Dodgers Team News

Dodgers: Cody Bellinger, Ross Stripling, and Alex Wood Talk Beaning Astros Batters

Back in the good old days of baseball, a topic as big as the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal would have never made it this far. Yes, for one, the technology wasn’t there. But more importantly, the players were less handcuffed than they are today.

Whatever side you happen to be on when it comes to the modern game of baseball, there is something missing from today’s game.



Players policing players.

In many ways it’s still there — the veterans that “play the game the right way” and wish the kids would get off their lawn for one — but if you’re a pitcher intentionally throwing at a batter for anything, chances are you’re getting fined and suspended.

As the game slowly has kid gloves forced upon it, the topic of hitting batters has hit a fever pitch. Particularly over the last few days. Really, since the Houston Astros faced the music and cameras…

Now, on Friday at Dodgers camp, the hit-by-pitch was on the minds of the media… so Dodger players responded.

Pitcher Ross Stripling was a central figure in the headlines. Mainly because he said he would definitely consider throwing at the Astro batters.

I would lean toward yes. In the right time and in the right place. Maybe I give up two runs the inning before and I got some anger going. Who knows? But yeah, it would certainly be on my mind.

One day after the Astros organization generally failed miserably at apologizing, the Dodgers were once again faced with the demons of World Series’ past. On a day where LA star and 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger was heated about the “weak” responses of Houston players, the conversation continued to how will the players be punished for their crimes.

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After all, they were the ones that did the crime and benefited from their actions… and were granted immunity to talk to MLB about it.

Alex Wood shared thoughts on how it’ll all likely go down for whoever drills an Astro first.

Somebody will take it into their own hands, and they’ll get suspended more games than any of those guys got for the biggest cheating scandal in 100 years — It’ll be pretty ironic when that happens, because I’m sure that’s how it’ll end up playing out.

And Bellinger — a hitter — is all for it… for the pitchers that were affected by the villainous Astros.

Hey, man, if that makes you feel better. They’ve been stealing your signs for years and years, and you got a bigger ERA because of it and you lost money in arbitration because of it, so be it.

Houston will face the Washington Nationals on February 22nd as the Grapefruit League schedule gets underway. While spring training may not be the most opportune or likely time for an Astro to get beaned, chances are whoever hits a star Astro batter first will become a folk hero in inner baseball circles.

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Clint Pasillas

Clint Pasillas has been writing, blogging, and podcasting about the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2008. Under Clint's leadership as the Lead Editor, Dodgers Nation has grown into one of the most read baseball sites in the world with millions of unique visitors per month. Find him online on Twitter/X or his YouTube channel!

13 Comments

  1. one person will have to take the harsh punishment first and then after that every pitcher should follow suit as baseball can’t suspend every pitcher in the game

  2. I want every batter who hits a home run against the Astros this season, when they are passing Altuve during their trot, to grab the front if their jersey and yell, “I’m shy!” at him.

    EVERY. HOME. RUN.

  3. The Dodgers won’t be playing the Astros in 2020. The Astros aren’t on the schedule and won’t make it to the world series without Cole. But AL teams should be looking to bean Astros hitters all year long. If the Dodgers were to meet the Astros in the WS, I think the Dodgers should bean the very first Astro hitter with the very first pitch, and clear the bench if he makes any move to the mound. If the Astros pitcher retaliates in the following inning, clear the bench. Be ready for a brawl. But again, the Astros will probably only be watching the Dodgers in the World Series on TV.

    1. People, while an obligatory beaning is baseball in its truest form (if I were pitching, I’d hit Altuve or the first guy), the mob mentality has to stop. I understand the frustrations, especially in LA and NYY, but we have to get beyond this and move on already. Like Koolby Bryant said, got to focus on winning a championship. Nothing more.

  4. So, who do you hit? Altuve? Bregman? Springer? Pick a name, and then prepare for your team’s star player to be hit by the Astros pitcher at the time. If you think the Astros pitchers will sit back and allow their hitters to be used as targets and not retaliate you are very mistaken. Springer get hit by Angels, look for Trout to go down in retaliation; ditto Aaron Judge, and other MLB star hitters. I think / hope that MLB teams will find innovative ways to be a thorn in the sides of Astros all season

    1. I agree. You take one HBP and move on. If it keeps happening and I pitch for the Astros, I start dropping the other teams best batters. When does it stop? When can we get on with it and start playing ball? You want to hurt the Astros? Beat them. I’m a Dodgers fan, but in the AL, I bleed green and gold for my boys in Oakland. Beat them, boys!

  5. MLB has actually caused this situation by not punishing the players involved. If they had done so, then the situation would be more fairly resolved/less of a need for retalialation.

    The players involved have been “rewarded” for being involved (financially, no punishment). Can any player now avoid punishment by simply saying “ok, I will admit/tell what I know in exchange for no punishment?”

    MLB failure in my view…

  6. I wonder if they are going to throw at Mookie Bets when the MLB investigation of the Red Sox is finalized and the results publicized the Red Sox did the same things the Astros did.

  7. https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2017/9/6/16262734/mlb-punishment-red-sox-sign-stealing-yankees-fines-hurricane-relief-apple-watch

    So using Apple watches vs trash cans changes everything. Suddenly the Astros need to bleed for the same these teams were doing at the same time. And apparently it was so forgettable that we have forgotten all about it. Luckily the internet remembers when. Should the Astros be punished? Yes. But apparently the MLB has set a soft approach to punishing for the crime two years ago. Were these guys beaned the following season? Were these teams called villains? Doubt it.
    AmI an Astro fan? Yes. For 45 years I have been. But mostly, a baseball fan first and for most. So yes, the Astros should be punished. But fiddle me this Batman, why are they expected to bleed for their crimes when other before them were treated so differently? I know as I type this, your minds are made up. Nothing I say will change your minds. All I know is that their championship got me through the hardest time of my life. I was going through chemo therapy and I felt like their win was tied to my success. So when they won, I felt like I was unbeatable too. So maybe they were wrong, even though they were better on the road than at home, but they gave me so much hope and for that I will be a lifelong fan however long that is But to resort to beaning people is ridiculous. That runs the risk of injury or worse. If you want to prove that you are better, then get out there and beat them on the field. Threatening things on the internet is for children. Grow up and move on. It is 2020, let’s play ball!

  8. I think as a true Dodgers fan…we should boycott every game we play the Astros this year…let the Dodgers organization feel the loss…get upset and sue the appropriate organization responsible for this…we should not show up to the home games against this cheating team….until…and only until this league takes the appropriate action and strips this team of the Championship trophy…I know as a true blue Dodgers fan for 40 years…I will definitely and personally not see one Astros game this year..
    YOU BUNCH OF CHEATERS!!!!

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