Then there was a bench-clearing brawl between the Red Sox and Tigers after two days of bean balls between the two teams and their star batters.  Finally, Kevin Youkilis decided he was sick of it, as he does get hit often, though it was his team who kept hitting Miguel Cabrera, so maybe he should take it up with his own pitching staff is he doesn’t want to receive the retaliation.  But either way, he charged the mound and ended up getting body slammed by a 20 year old kid, Rick Porcello.  Punches were exchanged, people piled on, other people had to be held back by their boys, mad drama ensued, etc.  In the end, there were suspensions handed out to Porcello and Youk, though not to the original instigators from the night before, or the Red Sox pitcher who bean Cabrera on he second night.  Seems odd to me, you’d think they would either suspend everyone involved or no one.  But then, the MLB offices try to pretend that this sort of thing “doesn’t belong in baseball,” despite the fact that it has always been a part of the game.  If I made the rules, I wouldn’t suspend anybody.  They’re going to regulate themselves either way.   People are always going to get hit, and occasionally things will boil over and someone will charge the mound, then players will blow off steam, and everthing goes back to normal.  That is the natural order in baseball, and suspending players isn’g going to change that.  Bench-clearing brawls are a part of the game of baseball, and there is nothing that anyone can do about it, so we might as well all just accept it and move on.

But last night, there was a horrific string of incidents that proved in the most repulsive way just how violent a game this is.  Two batters, Ian Kinsler of the Rangers and David Wright of the Mets, took a fastball to the head, while pitcher Hiroki Kuroda took a come-backer to the forehead.  Kinsler was somehow able to stay in the game, though he was furious.  He had already dodged a ball high an in at the chin in an earlier at bat, and was shouting at the catcher and pitcher about why they would need to “send him another message.”  The sick thing about his situation is that he was hit because he hit a home run earlier.  That’s bullshit, and anyone who doesn’t think so needs their head examined.  This wasn’t retaliation for one of their players being hit, it was “revenge” for their pitchers failing to get the guy out or to keep hit hits in the park.  The fact that this incident also involves Red Sox pitchers really makes me wonder what the hell their pitching coach and pitching staff are thinking.  They are essentially assaulting other teams star players as either “retaliation” for them beating the pitchers fairly at a game, or preemptively hitting them for being good and wanting to “get in their heads” as they did with Miguel Cabrera the first time.  Well if someone else isn’t going to say it, then I will: threatening someone’s life because they hit a homer off of you, or because they potentially could, should warrant a serious suspension.  Beaning players is one thing, but going after somebody’s head is another.  And especially if it’s because you’re being a baby about having been beaten fair and square.  Maybe instead of putting guys in the hospital, these pitchers should do their jobs and focus on getting guys out.

The other incidents were even worse though.  David Wright took a fastball to the temple from Matt Cain, which was obviously not intentional.  You could see Cain’s mechanics falter as he delivered the pitch, which he said afterward was to try to correct for his grip slipping.  But either way, Wright got sent to the hospital.  True to the unwritten rules of the game, Johan Santana responded by throwing a ball behind Pablo Sandoval, which earned warnings to both benches.  Sandoval responded by destroying a pitch off the facing of the second deck in left field for a homer.  But then, Santana went all bleeding vagina on us and hit Bengie Molina afterwards.  Again, concentrate on getting the guy out, don’t hit people because you served up a homer.  It’s a pretty crybaby move.  Oddly, Santana didn’t get tossed from the game, which Giants manager Bruce Bochy had no problem pointing out to the umpire.  In the end, Wrights CT scan came back negative.

UPDATE: After his release from the hospital, Wright was placed on the DL.  Mets manager Jerry Manuel said that he may miss the rest of the season, depending on the outcome of further tests.  The latest reports are that he is still suffering from post-concussion syndrome.

In the third incident, Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda took a ball off the forehead after his pitch was hit by Diamondbacks’ hitter Rusty Ryal.  Kuroda seemed ok when trainers rushed to him, asking jokingly if anyone had caught the ball to get the out after it hit him.  But in the end, he was taken off the field in a stretcher and diagnosed with a concussion.  Kuroda spent the night in the hospital due to the threat of bleeding in the brain in the 12 hours after an impact like that on the head.

So now that we’ve seen so many incidents of spectacular violence in baseball, will people finally realize that this is not only a contact sport, but an extremely violent one at that?

Getting the reigning AL Cy Young winner without giving up their best pitching prospect (Kyle Drabek) makes the Phils the big winners.  Some say that they should have gone all out to get Halladay instead, but any time you can add a legit ace to your staff without ruining your plans for the future you have to pull the trigger.  Lee has been fantastic since his rough go in the first few weeks of the season, and will only fare better pitching against the Mets, Marlins, Braves, and Nationals in the NL.  This trade makes the Phils the favorites to reach the World Series this year, and probably next year as well.

Victor Martinez is exactly what this team needed.  He’s a switch hitter with a monsterous bat, and he can play catcher, 1B, and DH.  Those factors give the Sawx amazing flexibility when it comes to his placement in the field and in the lineup.  They can boost their play behind the plate by replacing the fading Jason Veritek, put him in at 1Band slide Youkilis to 3B to spell the recovering Mike Lowell, or throw him at DH to give Papi a day off.  The Sox offense has been stagnant for the last month, with Jason Bay in a huge slump, so a big bat is just what the doctor ordered.  And, as if to justify the move, V-Mart went 5-6n o Sunday.

Just like the Red Sox, the Giants were hurting for offense.  Insert former batting champion and consistent .300 hitter Freddy Sanchez.  The fact that he comes at a typically offensively-starved position at 2B doesn’t hurt either.  After getting Freddy, the Giants acquired Ryan Garko to play 1B.  Garko isn’t a big name, or a big bat for that matter, but he’s definitely an upgrade for them.  Now their team has a decent lineup to go with their great rotation, and are set up to have a chance to hold off all the teams that are nipping at the heels of the Wild Card leaders.

Doubters beware: you’re going to look stupid in a few years.  Everyone is bemoaning the Pirates selling off their “star” players and questioning the returns they got for them.  But There are two things these people are overlooking.  1) Those “star” players were fucking losers.  Don’t believe me?  Just check their record.  You think a team that features Jason Bay, Nate McClouth, Xavier Nady, and Nyjer Morgan in the outfield with an infield that has Freddy Sanchez, the LaRoche brothers, Jack Wilson, and Ryan Doumit sounds pretty good right?  Well they were fucking terrible.  They might be good individually, but that team was pathetic.  And 2) they have some terrifyingly young talent.  Andrew McCutchen, Garret Jones, and Delwyn Young have already introduced themselves to the league, and they have Pedro Alvarez looming over the horizon.  Throw in the improvements that they’ve made to their rotation, and that is a team that can contend for the long term, regardless of whether or not the trade returns can contribute.  Mark my words: the Pirates became a better team by making these moves over the last two years.

I’m not sure why the Reds felt they needed to add a player.  Their rotation is in shambles, with Harang and Cueto imploding over the last two months, and with Volquez missing the rest of the year.  BUT, this is a good young team that should contend in the future.  Rolen is an upgrade over Encarnacion, both with the bat and the glove.  If they can solve a few issues (the aforementioned rotation, Bruce’s low AVG, Votto’s mental/emotional issues, and Arroyo’s inflated contract), they will have a chance to contend next year.  Sound like a lot?  It is considering the tough NL Central.  But at least they’re closer to fielding a winning team.

Getting Jarrod Washburn solidifies their rotation as the best in the division, and pretty much guarantees that they’ll win the AL Central.  Washburn has had a great season, including a 2.64 ERA, most likely due to adding a split-finger fastball.  Detoit was already the favorites to win their division, with a strong rotation and an offense that centers around Granderson leading off and Cabrera driving in the runs.  But their rotation had struggled of late, with rookie Rick Porcello going on to a month-long funk, so Washburn gives them a little insurance down the stretch.  But, this trade leads us to…

I’m not sure what the Mariners’ plans are for the rest of the season or for the future.  But here’s what they did and didn’t do: First they traded for Jack Wilson.  Then they traded away Washburn.  Then they traded for a reliever.  So, are they buyers or sellers?  Trading a top starter makes you a seller, right?  But adding small pieces makes it look like they’re tweaking a winner.   Here’s the answer: neither. They sold high on Washburn, they had too many OFs, and they brought in a good SS.  If Washburn continues to be this good, they’ll look like idiots.  Otherwise, they made good trades regardless of the circumstances.

The Twins grabbed Orlando Cabrera from the A’s.  Not sure how much this will do for them in the tough AL Central race, but at least he’s an offensive upgrade over Nick Punto.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Nick Punto.  The guy is probably the most entertaining defensive player to watch in baseball.  But he’s hitting just over the Mendoza line, which isn’t cool.  Total party foul, Punto.  And Cabrera is a Gold Glover himself, so they’re not downgrading defensively either.  I like this move, I just don’t think it will make a difference.  Also, and this has nothing to do with anything, but OC wants to kill Edgar Renteria.  True story.  Look it up.

The Dodgers got George Sherrill from the Orioles.  Good pitcher, good move.  But I’m not sure how much this will help the Dodgers.  Yes, they have overused their young bullpen arms, especially Troncoso and Broxton.  And Sherrill will definitely keep them from being overused in the second half.  But I wonder if it’s too late.  Broxton missed some time with a no- DL injury earlier this year, and that only increased the load on Troncoso, who is pretty close to having thrown a full season by the end of August.  Nothing against Sherrill, but even though the Dodgers added a good player, I don’t think it makes them significantly better.

The Cubs got John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny from the Pirates.  They needed lefties in the bullpen, they got two lefties for the bullpen.  Just like the Dodgers, it addresses a need for a contending team that had already made a couple of big moves in the off-season.  And just like the Dodgers, it’s a good trade, but not a complexion changer.  you can tell when a team really believes in their team as is when all they do at the deadline is make one or two minor tweaks.  It’s a good sign for the North Siders that Hendry and Lou believe in the moves they made before the season started.

Good job, Marlins.  You added a spectacularly-mustachioed 1B in Nick Johnson, something I can appreciate as much as anyone.  Now what do you plan on doing with him?  Win the Wild Card?  I don’t think so.  Your team is still inferior to the Giants, Rockies, Cubs, and Cardinals.  It’s nice to see the Marlins actually add to their payroll for a change and go for it.  They probably just did this to see what it feels like.  They’ll go right back to their old ways after the season is over.  Either way, this might help them beat up on the terrible teams in their division, but it doesn’t make them better than the other contending teams.

The White Sox traded four pitching prospects for Jake Peavy, the same Jake Peavy that vetoed a trade to the White Sox earlier this year.  So what did they get out of this trade?  Well the simple answer is: an injured pitcher who has been shitty for two straight years anyway despite pitching in the best pitchers park in all of baseball and who might not pitch in your home run friendly park until next season anyway.  Now, I have always liked Kenny Williams.  He is one of the smartest and ballsiest GMs in baseball.  But this is a terrible gamble.  If it pays off, he’ll look like a genius.  But the chances of that are slim.

The Yankees added Jerry Hairston Jr.  Whatever.