Olympic Baseball Gets Rough in US vs China game

by blackhawk24 on Aug 19, 2008 6:43 AM CDT Comment 32 comments

Twice in the game where the US blew out China 9-1, there were collisions at the plate. The Chinese catcher taking a good shot from a US runner scoring on the play. Each time the US player went in high with a shoulder.

Jim Lefebvre (think we all remember him) now coaching China got tossed arguing one of the plays at the plate.

Matt LaPorta, one of the runners scoring earlier took one in the head on his next AB. He was taken to the hospital for observation. The Chinese pitcher and Steve Ontiveros got tossed for that. That was clearly a head hunting throw, rather similar to the throw towards Fonzie's head last week.

Then for the final out, the US pitcher took a come-backer and ran down the batter to tag him out; tossing the ball towards the Chinese dugout.

Video can be viewed at http://www.nbcolympics.com/index.html in the exclusive video section on the right-hand side bar.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Hopefully LaPorta told the catcher

“That’s for Nastia Liukin!”

Dome-san!!

by Goat Whisperer on Aug 19, 2008 7:09 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

LOL

by daeviant on Aug 19, 2008 8:22 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Collisions in Chinese Baseball?

In Chinese baseball, is it considered dirty to try to plow into the catcher to knock the ball out of the catcher’s mitt? Is there a rule over there that the runner has to slide feet first into the catcher? Furthermore, is a roll block tumble into second to take out the second baseman or shortstop on a double play considered dirty in China?

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Aug 19, 2008 7:27 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

is it bad sportsmanship to pump your fist in the air

when your ninth inning jack just cut the lead to eight?

nice hosts.

by tim815 on Aug 19, 2008 7:41 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

In their defense they formed this team 3 years ago so they could compete in just these games

Let them have their moment with the homer, doesn’t excuse the American manager throwing at heads.

Missouri Tigers 2008 Cotton Bowl Champs

by nji232 on Aug 19, 2008 8:30 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

"doesn’t excuse the American manager throwing at heads."

The Chinese player threw at Matt Laporta. I didn’t see anything in the post about Americans headhunting.

by dr stabbingworth on Aug 19, 2008 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Chinese head hunted (IMHO)

after 2 American runners drilled the catcher in different plays earlier in the game.

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Aug 19, 2008 2:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

American manager...

So, unless the Chinese player made an executive decision, we can look at Lefebrve

Pluto will always be a planet to me!

by DaBard on Aug 20, 2008 9:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Isn't the Chinese team being managed by an American?

I thought I read that somewhere but I could be wrong.

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Aug 20, 2008 8:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i know olympic athletics are supposed to be

about amateurism, competition, and sportsmanship, but…

one of the collisions (the second, i think) involved a runner (laporta, i think) plowing over a catcher blocking the plate. didn’t there used to be an mlb rule that a catcher needed to have the ball before blocking the plate. anyone named molina(and most other catchers) refuse to follow this rule.

if it’s still on the books, i’d love to see a catcher nailed for obstruction on that junk. catch ball, block plate, fine. obliterate any path to the dish, get rammed and manage to get the ball before jacking with the baserunners legs when the ball arrives after the runner, get humiliated.

tia

by tim815 on Aug 19, 2008 7:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

My favorite -

Was the ball flip to the dugout.

"I love this world. I hope hell is as much fun!"

by HIGGY on Aug 19, 2008 8:21 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

What's the international recaction to this?

by daeviant on Aug 19, 2008 8:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Wait... Jim Lefebvre is still managing?

So ex Cubs managers ARENT all jobless…

Riggleman and Elia are working for the Mariners
Dusty Baker is managing the Reds
Don Baylor is Joe Morgan’s stunt double.
Lefebvre is managing the Chinese team.

by daeviant on Aug 19, 2008 8:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

where are you, whitey lockman?

by tim815 on Aug 19, 2008 8:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can understand why the Chinese team would be a little ticked.

The second collision at the plate wasn’t necessary. I don’t condone throwing at a guy’s head, but I think throwing at a guy is acceptable there. As for the celebration on the HR…it seems strange considering they were down 9 runs at the time, but I’m not going to lose in sleep over it. All in all it seemed like it would have been a very strange game to be at.

My guess is if that chain of events took place at a Yankees-Red Sox game we would hear about it on ESPN for at least a week.

---AC 00 00 00 - Believe

by mjk83 on Aug 19, 2008 8:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

or a few decades

by tim815 on Aug 19, 2008 8:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

They were hit 5 times....

The US players – that is just insane. Something needed to be done.

"I love this world. I hope hell is as much fun!"

by HIGGY on Aug 19, 2008 8:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the second collision at home plate was still unneccesarry

imo

---AC 00 00 00 - Believe

by mjk83 on Aug 19, 2008 3:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

Good luck Shawn Johnson, Lolo Jones and Doug Schwab. Bring home the gold!!!

by sue369 on Aug 19, 2008 3:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So be it.....

But you tell me – Is a collision at the plate more a part of the game than head hunting? Yes. 100%. If it was so unecessary then why was the catcher stading there blocking the plate?

"I love this world. I hope hell is as much fun!"

by HIGGY on Aug 19, 2008 4:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I concur.

if your going to put yourself in between a grown barrelling down a base path, and the dish he’s looking to get to, be prepared to be knocked on your ass.

"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me." Frank Costello

by kalamazoo_cubs_fan on Aug 19, 2008 7:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely

It’s a lot easier to justify a play at the plate than a beanball.

Below the shoulders — acceptable retaliation
Above the shoulders — never acceptable under any circumstances. I don’t care if the guy celebrated by taking his clothes off and running backwards around the bases… it’s not acceptable.

(Unless it was John Kruk taking his clothes off. At that point, throw at him WHILE he’s running the bases)

Pluto will always be a planet to me!

by DaBard on Aug 20, 2008 9:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I did catch the highlights last night

and I have to say, the ball thrown by the Chinese pitcher was a straight up beanball. I don’t care what has happened earlier in the game, there is no excuse and no place for trying to remove a man’s head from his shoulders with a fastball. The Chinese pitcher should immediately be removed from international play. Lefebvre needs to be suspended from managing because I’m not sure a pitcher on a team formed just three years ago would have taken it upon himself to try to take out an opposing player by throwing at his head. That could very easily have gotten so much worse. LaPorta has a mild concussion, but he could very well have been permanently disabled or even killed. Throwing at someone’s head is childish and dangerous. I also saw the plays at the plate and while I can see the argument for the second play being a little more rough than it should have been, rough play at the plate has been around as long as the game has been. It has to be expected but the opposing team needs to find a better way to get revenge than trying to permanently remove one of the opposition players. Leave a mark, put the ball between the shoulder blades just not between the ears.

Time is an illusion--lunch time doubly so.

by snowyman28 on Aug 19, 2008 8:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed.

A collision is part of the game, you stand in front of home plate you are telling the opposing team, i dont mind being hit, but throwing at someones head is not a part of the game.

But if you want to pay back the opposing team for a ‘rough collison’ then you throw at the legs or back, not the head.

"I love this world. I hope hell is as much fun!"

by HIGGY on Aug 19, 2008 9:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually, I think I read...

That Chinese pitcher is in the Mariners farm system…

We’ll see what they do as an organization.

Pluto will always be a planet to me!

by DaBard on Aug 19, 2008 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wont be an Olympic sport come 2012...

Seems that the IOC wants an MLB dream team like in basketball.

Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand. - Homer J Simpson

by MikeOxbyg on Aug 19, 2008 10:27 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

That second collision at the plate was completely ridiculous

so it’s certainly not like the US was innocent here, but man that was one of the worst blatant beanballs I’ve seen.

by Canseco's Roid Party on Aug 19, 2008 10:41 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

US not completely innocent

but head hunting is uncalled for, regardless. Wanna get even? Drill him with a 4-seamer in the thigh or ribs. Nothing above the shoulder.

I’ve been hit up high on different occassions and one time my helmet was even cracked; right above the ear flap.

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Aug 19, 2008 2:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sure every Indians fan

screamed when La Porta was plunked….

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Aug 19, 2008 11:00 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Japan scores epic softball upset over U.S.

I’m always skeptic about baseball in Olympic games but I support them as far as they play with the flag….and 4 Dragons are included in the team, including Dome’s close and same-age friend Masahiro Araki…. Dome is talking about him in his recent diary, hoping him play well there.

Anyhow, Japan just shocked 3-time Olympic Champion US in Softball to win gold in Beijing, and I am so happy as Japan’s 1st base woman, Rie Sato, is my close friend’s sister. She only played as pinch runner in Athens 4 years ago, but this time she bats 5th and hit monster 3-run homer against China to win 3-0.

US was so dominating for recent decades in Beijing, both pitching and batting, but Japan nailed down their last chance… hope Softball will come back to Olympic games as it is VERY different sports with baseball…

I'm bleeding Dragons Blue.

by dragonsfanatic on Aug 21, 2008 9:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yukiko Ueno with Dragons

BTW Japan’s super ace Yukiko Ueno, who pitched all 3 games against US (2 games) and Austlaria in these 2 days, is always having spring training in my hometown Chatan, Okinawa, in the same time with Dragons, as well as shortstop Masumi Mishina. Dome, 9-year Dragon, knows them very well.