Look on the bright side. He'll give up a few runs soon in a close game when he should have been suspended.

I thought when Gary punched the fan the fan kind of deserved it for the interference.

I thought when Gary punched the fan the fan kind of deserved it for the interference.\

The fan's actions made Sheffield's response understandable. It shouldn't have made it acceptable.

yeah - that fan was a mutt, what does that make Sheffield?? A grub?

I agree with the argument that Farnsworth's act may have been especially heinous and hence deserving of more punishment, but I'm not sure i agree with your first point. Aren't suspensions intended to punish the players and not teams? Why should a player's role on the team factor into the decision as to how many games a player can be suspended presumably without pay?

Well, the teams game the system by manipulating exactly when they will "drop the appeal."
among other things

It is certainly silly to suspend a reliever for one game

Well, the teams game the system by manipulating exactly when they will "drop the appeal."

Isn't that a non-factor in the arbitrator's decision because the team no longer controls the timing?

This intro is hilarious.

This whole thing reminds me of Gary Sheffield going after a fan

I thought it was Farnsworth that went after the fan.

Yes, the 'drop the appeal' angle is irrelevant once they go to the arbitrator. If he rules against you, you start serving right away. Once the team finds out when the hearing is, though, they can plan the pitcher's usage around that.

Not sure what you find hilarious sj. I suppose it's that I had the temerity to think that two rulings in favor the Yankees were wrong. But that's what I really think. If you've got a convincing argument that Farnsworth shouldn't have been suspended I'd be open to hearing it.

Nah, if you want to suspend Farnsworth, thats fine.

Comparing this to the Sheffield "incident" is what I find hilarious. The only thing they had in common was two teams on the field, it didn't involve a batter and a pitcher, he wasn't suspended, there was no appeal, it never went to an arbitor. Other than all those things, it was exactly the same.

Many, many Boston people feel the fan was out of line. I am not going to look them up, but check the Boston Dirt Dogs archives.

Many, many Boston people feel the fan was out of line. I am not going to look them up, but check the Boston Dirt Dogs archives.

The fan was out of line. I can't imagine anyone arguing otherwise. He deserved to get tossed and, I believe, have his season ticket yanked.

But Sheffield's reaction, while understandable, was inappropriate. It warranted some kind of penalty from MLB, however minimal.

If the people on Boston Dirt Dogs thought so, then it must be true.

exactly. But in there post, they had links to many similar reactions.

Sheffield pushed a fan who hit him in the face. Any fine over $1 would have been too much.

They should have put that fan in a steel cage with Gary.

Sheffield was in no danger from the fan when he did that and he could not possibly have seen how the fan came to hit him, as he was looking at the ball when it happened. For all he knew, the fan could have been shoved into him. Sheffield's actions are exactly the kind of behavior the MLB should be doing everything in its power to discourage. You do not want players going after fans who pose no danger to them, regardless of the situation.

It's not like fans are staying away from the ballpark.

Sheffield says he felt something hit his mouth, and he certainly reacted like he was hit in the mouth.

This is what Curt Schilling said of the incident.

"I'm not sure who was watching what. Anybody with two eyes and good vision can see that he was watching the ball the whole way. He got hit in the side of the head and he reacted. He reacted probably calmer than a lot of people might have, calmer than a lot of people have in the past."

Sheffield was not hit in the face. That is laughably inaccurate. A fan waved at a ball that was in play, and may have distracted/interfered with Sheffield cleanly fielding the ball.

Kevin, that's not true. The fan most definitely made contact with Sheffield, and, I think, drew blood. I do agree that he appeared to be waving at the ball, but it was out of line regardless.

But just because the fan does something stupid should not give Sheffield the opportunity to respond poorly. And despite what some fans were saying at the time, it is by no means automatic. Reggie Sanders got hit in the back with Thundersticks in the World Series, and managed to restrain himself from a physical response.

As Darren states, Sheffield was in no danger when he returned to shove the fan, who, luckily though by no means was it guaranteed, was the same fan who made contact.

The NFL suspended Orlando Brown when he shoved the ref who hit him in the eye with the flag. The NBA suspended Antonio Davis when he walked into the stands when his wife was in a dispute with fans. In both those cases, the player's response was completely understandable. Yet those leagues determined that it had a responsibility to protect its officials and fans, regardless if the player's actions were understandable.

MLB, in contrast, ruled that if a fan makes contact with you, the player gets one free shot. That's not a particularly sound policy, in my opinion.

Yes, they should have just dropped Farnsworth's suspension all-together. He may be nutty, and quick to confront someone physically, but throwing a fastball at someone's head is far beyond anything Farnsworth has ever been a part of, and he deserves the benefit of the doubt considering how wild of a pitcher he's proven to be.

I was simply stating these two situations were not analagous at all. Farnsworth should have been, and was suspended. A one game suspension is still a one game suspension.

It doesn't matter if there is video of the incident, it doesn't matter what Curt Schilling said. These events are only related in the mind of someone who is predetermined to cry "injustice."

I was simply stating these two situations were not analagous at all.

I'm with you there.

What happened to the old theads on the Sheffield incident? I did some searches but came up with nothing...

I don't know what analogy you think I was trying to make. I was only saying that in both cases a Yankees player got essentially no disciplinary action when they should have.

Darren's arguments are convincing. Sheffield should be suspended for today's game.

What happened to the old theads on the Sheffield incident? I did some searches but came up with nothing...

They were destroyed and the search function was rendered useless as part of the continuing upgrades to this site. All hail Furtado.

Admit it kevin: you're the guy who hit Sheffield in the mouth.

C'mon now, there's no shame in it.

LaTroy Hawkins got a 3 game suspension today for throwing at a batter's head, and immediately appealed, so that he can have it reduced to nothing. A little odd that Joe Girardi's pitchers have now been suspended for throwing at guys' heads on two separate occasions, but Girardi has not been disciplined.

Yes, the fan drew blood from Sheffield, and Sheffield head butted the fan into the third row.

No. No blood, no head butt. The ass hole fan was ejected and had his season tickets revoked, and nothing happened to Sheff. Those decisions were both correct, IMO.

No. No blood, no head butt. The ass hole fan was ejected and had his season tickets revoked, and nothing happened to Sheff. Those decisions were both correct, IMO.

And if Sheffield had heat-butted the fan into a pregnant lady in the third row. Or a kid.

Sheffield got lucky that A) he picked out the right fan, and B) the fan he shoved didn't result in someone else getting hurt or causing other drunken idiots to escalate it further.

Sorry, but the "He started it defense" didn't work well with my elementary school principal, and shouldn't have worked with Bud Selig.

Sheffield reacted like most people would have given the same provocation. But there's a long thread about the incident in the archives. I'll let that stand.

Another Yankees pitcher suspended for throwing at a hitter AND Joba clearly threw at Youkilis. Still no discipline for Girardi.

Care to list the suspensions for Red Sox pitchers who've actually hit (and, in some cases, injured) the Yankees' stars over the last decade?

Care to list the suspensions for Red Sox pitchers who've actually hit (and, in some cases, injured) the Yankees' stars over the last decade?

Do we get to leave out the ones who were injured from getting hit in the hands when their hands were in the strike zone?

Lastly, Farnsworth has very tight pants.

If you pull some Cubs game chatters from 5-6 years ago, you'll see that we've been referring to him as "Capt. Tightpants" even then.

I think Jack Vincennes may have started that, but could be wrong.

Care to list the suspensions for Red Sox pitchers who've actually hit (and, in some cases, injured) the Yankees' stars over the last decade?


Do we get to leave out the ones who were injured from getting hit in the hands when their hands were in the strike zone?

Sure. As long as Red Sox players freaking out about strikes and balls that don't come within feet of them are also excluded.

Lastly, Farnsworth has very tight pants.

If you pull some Cubs game chatters from 5-6 years ago, you'll see that we've been referring to him as "Capt. Tightpants" even then.

I think Jack Vincennes may have started that, but could be wrong.

Actually, he recently started wearing looser pants (I haven't seen his new Detroit uni). It actually may have coincided with his better pitching of late. Hmmm.

I think Detroit only had tight pants available when he got there.

Al,

The umpires and MLB have decided that the Yankees pitchers are deserving of suspensions for their actions. It would make sense that this might lead to the manager's suspension too.

It'd be nice if the video of this incident didn't freeze up after the two commercials.