Josh Beckett was suspended for 6 games (In the end, the suspension is only for 1 start) after throwing over the head Bobby Abreu on Sunday. This action caused a bench clearing shouting match. It seems silly that he was suspended for his actions and not ejected from the game on Sunday. This would create a clear-cut no tolerance policy which would discourage this type of behavior in the future.
On the field, the Red Sox have had a rough start. Usually, I wouldn't worry, but the problem is the Sox haven't been putting up runs and their biggest weakness this offseason was replacing the bat of Manny Ramirez. They never addressed this problem. In 7 games they have only scored 24 runs.
I was discussing early season worry with a well-known supporter of this blog last week and he said you should only worry if a team's fatal flaw manifests itself early in the season. I agree with him and that is exactly what is happening with the Sox. Hopefully, Mike Lowell and David Ortiz will start hitting or they can go get someone before the All-Star break. With the Rays and Yankees you can't get too far behind, even in April.
3 comments:
That has always confused me in all sports: how can one be suspended or fined for in game activities when the action drew no penalty during the game? If Beckett is being punished shouldn't the umps be punished for not ejecting him?
exactly
There's no question the umpires in that game handled the incident poorly. They may have been punished, but I don't believe MLB releases that sort of information. As for the suspension and fine, I think it is justified, and surely the league can review in-game incidents and punish players accordingly.
Post a Comment