Do Ejections Adequately Punish Pitchers Who Throw at Opposing Batters?

[Bashopolis]

If Major League Baseball really wants to stop pitchers from throwing at batters, they need to adjust the penalties for this offense.

Image courtesy of © Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

In the seventh inning of Saturday’s game between the Brewers and the Mets, Mets pitcher Yohan Ramírez “accidentally” threw a neck-high fastball behind Rhys Hoskins, who was at the center of Friday’s fracas between the teams and with whom the Mets have had issues for years. Hoskins was 3-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBIs for the game when he came to bat and found himself ducking.

Ramírez said it was an accident after the game. But the umpires didn’t see it that way during the heat of the action. They were pretty sure it was intentional; so was everyone watching the game. They ejected Ramírez from the game.

Was this justice for the Brewers? Well, they got to face a new pitcher and got ball one called on the pitch, because it was just a bit inside. New hurler Jorge López got to take as long as he needed to warm up. The team, perhaps, made a few extra beer sales as the fans went and got a cold one during those warm-up pitches. There may be additional fines or suspensions against Ramírez; but those will likely be reduced by appeal, and all the discipline will happen in a week or more, when the Mets might be playing the Brewers’ division rivals. They play the Reds next week, for instance.

The Brewers get no justice. The Reds could get to face the Mets during any resulting suspension. This is like your neighbors chopping down a tree and it falling on your house. You win a lawsuit for damages; but the judge tells the neighbor to pay your other neighbor—the one whose dog keeps relieving himself on your lawn.

There is no justice here for the Brewers, and really not much deterrent against the Mets.  If Major League Baseball really wants to discourage bean balls, the penalty needs to be immediate and impactful in the game in which the incident occurred.

At very least, an ejection for throwing at a batter should also include one base being awarded to the batter. If the pitcher is ejected for throwing at a batter and hits him, the batter should be awarded second base: first base for getting hit, and second base for the ejection. If the pitcher throws at a batter and misses, the batter should be awarded first base. If it is ball four, the batter should be awarded first base for the walk and second base for the ejection. Any runners on base get to move up one base as well.

Will this entirely stop pitchers from throwing at batters? Maybe not by itself. Suspensions could be made longer. Fines could be greater. But at least, if there is an immediate one-base penalty, the team that was getting thrown at gets some real value for pain and suffering.

Will MLB change this rule to dole out an immediate penalty for throwing at a batter? Probably not. Bean balls add excitement. They get fans engaged. The league may want to appear to want to stop bean balls, but they only go so far. Butts in seats and eyes on screens may weigh more heavily in the MLB court of law than making sure justice is served. Ball one isn’t justice, though, and everyone knows it. This is why retaliation happens.

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[Samurai Bucky]

This, like so many things in baseball, is riding a fine line.  Of course pulling a Nuke Laloosh and hitting the bull is a bit different at the Major League level.  Even if it was a mistake, Ramirez needs to be better and having a few games to think about his life is a good idea.

What would have happened if he came a little inside and hit grazed Hoskins?  How about a slider that didn't break as much or did actually get away?  If Hoskins gets hit in any way against the Mets, would it be an immediate trip to the showers?  No, it shouldn't.  Then again, Ramirez shouldn't be fighting it and should say to McNeil, "I got your back.  Now, buy me a steak."  😉

[wiguy94]

I feel like this just is too complicated. Ramirez got ejected and got a 3 game suspension. That seems like an adequate punishment to me. That's 3 games the Mets will have to use a 7 man bullpen.

[Sixtolezcano]

 Why not go further and make it really hurt the team. I suggest you award a run to the team they are throwing at. That would actually provide justice to the team and penalize them appropriately. Moving runners may or may not result in a negative game situation depending on the hitting team, but providing a run to the opposing team makes the payoff real and immediate.

[eddiemathews]

Either you trust your umpires' judgement or you don't. When a pitcher intentionally throws at a batter's head it is potentially fatal. I like the ejection and a base...and suspension later. Especially when what the player thrown at did nothing deemed against the rules, and had done it the day before. A reliever missing one day (once the penalty is reduced) or a manager missing a game (yawn) are not penalties at all.