The first of 18 regular season "holy wars" between the Red Sox and Yankees begins this weekend at the Fenway Park, baseball's great green grand cathedral. Compelling pitching match ups are lined up for all three games kicking off with game one's match up between Justin "Joba" Chamberlain and Jon Lester. Both teams enter the early season series with identical 9-6 records; the Red Sox having won their last seven in a row, and the Yanks coming off a 14 inning win against Oakland on Melky Cabrera's two run home run.
The series is already heating up with "Cops" star, admitted drunk driver, and New York Chamber of Commerce member Joba "The Hut" Chamberlain, and Sox slugger, David Ortiz.
Big Papi has taken exception the Joba's headhunting of Kevin Youkilis. "None of that, man -- just play the game the way it's supposed to be, and that's about it," Big Papi was quoted as saying between games of a doubleheader yesterday. People in NY think Ortiz needs to pipe down. WRONG!
In the past two years, Chamberlain has shown he is nothing more than the cowardly lion pictured above when pitching against one of the Sox premier hitters. Youkilis, a 2008 AL MVP candidate , is hitting a torrid 429 with four home runs and 958 OBP, and who's head has been a favorite target of Chamberlain's. Joba, you may recall was suspended back in 2007 for twice throwing at Youk's head on successive pitches.
He continued his gutless antics last year versus the Sox first baseman. Hey, no-one denies Youk has a rather large dome and "pitching inside" is part of the game the Yankees pitching staff has forgotten over the past few years but, please - no head hunting.
One hopes Joba exercises better judgement in his pitch selection this weekend, than he did in October 2008, in Lincoln Nebraska, when he decided to get behind the wheel of his 2006 BMW after a night of heavy drinking. A bottle of Crown Royal, 3/4 empty,was found on the front seat of the car and Joba pleaded guilty to DUI.
Over the past several years Ortiz has been a Yankee killer and many have questioned the lack of intestinal fortitude of the Yank pitchers to pitch inside. The pinstripe philosophy has changed and more batters are being brushed off the plate. All well and good but anyone who throws at a specific batter's head as frequently as Chamberlain has with Youkilis is looking for trouble.
Any headhunting will DEFINITELY not be tolerated by the Sox staff. The Sox have been pitching inside and intimidating opposing hitters for the past several seasons, leading to two World Series Championships.
Is a sober Joba willing to take the heat if he beans a Bo-sox player then sees one of his hitters go down when a Beckett 95 mph fastball winds up in Mark Teixeira's earhole?
Show some guts and good judgement Joba: pitch (and drive) responsibly. Oh yeah-- one more thing-- lay off Yogi Berra's height- he may be small is size but you will never reach the heights he has realized in baseball history. Think about that while you're pouring that next bottle of booze down your throat....
Let the games begin.
-Steve
The series is already heating up with "Cops" star, admitted drunk driver, and New York Chamber of Commerce member Joba "The Hut" Chamberlain, and Sox slugger, David Ortiz.
Big Papi has taken exception the Joba's headhunting of Kevin Youkilis. "None of that, man -- just play the game the way it's supposed to be, and that's about it," Big Papi was quoted as saying between games of a doubleheader yesterday. People in NY think Ortiz needs to pipe down. WRONG!
In the past two years, Chamberlain has shown he is nothing more than the cowardly lion pictured above when pitching against one of the Sox premier hitters. Youkilis, a 2008 AL MVP candidate , is hitting a torrid 429 with four home runs and 958 OBP, and who's head has been a favorite target of Chamberlain's. Joba, you may recall was suspended back in 2007 for twice throwing at Youk's head on successive pitches.
He continued his gutless antics last year versus the Sox first baseman. Hey, no-one denies Youk has a rather large dome and "pitching inside" is part of the game the Yankees pitching staff has forgotten over the past few years but, please - no head hunting.
One hopes Joba exercises better judgement in his pitch selection this weekend, than he did in October 2008, in Lincoln Nebraska, when he decided to get behind the wheel of his 2006 BMW after a night of heavy drinking. A bottle of Crown Royal, 3/4 empty,was found on the front seat of the car and Joba pleaded guilty to DUI.
Over the past several years Ortiz has been a Yankee killer and many have questioned the lack of intestinal fortitude of the Yank pitchers to pitch inside. The pinstripe philosophy has changed and more batters are being brushed off the plate. All well and good but anyone who throws at a specific batter's head as frequently as Chamberlain has with Youkilis is looking for trouble.
Any headhunting will DEFINITELY not be tolerated by the Sox staff. The Sox have been pitching inside and intimidating opposing hitters for the past several seasons, leading to two World Series Championships.
Is a sober Joba willing to take the heat if he beans a Bo-sox player then sees one of his hitters go down when a Beckett 95 mph fastball winds up in Mark Teixeira's earhole?
Show some guts and good judgement Joba: pitch (and drive) responsibly. Oh yeah-- one more thing-- lay off Yogi Berra's height- he may be small is size but you will never reach the heights he has realized in baseball history. Think about that while you're pouring that next bottle of booze down your throat....
Let the games begin.
-Steve
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