MLB Suspends & Fines Burnett
Via MLB.com -
Discipline has been issued to the two starting pitchers from the Tuesday, June 2nd game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Bob Watson, Vice President of On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement.
Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett has been suspended for six games and fined an undisclosed amount for intentionally throwing a pitch in the head area of Nelson Cruz of the Rangers during the top of the fifth inning. Burnett’s six-game suspension had been scheduled to begin this afternoon, when New York continues to host Texas, but he has elected to appeal. Thus, his suspension will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.
Major League Baseball also has issued an undisclosed fine to Rangers pitcher Vicente Padilla, who intentionally threw a pitch at Mark Teixeira of the Yankees during the bottom of the fourth inning.
So, A.J. Burnett did not hit a batter with a pitch and he was not ejected from the game in question. Yet, Bob Watson decides to fine and suspend him? Really?
What a joke.
isn’t this the same thing that happened to beckett? Granted this was in retaliation, and beckett was throwing behind abreu’s head..
Corey wrote:
And going by the article posted, Burnett was fined and suspended for throwing @ Cruz’s head.
behind is worse then in front, which is what i was gettin at
Corey wrote:
To me, that’s the difference here.
There’s a big difference between attacking someone who did nothing and attacking someone to defend a member of your family. And, it’s a huge difference between giving a batter a bow-tie and throwing behind his head – - a huge, huge, difference.
What a crock, Steve. They both threw at the head of the batter and missed. Its been a long, long time since baseball’s enforcement regime gave any concern to whether or not a pitcher “was defending a member of his family” whatever the hell that means.
@ OnceIWasAYankeeFan:
you don’t agree throwing behind some1′s head is worse then at?
Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett has been suspended for six games and fined an undisclosed amount for intentionally throwing a pitch in the head area of Nelson Cruz of the Rangers
Relevant part highlighted. Whether it’s at the head or behind or “in the head area,” expect a suspension if you throw in that area.
You might take a closer look at the video:
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090412&content_id=4237864&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos
Closer to his head? Probably. Behind him? Not exactly.
They both threw at the batter’s head. They both deserve six game suspensions. They are the same acts, which might have been tolerated a generation or two ago but haven’t been for quite some time.
OnceIWasAYankeeFan wrote:
You are wrong. MLB said Beckett’s suspension was based on his “aggressive actions after the pitch,” which caused the benches to clear. Huge difference.
Yeah, it’s bullspit.
But it’s consistent bullspit, at least. MLB has made it very clear they don’t want anyone throwing at hitter’s heads for any reason at any time.
I guess Hughes gets one more start, hunh?
Burnett could’ve made the same point by hitting him on the butt. Head hunting is stupid and dangerous. Good gor Watson.