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August 4, 2010NBA Free Agency: Shaquille O’Neal Takes League Minimum to Play in Boston
August 4, 2010Let me just say that there is nobody in Major League Baseball who you would rather have on your side during a fracas than Shelley Duncan.
Sure, his career is nothing to write home about. For the most part he has been a journeyman who has shuttled between AAA and the majors with the Yankees organization for the previous three seasons. But the one thing that is known about him is that he is not only a great teammate, but a stand-up guy. So it was really no surprise that he was right in the middle of the eighth inning skirmish with Red Sox starter Josh Beckett.
But just how exactly did we get to this point? You could point to the late slide by Ryan Kalish that wrecked Carlos Santana’s knee the night before. That’s kind of iffy. What isn’t was Beckett drilling Duncan in the back in the first and Shin-Soo Choo in the knee in the third. Choo’s HBP was two batters after Lou Marson took him deep for a solo homer.
After Choo was nailed, Tribe radio play by play man said “this has now gotten to the point where someone on the Red Sox needs to get drilled.” He was right. Beckett clearly was on his game and didn’t have any sort of control issues, considering he didn’t walk a batter in eight innings of one run ball. His actions had a purpose. The first pitch after Choo was drilled, sailed over Duncan’s head. I’m just gonna say it – Josh Beckett is a punk.
In the seventh inning, Tribe reliever Justin Germano attempted to hit David Ortiz, but just missed his hip. No warnings were issued. But the job still needed to be finished. So in the eighth inning, Jensen Lewis, just brought into the game, threw at Adrian Beltre. Beltre pointed at Lewis, who stood there and stared at him, and both benches cleared. Square in the middle of the action were Beckett and Duncan.
Who knows why Beckett was so amped up, after all, his bush-league antics created this situation.
“He (Beckett) was yelling at some people on our team,” said Duncan. “He wasn’t yelling at me. He was trying to say the whole thing was our fault. I disagreed.”
Then a second verbal spat began between Tribe third base coach Steve Smith, Sox pitching coach John Farrell, and manager Terry Francona.
“I wasn’t yelling at Farrell. I said, ‘What up?’ and Francona saw it and we both said something,” said Smith. “They had to pick someone — better me than a manager or player. Any time a guy is hit, everyone wonders if it was on purpose, but you don’t know. I didn’t see it coming though.”
SIDE NOTE: props to Jenny Lew and Germano for their attempts at evening things up. David Huff? Not so much.
In the meantime, there was a game going on, but not much of one if you were an Indians fan. Outside of the Marson jack, the Tribe couldn’t do anything against Beckett. They managed just three hits on the night with a lineup that only a AAA manager could love. Without the newly DL’d Santana and Travis Hafner (sore shoulder, old bit, lets just DFA him already), Manny Acta was forced to hit Duncan cleanup and rookie Jordan Brown (third career start) fifth. Not to mention the highest batting average of the bottom three in the order was Jayson Nix’s .215.
On the other side of the coin was The Tweetmeister himself, David Huff. Huff was making his first start since being demoted in late June. He didn’t look any better this time around. It was a typical start for the left-hander. He went five and a third, allowed three runs on seven hits, walked two, and struck out two. Once again, he was bitten by the long ball. Mike Lowell and Bill Hall went deep, accounting for all three Red Sox runs. Huff now has allowed 13 homers in 75 .1 innings pitched. That, my friends, is not good.
“I wasn’t very efficient,” Huff said. “As a starter, you are supposed to be going seven innings or more, and it is one of those things you learn from and move on.”
Lets call a spade a spade; Huff just isn’t very good. Even when he won 11 games last year, his ERA was 5.61. This year, he is 2-10 with an ERA of 5.97 and a WHIP if 1.69. If not for Carlos Carrasco’s sore forearm, he wouldn’t have been making this start.
The Indians didn’t come away with a win, but they definitely came away with their dignity. The Sox have more talent, but the Indians are matching them with their grit. Acta was proud of his kids: “That is part of the game and the players usually take care of their own thing, probably some of our guys felt like our best player was hit on purpose and they were probably trying to protect the guy,” he said.
Tonight is game three of the four game set as Justin Masterson (3-10, 5.55) ERA gets another crack at his former team. You’ll remember earlier in June when he pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout against them in Cleveland. No doubt he’ll be fired up to pitch at Fenway, his old stomping grounds. The Red Sox counter with Jon Lester (11-5, 3.05 ERA).
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
24 Comments
Does Josh Beckett still wear that f@ggy hemp necklace? He deserves to get beaned for that alone. Cant stand that guy, or anyone who wears a Boston uniform for that matter.
Josh Beckett is a f***head. I’m ashamed that I rooted for him in 2003, despite the fact he was the underdog vs. the Yankees. It’s so typical the Red Sox pitcher with great control gets multiple passes while he’s beaning guys, and then when there’s a response the other team is made to look like a bunch of a-holes.
I still haven’t forgot Burhle planting one in Hafner’s face in 2005. I’m convinced that saved Chicago’s year. Honestly, Hafner hasn’t been the same since then.
nuff said
try this one
Really wish punches were thrown. Would’ve taken it to another level. Especially if Beckett was the one getting hit.
those smarmy sox fans urk my gullet!
Any idea what the Tribe did to get Beckett throwing at Choo and Duncan in the first place? Was it just that they had the audacity to win the first game of this series?
“He was trying to say the whole thing was our fault. I disagreed”
Duncan’s explanation is priceless.
Side note: why didn’t Beltre get tossed? If he let it go there wouldn’t have been anything anyways. His walking towards the mound got Beckett all riled up.
Hope we get win tonight, just cap off a terrible series for the Sox.
To be fair, if I gave up a homerun to Lou Marson I’d be so filled with rage and shame that I’d want to knock everyone’s lights out too.
Beckett is a punk. Kenny Lofton should have beat him down back in 2007 when he was talking smack back then.
so he starts throwing at our guys and somehow we started it? what the heck is going on in his head?
i was so disappointed that nothing happened other than yelling. hockey fights are so much better.
and huff is falling further and further away from being apart of the future of this team. he wasn’t horrible last night be any stretch, but he wasn’t good either. and, especially in the AL w/ the DH, you have to stick up for your teammates.
mgbode – obviously, the indians started it by getting in the way of some of beckett’s pitches.
as for Huff not sticking up for his teammates, just throwing it out there that we don’t know what may or may not have gone on in the tribe dugout. is it possible that Acta (or someone) told Huff not to do anything but maybe let Germano/Lewis or another BP guy to handle it? just saying…
Ahhh baseball fights. Nothing ever happens and when it does it’s comical (Don Zimmer anyone??)
that is possible. however, if I was Huff, I would have let one slip. it’s not like he had pinpoint accuracy last night, a fastball could have easily ‘gotten away’ from him.
mgbode – i totally agree. but just saying its possible the indians know they are short on starters and didnt want to lose Huff to a possible suspension and would rather sacrifice jensen lewis or germano. frankly, i wouldnt mind if they lost Huff to a suspension!
You guys remember when Terry Pendleton walked off the field in the middle of an inning because Lee Smith didn’t bean someone when he should have to protect his team? That was awesome.
/Farley show-ed.
Awesome post. Beckett is a punk. That was awesome last night. Everyone who says that the Tribe sucks is not paying attention to the team. The Indians are a breath of fresh air after the LeBron implosion.
I’m not sure if there’s a player that irks me more than Beckett. He is indeed a punk and always running his mouth when it’s not covered by that man fuzz from his chin. I would have loved it if Sandy would have given us a 90’s moment and charged becket and karate kicked him in the stomach.
Partial “Punk” Pitcher Hall of Fame: Drysdale, Ford, Gibson, Carlton, Perry, Dennis Martinez, Pedro Martinez, Clemens, Cliff Lee … If CC’s psyche had just a trace amount of that he would have been HOF eligible after 3 or 4 years.
One team’s “punk” is another’s team uber-competitive stud with the requisite edginess that makes him a winner. Imagine that – Beckett is a first class a.h. If he played here we would all have his jersey.
Beckett is a punk. I’d love to see someone plunk HIM!
He’s always smirking, and always gets away with this.
When are the umps going to make an example out of him?
the announcers for the Yanks were talking about that today and one of the guys said, (paraphrasing); “Shelly Duncan is one guy I would not like to tick off.”
Shelly “Sugar daddy” Duncan!
Fear the Tribe…2012.
This just in: Boston is still full of d-bags. When will it ever change? More news at ten.