Baseball's unwritten rules continue to allow pitchers to get away with assault. Manny Machado's ninth-inning at-bat against Jonathan Papelbon on Wednesday night was the latest example.
Machado belted a go-ahead home run off Max Scherzer in the seventh inning, and subsequently watched it near home plate. Apparently, that's a "no-no" among uptight baseball historians.
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Two innings later, Papelbon would pay him back with 93 MPH of unadulterated heat to the shoulder.
Home-plate umpire Mark Ripperger immediately ejected him. Papelbon denied any intent.
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"Perception is reality," Papelbon said, per Nationals.com. "If Manny thinks I hit him, then that's what he thinks. I'm not going to sit here, go back and forth on whether I did or whether I didn't, because it doesn't matter.
"If he thinks I did, that's what he thinks."
That's what we all think, Papelbon, and it's absurd the criminal justice system does nothing about it.
How about stronger penalties for pitchers who go head hunting? Should be a bannable offense with legal repercussions since it's assault.
— Jason Cohen (@Jason00Cohen) June 13, 2015
There's no denying pitchers are instructed to throw -- with intent to injure -- at members of the opposite team. Watching your own HR, a slow trot around the bases, retaliating for a member of your team being struck, all these are triggers for pitchers to intentionally throw a 93-MPH fastball at another human being.
This, somehow, is acceptable behavior.
Baseball unwritten rule. If a batter hurts a pitchers feelings, the pitcher is free to commit felony assault.
— The Midget B (@themidgetb) July 30, 2014
In any other societal context, Papelbon's behavior would qualify as assault with a deadly weapon. He accompanied a physical attack with a physical object capable of including serious bodily injury or death.
Why is it excusable on the mound?
The absurdity among baseball players is so real, even Bryce Harper expects to be belted Thursday night in lieu of Wednesday's events.
Ray Chapman didn't die for this.
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