Cole Hamels admitted to throwing at Bryce Harper on purpose; do you think his 5-game suspension is fair? [2]
http://www.rantsports.com/philadelphia-phillies/2012/05/07/cole-hamels-suspended-5-games-doesnt-deserve-it/
All Responses
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I've got a few thoughts on the matter:
1) Hamels definitely deserved the suspension. It's dumb enough to bean someone intentionally, it's dumber still to admit to it. Intentionally aiming at players (just like spiking, or any other play that has the potential for injury) debases the game. There's no need to resort to this garbage--just play the best game you can and send the other team home with a loss.
2) You don't seem to fully understand why rules are in place. You say "As long as injury doesn’t happen, there’s no reason for a suspension." Frankly, that's a copout. Hamels couldn't have known whether or not he'd be injuring Harper. Rules like this are intended to prevent injury. Your argument is like saying "drunk driving is a-ok, unless you kill somebody." You can't only penalize dangerous actions when it causes harm. If you're seeking to prevent dangerous activities, you have to penalize it at all times.
3) But on that note, if they suspended Hamels, they should have suspended Zimmerman as well. His pitch was clearly retaliatory, and rules should be enforced evenly.
4) Saying "Baseball has turned into a game for little girls, and it’s turning into a joke," is super shitty and sexist, and demonstrates one of my many issues with sports culture. Way to keep perpetuating this kind of crap. -
Throwing at players is the politics of baseball, just like fighting in hockey. As long as you aren't trying to hurt anyone then baseball should be "policed" on the field.
My guess is the MLB doesn't want a "bounty program" on their hands like the NFL where there are cash rewards for injuring other players.
I'm sure @TWHarr has thoughts on this I would love to hear.
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