The Baseball Thread

I can't believe it took us 18 innings just to lose.

serious ramipercussions and reperfications in the form of large fines and long suspensions...

MLB suspends 8 in Dodgers/D-backs brawl

Arizona pitcher Ian Kennedy was suspended for 10 games and Diamondbacks infielder Eric Hinske for five
Friday for their roles in a brawl this week, while managers Don Mattingly and Kirk Gibson were given
one-game bans.

In all, eight members of the Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations were suspended by Major
League Baseball senior vice president Joe Garagiola Jr.

He cited Kennedy for intentionally throwing a pitch at the head of Zack Greinke after a warning had been
issued on Tuesday night and Hinske for leaving the dugout and "aggressive actions." Mattingly was penalized
for his conduct and Gibson for Kennedy's actions following a warning.

Dodgers pitcher J.P. Howell and infielder-outfielder Skip Schumaker were suspended two games apiece for
"aggressive actions" and Los Angeles hitting coach Mark McGwire two games for his conduct. Howell and
Schumaker told reporters in Pittsburgh on Friday that they will appeal.

Los Angeles reliever Ronald Belisario was suspended one game for "aggressive actions" and said he will not
appeal. Belisario might serve the suspension Friday.

All eight were fined, as were Greinke, Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, Arizona catcher Miguel Montero and
Diamondbacks outfielder Gerardo Parra.

MLB fined the Dodgers for allowing players on the disabled list to leave the dugout and enter the field during
the brawl. MLB also banned disabled list players on the Dodgers and Diamondbacks from sitting in their
dugouts through Sunday.

Mattingly was to serve his penalty during Friday night's series opener at Pittsburgh and Gibson during Arizona's
game at San Diego. McGwire was to miss games Friday and Saturday.

If players appeal, their penalties are held off until after hearings and decisions.

Kennedy hit Puig with a pitch that deflected off his back to his nose in the sixth, and Greinke hit Montero on
the back in the seventh, drawing a warning from umpires. Both teams charged onto the field, but the scrum
broke up quickly with no punches thrown.

Kennedy then hit Greinke on the upper-left shoulder in the bottom half of the inning, and the ball deflected off
his helmet. A prolonged and more heated scuffle ensued against a railing on the first-base side.

Kennedy, Gibson and Diamondbacks coach Turner Ward were ejected after the shoving match. Puig, McGwire
and Belisario also were tossed.

Mattingly had to be restrained as he tried to get at Gibson, and they exchanged words briefly. McGwire and
third-base coach Matt Williams grabbed each other's shirts in a tense standoff and shouted at each other.