Kevin Youkilis, Rick Porcello suspended five games

[Auggie]

mlb.com

08/12/09 4:04 PM ET

The fallout from Tuesday night's fracas at Fenway Park was swift, as both Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello and Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis received five-game suspensions and undisclosed fines from Major League Baseball on Wednesday afternoon.

Pocello is appealing the punishment for his involvement in the incident, which spilled onto the field after Porcello hit Youkilis in the upper back with an 89-mph pitch in the second inning Tuesday. Youkilis has dropped his appeal and will begin serving his suspension tonight.

MLB also announced that Tigers pitcher Edwin Jackson has been fined for his "aggressive actions" during the incident.

According to the MLB release, Porcello's suspension is for "intentionally throwing pitches" at Boston's Victor Martinez and Youkilis, who was suspended for "charging the mound, throwing his helmet at Porcello and inciting the bench-clearing incident."

LINK: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090812&content_id=6389656&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

:D

[joeybee12]

1. You know, if they're serious about stopping this rash of hits by pitches...

...they stop all the incidents, not just wait until it gets out of hand and then give inflated suspensions.

[Auggie]

2. Was there a warning at any time?

I didn't see the game.

[joeybee12]

3. I didn't see it...I was referring to other times when it's happened and no

warnings...

[Forkboy]

4. Fuck it. Youk did what he had to do.

5 games is worth it.

This shit is picking up now because teams are geared up for the final push and don't want to back down at all. Both the pitchers and the hitters are more determined to establish the plate for themselves, and we're seeing more players get plunked. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. But in the A.L. I feel the batters have to do this every now and then. With pitchers batting in the N.L. they can police themselves a little differently (another reason to ditch the DH rule).

[joeybee12]

5. He was hit two games in a row...obviously intentional...

...hopefully this is the spark they need to get them back on track and beat Satan and his minions.

[RockaFowler]

6. What about the guy who started all of this??

This was retaliation for the Tigers best hitter, Miguel Cabrera, getting hit. Why wasn't the original pitcher fined or suspended?? The same thing keeps happening to Hanley Ramirez on the Marlins. The pitchers are intentionally beaning the best hitters. They get away with it with only a warning. The other team retaliates and that pitcher gets kicked out of the game.

[joeybee12]

7. The tigers hit youkalis the day before also...

...enough retaliation for you?

[1gobluedem]

8. And the Sox hit Cabrera the day before too...

So, what's your point?

[joeybee12]

9. And the guy who hit Cabrera on Tuesday, was their new guy...

and it happened in the first inning, and he was all over the place that inning...anyone with half a brain knows that wasn't intentional, but the Tigers decided to pay back and escalate...THAT's my point.

[1gobluedem]

10. Porcello is a young kid

It's hard for me to believe that he would intentionally hit a batter. It's his rookie season and he's trying to establish himself. He had some control issues in that inning as well.

Would Cabrera have been justified rushing the mound after he was hit for the second time in two games? Maybe it seemed intentional to him. Who can say? The guy who escalated this is the guy who rushed the mound. He was hit twice by two guys, Cabrera was hit twice by two guys. Hit hard enough to have to leave the game and sit out last night. Seems to me he had more reason to escalate -- and didn't.

[joeybee12]

11. I think intentional is very subjective, and I think MLB needs to start

being more vigilent in keeping these from getting out of control. I do think the fact that he hit Youk makes it suspect...everyone knows the guy has a temper and has lashed out before...they were baiting him.

The only person I think he always does it intentionally is Joba Chamberlin...I recall him hitting Jason Bay in one game right in the middle of his 12 consecutive strike-outs...yeah, he just happened to lose control.

[1gobluedem]

12. I agree MLB needs to crack down on this

But one could argue just as passionately that hitting Cabreara twice in two games is suspect too.

Let's just play baseball!

[joeybee12]

13. I still think the new guy didn't do it on purpose...

...didn't see Monday's, so I can't say...but I will agree that whenever it happens to the top guys, you gotta wonder!

[LisaM]

15. Don't give me that line that the hit the second day on Cabrera wasn't intentional

Those guys can knock a split pea off a can of beer if they want to. You're telling me it just happened to hit Cabrera's hand on his first at bat, the second game in a row? I like you, Joeybee, but enough is enough.

I've always supported the Bosox over the other AL East teams (since the Tigers left that division), but no more. Did you see the Boston pitcher smirking at the end of the game? He did his "job".

They hit Inge in the first game too - it wasn't just Cabrera.

And by the way, they accomplished their task of getting Carbrera AND the pitcher out of the game.

[DaveinMD]

16. they've been pulling this crap for years

And Youkilis is a little punk. Charge the mound fine. Throwing his help was bush league. They've been playing target practice for years, but they can't take when other teams stick up for themselves. Bunch of crybabies.

[joeybee12]

My absolute final post to anything you say..

...dumb, fucking ignorant shit. As usual!

[joeybee12]

19. My absolute final post to anything you say..

...dumb, fucking ignorant shit. As usual!

[DaveinMD]

22. why are you posting to yourself

Why don't you tell us again how Ortiz was so straightforward in his answers about his cheating.

[DaveinMD]

23. and one more thing

why exactly did you disappear over the weekend after your team got pasted. Coward.

[madinmaryland]

24. He told me, he was taking care of his cats!

Yeah right!

[joeybee12]

18. Oh Lord...read my posts...I didn't see game 1, I was specifically talking

about game 2...I don't think the hit on Cabrera then was intentional...the guy was pitching in his first inning for chrissakes and was all over the place. The Lions, er Tigers saw that as intentional and let it escalate. I think MLB needs to crack down on everyone.

[LisaM]

26. Well you can see where Tigers fans would be upset

Everything that transpired after Youkilis charged the mound favored the Red Sox. We lost our pitcher with a 3-0 lead, our best hitter couldn't play, the sub for Youkilis hit home runs, and now we lose a pitcher for 5 games. It's a completely lopsided outcome.

[joeybee12]

28. It did seem to turn the game around...

...but it helped that Tazawa settled down. That said, this has gotten out of control this season, and it really irritates me that the stinking, Skankee no-nothings who abound here think their team is blameless.

[Ter]

17. And the Yankees will get Youkalis next series

A Sox pitcher was thrown out for throwing at a batter in game three last week, but we didn't retaliate. Exect something wild next series.

[joeybee12]

20. Especially from Joba Meth Chambelain...n/t

[DaveinMD]

25. stay classy

His mother who left him as a child is a meth addict. That is clearly Joba's fault. You make other Red Sox fans look bad with this crap.

[madinmaryland]

27. Heh! You just got your ass handed to you on a platter by a Yankees fan!

:rofl:

[Ter]

29. When has he been accused of using meth?

N/T

[El Supremo]

14. toon >>

[madinmaryland]

21. Either way, it looks like a case of roid rage to me!

:D

[DaveinMD]

30. Red Sox beaned another tonight

they hit Kinsler in the head after falling behind 7-2. Like I said, they've been doing this crap forever.

[1gobluedem]

31. Obviously a control issue

And pure coincidence that these control issues happen when they fall behind...:sarcasm:

[DaveinMD]

32. and that coincidence

just keep happening again and again and again.