Selfish Opponents Reaction to Luis Castillo's Hitting Streak Now Victimizes Jim Thome

[Alex]

The pitchers began to purposely run the pitch counts to 2 balls no strikes, 3 balls one strike when they faced Luis Castillo, whose hitting streak just ended at 36 games.

It was really a spineless act by the opposing pitchers.

The walk became Castillo's nemesis as he tried to keep his hitting streak alive, walks reduce the opportunity to get a hit, and therefore, a walk is as good as an out if you are the opposing pitcher.

Pete Rose complained after his 44 game hit streak ended that the opposing pitcher didn't "challenge" him with a fastball in his final at bat on a 2-2 pitch.

In my opinion that was a bogus view by Rose because the pitcher still challenged him by giving him a hittable ball!

Running the pitch-count to 2 balls no strikes, 3 balls one strike, something the opposing pitchers had in fact started to do against Castillo, puts Castillo in the unenviable position of having to take a walk for the good of the team rather than swing at a bad ball.

This a spineless tactic by the opposing pitcher and the manager that allows such actions.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ July 05, 2002 06:56 PM: Message edited by: Alex ]</font>

[Dr. Robert]

I wonder who will get Castillo next year. I'd love to see the Tribe make a run at him, if they've traded Thome. At $10 mil, he'd be worth it, and just as valuable as Thome at 3-4 mil less.
I can't believe Dolan isn't going to sign ANY free agents next year, and I don't mean the Ricky G./Wohlers-type.

[Alex]

Year after year, Hart and Shapiro put non-performers into Dolan's basket. Ricky G makes around 5 million next year.
Lawton makes 7 or 8 million. (both players agreed to take way less this year to help us with payroll limitations)

Lawton I don't mind so much, but if the guy could just steal some bases.

[Dr. Robert]

All the more reason to get rid of Lawton. Give that money to Castillo.

[Alex]

Well, guess what I just read!

Luis Castillo's streak ended with him on-deck in the ninth inning of a Saturday game against Detroit. Detroit coaches now admit that if Luis Castillo had come to the plate in the ninth inning, THEY WOULD HAVE WALKED HIM!

What a load of BS.

There you have it. Dimaggio's streak will never be challenged. Anytime a player gets within 20 games of the streak, the pitchers will start throwing junk up to the plate knowing that the batter would rather swing and try for a single than take a walk.

What Bullshiit.

I complained about this aspect of trying to tie or break certain offensive records, and I think it stinks. What if the opposing team had walked Shaun Green instead of pitch to him when he hit his 4th home-run in the ninth inning?

What about the player going for the cycle?

So it's baseball practice to pitch to someone who may hit 4 home-runs in a game, but it's also OK to walk a hitter who is trying to break one of the greatest records ever achieved, the 56 game hitting streak?

the Alex Rule: Walking a batter to prevent the batter from getting a fair attempt at an existing record shall be considered the equivalent of a four-base walk, and the batter gets to bat again.

[Alex]

God Bless Luis Castillo! Today he spoke out and said he would have been pissed off if he had been walked in the ninth inning.

Just as I said all along. Players who have a chance to beat an existing record should not have the threat of walk used against them.

It's really sickening.

[TexasTribe]

As a pitcher, if I felt that I could get a batter to chase un-hittable garbage out of the strike zone and strike out because he was more interested in setting a record than getting on base, wouldn't I be obligated to do it, rather than give him a quality pitch to hit? Don't intentionally walk him but if he is willing to swing at garbage, give him garbage.

[Alex]

You bring up a perfectly valid point. I still disagree with the spirit of it. If Joe Dimaggio didn't have to deal with goofballs walking him instead of facing him during his streak, then the standard should remain as constant as possible.

I would LOVE to see the ump let the previous hitter in the line-up take first base, and let Castillo have another at bat. The pitcher should not dictate the end of a streak by being a pantywaste.

They've already come up with a term, "Catcher's indifference", when a player steals a base unchallenged.
Make up some type of similar option when a pitcher is intent on walking a hitter who will lose the chance to tie or break a record because of it.

[Alex]

Thome was intentionally walked in the third inning. I would told the pitcher I would eject him if he doesn't pitch to Thome.

Now the point has come home to roost.

Thome had hit a home-run in 7 straight games, he has earned the right to face real pitches in each at bat.