From Mark Feinsand:
Pettitte didn't deny the pitch to Ortiz was intentionally thrown inside, but he insisted it was for strategic purposes, not in retaliation.
"There's no doubt I backed him off. You can't just lay it over the plate for him to hit it," Pettitte said. "You have to move the ball in and out, hopefully make him feel uncomfortable in the batter's box. He's a great hitter, so you have to pitch him inside to get the guy out, that's for sure."
One of the biggest criticisms of Joe Torre's Yankees over the past few years was their refusal to pitch inside to Ortiz, who has torched the Bombers for a .321 average, 14 homers and 51 RBI in 209 at-bats over the past three seasons. Whether Pettitte's pitch had a purpose or not, it proved to be effective, opening the door for more of the same during the season.
HOORAY!!!
Not only are we protecting our own, but it's about time we moved Ortiz' feet a little!
No comments:
Post a Comment