Severe penalties for brawl
Both managers, six players on list
Major League Baseball handed out suspensions and fines for the brawl Tuesday night between the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, and they were not minor.
Six players were suspended and fined plus both managers and several more fines were issued.
Keone Kela, whose highandinside pitch to Derek Dietrich set the whole thing off, received a 10- game suspension; Jose Osuna got five games for “his aggressive and inappropriate actions during the ninth inning incident.”
Osuna was not ejected from the game; however, something must have been evident on the video Major League Baseball reviewed.
Pirates manager Clint
Hurdle was suspended for two games “for his [ c] lub’s conduct during the incident and his [ c] lub’s multiple intentional pitches thrown at Dietrich this season.”
Kyle Crick received a three- game suspension, and Trevor Williams was fined, as were other players on both sides who were on the injured list at the time of the incident.
On the Reds side, Amir Garrett, who charged at the Pirates dugout and threw the first punch, got an eightgame suspension. Williams incurred his fine for inciting Garrett.
Jared Hughes got three games for intentionally throwing at — and hitting — Starling Marte in retaliation for what Kela did. Yasiel Puig, who was technically Cleveland Indians property at the time, received a threegame suspension.
Perhaps somewhat surprising was the fact that Reds manager David Bell got only a six- game suspension for his role in the incident. Bell was ejected for the seasonhigh eighth time this season and returned to the field when the fight started to go after Hurdle.
All of the aforementioned players and managers have received undisclosed fines.
The suspensions were set to begin Thursday for the Reds players — and Puig — and Friday for those on the Pirates, although all six players have decided to appeal, meaning they can play while that’s sorted out.
“The incidents between these two clubs remain a source of concern, and it’s reflected by the level of discipline we are handing down,“said Joe Torre, chief baseball officer for MLB. “Everyone on the field should be aware of the example they are setting for fans, particularly young people. I firmly expect these two managers and all others to hold their players accountable for appropriate conduct and to guide them in the right direction.”
Bell started his suspension Thursday; Hurdle will begin his Friday. It’s presumed that bench coach Tom Prince will be in charge.