Sadly, there is no way of noting “HBP that didn’t hurt very much” in the boxscore. From the Boston Globe’s Chris Snow :
In the top of the seventh inning, a bending Mike Myers offering plunked J.T. Snow in the upper arm. In the bottom of the seventh, a David Riske splitter found Derek Jeter’s back. In the top of the eighth, the first ball to leave Tanyon Sturtze’s hand shot into Mike Lowell’s backside. And there was home plate umpire Wally Bell, walking toward the mound, pointing to each dugout, a warning issued.
”I thought it was a joke,” said Riske, who surrendered a two-run game-deciding homer in the seventh to Luis Garcia. ”I hit him with a split. If I’m going to hit someone it’s going to be with a fastball.”
Some initiation for the newest members of the Red Sox, in the only meeting with the Yankees this spring, an affair that ended 5-4, Yankees, before a satisfied 10,334 at Legends Field.
”Actually,” Sox manager Terry Francona said, when asked what he made of the parade of hit batsmen, ”I wasn’t too pleased about it. Derek got hit with a split. We knew it, they knew it.”
Sturtze, approached by reporters, said, ”I don’t care about what they get upset about. They can get upset about whatever. I was trying to come in with a fastball . . . and it just got away. I’m struggling with my location and just missed.”
Diplomatic Yankees manager Joe Torre shook his head and said, ”We’re still trying to get in shape . . . spring training.”
Depending on whether or not Mike Lowell’s full salary would be paid by the insurance company were he seriously beaned, that might be why the Red Sox (ownership) would be upset. There’s a right way and a wrong way to pitch inside, as Curt Schilling would gladly tell you if you had a spare two hours.