MLB needs to Revoke Retaliation
Retaliation has bin an impact to the Major League Baseball for several years. Retaliation is a way of revenge by doing something to the other team because of their actions. But recently it has bin out of control and consequences needs to be enforced. Pitchers have bin throwing pitches to batters up high or even in the low part of there body as a warning to the other team. This leads to retaliation to other team, as the other pitcher will do the same and chaos erupts. The benches will clear and the officiating crew has to take action to resolve the conflict. My question is this, why doesn’t the league give out harsh punishments for pitches to the head? The MLB has only fined pitchers and giving them a small suspension. This is a very serious issue that needs to be resolved! Batters have bin severely injured from this issue and where some have to end there career because of this tragic controversy. But Kurjian believes retaliation should be allowed due to the fact that the players are trying to protect one another by the opponents actions. Retaliation needs to be revoked in the MLB due to the fact that it is causing a unsafe environment during the game due to the fact its causing too many injuries such as concussions or even brain trauma.
A recent conflict of retaliation has occurred when the Boston Red Sox faced the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore. Third baseman Manny Machado illegally slide to second base and injured Red Sox star Dustin Pedoria for a couple days. The Red Sox retaliated on the next day when Matt Barnes purposely threw a high fast ball to the head of Machado. This is the wrong way to retaliate in baseball. Throwing a fastball to a defensive batter to the head is wrong due to that fact it could severely injured him permanently. Barnes was only suspended four games which is shocking! This suspension should be longer to discipline the pitcher’s actions. However this situation went on for numerous days as the Red Sox still continued to retaliate by attempting to hit Machado in Boston. On May 1, Machado’s post game stated “They’re still thinking the slide that I did when I had no intention of hurting anybody,’’ Machado said. “And I’m still trying to get hit at. Thrown at my (expletive) head. (Expletive) thrown at everywhere. MLB should do something about it. (Expletive) pitchers go out there with their (expletive) balls in their hand and throwing 100 mph trying to hit people. I got a (expletive) bat too. I can go up there and crush somebody if I wanted to, but you know what, I’ll get suspended for the year and the pitcher will only get suspended for two games”(qtd. Nihtengale).
Retaliation in the MLB has become a bit of a hot topic in the recent years. But the way these players handle it, is becoming dangerous. Batters have gotten pitched to the head and are usually diagnosed with concussions. This situation with the concussion protocol can take a long time for the batters to play again. By law no athlete cannot perform any sport activity until cleared of the protocol. This incident can lead to brain trauma from pitches to the head. This conflict can take weeks, months, or even years to recover from the injury but sometimes the brain could become permanently damaged an have no choice to retire for their safety. Retaliation is unfortunately not a rule to follow in the MLB policy which is truly unacceptable. The MLB can only just give harsh consequences by ejecting the players and giving them small suspensions. Retaliation is no a everyday affair in the MLB, we never know when retaliation can occur. But we can determine when retaliation when a pitcher doesn’t like what batters does after at bat or even if a pitcher is frustrated with he game. This can lead to the beginning of retaliation. I wonder why it is “ok” to throw a 90 mph fastball at a batter and possibly injuring him to prove a point. At the end of the day we all know that we don’t know where the ball will go at any point when the pitchers throws it. But when conflicts has happened prior before hitting a batter, its a bit clearer that it is a sign of “payback”.
A famous baseball from the Boson Red Sox named Tony Conigliaro was struck in the face by Jack Hamilton which led to a dislocation to his jaw, crack left cheekbone and damaged his retina in his left eye. The writer states that Tony was losing his eye vision the next fours after this conflict(Silva). After returning 4 years later, the game he loved Tony played for 21 gamed and was playing DH. This lead him to retire at an early age because of a horrific tragic one day. Eight years later, at the age of 45 Tony Conigliaro passed away in a coma. This pitch to the head gives proof of how dangerous pitchers can retaliate and could end careers or even lives. Tony;s death will never be forgotten in the MLB; as one pitch changed his life forever.
To clarify on retaliation in the MLB [Fielder] points out that throwing a ball at a batter that is 90 mph or faster is assault”It’s only between the foul lines that a violent felony is instead viewed as enforcing the game’s unwritten rules. But that’s the biggest problem in stopping such assaults. Batters are being targeted by pitchers an could be severely injured and where it can become an assault. Nobody can agree on what the game’s unwritten rules are—presumably because they’re not codified and are thus subject to the whims of the various players and managers interpreting them that day.” [Fielder] points out that pitchers are enforced to do this by there head coach due to the fact the other team had offended them. This however becomes a war on the field with the pitchers hitting the opposing batter and where retaliation is considered to be an unwritten rule.
(Kurkjian) points out that retaliation is good to have in the MLB. Players need to retaliate through pitchers to hit the batters because of the batters actions before. Pitchers are usually told to hit a certain player or even a innocent player at the opposing team to prove a point. (Kurkjian) states that players sometimes wait for years to retaliate to a certain player because of there actions years ago. “The first pitch in batting practice, Farmer hit Gross right in the middle of the back with a fastball at 90 mph.”
“What was that for!” Gross screamed at Farmer.
“That was for three years ago!” Farmer yelled at Gross.
“OK,” Gross said.
Usually when a pitcher has hit the opposing batter at least once, they feel like there even and everything is fine. Retaliation makes this sport very interesting when pitchers retaliate and also fans enjoy it when both teams clear the benches due to the actions that occurred. Pitchers unusually retaliate with the first batter they pitch t after there teammate was struck. The pitcher wants to send a message to the other team and wanting to be even with the other team after the conflict. But it just leads to chaos because the other team will retaliate due to that which forms a chain in the game.
In conclusion to this topic, will next year be the year the MLB organization to do something about this? A long suspension when hitting the batter up high and banning retaliation should be the solution to this topic. The MLB needs to protect there batters when approaching to the batters box. I understand that pitchers retaliate when there own teammates get hurt through illegal slides, pitches, or even being taunted by the opposing teammate. But let the committee handle the situation off the field with consequences and not allow pitchers to retaliate. Retaliation in the MLB becomes an assault in the game when pitchers hit batters as a sign of “payback”. With retaliation revoked in the MLB, the batters and other players will be a bit more safer and not targeted by pitchers.
Kurkjian, Tim. “Will L.A. Retaliate against San Diego?” ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 15 Apr. 2013
Felder, Adam. “Battering the Batter.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 05 May 2015.