Obviously more interested in fan approval than league approval, new White Sox bench coach Mark Parent, a former major league catcher, said his team will seek revenge for hit batters this season, the Chicago Tribune reports.
“You hit our guy, we’ll hit your guy,” he told the gathered crowd, earning him some scattered applause at SoxFest.
The White Sox were hit a major league-high 84 times last season, while they themselves hit just 44 batters on the year. However, a big part of the separation was due to Carlos Quentin’s presence. Quentin led the AL with 23 HBPs in just 118 games last season, and he’s at 97 in 616 games lifetime. Since he’s been shipped off to San Diego, the White Sox’s HBP totals are sure to fall in 2012, regardless of what kind of policies the coaching staff has in mind.
For what it’s worth, Parent may not realize that a batter often has as much to do with the HBP as the pitcher. The longtime backup was hit by pitches just twice in 13 major league seasons.
