Let’s everyone just cool down a little, huh? No need to air our dirty elephants in the room in public.

Shin-Soo Choo leads the league in receiving HBPs (19 this season) and the Pirates lead the majors in delivering them (37 this season). So maybe it was no surprise when Choo was hit in the leg by the first pitch of last night’s game. Maybe it was inevitable.

The Reds’ starting pitcher last night, Mat Latos, had something to say about it after the game, though. From the story on Reds. com:

“I think it’s time that somebody steps up and starts disciplining the team that’s drilled the most guys in the league,” Latos said after the game. “They’ve hit a lot of guys, whether it’s intentional or it’s by accident. Something has got to be done about it.”

It’s easy for me not to mind the HBPs myself, seeing as I’m not on the bruised end of the ball, but Brandon Phillips just finally made it back after having to sit out from an HBP. It’s all fun and games until our All-Stars can’t play.

That being said, the overwhelming timber of the comments I’ve seen on this topic has been of the “just take care of business and don’t talk about it” variety. And I have to agree.

I appreciate that Latos got fined the last time he retaliated, and I would be pissed off too if I were in his shoes, thinking that the Pirates weren’t getting any comeuppance. But my big concern about talking about it to the media is that the Reds will become the Cardinals. The last thing I want is for some Pirate to call the Reds “little bitches” like Brandon Phillips did the the Cards and be just as justified in doing it.