Ryne Sandberg thinks Giancarlo Stanton got hit because batters aren't afraid enough

Ryne Sandberg played in a time when men were men, and ballplayers knew that if they leaned out over the plate there was a good chance they were going to get brushed back if not outright beaned.

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Knowing there was danger in leaning over the plate put fear into a batter’s heart and made him better protect himself if a ball did come high and tight.

This fear does not exist for today’s pampered ballplayer, however. And that’s why Giancarlo Stanton got hit in the face.

If that makes no sense to you, let’s let Ryne Sandberg explain this whole thing himself (via mcall.com):

"“There were certain pitches whether you blink or whether I did not pick up the ball at the time, you were usually trained to turn your back to the pitch,” said Sandberg. “In my day there weren’t too many games where I didn’t either have to hit the dirt or get down on a pitch or turn my back because the game was played differently. In some regards, the hitters do get pretty comfortable standing in there, not even thinking it is a possibility any more. If I was a hot hitter even more soft on my feet almost expecting to get brushed back and go in the dirt. Today is a different game.”"

So Sandberg figures if pitchers would go inside more, putting a little more fear into hitters, then guys like Stanton would develop better anticipation and be able to get out of the way.

Leave it to a crusty old school guy like Ryne Sandberg to turn a man getting his face messed up by a baseball into an argument in favor of throwing at guys’ heads more. Well done, Ryno.

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Ryne Sandberg thinks Giancarlo Stanton got hit because batters aren’t afraid enough

By Dan Zinski | Sep 12, 2014