So what if he only has one arm?
Proctor has proven himself to be the only pitcher on the Yankees' staff willing to stand up for his teammates. Despite serving a four-game suspension earlier in the year for throwing at the over-emotional Yuniesky Betancourt, Proctor once again rode in on his white horse last night to defend the honor of his hitters.
Chien-Ming Wang hit Mike Lowell with a pitch much earlier in the game, clearly unintentionally. Then, three Yankees were hit by Red Sox pitches over the next five innings, capped off with Javier Lopez drilling Robinson Cano in the 9th. Proctor stepped up and threw high and tight to Kevin Franchise, who reacted like an eight-year-old girl whose older brother had just cut off her Barbie's hair.
Whenever Yankees are hit by pitches, they react in low-key, professional fashion, unless the intent is so obvious that it can't be ignored. When Red Sox players get hit, the tears start flowing and temper tantrums and histrionics ensue.
So, thank you, Scott Proctor, for finally showing that this team has a backbone. Of course, we must consider the possibility that Proctor was trying to get suspended, to give his rotting shell of a right arm another respite.
