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Suspended Dodgers got off easy
Posted: Thursday May 25, 2000 06:24 PM
Following the news that 19 members of the Los Angeles Dodgers had been suspended and fined for their involvement in a brawl with fans at Chicago's Wrigley Field last week, CNNSI.com spoke to Sports Illustrated baseball writer Tom Verducci about the role of Frank Robinson in curbing on-field violence, animosity between batters and pitchers, the fairness of the punishment and how much the consumption of alcohol effects the behavior of fans. CNNSI.com: What can we expect to see from Frank Robinson in his new role as vice president for on-field operations, and how does he differ from baseball disciplinarians of the past? Tom Verducci: I think he has to work off the precedent set by his predecessors, but he's unique in that he brings an on-field perspective to the job that's been needed for a long time. He has stood in the batter's box, he's seen fastballs at his chin. He knows the emotions of the moment. I don't think he can be outlandishly different from people before him, but hopefully he'll be more balanced. I think were seeing that. CNNSI.com: Robinson has said there have been far too many incidents this season in which players have charged the pitcher after being hit by a ball, igniting bench-clearing brawls. Given what you've seen transpire between pitchers and hitters over the years, is what's happening this season unusual? Tom Verducci: I wouldn't classify the number of those kind of incidents as unusual. To me they don't seem to be happening with any less or greater frequency than before. But since pitchers throw inside so much more infrequently than they did before, hitters are overreacting to that much more often than they did in the past. For instance, they seem to see a steady diet of pitches on the outside of the plate, and on those few occasions when pitchers really come inside with their hard stuff, hitters take it as a personal insult. I think that's got to change. CNNSI.com: In a statement, the Dodgers said, "We are extremely shocked and concerned about the severity of the punishments". What's your assessment? Is the punishment fair, too harsh or not harsh enough? Tom Verducci: I think they got off lightly. I think they should count their lucky stars that these guys aren't gone for a longer period of time. If a player who charges the mound gets a five-game suspension, then the penalty for going after a fan should be at least twice as harsh. When you cross that line of going from the playing field into the stands -- no matter what the provocation -- you're asking for trouble. You're asking for the harshest penalties that Major League Baseball can dish out. It is a criminal penalty for the opposite to happen, for a fan to trespass on to the playing field. I'm not saying it should be a criminal penalty for a player to go into the stands, but I think it should be dealt with much more severely then when there are fights or incidents between players. I was actually expecting people like Rick Dempsey and Chad Kreuter to get much more than what they got (eight games each). I know they're appealing. I know the Dodgers are upset. But I'm not buying their argument. CNNSI.com: How much does alcohol consumption figure into the behavior we're seeing the stands? Tom Verducci: Alcohol, I would guess, is a part of a large percentage of the incidents that occur in stadiums. I think it's much more than that, though. It's gotten to the point where -- like Bobby Knight at Indiana -- the fans need an absolutely spelled-out, clear code of conduct of what they can and cannot do. It's a shame we've come to that, but I think Major League Baseball has to adopt a clear set of standards for fans. Post them, publish them, broadcast them, whatever you have to do to let these people know that when they come to the ballgame a ticket does not give them the right to interject themselves into the course of events. You wanna boo, that's fine. You wanna cheer, great. But don't consider yourself one of the participants, because you're not. Security measures and, again, spelling out a code of conduct is where it all has to start. I don't think just completely banning beer sales is an answer, nor do I think that should happen.
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