Chilled Six Pack

Baseball. America's pastime. Our national sport. A game filled with the smell of hot dogs, the taste of a cold one, and, if fortunate enough, to watch an ace deliver strike after strike against opposing hitters. One of those premiere aces in the league is Boston's Josh Beckett. He is a 20 game winner, former World Series MVP, and the face of the Red Sox pitching staff the past few years.

Is he perfect... no.

Does he ever throw wild pitches intentionally... yes.

Is he the victim of an old unwritten rule to intimidate/revenge at any cost... yes.

For years, pitchers have gone after hitters from both teams to let them know who is boss. I think it is a pretty lame way of showing off who has the biggest set (if you know what I mean). The current major leaguers have watched these antics since they were kids and were encouraged by the players, managers, and even the people who taught them how to play the game. For instance, if your teammate gets beaned by a pitcher in the previous inning, it is now your job to go out next time and return the favor. If you don't do it, you are scorned in the mythical baseball clubhouse and distanced from your teammates. If you do complete the task, you are subject to ejections, fines, suspensions, or a combination of all three.

For Josh Beckett, he threw at Bobby Abreu's head, followed with some choice words and that was it. He wasn't even tossed from the game (which was a mistake), but was issued a six game suspension by the MLB offices. Sure this will not break his wallet, he still will pitch in 30 plus games this season, but what about the fans who pay good money in tough economic times to watch their best pitcher? Don't get me wrong, Major League Baseball made the right decision, albeit a little harsh, to stop these shenanigans and remove this intent to hurt from the game.

Baseball needs to eliminate this stupid eye for an eye philosophy, because it makes the fans disappear, the money dry up, and the world blind. Until next time...

Branden E. Jones