Earl Weaver had it right: Emotion must take back seat to common sense
I began my career as a baseball writer covering the Orioles in 1987, the year after Earl Weaver's final season. As you might expect, Weaver's imprint on the organization remained strong even after he was gone.
One thing he always preached to his pitchers: Never put your hitters in jeopardy. Never do anything to start a fight.
The tough, scrappy Weaver was only being pragmatic. He didn't want to lose a player, any player, who could help him win.
Which brings me to the Royals, who have been involved in an unusual number of bench-clearing altercations in the early part of the season.
Yes, it takes two to tango. Yes, Royals hitters have been hit by pitches 17 times in 16 games, tied with the Rangers for most in the majors. No matter.
This needs to stop.
The good news: Right-hander Yordano Ventura and manager Ned Yost said in their comments after Thursday night's fight with the White Sox that Ventura -- a central figure in three different incidents already this season -- needs to do a better job staying under control.
At this point, the origins of each incident are almost unimportant: The Royals are losing the benefit of the doubt.
It could hurt them if one of their hitters suffers an injury getting plunked.
It could hurt them if umpires start applying extra scrutiny to Ventura and other Royals pitchers who throw inside.
In 1993, the Orioles and Mariners engaged in one of the nastiest brawls I've ever seen at Camden Yards, triggered by Mike Mussina drilling Bill Haselman. I wrote something along the lines of, "Good for the Orioles for standing up for themselves, for getting tough."
Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, then and now an Orioles broadcaster, pulled me aside the next day and told me that what I wrote was dumb, citing Weaver's old credo.
It later emerged that Cal Ripken's consecutive-games streak nearly ended when he suffered a knee injury in that brawl, and that Mussina suffered a shoulder injury that later landed him on the disabled list for nearly a month.
I learned my lesson -- teams that lose control of their emotions take an unnecessary risk.
Weaver was right.
