Beantown Brawl: Bud Selig Must Take Swift and Harsh Action

If I'm Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, on Friday morning I have a lot of work to do.

Thursday, the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays put on one of the most horrific shows in MLB history.

I am not a big fan of brawls in baseball. I just don't see the purpose of them; they don't belong in a sport like this.

Bud Selig must take action, and it needs to be one that teaches the entire baseball universe that this type of garbage will not be accepted.

The story starts on Wednesday, when Coco Crisp slid into second and jammed his thumb. Apparently, the lovely unwritten rules of baseball that we all love so much, says Jason Bartlett was wrong to block second like he did.

I say that it was a smart play by Bartlett. I don't care if it's against code. The code is bogus, Bartlett was playing the game, and he wasn’t cheating.

Coco Crisp got fairly heated at Iwamura and Rays manager Joe Maddon, and was seen shouting from the dugout.

For that, James Shields and the Rays decided that he needed to get pegged on Thursday, and that's just what happened.

Shields threw inside and barely tagged Crisp on the leg. Crisp walked out, and then started for first, which he said was a move to get Navarro off of him.

Then he charged.

Shields threw his hat and tried to meet Crisp with a swing, but missed badly. Crisp was more on target, and he landed a punch before catcher Dioner Navarro could come in and tackle him.

At that time, Shields was still swinging until the third-base coach for Boston, DeMarlo Hale, would grab him from behind to try and pull him off. At that point, it got cloudy as to what was happening to Shields, but it was clear what was going on with Crisp.

Navarro sat on top of Crisp, hitting him like they were in a street fight. Then the goons joined him.

Johnny Gomes ran in, quite like when he did when he hit Shelley Duncan in Spring Training earlier this year. He started hammering away on Crisp as well. Not to miss out on the fun, Carl Crawford came in from the outfield as well and started battering Crisp.

Shields, meanwhile, was taken down to the ground by Hale, either by accident or on purpose. It looks at first as if Hale is trying to put on a wrestling like slam on Shields, but the fact they were by the mound and being swarmed could also mean Hale tripped, fell, and took Shields with him.

The usual baseball brawl would carry on out from there. Benches and bullpens were completely emptied, and at that point, order was just trying to be restored.

For whatever reason, Navarro and company had it out for Crisp. Maybe they were frustrated by being swept in Boston, who knows. Fact of the matter is, for their actions, they need to be punished.

If I am Bud Selig, this would be how I handle the matter.

Coco Crisp—15 Games

Our instigator, the main reason this fight even took place. I loved Crisp when he was in Cleveland, and always thought he had a great attitude. But the Crisp I saw the past two days was not the one in Cleveland. I had no problem with what Bartlett did; I thought it was a smart baseball play.

For his actions, not only on Wednesday, but for charging the mound and throwing punches, I'd give him 15 games. In any other situation, I'd probably give him less, but because of the magnitude of the fight, 15 games sounds right.

DeMarlo Hale—Undecided

The third-base coach who might or might not have tackled James Shields. Bud Selig needs to use his best judgment and all of his camera angles to decide if Hale intentionally slammed Shields to the ground.

In my opinion, I was ready to blast Hale until I watched the brawl for the sixth time. After a slow-mo replay with prime focus on Shields, it looks as if Hale tripped on the mound due to the rush of players and coaches and fell.

I wouldn't do anything to Hale, off my own judgment. But, if he did do something like that on purpose, he should get a very stiff penalty for being a coach and slamming a player to the ground.

James Shields—10 Games

Because he is a pitcher, Shields needs extra games to actually miss a valid amount.

He gets 10 games, which equals two rotational starts as a starting pitcher.

One start for even throwing at Crisp, and one more for swinging, even though he didn't connect.

Dioner Navarro—20 Games

I have no problem with Navarro pulling Crisp away.

But tackling him and then punching him while pinning him down?

Unacceptable in every way.

Johnny Gomes—25 Games

Gomes has no business coming in like he did, and for that he gets the stiffest penalty.

I won't lie; I laughed when Gomes came in and tried to deck Shelley Duncan. Is that sort of hypocritical? Yeah, it probably is.

But this was just stupid and uncalled for. A man couldn't defend himself and he came in like a street thug.

Carl Crawford—20 Games

Crawford was just as bad as Gomes, but because he doesn't have that reputation, I will go easy on him. I think 20 games are fine for doing what he did.

Both Teams

Both teams get warnings before the next meeting later this month. One hit batter will get your pitcher and manager tossed immediately, unless the umpire determines it wasn't intentional.

If someone does hit a player in one of the future games, the pitcher will get an automatic 10-game suspension. Five if you are a reliever. Make it blatantly clear that these antics will not be tolerated.

I'd also fine both teams for this incident, and donate money to a charity that supports something of the opposite to this. Such as the battered women's shelter, or something that supports the discouragement of teen violence.

In my opinion, this was totally unacceptable and uncalled for on both parties.

This type of stuff does not have to occur in baseball, fighting is not a part of the game.

I've never witnessed a brawl quite like this, with the lowly acts that were displayed. And if I'm in charge of baseball, I'm sending a message to make it plainly clear that these types of fights and brawls will not be tolerated.

Are the penalties harsh? Yeah, they absolutely are. But it's the only way to send a message that is perfectly clear to everyone around the game.

This isn't the street, it isn't the schoolyard, and this certainly isn't ultimate fighting.

It’s baseball. Leave the fisticuffs at home, stop the gang tactics, and play the sport you are PAID to play.