MLB: The Day The Chin Music Dies

New York Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett was suspended Thursday for six games for throwing  "chin music" at Texas Rangers batter Nelson Cruz on  Tuesday night. Burnett has decided to appeal the suspension from Major League Baseball and is still eligible to throw until a final ruling is made.

Only problem is, the wrong pitcher got suspended. Burnett's high-and-tight fastball to Cruz was a response to Texas Rangers' pitcher Vicente Padilla plunking Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira not once but twice.

After the Rangers 12-3 loss Tuesday night Padilla claimed that he did not intentionally hit Teixeira. Teixeria felt otherwise claiming, "He's thrown at me before."

This is not the first time we've seen retaliation pitches thrown at hitters. The Red Sox and Yankees 2006 ALCS was nothing short of retaliation. The question that remains is: why is Major League Baseball not taking a hard line to discourage such behavior?

Burnett was suspended six games, equivelent to one start, and fined an undisclosed amount from MLB for throwing one pitch that didn't even hit Cruz. Padilla was only given a slap on the wrist with a fine.

You could argue that Burnett was protecting Teixeira and only trying to send a message...but then why throw up and in at a hitter's head to send a message? He could have just as easily hit Cruz low in the butt or even throw five feet behind him to get the same message across.

Major League Baseball needs to institute a stricter policy when it comes to "head hunting" for pitchers. When you only play once every five or six games and only for five or six innings at a time, a six-game suspension hardly means anything.

Both pitchers from Tueaday nights game should be suspended. Burnett should get the lesser of the fines while Padilla should be suspended for a minimum of two starts for plunking the same guy twice (first time was up and in as well).

Don't get me wrong though. I understand why you brush guys off the plate and throw high and tight. I understand that if you hit my best hitter, yours gets hit next. It's just part of the game.

With that note however, Major League Baseball issetting a poor example for little leagues and fans alike when it comes to what it is acceptable behavior of play and sportsmanship.

That being said, plunking will not go away. Hitters are still going to get brushed back and see the old chin music, but if it's going to happen, harsher penalties need to be enforced. That would discourage it from not only the professional level, but in all levels of play in baseball.