Cubs are REALLY gong to have to embrace the target as Rizzo is THE water cooler talk of the week. I can now see a 1 game suspension slapped on him,(along with the fine) he will appeal and BECAUSE Riz is one of the cleanest players out there, gonna be made an example of. Here's the thing..while he DID take (to me) 2 steps inside the baseline and he had room to the right, even if he had gone the OTHER side, Hedges is going to dive at him to stop him. Anyone think Hedges doesn't dive at Rizzo if he had gone 2 steps to the right? That is what Riz was saying, that he hits Hedges or Hedges then hits into him, and injury usually happens. The runner knows the catcher is going to catch the ball and aim for him. Legally according to the rule(which is flawed in it's purpose of trying to protect the catcher and not BOTH runner and catcher, hamstring, anyone?) since Hedges had the ball (and full control of the ball, even had it after the hit) and Rizzo didn't show intent by as you said a shoulder or hand etc, it is legal. Not cool, but legal. Just like the second base rule we have been burned on both ways. I WILL say for Andy Green to state that due to the current rule his catcher "shouldn't expect to be hit" is pretty crazy. A catcher should ALWAYS expect that as part of his game. Catcher's still get hit all the time AND do the hitting as well. His word smith of signaling his team to retaliate even more predictable. On the flip side, Maddon and Cub Nation would be wigging out if it were Willy or Miggy who had been hit. This tells me the rule is not adequate enough to much other than tick off one side or the other. Rizzo can take a pitch, all eyes are looking for it now..it's the dirty play toward Willy or another player that's going to be a bench clearer.
Rizzo needs to take some lessons from Cog's , lol.
even Hedges didn't call it out as dirty
Hedges, who told the Union Tribune after that game that he was feeling "a lot better," said he didn't think the collision was malicious.
"I don't know," Hedges said. "I'd have to take a look at it. I thought I gave him the plate."
No one on the Cubs' side saw it that way.
"It's one of those plays where it's very sensitive,'' Rizzo said. "It's a play where I'm out by two steps. If I slide, he runs into me.
"I've talked to a lot of umpires about this rule. It's my understanding if they have the ball, it's game on.''
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