Retaliation – a.k.a. throwing at an opposing hitter in response to an insulting or dangerous action – is a fairly common occurrence in MLB. While there are certainly different opinions on the matter, I’d argue that the majority of fans – and players – find it, more or less, necessary.

I learned a ton about playing catch from Pudge Rodriguez. He riffed on how important it was to throw the ball to your partner with authority. He said, “When I play catch, I’m trying to knock the other guy down. That trains my arm to know what to do when I try to throw a baserunner out instead of training it to toss the ball.” John Baker learned his lessons from Huston Street. His takeaway is meaningful. He shares, we learn. Enjoy. 

Edwin Jackson has had a pretty incredible career. He made his major-league debut on his 20th birthday in 2003, and beat Randy Johnson and the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2010, he threw the second no-hitter in D-backs history, despite walking eight batters and throwing 149 pitches. The last African-American pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the National League was Bob Gibson in 1971 against the Pirates. The man has worn a lot of uniforms. He has been a Dodger, a Ray, a Tiger, a Diamondback, a White Sock, a Cardinal, a National and a Cub. He will likely wear another uniform soon. Two more teams, and Edwin Jackson will have pitched for one-third of MLB’s franchises.

Florida Marlins catcher John Baker(notes) is writing an open-ended series of posts abouthis comeback from Tommy John surgery. Because he's someone who offers an informed opinion, we asked him to write about the recent Scott Cousins(notes)-Buster Posey play at the plate.