General: Sterno's Talkin' Smack -- Episode #62

Sterno's Talkin' Smack. No holding back here. It's all trash, all the time.

Welcome, my friends, to a special edition of the program. Today's edition is dedicated to one thing and one thing only. I am referring to the most disgusting display of nonsense I have ever seen on a baseball field. No, not the Detroit Tigers! I am talking about Game 3 of the Yankees-Red Sox series.

Smack This: Pedro Martinez -- I am going to attack this thing piece by little piece. First, let's talk about Pedro Martinez. All year I have talked about Martinez' big mouth, and his attitude, and as you know, I actually really like the guy. He's a dominant pitcher, who doesn't hide how he feels, and loves playing for the Red Sox. With that, he hates the Yankees. From George Steinbrenner to Derek Jeter, and so on, he hates the Bronx Bombers. You know it. I know it. He knows it.

Having said that, I had hoped that Martinez would have channeled all of that anger into his fastball and struck out Jason Giambi. No, unfortunately Pedro lost his arm strength on the way to the stadium. Watching him throw those 91 mph heaters was painful. Even I wanted to bean someone! However, beaning Karim Garcia in the back of the head wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do. Let's be fair and honest here. I hate the Yankees, but I know that Pedro was head hunting there. There is just no way that a guy with that kind of control could "accidentally" drill someone like that. He did it. He meant it.

I think it sucks that Pedro went after Garcia like that, especially in back of the head, where a batter will have a tendency to lean back and get it even worse, but we are overrating this point. We have seen "that" before. However, what Pedro did next, there is no excuse for. I have lost all respect for this piece of pie, after he pointed at his head numerous times and told Jorge Posada as well as other Yankees, that he would hit them in the head next. Once Martinez gestured towards his head and such, he should have been tossed faster than a salad at the Olive Garden. I'm sorry. It is ridiculous.

You Boston Red Sox fans can whine all you want, but the fact of the matter is that Pedro's teammates were pissed off at what he did. They should have been. Let me tell you something. If I were on his team, I would have flipped out. The Red Sox can beat the Yankees on the field. Why do you have to resort to that three year old crap?

What you did was a joke. You are a joke. Pedro - I can honestly say that you are far from what a Hall of Famer should be. Pete Rose may have gambled, but he respected the players on the field.

Pedro Martinez -- Smacked!!!

Smack This: Manny Ramirez -- Everyone knows that Manny Ramirez has the reputation of being a bit of a baby. Now, when he pulled his staring routine following the homerun against the A's in Game Five, I wasn't too upset, because I think he was more excited about helping the team than he was trying to show up Barry Zito. However, what he did this past weekend with Roger Clemens was comical.

Look at the pitch. It wasn't even near him. Clemens was for all intents and purposes, telling Manny that if he wanted to, and if he wasn't already warned that he could rip Manny a new one. He didn't come close to doing that. It was a purpose pitch. If Manny wanted to stand up for his team, make them look valiant in the jaws of immaturity, show a little class, he could have backed out off the plate and simply smiled back at the Rocket. That would have been great. No, Manny threw a fit, cursed at Clemens, and incited a riot.

Manny -- instead of whining, why don't you try hitting? Just a thought!

Ramirez -- Smacked!!!

Smack This: The Zimmer Incident -- Okay, let's get into this once and for all. We all saw what happened. I'm not going to give you the play by play on it, just my thoughts. Let me start by saying that I admire what Don Zimmer did. No, it wasn't the smartest thing to do. No, as a coach and leader, it wasn't showing the best "sportsmanship" or maturity.

However, it showed heart. Zimmer loves his team, his players, his uniform, and he showed it to the world.

Now, what Mr. Martinez did? That is a different story. Look, I wouldn't use the words "body slam" when I talk about the tossing off Zimmer, however Pedro didn't exactly hold the guy up either. Granted, with the bald guy waddling at him at that speed, with his arms wailing, it is impossible to think that Martinez would have been nice to him, but he could have backed away. The guy is in his '70s for heaven's sake. Are you kidding me? I mean, if it was Derek Jeter, I wouldn't care if he popped him in the face, I just don't think what he did was at all appropriate given the circumstances. Actually, it was kind of sickening.

Now, what the Yankees did? That was even more sickening. How could you just sit there and let Zimmer get thrown down like that. Someone should have unloaded on Pedro way before "Zim" got to him, and if not, they at least should have clocked him afterwards. Seriously, when Andy Petitte and Clemens asked Zimmer what happened, and he told them about Martinez, how did one of them not freak out. Nothing happened! Again, are you kidding me? Someone, and I mean anyone, has to stand up for their coach, Karim Garcia, and their team as a whole. What a freaking joke that was!

The Zimmer Incident -- Smacked!!!

Smack This: The Bullpen Incident -- Okay, I am not going to spend too much time on what happened in the bullpen. I couldn't believe this when I saw it. I don't care what the guy was saying to Jeff Nelson. If he was chanting let him chant. If he was waving let him wave. If he was singing let him sing. Whatever you do, as a player, you cannot go after the guy. There had to be someone that you could have asked to get the guy out of the pen. Someone there had to have been available.

I am so sick of hearing from Yankees fans about the Red Sox security. "In Yankee Stadium the security is amazing. Everyone is safe." Blah, blah and blah. Do I care about Yankee Stadium? Okay, so the security at Fenway Park is crappy. It doesn't make it okay for Nelson to get into a brawl with the grounds crew member. I don't care what towel the guy was waving around.

Oh, and what about Karim Garcia? Wasn't that the biggest joke of it all? I don't care if he didn't see what was going on, when he saw security guys there, there wasn't any need to jump over the fence and start punching and kicking the guy in the head! Maybe, after Pedro hit you, you should have punched and kicked him instead? Again, it's just a thought!

Bullpen Beating -- Smacked!!!

One for the Road -- I have a question for you Yankees fans. Riddle me this. When Mike Piazza neglected to charge Roger Clemens following "Batgate 2000," there were a ton of you that were calling Mike a bit of a wimp (for lack of a better term).

"How can he not defend himself and stand up for the team."

That's what you all cried and cried. Why aren't you crying now? Your team was too chicken to get Pedro back, that they let a man closer to the retirement home than the batters box go after him and "defend the team's honor." What a joke.

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See ya' all next time folks! Until then, don't be the one who's smacked!