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Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
He might have been pissed about the ump letting him get "buzzed," but it's not realistic to expect an umpire to eject a guy for throwing a changeup that rides up and in (because that clearly is a mistake pitch that got away).
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Let's remember though - that's the point of a changeup. When Donaldson spun out of the box and looked at Escobar, he didn't know it was a changeup - it's disguised as a fastball; that's the point. And he didn't charge the guy, he spun out angry and pretty quickly recovered. A bat flip? Christ, you're calling out a dude for flipping his bat? He was still pissed and he still wouldn't have known it was a changeup. Again, right in that moment, he things Volquez buzzed the tower.
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And the Madson pitch, it's about the situation. Two on, two strike count, no pitcher is trying to hit ANYBODY on purpose in that situation. It makes no baseball sense in a two-run game.
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No it does not, but it didn't make sense for Cain to get hit by a slider in the early innings of a tie game but Cain and his teammates lost their shit and Royals fans were right there ready to back him. And again, from Donaldson's perspective, he's standing in the on deck circle when the new face of the franchise got hit in the hand; the kind of thing that can end a season. Of course he's going to be riled up especially with the backdrop of his last AB. Then when he gets another ball by his chin he turned and barked at the umpire. WTF is the problem with that?
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Neither of those pitches makes sense as an intentional HBP. Just like the 7th pitch of the AB to Tulo doesn't make sense as an intentional HBP.
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Intentional or not - run or not - Royals fans lose their mind after their guy gets hit every time and yet they don't extend that same thought to Donaldson who had pretty much had his fill of that shit on that day - and you would to.
Like I said at the very beginning - I can absolutely see why the Royals would be nonplussed; from there perspective nothing untoward happened. My issue is with the idea that Donaldson was completely unjustified in his frustration - oh bullshit. That said - let's also be very clear here - 'nonplussed' isn't exactly what happened there either. Volquez spent the whole day looking for a fight (both times walking towards the batter after the HBP and then the walk) and the Royals had their whole team out of that dugout before anything actually started...evidently just in case. Volquez did a lot to incite that crap and as soon as guy were on the field, he and Cain were looking to elevate things....again.
It's the double standard that is laughable here.