they had no other choice but to suspend him. it was far too violent a collision, regardless of intent.
I finally found someone smart enough to actually screencap and post Yadier Molina's idiocy from a few a days ago. Credit to Barstool Sports for not being p*****s. However, I'm going to repost it here just to be safe.
I don't think the Astros should appeal, because it's not going to make any difference. Maybe release a statement saying exactly that: "We completely disagree, but it would be pointless to appeal as the league has already seen what it wants to see." The Astros are too classy and restrained to do that. More a Rockets thing to do. Still think something hard ought to be said in response. In my dreams, I'd let Verlander write the response as he sees fit after just being chewed out by Torre and friends at the ASG for his juiced balls comment. I'd have to stock up on popcorn.
So it wasn't intentional but he is still suspended. So is Torre going to start suspending every pitcher that hits a batter even if it was unintentional? I know the collision was hard and Lucroy was injured, but players getting hit unintentionally are injured all the time. That's a bull statement on a bull suspension. If I am Marisnick I appeal and bring with me video of players getting hit with pitches that caused injury and asking why those pitchers were not suspended.
Torre's words are chosen carefully. "...I do not believe that Jake intended to injure Jonathan..." He's saying (or he will say if asked) that their review shows that the hit was indeed intentional but was not done maliciously to injure. But the rules are the rules... Yeah, it's BS. I can't wait for fair-catch rules to come to baseball.
And Molina is allowed to go on a profanity laced tirade...and telling fans to f*** off...but gets nothing? That seems about right.
He'll appeal to try and get it to 1 game, so what if he loses the appeal. If teams were reversed under the current rules I'd want at least a game suspension for knocking out my catcher. I believe Jake was trying to avoid the tag he just made a bad decision. They want safety so the player that is running at full speed is screwed but the catchers well being is in runners hands. It's the same problem I have with football tip toeing down the sidelines for every single yard as defensive player is diving to prevent the first down, and as soon as the player is in the white area they chunk the flag for contact. To me the bigger point is the out call. In baseball I would change this rule. If the catcher doesn't catch the ball when it is clearly there before the runner, the runners is safe assuming he touches the plate regardless of contact. Jake being called out was stupid.
Honestly, I don't care about the suspension. We can easily get by without Jake for a couple of games.
He also told other Astros who tried to respond to him in the post to f*** off or the equivalent. I can't find it now, but Verlander posted "#fakenews" to him, and I think Molina's response was an elegant, civilized "f*** u 2". The Cardinals are playing the Astros later this month. Unfortunately, if the current rotation holds, Verlander will pitch the day before that series starts. I was looking forward to a few high-and-inside hints from JV that he may not have liked that.