[nolemmings]

Thanks Dave. Not that it matters much, but Gibson had been tossed from the game more than 6 innings before McCutchen was hbp. It is surely possible he still pulled the strings from the clubhouse two hours later and he would man up and take responsibility either way, but I doubt he gave Delgado any direct orders. I would bet that more than one guy in that dugout wanted some retribution– maybe Aaron Hill, who last year during Pittsburgh’s only trip to AZ also had his hand broken by a Pirate reliever and missed three months of the season. As you noted (and did I), Pirates pitchers are almost in a league of their own when it comes to hitting opponents.

Also FWIW, I heard on one of the non-local broadcasts or maybe read it on a national sports website that the action taken against McCutchen was consistent with the philosophy that Tony LaRussa maintains about protecting his players. I don’t know if I believe it simply because I never gave it much thought, but if you google “Larussa bean ball” I think you’ll find some interesting quotes and accusations over the years. So for those who consistently praise Saint Anthony– now in charge of Diamondback baseball operations–as a baseball savant, and who bash Gibby as a rogue brute, you may find that their approaches on this issue are one and the same.