Holier-than-thou statements and physical attacks that the Boston Red Sox direct at New York Yankee third baseman A-Rod continue to puzzle me, even as I have waited a few days in hopes of attaining enlightenment. Sox pitcher John Lackey, outfielder Jonny Gomes and Aaron Hernandez-wannabe Ryan Dempster have all denounced him, one way or another, as unfit to play. They have also repudiated the MLB/players union agreement as it relates to suspensions. But here’s the thing: The truly disreputable A-Rod did not play a game until Aug 5, while the 50 or so who accepted suspensions for involvement with performance-enhancing drugs were contributing to their teams’ victories. Do the mighty Sox want their hits and scores to be expunged? Those who accepted suspensions played three times more than A-Rod will play in the regular season.

What does make Red Sox pronouncements even more shocking is that Red Sox stars Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz have been singled out for juicing. Both contributed to stunning Sox victories. Meanwhile, we still await the explanation that Ortiz (“Big Papi”) promised more than three years ago. Ortiz did manage to make a statement on A-Rod, however, as he too seems to believe he deserves to point a finger.

Dempster felt he had the right to pelt A-Rod with baseballs and the umpire Mike O’Nora concurred. (Although the MLB later ruled that Dempster aimed at A-Rod deliberately, which means that if O’Nora were a competent ump he would have thrown Dempster out of the game). Dempster is behind a Dempster Family Foundation that supposedly supports afflicted children. Is he the kind of player that we want to bring children to baseball parks to see?  I thought the bad Red Sox team culture was supposed to end last year when they shipped off a pack of their players to Los Angeles. Who but a Dempster could make A-Rod worthy of being defended? A Ramirez!! Possibly even an Ortiz…

Last night (8/21/13) Jason Nix suffered a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch…who knows whether he will be back this season? Curtis Granderson missed a hunk of the season after an errant pitch broke is arm. That is why it is not righteous for pitchers to aim at batters deliberately … especially those in the American league who seldom step into the batter’s box. Errant pitches end careers and seasons. If the MLB contract is revised, let them add a rule suspending from baseball forever any pitcher who deliberately throws at a batter, especially if their name rhymes with Dumpster.