The Arizona Diamondbacks certainly got the worst of the suspensions handed down by MLB on Friday related to Tuesday's brawl with the Los Angeles Dodgers. And some of the D-backs players are none too pleased.
Eight players or coaches were suspended from both teams, totaling 24 games. Fifteen of those went to two Diamondbacks players — pitcher Ian Kennedy, who got a 10-game punishment and utility man Eric Hinske, who was suspended five games. Both of those are pending appeals.
A few Diamondbacks players vented their frustrations on Twitter, led by pitcher Brandon McCarthy, baseball's unanimous king of 140 characters:
"I had him in fantasy once and he killed me so...five games?"- how I assume someone from MLB decided on Hinske's suspension
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) June 14, 2013
Have you ever watched people who are bad at math try to split a bill? Basically that's how I picture the process of deciding brawl penalties
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) June 14, 2013
Outfielder Adam Eaton, who is on the disabled list, weighed in:
We got hosed on the suspensions. Where they watching the same game that we were? #confused #headlocksandhaymakers
— Adam Eaton (@AdamSpankyEaton) June 14, 2013
Pitcher Brad Ziegler compared the situation to when umpires blew a call — even after using instant replay — during an A's-Indians game earlier this season:
MLB must've used the replay technology from Cleveland to review the brawl, bc they sure missed a lot of what was happening in the scuffle.
— Brad Ziegler (@BradZiegler) June 14, 2013
It's a joke that throwing at someone is viewed as so much worse than running off the bench, tackling people, and throwing haymakers.
— Brad Ziegler (@BradZiegler) June 14, 2013
Again, I'll say this: I have no problem w Kennedy's pre-appeal suspension. It's the others (or lack thereof) that are a joke.
— Brad Ziegler (@BradZiegler) June 14, 2013
Pitcher Daniel Hudson, who is on the disabled list after Tommy John surgery and is likely facing another, says this, referring to Yasiel Puig only getting fined:
So if you throw punches when the benches clear, you get fined. You get sucker punched, you get suspended five games. Makes sense #not
— Daniel Hudson (@DHuddy41) June 14, 2013
At the heart of the argument, even though the D-backs players are careful not to name names, is the fact that Puig didn't get suspended but Hinske did. And they seem to have a point.
If you watch the video of the brawl, you'll see that Puig was clearly more aggressive than Hinske. At :35 Puig punches or slaps a ducking Hinkse on the back. This was after Puig rushed a throng of players. Hinkse then pushed Puig away.
Hinske was in the mix during the melee (like plenty of players were), but he didn't seem to have the "I'm going to get someone" energy that Puig did. If you're going to rank the players who did the most wrong, which is what these suspension do, it doesn't seem fair that Hinske is No. 2. Nor does it seem fair that Puig isn't suspended at all.
Of course, Puig is more valuable to his team right now than anyone else involved. Losing him for even one game would probably hurt the Dodgers more than Hinske being forced to miss five games would hurt the D-backs. Simply because Hinske isn't an everyday player.
There's a chance — with a successful appeal — that Hinske's suspension gets knocked down a few games. But Puig won't magically get suspended. And the Dodgers have to be thrilled about that.
Baseball season's in full swing. Don't miss a thing.
Follow @MikeOz and @bigleaguestew, on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page.
No comments:
Post a Comment