Suspensions Come Down

MLB meted out punishment for the fight between Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland. Strickland gets six games, Harper four games.

Both players will appeal the decision, meaning both will remain active Tuesday night.

The four games given Harper, assuming they stand on appeal, represent a moderate punishment relative to those doled out for similar fighting incidents. The longest suspension given for fighting is 10 games. Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor received an eight-game suspension after he landed a punch against Blue Jays’ slugger Jose Bautista last season. In other words, MLB did not come down particularly harshly on Harper, though it did not take it easy, either.

I’m glad Strickland got the longer punishment. As I’ve written in the past, intentionally throwing at a batter should be a major deal, and the pitcher suspended for a very long time. I understand that fighting can lead to injuries for a ton of other players, but if the pitcher knows he is going to lose a month of pay, he may be less likely to throw at fastball directly at a batter.

The Giants aren’t really sticking up for Strickland, either:

For what it’s worth, here’s what Posey told reporters, including KNBR’s Sam Hustis, about the brawl after the game:

“Well I mean after it happened, I kind of saw Harper’s point,” Posey told reporters following the Nationals 3-0 win. “Next thing you know, he’s going out after him. Those are some big guys tumbling around on the ground.
“You see Mike Morse, is about as big as they come, and he was getting knocked around like a pinball. So…be a little dangerous to get in there sometimes.”

The Giants talked to Strickland about his hot head back in the 2014 World Series:

When Perez was headed toward home plate, Strickland started jawing at him. Players came out of both dugouts, and in this instance, Giants catcher Buster Posey seemed to tell Strickland to calm down.

Strickland appeared to be ready to fight.

After the game, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said: “He’s a really intense kid. That’s probably an area he’s going to have to keep his poise. … He’s a tough kid. He shows his emotions. But it’s an area he probably has to work on, because you’re going to give up a home run occasionally.”

I guess that didn’t sink in.

from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/2rhXisZ