LAND OF THE LOST
Stanton’s gaffe, Gray’s struggles at center of another ugly defeat to rival Sox
BOSTON — What we have learned over the years is that nothing moves the institution of baseball to do the right thing like a devastating episode.
Buster Posey incurred a fractured fibula and torn ligaments in his ankle and was lost for the final four months of a season, and rules were devised to lessen home plate collisions.
Ruben Tejada suffered a fractured fibula in a 2015 NL Division Series, and the following season there were rules put in place to try to better protect pivot men at second base.
A young girl suffered multiple facial fractures and bleeding on her brain after being struck by a Todd Frazier foul line drive last season, and this year all 30 teams have expanded netting to try to better protect fans.
So, rather than proactive legislation, we will wait for the horrific from a “purpose” pitch and the often subsequent on-field melees before we see stricter rules trying to tamp down on the dangerous possibilities of an errant fastball, landed punch or unsuspected player rolled up at the knee in a chaotic, onfield free-for-all.
The Yankees and Red Sox played out their machismo parts Wednesday night, and in the aftermath there were an awful lot of “The Rivalry is back” choruses. Really? Look, I hate the way players from different teams fraternize these days and wish the players could work up the animus for the opposition that exists in the fan bases. But there is a line between playing passionately and hard and playing stupidly and dangerous.
If the Yankees and Red Sox cannot elevate fan interest via their history and current status as the AL East favorites, then baseball has a problem that improving pace of play, for example, is not going to improve.
What happened Wednesday began in the third inning with Tyler Austin’s lack of baseball awareness. There were runners on first (Austin) and second when Tyler Wade attempted to sacrifice both into scoring position. Rafael Devers charged and tried to get the force at second. I know Wade is the fastest Yankee, therefore Austin has to know it. In other words, there was no need for any kind of aggressiveness to break up a potential double play. Brock Holt is not even going to try to throw to first.
Still, Austin went in a tad late and slightly high, and Holt was slow to get out of the way, and yet from a tad, slightly and slowly, the Yanks and Red Sox ended up in five-alarm fury. Perhaps the slide rules changed after the Tejada/Chase Utley incident made everyone too touchy. Can you imagine if we got a Hal McRae/Willie Randolph takeout? Heck, afterward even Holt said he probably shouldn’t have said what he said to Austin. Nevertheless, in the moment, both benches and pens emptied.
In the seventh, Joe Kelly hit Austin and an elevated baseball fracas followed.
I know we will never completely legislate this out of the game, in part because there are those who feel we are softening baseball too much and you have to let the players enforce some unwritten code. With that in mind, I think there are items we can address in both the unwritten and written codes:
1. One shot: I know there are those who defend pitchers doing things the “right way” — aka, hitting a player lower on his body and nowhere near his head. But that is acting like every pitcher is an expert marksman. In this case, Kelly’s career has not advanced as far as his stuff dictates it should because he lacks control and also because he does not throw inside much. In addition, it was a cold night on which every pitcher was having difficulty with grip. Is this the guy who should be doling out frontier justice in these conditions?
If so, then the unwritten code upheld by the players should be one shot. Kelly missed on an 0-1 “purpose” pitch near Austin’s legs. That should have been it, especially for an inaccurate pitcher. You miss, tough luck. Instead, he then hit Austin near the ribs with a 97.7-mph fastball.
2. No bullpens: In the NBA, the worst of the melees have been dulled by not allowing players on the bench to cross onto the court during skirmishes. In baseball, we do not need relievers running 300-400 feet to join the fray. It will be an even fight between those on the field and those coming from the dugouts.
The extra bodies cause a larger potential for damage, a harder situation to break up and a more difficult body count to sort through to dole out punishment by MLB. Leaving the bullpen should equal a 25-game suspension.
3. No equipment: It is bad enough a baseball is being heaved in anger. The rule should be heave a bat, a helmet or a glove at someone and it is a 25-game suspension.
4. Be adults: Managers and coaches need to be the adults in this situation. I know the desire to protect your own, but in the moment the protection should come from breaking up the altercations. Defend verbally in postgame quotes. If it is determined a manager or coach heightened tensions on the field, it is a 25-game suspension.