Have they made any progress on making longer suspensions for pitchers after fights?

Question

It doesn't seem fair to me that a pitcher and batter will get 5 games suspension for being involved in a brawl. This means that the batter will miss all five games that he could bat, but the pitcher would only miss 1 start. I assume they do this because technically the starting pitcher is not limited to one start every five days and can always come in as a reliever. Just wanted thoughts though.

Answer 1

I agree that it's frustrating, but I don't see them changing anytime soon for a couple of reasons.

First, the players' union would throw a fit about the league trying to set different punishments for individuals committing the same crime. Given the strength of that union, you know they wouldn't put up with it.

Secondly, the argument could be made that one start from some pitchers is of about the same value as five games from an average starter, given their respective on-field contributions. As an example, having Roy Halladay miss a start for the Jays is as hurtful as losing anyone on that team for a few games.

Generally, though, I do with the punishments were handled slightly differently.

Answer 2

Let's not assume the pitcher in question is a starter. True he can come in as a relief pitcher. However, the pitcher in question could be a relief pitcher, therefore he can pitch everyday. So, the suspension is somewhat fair.