[Jim Porter]

A few points from me...

If the crew felt that Clemens did not intentionally throw the bat at Piazza, he should've remained in the game. ML players have been throwing their bats for decades without being tossed. Good call by the crew. They used their judgment and, based on that, made the right decision. If Clemens had been tossed we'd all be talking about the umpires deciding the fate of a World Series game. Don't forget the Yankees have no bullpen.

When Robinson levies a fine, it must be overdone. He has learned from the John Rocker episode. Rocker was fined $20,000. His appeal got him $500. Clemens won't be paying more than $1000 once all is said and done. To a player making $17 million, this is not even a slap on the wrist.

Robinson had to react, and react quickly. This topic just keeps going and going. It was a major distraction to the Series. The media wouldn't let it go, the fans wouldn't let it go. Robinson's fine was a big step in putting this episode behind MLB. That was its intent. It was not intended to actually be a sanction. Suspension would have been a sanction.