Normally, it’s getting to the time of year where the Flyin’ Hawaiian, Shane Victorino should be able to take a day or two off, however after spending lengthy stints on the DL with hamstring and thumb injuries this time off is not the kind the club wants.
Of course you know about the incident which took place last Friday which resulted in Victorino being suspended for three games, but nobody else involved in the encounter from either team was suspended.
Do I smell a MLB conspiracy to slow down the Phils? No, but the fact remains the suspensions and punishments given out were not fair or equal.
San Francisco Giant pitcher Ramon Ramirez should have been handed at least a one-game suspension. Giants catch Eli Whiteside should get at least an equal suspension to Victorino’s. After watching the incident several times there is no doubt that Whiteside played an equal role in escalating the situation as Victorino did.
Let’s walk back through it. Victorino took exception to being hit on purpose in a blow out game. He took a few steps toward the pitchers mound with questionable motive, but the All-Star contends he had no plans to charge Ramirez.
The aggressor that seemed to start the extracurricular activity was Whiteside, who looked like he was ready for a street fight. He was bouncing around on his toes in front of Shane and then immediately tackling Placido Polanco when he came in from first base.
The Phillies All-Star outfielder did push the home plate umpire Mike Muchlinski and hitting coach Greg Gross to get in to the mosh pit of players, but the fact that he was the only player suspended is a complete joke. That is not to say that the suspension was unwarranted, but to be the only player from either side suspended, I will have to respectfully disagree with the MLB on that one.
The Giants are sticking with ‘we didn’t throw at him on purpose’ but that story is getting harder to believe. “I just called for a fastball inside, and it was a little too far inside,” Whiteside said.
The Giants are a team that prides themselves on their pitching, and Friday was one of those nights where they were getting roughed up and wanted to send a message. Perhaps that message was ‘we aren’t scared of you,’ which they have played like over the past two seasons. Victorino’s response ‘you ought to be.
Shane will appeal his three-game suspension in hopes for a reduction, meanwhile he is still allowed to play until the league has its hearing. His suspension can be added to a long and growing list of MLB suspensions that seem quite frankly arbitrary and suspect to say the least.
