A lot of people have their proverbial panties in a bunch over Josh Beckett’s high-and-tight pitch in the first inning of Boston’s game against Los Angeles on Easter Sunday. Pundits, fans of other Major League clubs and even some who root for the Red Sox have labeled Beckett’s "misfire" as dirty, dangerous and suspension worthy. I say, relax people, stop being so sensitive. Boston’s ace was doing what his pitching brethren have taught him through the decades. Beckett was sending a message. You can call it archaic, but it’s part of America’s pastime.
Hitting a batter in the head is clearly wrong, but throwing a baseball in that general direction isn’t. I think this is where people are missing the point. No harm, no foul, message sent. Yes, it could have led to something painful, but since the ball made its way to the backstop without taking off a chunk of Bobby Abreu’s face, all’s good in the hood. Let me make a pop culture reference to help you better understand. Remember the scene in Top Gun when Maverick buzzed the tower? Sure, it was dangerous, but since Maverick didn’t actually crash into the tower, it really wasn’t that big of a deal, now was it? Beckett didn’t hit Abreu. He sent a message that loosely translated into “Even though I took forever to deliver the pitch, if you wanted to call timeout, you should have done it before I began my motion. You had plenty of time.” If the bodies that rule baseball decide to disallow the pitchers’ right to brush a guy off the plate, which has been suggested by some, it will have a steroid-like effect. If a batter can stand in the box and hover over the plate with no fear of catching one with their body rather than their bat, offensive numbers will increase in a game where hitting already dominates its counterpart.
