Springer nails Bonds, Fans appluad

[Phuck the Cubs]

HOUSTON -- Nobody wants to surrender Barry Bonds' next home run, and Astros right-hander Russ Springer wasn't about to wind up on the wrong end of history Tuesday night.

 

He wound up and plunked the San Francisco slugger instead.

 

Bonds went 2-for-4 and drove in a run for the second straight game in the Giants' 14-3 victory over Houston. Just when it looked like he had rediscovered his stroke, Springer couldn't find the plate.

 

And Bonds is still looking for home run No. 714.

 

The wild confrontation began when the seven-time NL MVP led off the fifth inning. Springer's first pitch sailed behind Bonds' back, drawing a warning from plate umpire Joe West.

 

The next four pitches all came inside, including one that hit Bonds' bat handle on the third delivery for strike one. On the fifth pitch, Springer hit Bonds in the right shoulder as he turned to protect himself.

 

That's when Springer and manager Phil Garner got ejected -- and the Houston crowd of 35,286 gave the pitcher a standing ovation.

 

''He missed with a slider and that's when the warning came,'' Garner said. ''He just started missing his pitches. If you're going to try to hit somebody, you're not going to hit them with a slider.''

 

''I played with Russ in St. Louis,'' Giants reliever Steve Kline said. ''I had no idea he had anything for Barry. With the score the way it was, maybe they were mad he was still in the game. I don't know. It's baseball. Maybe one got away from him.''

 

Bonds was unhurt and trotted down the first-base line and later scored on Jose Vizcaino's RBI single to give the Giants a 12-3 lead.

 

Springer had already gone when the Astros' clubhouse opened to the media and Garner said Springer was en route to Louisiana to be with his wife, who had surgery scheduled for this morning.

 

''I haven't had time to prepare a speech,'' Giants manager Felipe Alou said of Springer's pitch. ''It's a lot of people watching, especially the at-bats of Barry's. All the people watching with an honest heart, they can say what they want to say. I'm not commenting.''

 

http://www.suntimes.com/output/baseball/cst-spt-bonds17.html

Edited September 9, 2006 by Cuck the Fubs

[WCSox]

I hope that Springer gets suspended. I dislike Bonds as much as the next person, but that's no reason to throw at him.

[Phuck the Cubs]

I hope that Springer gets suspended. I dislike Bonds as much as the next person, but that's no reason to throw at him.

He has to be suspended so MLB shows it is a one-way street and they won't deal w/ Bonds beaning differently, but at any rate

[fathom]

He has to be suspended so MLB shows it is a one-way street and they won't deal w/ Bonds beaning differently, but at any rate

 

f*** that....that was total horses*** by Springer. If you're going to throw at someone, throw at their back. He threw three straight pitches well up and inside that could have hit Bonds in the head. Of course, I'd expect nothing less from a team coached by a douchebag like Phil Garner.

[greasywheels121]

f*** that....that was total horses*** by Springer. If you're going to throw at someone, throw at their back. He threw three straight pitches well up and inside that could have hit Bonds in the head. Of course, I'd expect nothing less from a team coached by a douchebag like Phil Garner.

 

Yeah. I'm not a fan of Barry, but there's no way you can defend what Springer and Garner did here. Absolutely classless.

[hammerhead johnson]

I hope that Springer gets suspended. I dislike Bonds as much as the next person, but that's no reason to throw at him.

 

 

It's pure comedy as far as I'm concerned. I'd pay top dollar for a highlight reel of Bonds getting plunked.

 

Scumbags should be made to suffer, and Russ Springer is now a personal hero of mine.

 

f*** that....that was total horses*** by Springer. If you're going to throw at someone, throw at their back. He threw three straight pitches well up and inside that could have hit Bonds in the head. Of course, I'd expect nothing less from a team coached by a douchebag like Phil Garner.

 

Come on fathom, you know that you were laughing out loud when you saw the pitch sequence.

[mrzo2733]

Yeah. I'm not a fan of Barry, but there's no way you can defend what Springer and Garner did here. Absolutely classless.

 

Let me preface this by saying that normally I consider myself a pretty decent and "classy" person. However, I saw the replay on Sportscenter as I was lying down to go to bed and I jumped up and said wow. I love what Springer did. I'm so sick of other players defending Bonds. Barry Bonds is not a good guy. So I don't think he deserves to be treated with class. I hope other people start doing this too. Russ Springer just became one of my favorite players.

[WCSox]

Barry Bonds is not a good guy. So I don't think he deserves to be treated with class. I hope other people start doing this too. Russ Springer just became one of my favorite players.

 

That's a real bush-league attitude. The fact that Barry's "not a good guy" doesn't mean that he deserves to get plunked with a 95 mph fastball. Unless Bonds did something to provoke this, Springer was way out of line.

[Kalapse]

That's a real bush-league attitude. The fact that Barry's "not a good guy" doesn't mean that he deserves to get plunked with a 95 mph fastball. Unless Bonds did something to provoke this, Springer was way out of line.

How retarded does it sound to say, "Bonds isn't very nice so he deserves to be hit in the head with fastballs" wow, some of this s*** with Bonds is just ridiculous, it's hard to like the guy but damn wanting him to be severly injured or even dead is just way out of line.

[WilliamTell]

I'm all for suspending him, it was obvious he was throwing at him, he must suck if it takes him like 3 times.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

I am a huge Barry Bonds hater, i hope more do this, just not so hard and at his head.

[Harry Chappas]

Barry Bonds puts on the largest arm pad in the world and crowds the plate. He never gets a strike called on him. Why should he not be brushed back or hit....

 

He wasn't drilled in the head.

[greasywheels121]

[Kalapse]

Barry Bonds puts on the largest arm pad in the world and crowds the plate. He never gets a strike called on him. Why should he not be brushed back or hit....

 

He wasn't drilled in the head.

That wasn't a brush back, considering the pore control Springer displayed in that pitch sequence how do you know he wasn't aiming for his head? I would not put it passed him. Brushing someone back is throwing a pitch or two inside to get them off the plate and open up the outside of the plate for the pitcher, what Springer did was throw the ball behind him then 3 inside (one of the knob of the bat) and the 5 pitch hit him in the shoulder. A suspension and large fine is warranted in this situation.

[Phuck the Cubs]

Bonds deserves it. He's not a nice person, and he's a juicer.

[WCSox]

Barry Bonds puts on the largest arm pad in the world and crowds the plate. He never gets a strike called on him. Why should he not be brushed back or hit....

 

Springer threw the first pitch BEHIND him. Brush-back, my ass.

 

He wasn't drilled in the head.

 

He was drilled in the shoulder, right below the head. If Springer had missed, he may have put Barry in the hospital.

 

If it's not that big of a deal, how about I get a major league pitcher to plunk you in the shoulder with a 95 mph fastball?

 

:headshake

Edited May 17, 2006 by WCSox

[Soxbadger]

Is there any part in the rule book that says "mean players get treated differently". Or do the same rules apply if instead of Bonds it was Thome being thrown at.

 

If you dont care about players being thrown at, that is fine. But my guess is that most of the same people who think its okay, would be the first ones screaming if it happened to a Sox player.

[Balta1701]

Yeah, that's pretty blatant. I'd probably have applauded too, but yeah the guy should be suspended.

[fathom]

Bonds deserves it. He's not a nice person, and he's a juicer.

 

There's a lot of people in baseball then who should get thrown at, if that's the parameters.

[Balta1701]

There's a lot of people in baseball then who should get thrown at, if that's the parameters.

If the pitcher is willing to take the suspension, I see no problem at all with throwing at a guy if you're convinced he was a juicer.

[RockRaines]

There's a lot of people in baseball then who should get thrown at, if that's the parameters.

I guess MLB can call it the douchebag rule, its ok if you throw at players that nobody likes.

 

Suspension for the s***ty pitch sequence. I wouldnt expect anything less from that lowlife manager either.

[Kalapse]

Someone should really throw at Pierz' head, I mean a lot of people see him as being a mean guy so I suppose he deserves it too.

[Balta1701]

Someone should really throw at Pierz' head, I mean a lot of people see him as being a mean guy so I suppose he deserves it too.

Escobar?

 

Also, there is a difference between throwing at a guy and throwing at a guy's head. You never deliberately go for a head. You hit the arm, fine. Shoulder, ok, if you know what you're doing. But you don't throw at a guy's head.

[Kalapse]

Escobar?

 

Also, there is a difference between throwing at a guy and throwing at a guy's head. You never deliberately go for a head. You hit the arm, fine. Shoulder, ok, if you know what you're doing. But you don't throw at a guy's head.

Kelvim didn't go at Pierz the way Springer did at Bonds, you have to toy with him then go for the head.

[WCSox]

I see no problem at all with throwing at a guy if you're convinced he was a juicer.

 

I guess that Fehr and Orza should get beaned as well, since they were the ones who enabled Bonds and others to be juicers.

 

The pitch that hit Bonds was about three or four inches from his head. And earlier pitch in that sequence was aimed right at his knee. There's no excuse for that kind of crap.