View Full Version : Davy Lopes Suspended two games !!
Brewers manager Davy Lopes was suspended for two games by Frank Robinson, for threatening to "drill" Rickey Henderson after he "showed Up" the Brewers by stealing second in the 7th with a 7 run lead! No word on whether Lopes will appeal-can managers appeal?
I guess threatening is now grounds for suspension..I think they're on a slippery slope!!
okieyankee
07-31-01, 05:41 PM
Originally posted by Danmel
Brewers manager Davy Lopes was suspended for two games by Frank Robinson, for threatening to "drill" Rickey Henderson after he "showed Up" the Brewers by stealing second in the 7th with a 7 run lead! No word on whether Lopes will appeal-can managers appeal?
I guess threatening is now grounds for suspension..I think they're on a slippery slope!!
I read another account of this and this is ridiculous. What's next, are we going to suspend someone for what they think? Come on MLB you have crossed the line here. I hope Lopes appeals and wins this one. Don't see any grounds for it standing up.
Actually, I think MLB is right on, this time. Threating someone with the possibility of bodily injury (aka "drilling" someone) is considered assault.
Now, I don't think Rickey should have taken 2nd base, but to publicly say that if Rickey came up to bat, that he was going to be thrown at with a 95 mile pitch ON PURPOSE is totally unacceptable and shouldn't be tolerated. You're messing with someone's life.
bagger015
07-31-01, 07:42 PM
:D Wow just two games. Another fine showing by mlb. Slap on the wrist at best. Lopes is lucky he's not in jail for assault.
Here's to you MLB. :finger2:
Dynasty2000
07-31-01, 09:35 PM
Not stealing base with a big lead is an UN-written rule...but it is PERMITTED...hence the prefix UN. However, INTENTIONALLY drilling someone with a 90+mph baseball is NOT permitted, it is AGAINST the rules.
Lopes is a moron for even saying that out loud and I think that MLB made a good decision on this one.
Stealing base is not physically hurting anyone....hitting someone INTENTIONALLY with a baseball can physically hurt someone--let's get real here.
SkooterPhil#10
07-31-01, 10:38 PM
The man is an idiot! He is an absolute idiot. There's no need to throw at someone for trying to break a record. People like Lopes shouldn't be involved with baseball. Frank Robinson went easy IMO.
YanksRockMan
08-01-01, 09:32 AM
There is a reason for the unwritten rules. That's because they aren't written!!
My respect for Davy Lopes has jumped markedly in this incident....The only effect that MLB will have if they carry through with the suspension is cause the managers to be more circumspect in their remarks. Showing up opponents should be discouraged...Frank Robinson is encouraging what in effect is the same as "Taunting". There has always been retribution for that behavior.......The NFL has taken steps in the last few years to stop taunting.....MLB is moving in the opposite direction.
CaptainCargo
08-01-01, 02:18 PM
Davey Lopes is playing from the "old school" in two respects. The first is the obvious unwritten rule that precipitated the whole affair. But the second is more subtle and not fully picked up by some. Namely is that you can't openly run your mouth like you used to be able to do in sports today. Everything is overscrutinized by the media and more to the point everything is usually "on camera". Thats why alot of managers have the smarts to keep their mouth relatively shut and just do what has to be done without posturing and running their mouths.
Thats one of the reasons that Joe Torre is such a great manager. Me personally Henderson goes down the next time we play him. And he goes down the next time he's on base.(throws to first) With a few hard tags thrown in for good measure. But I don't run to the field and start running my mouth. Not in this day and age.
Casey :NY:
Casey, I agree with the sentiments of your post completely.....there is no doubt that retaliation will continue in MLB, but Robinson apparently wants it to be below the surface....public relations, I guess.
What Lopes brought up is what everyone who has any experience in the game knows........heck, even Henderson admitted that he wouldn't have run on his own, but was sent by the manager (I don't know if I believe that because Bochy is a classy guy).
So, yes, if I pitch for the Brewers against SD the next day......I drill Henderson with my best fastball in the ribs.....then I make him dive back to first several times and hopefully the first baseman tags him in the face hard, maybe loses his balance and steps on his hands around the bag....etc.
The bottom line is that there is a right way to play the game, and it's all about respect for your opponent on the field.
Bluesexy's daddy
08-01-01, 10:00 PM
:NY: As personalities go I like lopes more than I like showtime Henderson. Nonetheless I think Lopes was wrong. He did not start a brawl or injure anyone but he could have. Let That tired old henderson run. Hell, anybody his age that can steal a base deserves as many as they can get. If he can set a new record for Runs then more power to him.
I think every team should try their best to score in any inning of any game. Had lopes instructed his team to NOT try to score any runs? How about the game the other day where the Pirates were down to their LAST out and down by 7 runs (?) and they came back and won the game?
I know about the "unwriten rule" but I disagree with it.
In my opinion Lopes made a mistake and Baseball responded in a reasonable way. He did something wrong but he did not swing a bat at anyone or spit on an umpire, or anything too outlandish.
Managers should NOT encourage more barbarism by the players. :NY:
bombergirl
08-01-01, 11:32 PM
Well, I agree somewhat with those who say that Lopes was only suspended because he was stupid enough to voice his intentions, instead of keeping quiet about it. I guess there are two issues here, one is, does speech count as action? Since you can't read a manager's mind, and most pitchers who drills someone on the manager's orders never say so, you can't punish every manager who does the deed, only the manager who admits to the deed. But then again, you can make the "others get away with it" defense to argue against no disciplinary action at all, for any offense (ex: corked bats, comments like the ones by Rocker, etc) . And, officials have to do the same kind of "mind-reading" with any HBP incident. Usually a guilty pitcher is not going to broadcast that to the world, either by word or action (though inviting the hit batsman's team to come and fight with you, as did a certain ex-Oriole closer, seems to be pretty obvious).
The other issue, of course, is whether what Lopes threatened was appropriate, or what Henderson did was appropriate. Well, I do not think showing up the other team, rubbing their faces in a loss, gazing at the ball and prancing around the bases after a HR, etc, is sportsmanlike. However, it seems to me that the game is different now from when Lopes played it, and so the definition of "showing up" is different, too. A seven- or eight-run lead is by no means safe, as tonight's game shows, not to mention that Astros/Pirates game. Unless Lopes did things like pulling out all the starters and replacing them with scrubs, signalling that he was conceding the game, I don't think he should fault Henderson for stealing that base. Though we can't say whether Rickey went on his own or was ordered to do so.
As for retaliation, I can't say I'm a big fan of it, but I can see times when I can't really fault the managers, players, etc, for doing it. However, excessive retaliation is probably just going to worsen matters. By excessive I mean intentionally hurling 97mph fastballs at hitters (which could do serious damage, as opposed to like an 80mph pitch), retaliating for one incident multiple times against multiple members of the offending team, etc. Then it seems the "punishment" does not fit the "crime", and descends into barbarism,.as BSD said.
B "JM2C" G :)
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