San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin has been suspended eight games and fined an undisclosed amount for his role in the bench-clearing brawl between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. Major League Baseball made the announcement on Friday night, confirming a report by Yahoo! Sports's Jeff Passan. The melee resulted in Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke breaking his collarbone, which will require surgery and sideline him up to two months.
Our own Mike Oz provided a full account of the incident early Friday — including events that led to and followed Quentin charging the mound after being struck by Greinke's 3-2 pitch during the sixth inning of a game the Dodgers led 2-1.
The collision between the 6-foot-2, 235 pound Quentin and the 6-foot-2, 195 pound Greinke would best be compared to that of a lead blocker and a linebacker meeting in the hole on a football field. Both men lowered their left shoulders and crashed together. Quentin had the size advantage and the momentum, so it's not surprising Greinke got the worst of it.
According to MLB.com's Corey Brock, Quentin does feel remorse for Greinke's injury, but stands by his decision to get physical.
"It's an unfortunate situation," Quentin said. "I do have a lot of remorse that someone did get hurt.
"But I will repeat that I felt I had to protect myself and what happened on that field was a result that could have been avoided."
It turns out there's a little history between Quentin and Greinke that goes back to the 2009 when they were the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals respectively. It doesn't take much for that type of bad blood to reach the surface again, but Quentin should know there was no intent on the pitch. The pitch count and score made that clear. But I guess that's why Quentin insists he was provoked by expletive that apparently escaped Greinke's lips.
"What I saw was an expletive [from Greinke] and then whatever was directed towards me," Quentin said. "I didn't go out there until I was provoked to go out there."
Interesting choice of words. He saw an expletive (read lips, apparently), but what did he hear?
The eight game suspension is equal to the eight games Cleveland Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco received earlier in the day. Of course the length means something entirely different to an everyday position player compared to a starting pitcher who goes every fifth day, but I would not have argued with anything between 8-10 games for Quentin. Regardless of what was said, heard or seen, a little restraint under those circumstances would have saved everybody trouble. But there's nothing anybody can change now.
Well, I shouldn't say that since Quentin is officially appealing the suspension and is in San Diego's lineup Friday night against the Colorado Rockies.
Jeff Passan is reporting that it's a 'near certainty' the appeal will be cleared up in time to ensure Quentin will not be available for San Diego's series in Los Angeles beginning on Monday.
MLB also announced a one-game suspension for Dodgers utilityman Jerry Hairston. He also plans on appealing.
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