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Astros, Athletics Suspensions Comes From Altercation On Sunday
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Tuesday afternoon, Major League Baseball and baseball vice president Chris Young announced discipline coming out Sunday’s banks cleared incident between the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros, and it is heavy. Here are the penalties:
- Ramon Laureano, field runner from athletics center: 6 games and an undisclosed fine for “loading the Astros’ dugout and clearing the benches”
- Alex Cintron, Astros coach: 20 games and an undisclosed fine for “his role in inciting and escalating the conflict”
Laureano’s suspension is equivalent to 16 games in a normal 162-game season. He appeals the suspension and is eligible to play until the appeal is heard. Cintron suspension is equivalent to 54 games and his 20-game ban is believed to be the longest ever given to an MLB coach. His suspension begins Tuesday night.
Suspensions for banks that eliminate incidents are typically 3-5 games for position players and 5-10 games for pitchers in a 162-game season, and it is not uncommon for coaches and managers to receive a few games depending on their role. MLB, however, promises to fight back this year. Here is what section 5.2 of the Operations Manual of 2020, the collectively negotiated document outlining health and safety protocols amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, says about fighting:
Fighting and fighting are strictly forbidden. Players must not, for any reason, make physical contact with others unless it occurs during normal and permitted game action. Violations of these rules will result in hard discipline corresponding to the previous one, which discipline will not be reduced or calculated based on the length of the season.
“We understand,” A’s manager Bob Melvin told reporters, including MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos, after Sunday’s game. “You’re doing the best you can with these things. Of course we do not want to get into such a brawl. We understand the protocol. Unfortunately it happened. We all know. We’ve talked about it. Everyone knows what’s going on here. “
The seventh inning brawl began after Laureano took exception by being hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and the third time in the series. He exchanged words with pitcher Humberto Castellanos as he made his way to first base and later jawed with Cintron. Laureano accused the dugout and was subdued by former A’s teammate Dustin Garneau.
Laureano claims he accused the dugout after Cintron said “in Spanish what you do not say about my mother.” Cintron declined to comment on Laureano’s mother via the Astros. “His suspension is the longest for a raid on the field since Kenny Rogers was suspended for 20 games for a physical confrontation with two cameramen in 2005.” according to The Athletic’s Jayson Stark.
“I accept the MLB suspension and will learn from it,” Cintron said in a statement. “Although I never referred Ramon’s mother, my actions were not appropriate. I apologize for my part in Sunday’s unfortunate incident. As coaches we are kept to a higher standard and should be an example to the players. Hopefully other coaches will learn from my mistake so that it will never happen again in the future. ”
“Ramon is not about that unless something completely insulting came out of the dugout,” Melvin told Gallegos on Sunday. “I think the league knew who that was. That person should be suspended. Hopefully that is the case. Nowadays, without fans in the stands and mics everywhere, I think they know who it was.”
The Astros have already had multiple run-ins with opponents this year. Two weeks ago, relief from Dodgers Joe Kelly was suspended for eight games for throwing a pitch behind Alex Bregman’s head and haunting Carlos Correa. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was also suspended for one game. Kelly is appealing for his suspension and is currently on the injured list.
For the closure of the COVID-19, the Astros pulled the arm of countless players across the league as a result of their sign-stealing scandal. Dodgers star and reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger praised the Astros for their “weak” apology and Commissioner Rob Manfred for what he considered a light punishment.
Cintron joined Houston in 2017 and has been their hit coach since 2019. In February, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reported Cintron was “thought to be involved in sending video from the video room to the dugout” as part of the team’s sign-stealing scandal.
The Astros have two striking coaches on their staff: Cintron and assistant Troy Snitker. It is unclear whether Snitker will take over as the top scoring coach during Cintron’s suspension or the club will add a temporary replacement, if they can do so.
Laureano, 26, is a former Astros prospect who joined the A’s in a small trade in Nov. 2017. He has been the team’s best hitter at the start of this season, scoring a .263 / .405 / .491 batting line with three home runs through 17 games.
The athletic is 12-5 and has the most wins in baseball in the early stages. The Astros are 7-9 and were defeated by the A’s this past weekend. They are 4 1/2 games back in the AL West. It is their biggest division deficit in four years.
The A’s and Astros have seven games left this season: Aug. 28-30 in Houston and Sept. 7-10 in Oakland.
