Ross Stripling Reveals He Probably Would've Intentionally Plunked an Astros Batter Had He Been Traded to Angels
By Sean Facey
If not for Arte Moreno's impatience, Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling would have been playing in Anaheim instead of Chavez Ravine in 2020. But alas, the trade between the Angels and Dodgers didn't come to pass.
Of course, both players were members of the 2017 Dodgers team that lost to the sign-stealing Houston Astros, who open their 2020 season against the Angels. Had Stripling in particular been pitching for the Halos, he admitted he probably would have intentionally hit an Astros batter.
When he thought he was being traded to the Angels, Ross Stripling started wrestling with whether he would intentionally throw at an Astros hitter to retaliate. He concluded he probably would, at the right time, in the right place. I think it’s a fascinating question.
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) February 14, 2020
Truth be told, there are probably plenty of pitchers across the league just like Stripling who would choose to send a message if given the chance.
However, the fact that he outright admitted he'd do it shows how much he hates the Astros now. It takes an awful lot of courage to bluntly say you'd intentionally bean a Houston batter.
Hear from @RossStripling about the trade that wasn’t and getting ready for 2020. https://t.co/Eddmn61Ojt
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) February 14, 2020
For the rest of his career, Stripling, like so many other players, will be left wondering about what could have been had the Astros had just played by the book. They forever changed the course of baseball history.
The fact that the players from Houston still get to share the same field as him is insulting, and it's easy to see why he'd be so ready to send the ball screaming into the batter's box.