Redsox and Yankees

[Classicblast]

This happened in 2003 or 2004. Red Sox Pitcher Pedro Martinez tossed Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer at that time age 72 onto the ground.

Some say Zimmer asked for it by approaching an angry Pedro others say it was a vile uncalled for act.

As members of this site are aware of, I played minor league baseball for 16 seasons and belonging to a players union I've been as careful as possible how I take stands on serious issues. So I've kept mostly quiet about this.

Since I am no longer under any contract I can speak more openly than I have been able to. I'd like to hear/read the opinions of other TeamMage members.



I think a guy like Pedro Martinez could have boxed a man of Zimmer's age out without being quite as aggressive by tossing him right down that way.

Had I been on Zimmer's team at that time I might have felt a need to take a run at Martinez as a way to make certain the opponents and the fans know we are a unified team.

[Jersey]

I logged in to specifically vote for this. I watched this very game. What Classic did not yet mention is that prior to this event, Pedro Martinez threw a fast pitch directly at the head of Jorge Posada. They began jawing back and forth with each other (in Spanish no doubt) when Pedro pointed at his own head and then at Posada, clearly stating that he fully intended on hitting Posada in the head along with any other Yankee batters.

After that, one man decided he was not going to put up with any of that. Don Zimmer came out during the bench clearing argument and went swinging for Martinez. Now, Pedro sees this old bumbling man running at him as fast as possible. He very easily could have simply side-stepped Zimmer and let him run past, allowing other players to restrain Zimmer and regain control of things, settling the argument without any further trouble.

But he did not choose to do that. He decided to throw an old man to the turf by his head. Zimmer could have easily been injured or even had his neck broken, since it takes quite a bit of force to yank someone down like that. He could have shown some semblence of class by avoiding Zimmer, but that would not have been the Pedro Martinez/Boston Red Sox style of handling something like that. Therefore, my answer is that Pedro is a prick, punk player that I have despised ever since. Believe me, I was happy to see the Yankees whip his rear end straight back to the Philadelphia locker room this past Wednesday. (Sorry Phil). I'm a diehard Yankees fan. (Shoot me if ya wanna.)

But my personal answer? Pedro was too brutal and the Yankees should have sent any beligerent Boston players to their locker room with broken pieces of themselves dragging behind.

[Phil]

I have no great love for Pedro. He's good I can't deny that but this poll probably if there was an all of the above option I would have selected that.

Zimmer did take an awful chance running at a guy like Pedro who is as Jersey called belligerent knowing you may be attacked. Martinez is not the kind of person who would believe 'I am going to defend myself no matter who it is or how old they are.' I get the concept but he wasn't exactly about to get mugged. Like Jersey said he could have avoided for a moment and the Yankee players would have blocked Zimmer off. I'm surprised a brawl didn't ensue. I can actually see all the options in there.

[Classicblast]

I'm just surprised the Yankees players didn't start a fight with Martinez and his team after that.

Phil you're right in he took it partially upon himself but, had that been Pettitte, Jeter, Pasada or any of the players then it's an even match up. An athlete at the top of his game drops a man over 70 that's just not right.

[Alan]

I think Pedro was out of line.

[Classicblast]

He was obviously more aggressive than he needed to be.

I would like to say that if I was a Yankees player I would have run at Martinez for that. Even if I only bumped chests and yelled I would have been more retaliatory than the Yankees players were that time. I realize they attended to a possibly injured Zimmer I did not miss the idea there.