Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Suspending a Starting Pitcher
Posted by Jacob JacksonRoger Clemens' five-game suspension for intentionally beaning Alexis Rios begs the question - should MLB re-evaluate starting pitcher suspensions? Although the Yankees didn't choose to do this, a five-game suspension could simply become an extra of rest for a starting pitcher. It's hardly the same penalty as, say, a three-game suspension to a team's elite hitter. With the appeals process as it is, a pitcher could simply elect to serve his suspension the day after a tiresome, 120-pitch start, and the team would lose absolutely nothing with his five-game suspension. That's far different than losing a middle-of-the-order hitter for a few days.
In the case of starting pitchers, the punishments don't seem to fit the crime.
Jacob Jackson is a high school English teacher and basketball coach in Santa Clara, California. He regularly bores the fine readers of AthleticsNation.com with 40-man roster analysis and service-time seminars, and nothing short of an unexpected phone call from David Forst or Billy Beane will put them out of their misery. He welcomes comments at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).