Cole Hamels Shows Why Pitching Suspensions Are a Joke

Today, Cole Hamels will be on he mound for the Philadelphia Phillies where he will face Bryce Harper for the first time since May 6. 

For those who don’t remember, Hamels intentionally hit Harper with a pitch and received a five game suspension from the MLB.

I have no problem with the MLB giving the suspension. It was completely warranted. You shouldn’t bean a guy just for being a rookie. But what I do have a problem with is the five games. 

Five games would be fine for a standard player. They would sit on the bench for five games completely ineffective. Players that get five game suspensions hurt their team, especially big name players like Hamels. 

But pitchers get a luxury that position players don’t. Pitchers typically pitch every five games. So a five game suspension really becomes a one start suspension. If a manager is smart, he will play the pitcher in the sixth game, and have a guy start on short rest for said pitcher’s regular scheduled game. And the rotation continues as usual.

How is that fair? Players have to sit games they would normally play, but pitchers sit on the bullpen bench like they would any other game they don’t start.

I propose a new suspension specifically for starting pitchers. Instead of being suspended games, have them suspended starts. 

This makes the suspension a true one, and it doesn’t inflate the numbers. Cole Hamels was suspended for five games, and that would translate to a one-start suspension. 

Back in 2010, Johnny Cueto was suspended seven games for kicking Cardinal players in a brawl, which would be a one-start suspension. I would have given him at least a two-game suspension because he ended Jason LaRue’s career and kicking is more than a one-start offense.

Pitchers get off easy because they only play once every five games. So five-game suspensions turn into a one-game suspension because they are already sitting the other four. I believe creating start suspensions for pitchers would even the playing field because it immobilizes the players for games ensuring that they are not just riding the pine pony.  

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