into physical violence. Plain and simple. I really don't want to hear anything more from Red Sox fans because they just won't get it. As for Yankee fans, face it; Arod deserves to sit a few games because Arroyo didn't hit him intentionally and he should have just taken the base quietly.

Not really fair...I'm a Yankee fan and have taken your exact stance since I started this thread! ARod SHOULD get a suspension, just not as severe as Varitek...Kapler should have just been fined, getting ejected was enough.

There I said it!

[Lofunzo]

First, you have to discount EVERY opinion from somebody who is either a Yankee or Red Sox fan. I don't mean to sound brash but we're not going to get an unbiased point of view from these guys.

That being said, both Arod and Varitek should get suspended for a few games but Varitek should receive a slightly stiffer penalty for escalating the confrontation into physical violence. Plain and simple. I really don't want to hear anything more from Red Sox fans because they just won't get it. As for Yankee fans, face it; Arod deserves to sit a few games because Arroyo didn't hit him intentionally and he should have just taken the base quietly.

That's pretty much what I have been saying from the beginning.

[ilsa]

If I had a nickel for every ignorant statement made here, I'd be a rich man.

The actual pitch hasn't even been mentioned much because the discussion has moved on. This discussion has focused on Varitek vs. A-Rod, for the most part.

Sorry your highness I guess I should clarify. Not every Yankee fan in the world visits these boards. I host a talk radio show from 1-5PM on weekdays and every person that called in that day ranting about how Arroyo beaned ARod on purpose was a Yankee fan.