A’s radio announcer encourages Oakland reliever to plunk Carlos Correa

Ray Fosse wanted to see some good, old fashioned retribution

Carlos Correa dared to step out of the box a few too many times against the AL West-leading Oakland A’s, and the radio booth was annoyed by that premise. Correa was slowing down the game by a considerable amount — an affair Oakland would win handily, we might add — and Fosse perhaps let loose a way of thinking that’s better served for a different era.

The Astros have surprisingly ranked near the middle of the pack in terms of teams hit by pitches this season, despite the revelations of their sign-stealing scandal this past offseason. Yes, there have been several on-field conflicts, including one featuring these very two teams, but overall Houston hasn’t had to feel the wrath of impacted players everywhere. Fosse, though, probably didn’t want his feelings towards Correa made public.

On-field retribution is a thing of the past in MLB

To put it plainly, there are better ways to get back at your opponent than beaning them with a 95 MPH fastball. Doing so will lead to a brawl or bench warning, which at the very least comes with it a suspension from the league office. Rob Manfred has warned teams to keep safe distance on the field, and that means as little conflict as possible, as much as impacted players want to teach Houston a lesson themselves.

The Astros have lost five games in a row, and should that streak continue, they’re in danger of missing out on the American League postseason altogether. As of now, they’re tied record-wise with the New York Yankees for the final seed in the expanded playoff format. While sitting in second place in the AL West would guarantee them a spot for now, the red-hot Seattle Mariners are applying pressure, and sit just two games behind Houston in the division.

It’s not up to players to punish their own, as hard as that is to resist sometimes.