A tradition as old as baseball. The "beanball"

Throwing at a batter.

Is this tradition based upon emotion or strategy?

It's not like teams do this when the game is in hand. Managers sometimes direct pitchers to put the tying or winning run on base simply to prove a point. That point of course being that - "we are idiots by intentionally placing an important run on base."

I just don't get it. I mean, I can understand if you don't want your players being thrown at. Completely understandable. And, if the game is out of hand, I can understand emotions playing a role in the decision to throw at another player. That's always been a part of the game. Call it self policing.

What I think is absolutely ludicrous is retaliating in a close ball game. Whether manager directed or pitcher directed this is simply an egregious decision in the game of baseball.