I said it half in jest before. But the more I think about it, the more I think it might not be a joke. Maybe Kuroda really did hit Ryan on purpose and the reason really was that Jack refused to deal him to the Yankees (according to Jon Heyman, he did turn down a trade offer for Ryan). I mean, consider the chain of events. Z bails on the Lee deal and says it's because the Yankees' second base prospect has an injured ankle. Without Lee, the Yankees get knocked out of the postseason. Then he deals them Pineda and Campos, both of whom end up on the DL.

Maybe the word went down: They don't want to deal us their shortstop when they're going nowhere and we're in a pennant race? Put him on the DL.

I'm glad Wedge said something to MK about that one. "Don't ever do that again!"

Seriously, who in their RIGHT mind does that?

Too bad we don't play them again this season. I'd like to see Jeter get plunked on the elbow.

Ackley's BA isn't great and I'm wondering whats up. Interestingly he leads in runs at 63 and 3rd in hits without Ichiro at 93...strange. Smoak no longer leads in HR's Seagers tied for the lead at 13.

Casper Wells has regressed as well. He did have 3 hits in the last 2 games. Up to yesterday's game he went a week or so w/o a hit.

Difference between Reed and Ackley is Reed was a 2nd round pick 59th. Ackley was 1st round 2nd overall pick.

We just don't have "good" hitters on this team.

I haven't seen one yet.

Jaso is our best hitter. He consistently works counts, takes walks, gets hits. I think he is the only one who does that.

Everyone else struggling to keep their OBP above water. It HAS to be a fundamental flaw in the system somewhere. I just don't understand it.

I think Brendan Ryan was hit because his glove is simply the most impactful thing we have on this team other than Felix's arm.

We're probably the only team in the majors that really doesn't have a hitter worth plunking. Thus, we have our straddling-the-mendoza-line shortstop get beaned.