Turns out that David Ortiz got a 5 game suspension for throwing the bats at the umpires... and Carlos Zambrano a five game suspension for hitting Jim Edmonds. Maybe it's just my view point as an umpire, but I think the bat throwing was worse than hitting a batter and I also think 5 games isn't long enough. Opinions?

Ortiz is a postion player, suspending him for five games will make him miss five games that he would have played in.

Zambrano is a starting pitcher. He plays once every five days. So suspending him for 5 games only makes him miss one start.

He may pitch on day 6, which means he does not miss a start he just gets moved in the rotation. Suspending a pitcher for 5 days seems like a useless penalty. It gives an extra day off.

Do not see that happening
 

They are not going to pitch Zambrano on the 6th day. That would mess up their entire lineup.

Re: Do not see that happening
 

I bet they go with Sergio Mitre.

They suspended the pitcher for five GAMES, not five DAYS. He could pitch in three days if they had three doubleheaders and if they had a bunch of rain days he might not pitch for a week or two. G

I understand that. They are at the point of the season where they do not have many days off.

Its not even consecutive games
 

Ortiz got 5 games, but it won't be 5 consecutive...

He'll sit for 2 or 3, appeal (which means he can play) just in time for the Sox/Yankees series, then he'll drop his appeal and sit against the Devil Rays or the Blue Jays or some other also-ran.

Re: Its not even consecutive games
 

Why do they allow this? I don't understand how players are able to decide which games to sit out.

They are allowed to play while appealing there punishment because if the suspension is reduced, they may have sit out more games then they are actually suspended.

The player has X number or days to file an appeal so there is some wiggle room in terms of what games they sit out. I'm sure it was agreed to in the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players association.

The ortiz incident was less intentional... I mean he meant to throw the bats on the field, but not really at an umpire or as hard as he did. And he has since apologized including a face-to-fae apology to the umpire.

AND Zambrano hit edmonds TWICE in that game, the second one immediatly following a homerun. Zambrano has yet to apologize or admit he did anything wrong... (but these days most of the cubs are acting like babies anyways)

So to answer the original comment, NO I don't think the bat throwing was worse than hitting a batter.

Yep it is common practice for a pitcher to apologize after intentionally hitting a batter. I think this is the first time in the history of baseball where the pitcher did not apologize. Zambrano thought Edmonds showed him up after he hit a homerun. So Zambrano hit Edmonds in his thigh. What is the big deal?

"Zambrano thought Edmonds showed him up after he hit a homerun. So Zambrano hit Edmonds in his thigh. What is the big deal?"

Yeah cause thats definatly the mature way to handle things... intentionally attempting to hit and/or injure a player... whats the big deal? I thought the rulebook said your supposed to do that... or wait no its against the rules and dangerous thats right...

Peoples emotions get the most of them sometimes, Ortiz had one of those moments where he lost his cool. Zambrano is just a jerk that runs around the league picking fights all the time and only with people he knows won't fight him back like Edmonds. My challenge to him is hit Albert Pujols like that and see what happens... he'd be in a hospital right now most likely... ESPECIALLY since when it happened the cardinals started to rush the field and NOT A SINGLE cub player left the dugout, why? they knew he was WRONG to do it... they knew he was being a baby. Even immediatly afterwards Alou told Zambrano to knock it off and if Edmonds hits a homerun and wants to stand at the plate and look at it thats his RIGHT.

And to Dusty Baker who said Edmonds spent too long watching the ball... HAVE YOU LOOKED AT SAMMY "THE SHOWOFF" SOSA LATELY!?

But all the arguing and fighting and suspension means nothing since... oh yeah thats right... the Cards are still 9 games up!


Yeah I'm a Cards fan :)

Yeah that makes a lot of sense. The reason he hit Edmonds was because he likes picking fights and he knows Edmonds won't fight back. It is not at all because he thought Edmonds showed him up.

You are calling Zambrano the hot head? How about the whole Cardinals team who decides to rush the field looking for a fight, only to see the other team is not looking for one.

The left fielder told the pitcher to knock it off? Seems like more of a job for the catcher. And I'm sure you were within earshot of Alou to hear what he said.

Just like it's the batter's right to look and see where the catcher is set up before each pitch, right?

I heard on WGN today what is going on, Zambrano is taking the suspension now. Because of the Cubs having an off day on Monday, the they were able to work it out so that Zambrano was just moved back a day, and all the othere pitchers were albe to pitch on their normal rest.