Red Sox: Matt Barnes should take four and be grateful
By Rick McNair
The Boston Red Sox had an interesting tête-à-tête with the O’s over a hard slide. Matt Barnes should be pleased it was only a four-game suspension.
There is no crying in baseball, but there is certainly justice. That, however, comes with a caveat of just what is justice in baseball? There are two levels in play and that is the infamous “unwritten rules” that have existed since the game began. The other is the justice that is dispensed by authorities that have been placed as responsible adults in charge of on – and occasionally – off field activities.
The highest level is baseball’s version of the Supreme Court and that is the imperial title of Commissioner of Baseball. Virtually all disciplinary decisions eventually migrate to his office and are reviewed by various minions until a fateful decision is rendered and punishment decreed for the offenders. This could be a simple fine, a few days of R & R or the ultimate penalty – being forever sent to the baseball gulag and being banned for life.
Admissibly, I was not even in the United States when the latest incident occurred with Dustin Pedroia having the opportunity to get up close and very personal with the spikes of Baltimore’s Manny Machado. I have read the various accounts so I have to rely on that and a few selective video clips.
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Did Machado do what is affectionately known as a take out side? From what I saw it was a hard slide, but certainly not the type I had witnessed in another era when takeout meant exactly what the term implied. Recent baseball legislation has placed defenseless infielders in a “safe zone” designed to protect their body parts and most importantly the long-term financial investment of ownership.
Pedroia said all the right things since this was not his first rodeo. You make statements designed to prevent any future consequences when that unwritten law is applied. Unwritten being defined as consequences for actions that are part of the hazy violation of baseball on-field etiquette.
That – of course – is all open to interpretation regarding the intent by Machado, who has no extensive track record of sending infielders to the ER, but has historically been implicated in other on field incidents. Personally, I would be tempted to give a benefit of the doubt to the errant Machado – hard yes, but injurious intent? No – at least to me. Machado certainly knows the risks of infield play.
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In another era – one in which I honed my baseball observational teeth – the reaction by Pedroia would be to engage Machado in a slugfest. If Pedroia was writhing in pain a substitute would step forward and fill the void. A classic was a brawl the included multiple combatants most notable Enos Slaughter. But baseball is a sport of patience and that option has generally faded as players become more of a brotherhood. Justice may wait a series or two or even a year.
Matt Barnes was playing a very dangerous game. Careers have been destroyed by what Barnes attempted to do. In my opinion, his hunt hunting was tantamount to giving a death sentence for a parking ticket. Barnes approach simply made a bad circumstance infinitely worse. Buck Showalter and his players will most certainly keep a revenge card available for the right time.
The logical – at least by my baseball pitching code book – would simply do what has been traditionally done and target from the waist down. The batter makes a small turn to the right, hunches his shoulder and gets plunked in the posterior. Message delivered. Case closed. Both sides realize it is over.
Barnes was not even dusting Machado which would be an attention-getting bit of what was known as “chin music.” Barnes intent was crystal clear and it was to see just how sturdy the batting helmet is. Hammurabi may nod in approval, but the Barnes reaction was baseball overkill and it certainly could have been killed knowing the often questionable control of Barnes.
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Ethics are a strange item to discuss since it is often determined on how one sees and wishes to interpret a situation. As I stated at the beginning, it comes down to intent. A hard slide that was errant – and let’s not leave out Xander Bogaerts and a questionable lead toss – that did the damage. The umpires saw it differently and – quite naturally – so did Red Sox manager John Farrell. The umpires simply did not enforce a rule that would have allowed them to give the Red Sox an extra out. In baseball ethics, there was absolutely no reason for Barnes to act as he did. Barnes overreacted. His four games are well deserved.