# Should athletes go easy on a retiring opponent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 16, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-go-easy-on-a-retiring-opponent/674026 "2013-11-16T00:25:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-go-easy-on-a-retiring-opponent/674026/41 "2013-11-27T17:57:13Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Seriously though, I’m inclined to say athletes should go easy on a retiring opponent to an extent. Not insultingly so, but I think the retiring player should be ensured a respectable account of themselves (ie score) as a dignified send-off. And in other news from down under, the entire English cricket team announced their intention to retire following the next test. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-go-easy-on-a-retiring-opponent/674026/42 "2013-11-27T20:35:52Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Those don’t really exist either. Or rather, they do, but no one gives a shit if Whitey Ford grooves one for Reggie Jackson during Old Timer’s Day. Those games occur after the athlete has required and don’t count as a “last game.” > > Side question, do any MLB teams have Old Timer’s games anymore? The Yankees still do, although they only play 3 innings (or until the set time limit is up) and there isn’t a lot of structure - both teams wear the pinstripes and players occasionally shift from team to team during the game. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-go-easy-on-a-retiring-opponent/674026/43 "2013-11-29T00:48:37Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Most of those words appear to be English, but I’ve never seen then written in that order before. I love the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-go-easy-on-a-retiring-opponent/674026/44 "2013-11-29T03:22:11Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > In cricket the bowler (pitcher for you yanks) is trying to dismiss ( get out) the batsman. However as a single time at bat for a player can see him face dozens of even hundreds of deliveries, the game is a lot more strategic than that. As the bowler is (mostly) allowed to hit the striker with the ball, it’s a common sight to send down barrages of deliveries which threaten actual bodily harm to the batsmanship head and upper body. If someone is in his last game, such an attempt to injure him might be in bad taste ad you can easily dismiss him without such tactics. Incidentally such tactics are called “short pitched bowling” or simply “short”. > > There is one example of a team captain telling his bowlers tag the would geld the first one who bowled short at a teenage player. If any of those funny 'Merkin types are interested in finding out more, you can google “Bodyline” tour - which was pretty infamous at the time. Also to note, for a cricket test a pretty typical combined score in two innings would be of the order of 700 or 800 runs - going easy to allow a retiring batsman to reach 100 once he is already in the 90s (for example) is pretty small potatoes in the grand scheme of a 5 day test match. And besides - cricket is supposed to be a gentleman’s game (although the Australians don’t seem to understand that) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-athletes-go-easy-on-a-retiring-opponent/674026.md?page=2)