D’backs GM Towers wants ‘eye-for-an-eye’ HBP revenge

Kevin Towers believes his team does not show enough fight when an opponent seemingly disrespects the Diamondbacks.

Oct 9, 2013, 12:59 PM UTC

USA TODAY Sports

At least part of the reason the Diamondbacks fired pitching coach Charles Nagy was his unwillingness to hit opposing players with a pitch in retaliation for any perceived slights, reports Arizona Sports 620.

General manager Kevin Towers believes that the organization is not doing more to protect the team’s reputation and should take a more aggressive stand against any disrespect. Towers went so far as to suggest that a player (or coach, as Nagy found out) could be removed from the roster if they did not show enough fight.

“I think come spring training, it will be duly noted that it’s going to be an eye for an eye and we’re going to protect one another,” Towers told Arizona Sports. “If not, if you have options there’s ways to get you out of here and you don’t follow suit or you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you probably don’t belong in a Diamondbacks uniform.”

Towers was especially upset after a game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Sept. 9. Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe hit three home runs in that game and was later fed bananas by Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez due to Uribe's nickname of "King Kong."

“I was sitting behind home plate that game and when it showed up on the Diamondvision of stuffing bananas down their throats, I felt like we were a punching bag,” Towers said. “Literally, if I would have had a carton of baseballs I would have fired them into the dugout from where I was sitting behind home plate.”

More Diamondbacks coverage: AZ Snakepit

Towers said he had a discussion with the coaching staff following that game about maintaining respect. However, a week later first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was hit by a pitch and the Diamondbacks did not retaliate as Towers thought they should.

When the Dodgers clinched the NL West in Arizona, the Diamondbacks organization made it clear that they were upset Los Angeles chose to jump in the pool at Chase Field.

“It’s one thing to go out and celebrate on the field and then take it back to the clubhouse and being professional about it,” Towers said at the time. “We won’t forget it.”

“We could have prevented a lot of what went on there, but by losing the ballgame, we gave them every opportunity to do some of the things they did. I think it was probably taken a little too far.”

Though Towers clarified that he did not want his pitchers to hurt an opposing batsmen, he made it clear that he wanted the players and coaches to show more fire against any irreverence to the team from opposing players.