I presume that most everyone watching the Thursday April 17 night game between the Red Sox and Yankees felt a bit of an adrenaline surge when the Yankee pitcher threw a pitch directly behind Manny Ramirez’s head after Manny hit two homeruns and singled in his first 4 at-bats.  The television announcers familiar with the foolishness of the tit for tat antics of baseball’s boys of summer kept all of us wondering for innings if Beckett or his relief team would bean A-Rod or Jeter.  If I was A-Rod, Jeter, or any other Yankee player, I would be angry at my team’s pitcher who threw dangerously behind a player knowing that I might be getting beaned in my next at-bat.  When are the players going to realize that a baseball can kill.  If death or permanent damage ever results knowing it’s not an accident, I predict the Congress and world opinion to come pouncing.  The Commissioner of baseball

I am impressed that the reigning world champions showed the class they did (thanks Beckett and Papelbon!).  They could have ignited an old rivalry making Yankee-Red Sox encounters even more nasty while further embarrassing a game that can’t seem to shake off the “steroid era”.   I place the blame firmly on MLB leadership and the player’s union for the awkward way that steroid news has come forth can be placed.  They had plenty of time to be at least a little bit proactive.  Instead, they let Jose Conseco take the lead.  At least someone want to make sure the truth comes out evnetually even though he is riding the wave all the way to the bank.