Letters: Zack Greinke, Padres’ Carlos Quentin heat up fans

San Diego Padres’ player Carlos Quentin breaks Zack Greinke’s collarbone after being hit by a pitch.

But let us see clearly what Carlos Quentin really is, a criminal who admits that he was settling an old score. It was not just a fight in the heat of the moment. I would be facing prosecution from the district attorney for such actions. Unfortunately, thugs who are professional athletes often get a pass on criminal behavior, particularly if they hide their criminal actions within the confines of a ballpark.

Larry T. McPherson

Quartz Hill

::

Zack Greinke got what he deserved. He has thrown at Carlos Quentin before, and it was clearly retaliation for the brushback pitch to Matt Kemp. Greinke gets paid $147 million because he can get people out. He does not care if he has to put a runner on base. It is all about ego. The league needs to suspend pitchers for this before someone gets killed.

Riley Perry

Los Angeles

::

Urgent message to Zack Greinke: The next time Carlos Quentin, the most “hit” batter in baseball, charges the mound. Have a red cape handy and know how to use it.

Bob Ginn

Arcadia

::

When the San Diego Padres close their season on Sept. 29, what will be the highlight of their year?

A. Finishing in last place only 27½ games out of first.

B. A season-high two-game winning streak.

C. Getting to play golf in early October before all of the playoff teams.

D. A lifetime .250 hitter physically attacking and knocking a Dodgers star starter out of the lineup.

Same old Padres and you know the answer. Like usual it is “D.”

Scott Daloisio

Chino

::

I guess I’m just old school. I thought it was always an unwritten but hard-fast rule of baseball that it’s the $500,000 catcher’s job to get between the hit batter, and his $150-million pitcher! The Dodgers should trade A.J. Ellis for someone savvy and tough, or this may happen again.

Spike Tucker

Lompoc

::

In hearing Don Mattingly’s restrained comments after the Dodgers-Padres game on Thursday, I wondered what Tommy Lasorda would have said if he were asked what he thought of Carlos Quentin’s performance.

::

Ken Feldman

Los Angeles

Comparing Nash and World Peace

I don’t know if deliberate or not, but the piece on Metta World Peace’s miraculous return from knee surgery after less than two weeks was immediately followed by a note on Steve Nash missing his fourth game due to “hip and hamstring soreness.” It really says all one needs to know about these two men.

Jim B. Parsons

Carpinteria

Scioscia’s Teflon

may wear thin

Granted, it’s not Mike Scioscia’s fault that Jered Weaver’s elbow is broken; nor have any of the many Angels’ injuries been the fault of Scioscia. But a manager is only as good as his team’s record, and in recent seasons, the Angels’ record, despite Arte Moreno’s spending tons and tons of money, is poor. Moreno has three bad contracts that are and will continue to drag the Angels down: Scioscia’s, Albert Pujols’ and Josh Hamilton’s.

Scioscia is the Ben Howland of L.A. baseball — living on the fumes of the 2002 World Series; and the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers got the best years of Pujols and Hamilton respectively.

Prediction: Scioscia gets fired before June 15.

Charles L. Freeman

Baldwin Hills

::

As the Angels continue their descent in the American League West, look for sportswriters and club management to display the usual phony surprise.

A team that blew six- to eight-run leads last year did almost nothing to shore up its pitching; instead threw a ton of money at a hitter with a history of emotional issues while low-balling the most exciting new player in the game.

They aren’t winning? What a shock! How could this be?!

Look for management (and particularly ownership) to pin their unearned “disappointment” on Manager Mike Scioscia, and soon.

Michael Jenning

Van Nuys

::

The Angels need Kobe Bryant. I don’t care if he can’t hit a lick or throw or catch. They need him and his no-lose attitude. Please, Kobe, consider coming over to the Angels, at least in the clubhouse. You’re going to have a lot of time on your hands real soon. Please help.

Jay Schuster

Sherman Oaks

Kings needto wake up

There should be concern in the Kings’ coaching and management circles about how the team is performing lately. There certainly is with me. Within the last 10 days, they blew a two-goal lead in the third period, their period of excellence, and although salvaging a point, goalie Jonathan Quick looked like he never saw a shootout before. Then there was the Dallas game this week, when they were lit by the depleted Stars in the third period. and not the other way around. Fortunately, there is no shootout in the playoffs. If this is just a brief period of ennui/short-season fatigue, the time to end it is now. Beating Anaheim on Saturday will be telling.

Bruce N. Miller

Playa del Rey

This one wasout of bounds

When I opened to the sports section Saturday I was disgusted by the headline of the top story, “Lakers Survive in a Gasp Chamber,” referring to the Lakers’ narrow victory over Memphis on Friday night. Making a pun at the expense of the suffering and extermination of millions upon millions of victims murdered by the Nazi regime, and on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day no less, is completely unacceptable. I am a die-hard Lakers fan, but I find it completely unconscionable to attempt to compare their struggles to those lives extinguished in the concentration camps of Europe. Please ensure that this never happens again.

Matt Rutta

Encino

::

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Mail: Sports Viewpoint

Los Angeles Times

202 W. 1st St.

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Fax: (213) 237-4322

Email:

sports@latimes.com