Retaliation

MLB Makes It Official With Suspensions: Head-Hunting Is Worse Than Charging The Opposition

Supensions have been handed down for Tuesday’s Reds-Pirates brawl, and there are some doozies:

  • Keone Kela: 10 games
  • Amir Garrett: Eight games
  • Jose Osuna: Five games
  • Jared Hughes: Three games
  • Kyle Crick: Three games
  • Yasiel Puig: Three games
  • David Bell: Six games
  • Clint Hurdle: Two games

There’s a lot to read into this. Kela’s obvious head-hunting—not to mention his admission of it after the fact—is seen in the league office as more offensive than Amir Garrett literally rushing the Pirates’ dugout to throw punches. Ten games is no small matter, but neither is a pitcher reckless enough to target an opponent’s head. (The fact that Kela had just emerged from a team-issued suspension after an altercation with a Pirates employee, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, does not speak well to his general temperament.)

Ultimately, displays like Garrett’s are exceedingly rare. Displays like Kela’s, unfortunately, are not. Good on the league office for sending this particular message.

Hughes’ suspension seems like an attempt to keep things even-handed, even though his came in below the waist.

Bell’s suspension—earned for returning to the field following an ejection with malevolence aforethought—was expected. Hurdle’s—for his team’s “multiple intentional pitches thrown at [Derek] Dietrich this season”—was not. Looks like Joe Torre has officially had his fill of Pittsburgh’s tendencies when it comes to targeting opponents.

The rest of the suspensions—plus fines for Trevor Williams, Joey Votto and Phillip Ervin—are an effort by the Commissioner’s office not just to take a stance against fighting, but against fighting between these particular teams.

“The incidents between these two Clubs remain a source of concern, and it’s reflected by the level of discipline we are handing down today,” said Torre in a statement.

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