If you read the paper or the CN Web site today, you know that Tuesday's Patriots game at Lancaster featured a benches-clearing incident.
Patriots pitcher Jon Cannon hit Barnstormers outfielder Van Rossum in the shoulder with a pitch and then picked him off first base. Van Rossum got in a rundown and was tagged out by Cannon, who he forearmed to the ground. Cannon got up and flipped the ball at Van Rossum, who spiked it back at him.
Both players were suspended three games and fined undisclosed amounts Wednesday by the Atlantic League.
That raises the question, "Why do a pitcher and a position player get suspended the same amount of games?"
Cannon will not miss anytime -- he will be back in time for Sunday's start -- while Van Rossum is out for three games.
Lancaster beat writer Burt Wilson spoke to Atlantic League executive director Joe Klein this afternoon and was told Cannon was given three games because he was acting as a field and not a pitcher on this play.
I am pretty sure that makes no sense. What do you think? Should Cannon be treated the same as Van Rossum or held to a different standard so that he at least misses some time?
****There is a sign in the Lancaster clubhouse that clearly states pitchers and fielders will be handled differently in such incidents. So it seems the only thing saving Cannon is that this incident didn't happen directly on the pitcher's mound.
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4 comments:
Cannon is getting punished with a fine and gets a few days off. Van Rossum is being punished with a fine and the Barnstormers lose a player for three games. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
Klein's position that Cannon is being treated as a fielder only makes sense to me if Cannon was suspended for flipping the ball at Van Rossum at the end of the play.
If he was suspended for throwing at Van Rossum, it makes no sense at all.
As a general principle, I don't think starting pitchers should be suspended for less than six games.
The Atlantic League of Ridiculous Baseball, ladies and gentlemen.
I couldn't agree more.
wow that's insanse
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