Carol Slezak (Chicago Sun Times columnist) is ****ing stupid.

[HollywoodLeo]

Cubs lose the head case :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Carol Slezak

Cubs lose the head case
The Padres planned their revenge and went after Lee on purpose, but there's nothing anyone can do if the umpires ignore the facts

- Why would Chris Young bean Derrek Lee and not Alfonso Soriano?

- Why would Chris Young intentionally bean anyone with a no hitter in tact?

- if Chris Young intended on beaning anyone on purpose why would he wait till he has a 1-2 count instead of doing it on the first pitch?

June 17, 2007
BY CAROL SLEZAK Sun-Times Columnist
Chris Young, would-be beheader, threw at Derrek Lee's noggin' and got off scot-free. The Cubs are angry, and understandably so.

I suppose Chris Young was pulled by his manager in the 4th inning because of the horrible no hit outing he was having up till that point?

Too bad the Cubs didn't pound the Padres' pitchers and score a dozen runs -- that would have showed them.

Yep. Too bad the Cubs suck.

But it wasn't meant to be. In the end, the Cubs were rendered impotent by both the umpiring crew and their own bats.

Yeah, the best pitching staff in the majors had nothing to do with it.

Lee, who was ejected along with Young in the fourth inning after they exchanged punches, was still fuming after the game, a 1-0 Cubs loss.

I'd be fuming too if I looked like a pussy on national television.

''I don't mind getting hit,'' he said. ''But when [they throw] at my head ...''

People feel the same way when others try to throw fists at their head, Derrek.

Despite evidence to the contrary, and despite what you saw with your own eyes, the umpiring crew does not believe Young intentionally threw at Lee.

Maybe because the umpiring crew has an IQ level higher than that of a dying rodent. I mean, they generally aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, but even they can tell the obvious fact that the bean ball was not intentional.

In fact, had he not thrown a punch at Lee, he would not have been ejected.

Had Derrek Lee not thrown a punch at Chris Young before Young even raised his fist Lee wouldn't have been ejected either. Oh, and I feel compelled to add that Cesar Izturis wouldn't have been due up for the last at bat of the game.

This, despite the fact that the umpires knew Alfonso Soriano had ticked off the Padres on Friday by running backward for a few strides as he watched his home run fly out of the ballpark.

Right. Alfonso Soriano, not Derrek Lee. But let's not let facts get in the way of our whining and crying.

Padres pitcher Jake Peavy, who didn't even pitch in that game, was particularly annoyed, telling San Diego reporters that the Cubs don't pay Soriano ''to be a circus act,'' and suggesting that the way to put an end to Soriano's antics would be to hit the guy who follows Soriano ''in the stinking ribs.''

While it was wrong of Jake to go as far as to suggest beaning someone can someone tell me who follows Alfonso Soriano in the line up? I'm pretty sure it isn't Derrek Lee. (Even though it probably should be. I'll never stop wondering why teams insist on batting him lead off.)

The umps knew all about Peavy's comments. They also knew that David Wells, who gave up Soriano's home run, had scoffed that the home run, which landed on Waveland Avenue, wasn't mammoth enough to warrant such celebration.

I'm sure they were also aware of the 1-2 count that Chris Young had on Lee while still pitching a no hitter. I'm sure they were also aware that had the Padres wanted to enact revenge they would've done so on Soriano.

Umpires aware of 'situation'
''We paid quite a bit of attention to [the comments],'' crew chief Gerry Davis said. ''We have to be aware of those situations, and we were.''

And I'm glad they did.

Given their high level of awareness, what did the crew think when they saw Lee dodge a pitch that was headed toward his head?

They probably thought it was a fastball that got away from a pitcher who likes to throw them high.

''You have to determine if those types of things are intentional or not, and we didn't feel Young's pitch was intentional,'' Davis said.

And neither did anybody with half a brain.

Why? Because Young went for Lee's head instead of the ribs, as Peavy had suggested? Because, technically speaking, Felix Pie, not Lee, follows Soriano in the lineup?

I think the no hitter and the 1-2 count had more to do with it. But yeah, there's also that thing about it not even fitting the empty threat in question.

It seems clear that the Padres planned their revenge carefully and went after Lee, the most respected player in the Cubs' clubhouse, purposefully.

Only to whiny fans who want to point fingers at anyone other than the Cubs for their current woes.

Where are the repercussions for throwing at a team? Recall that last weekend, the Braves threw at Soriano, and the Cubs' lost Ted Lilly for most of the next game after he was ejected for retaliating. On Saturday, the Padres threw at Lee, and the Cubs lost Lee for the remainder of the game, with a suspension looming.

Probably because it was painfully obvious that Lilly intentionally threw the ball at Renteria.

1) it was the first pitch of the at bat.

and 2) Lilly stood there after the pitch with his hand on his hip letting Edgar know it was intentional.

This, as opposed to Chris Young, who hit Lee on a 1-2 count, looked dejected immediatley following the pitch that he let get away, and then went to Lee where you can read his lips stating that it wasn't intentional.

(The Cubs play the White Sox next weekend. That's a formula for big trouble.)

It's not like they were going to win anyways.

''If they're going to throw at somebody, we have to throw at them, too,'' Soriano said.

So where's the criticism for Soriano saying this? It's not ok for Jake Peavy to tell the media that the Padres should bean a Cubs player, but it's perfectly acceptable for Alfonso Soriano to do so? Why? Because he wears a red C on his blue cap?

Short of retaliating -- tune in for the series finale today at Wrigley Field -- what should a team do when its leader becomes a target? There is no easy answer.

Give up 5 home runs and lose 11-3?

''Derrek Lee is one of the great guys in baseball,'' Cliff Floyd said. ''If you're gonna hit someone, hit Soriano.''

See, even Cliff Floyd understands who the target would've been if there was a target.

Soriano doesn't get it
Soriano, who has figured in both recent incidents, doesn't understand why the Padres would be upset with his home-run celebration. He wasn't trying to embarrass anyone.

I actually think the complaining over the celebration was a bit too much...even if I think the celebration was a bit much as well.

''When I hit it good, I watch it,'' he said. ''I do it all the time. Pitchers do that, too, when they strike somebody out. It's just part of the game.''

True, but they don't moon walk with a big shit eating grin on their faces.

But, as I said, the public complaining about it was a bit much.

For the record, Young, who had taken a no-hitter into the fourth inning, denied throwing at Lee.

''I didn't throw at him, and that's as [much as I'm going to say about it],'' Young said. ''I didn't try to hit him.''

He was merely trying to pitch Lee inside, Young said.

But none of this can be the case, right? It doesn't make for shocking journalism!

Thank goodness Lee managed to duck out of the way of the pitch, which hit him on the hand. And thank goodness third-base coach Mike Quade was able to stop Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano from joining the melee that erupted as Lee and Young went at it. As melees go, this one was tame, with manager Lou Piniella playing peacemaker. But had Big Z joined the fray, there's no telling what might have happened.

I agree. Thank goodness Chris Young's fastball that got away didn't hit Lee in the head, that would've been scary.

I also thank goodness that the melee that Derrek Lee incited didn't get too out of hand.

Both teams were warned not to retaliate. Could Zambrano, who also was working on a no-hitter at the time, hold his emotions in check? He did, holding the Padres hitless through seven. Zambrano channeled his anger productively.

Too bad he made an ill advised pitch to Russell Branyan in the 9th.

Without Lee, Cubs hitters were unable to do the same.

Because they were sure tearing the cover off the ball with him for the first three innings.

Piniella didn't have answers in the immediate aftermath. Yep, Zambrano pitched good and deserved better. But no, he didn't want to comment about this latest beaning against the Cubs, or the motives behind it.

Pinella probably has a brain and realizes it wasn't intentional.

''What do you want me to say about it?'' he said. ''I don't know. I don't know how to answer your questions.''

In his mind: You guys are stupid. Quit trying to create controversy.

[rockin500]

it was intentional, deal with it. oh and the umpire blew the call before that pitch to branyan.

shes usually wrong though and we have to deal with that

[HollywoodLeo]

it was intentional, deal with it.

Care to come up with something to support your argument?

Something other than empty threats by Jake Peavy the night before, because that proves nothing.

[rockin500]

because it certainly looked like it. look at his locations and then oops a pitch "just slips". I'd buy a breaking ball slipping like that, but not a fastball.

even if it wasnt, anytime you come up near the head, its going to be go time in today's game. all that being said, the cubs didnt answer teh bell the last two games and in the end thats all i really care about: we lost a series.

she still is pretty stupid though.

[HollywoodLeo]

because it certainly looked like it. look at his locations and then oops a pitch "just slips". I'd buy a breaking ball slipping like that, but not a fastball.

You've never seen a fastball get away from a pitcher? It happens all the time.

even if it wasnt, anytime you come up near the head, its going to be go time in today's game.

True, but it still wasn't intentional.

If Chris Young wanted to bean Derrek Lee he would've done so on the first pitch.

If Chris Young wanted to bean someone on purpose it would've been Alfonso Soriano

If Chris Young wanted to bean anyone on purpose he wouldn't have done so with a no hitter in tact.

You can almost always tell by a pitcher's demeanor after the fact whether or not it was intentional. Chris Young did not have the demeanor of a pitcher who just purposely hit a batter.

all that being said, the cubs didnt answer teh bell the last two games and in the end thats all i really care about: we lost a series.

True. As a Padres fan I was more concerned about answering back with a game an series win, they pulled through with both.

she still is pretty stupid though.

agreed

[realmofotalk]

Perhaps the umpiring crew's warnings and hence, Chris Young's ejection could have been avoided had Peavy and whichever other Padre taken the high road and kept their mouths shut about Soriano's apparent showboating.

[HollywoodLeo]

Perhaps the umpiring crew's warnings and hence, Chris Young's ejection could have been avoided had Peavy and whichever other Padre taken the high road and kept their mouths shut about Soriano's apparent showboating.

The umpiring crew ejected Chris Young for swinging back at Lee, not for beaning him.

But I see what you're saying.

[Rufio181]

This is from the same newspaper that Mariotti writes in. Nuff said.

[Fishercat]

Why would he throw at Lee? Well, Lee was 4-4 with three doubles the day before, he's probably been their best hitter. Kind of like how Proctor threw at Youkilis when it was other pitchers and players who did stuff wrong. Additionally, if he had thrown at Soriano, it's pretty much a guaranteed ejection. Lee, it probably wouldn't have been.

And the no-hitter argument has nothing to do with it since a no-hitter isn't broken up by a HBP.

Anyway, I don't know whether it actually was intentional or not and I am leaning toward not, mostly because it was the beginning of an inning. But intentional or unintentional aside, if you throw a pitch that eventually ends up either hitting the player in the head or coming close to hitting a player in the head, that player will be rightfully pissed.

[HollywoodLeo]

Why would he throw at Lee? Well, Lee was 4-4 with three doubles the day before, he's probably been their best hitter. Kind of like how Proctor threw at Youkilis when it was other pitchers and players who did stuff wrong. Additionally, if he had thrown at Soriano, it's pretty much a guaranteed ejection. Lee, it probably wouldn't have been.

Fair enough.

And the no-hitter argument has nothing to do with it since a no-hitter isn't broken up by a HBP.

A pitcher carrying a no hitter isn't going to purposely set up a situation where he has to throw out of the stretch.

Furthermore, the fact that he was 1 pitch away from extending the no hit bid (albeit young bid) another out makes it hold that much more merit.

Also, somehow I doubt he'd risk getting himself ejected with a no hitter in tact....at least until someone swings at him.

Anyway, I don't know whether it actually was intentional or not and I am leaning toward not, mostly because it was the beginning of an inning. But intentional or unintentional aside, if you throw a pitch that eventually ends up either hitting the player in the head or coming close to hitting a player in the head, that player will be rightfully pissed.

I don't blame Lee for being pissed. My arguments are directed at those who want to cry about it being intentional when it's painfully obvious that it wasn't.

[HollywoodLeo]

I should also add, if Chris Young wanted to bean Derrek Lee why didn't he do so in the 1st inning when he already had 2 outs and nobody on and the base runner wouldn't have been as bad? An at bat in which he eventually walked Lee in, anyways.