Suspension of Only Victorino is a Joke

There’s not much to add to what has already been said about the punishments doled out by Major League Baseball for Friday night’s shoving match between the Phillies and Giants. It’s a complete joke that Shane Victorino is the only guy getting a suspension, which he is currently appealing and I’m guessing will be knocked down from its current 3 games. Giants players Eli Whiteside and Ramon Ramirez were merely fined. In what might be an even more mind boggling move, MLB also fined Placido Polanco.

Eli Whiteside must have a close relative working in the MLB offices to have received only a fine. Anyone with an active brain cell – just one – can watch the video and see that he was looking for a fight more than anyone on the field. Though the Phillies are downplaying it, I don’t see how Whiteside’s blatant attack on Polanco (who appeared to be jogging onto the field in the same mode as everyone else until Whiteside went at him) isn’t directly related to the third baseman missing the last two games and likely several more.

I also don’t understand Ramon Ramirez isn’t being suspended. He instigated the entire incident, and absolutely no one doubts that he was throwing at Victorino.

Victorino deserves a suspension, but there’s no way he should be the only one suspended.