Some great quotes, and analysis for you Layinwood, from ESPN.com that was just posted:
The other big topic rattling around baseball Friday was the one that Dodgers manager Don Mattingly raised after the game Thursday: Should Quentin be allowed to play a game before Greinke returns? "I agree with Mattingly 100 percent," said one AL executive. "Quentin needs to miss as much time as Greinke." Well, that's not going to happen. Over the last eight seasons, eight hitters have been suspended after games in which they headed for the mound. The longest sentence handed to any of them was eight games -- to Nyjer Morgan in 2010. Coco Crisp got seven games in 2008, and Richie Sexson was suspended for six in 2008. Incidentally, there wasn't a single incident last season of any hitter charging the mound.
? But here's the difference between this incident and any of the previous eight: This one led to a serious injury, of a critical player, under circumstances that should never have been allowed to happen. So there were rumblings Friday that baseball was pondering a difficult question: How much did Greinke's injury, and prolonged absence, have to be factored into Quentin's suspension? "You have to take that into account, don't you?" wondered one long-time executive. "There has to be a consequence with something like this, or you run the risk of having more incidents. And you can't allow that precedent."
AND TO ADDRESS THAT GRIENKE DID IT ON PURPOSE:
And now another fascinating question: Was there any chance -- any -- that Greinke was throwing at Quentin on purpose -- on a full-count pitch, in a one-run game, to a hitter leading off the sixth inning? Just check the body language of the catcher, A.J. Ellis. If this had been premeditated, wouldn't his first move after the pitch have been to jump in front of Quentin to make sure he didn't charge the mound? Instead, Ellis just rose out of his crouch casually, looking curious but certainly not alarmed, about Quentin's impending reaction. "And not just him," said one NL exec. "Look at [plate ump] Sam Holbrook. Typically, you'll see at least some intuitive feel from the umpire and catcher to jump out and get in the way [if they think the hitter might be ready to run toward the mound]. But there was none -- because neither guy's intuition told him that there needed to be."
Interesting perspectives... everyone agrees it was unintentional. I still think it will be a longer suspension that people are thinking right now.
I'd love to see 60 games, but I'd settle for 30.
