Chicago Cubs

Padres manager explains why retaliation against Anthony Rizzo would have been 'asinine'

Published Jun. 21, 2017 12:10 p.m. ET

Chris Bahr

Anthony Rizzo did more damage against the Padres in the Cubs’ 4-0 win on Tuesday. One night after his home-plate collision – which was deemed illegal by Major League Baseball – Rizzo homered to lead off the bottom of the first inning.

https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/877511486070849536

Some wondered whether the Padres would plunk Rizzo in retaliation for that slide, which forced catcher Austin Hedges to leave Monday’s game with a bruised thigh. However, Padres manager Andy Green made it clear that his team wouldn’t intentionally hit Rizzo with a pitch – even though he thought the slide was a “cheap shot.”

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Speaking with The Mighty 1090 radio in San Diego on Tuesday, Green explained his stance:

“What do you accomplish by hitting somebody?” Green said. “You accomplish nothing. You put a man on first base, and you give them a chance to win a baseball game. … You don’t, all of a sudden, gain the high, moral ground because you chose to retaliate. You don’t, all of a sudden, get to pound your chest because you were man enough to throw a ball at somebody’s back. I think it’s absolutely asinine to even take that approach.”

“I had a meeting with Andy, and he asked me to give my word I won’t hit (Rizzo) on purpose,” Chacin said, per The San Diego Union-Tribune. “He asked me to pitch inside to try to get him out, instead of putting him on first base. I was trying to do that, I was trying to make good pitches to him, and he hit a homer. That wasn’t the result I was looking for. In the second (at-bat), I got him out pitching inside.”