Thompson suspension reduced … to 2 games
ST. LOUIS — Righthanded reliever Brad Thompson will begin serving a two-game suspension this afternoon after Major League Baseball considered his appeal and trimmed his original punishment down by a game.
Thompson was suspended three games for a pitch that ran up and in and toward the head of New York Mets third baseman David Wright. The pitch did not hit Wright. MLB said in a statement that Thompson’s actions merited suspension because the location of the pitch was dangerous even if the result was not. Thompson appealed the suspension and learned this morning that it had been reduced to two games.
He’ll miss this afternoon and tomorrow’s game, though he can travel with the team to Pittsburgh.
The Cardinals have expressed confusion over the standard used by MLB for the suspension. Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Matt Capps hit Albert Pujols in the kidney area with a pitch last month, and the Pirates have made a habit of pitching inside and sometimes high on the Cardinals this season. Capps did not receive a suspension. Not too long after Thompson’s pitch high-and-inside to Wright, San Francisco Giants righthander Matt Cain did hit Wright in the head with a pitch. Wright just returned recently from a concussion and symptoms similar to post-concussion syndrome. (He’s wearing an ultra-protective helmet as a result.) Cain did not receive a punishment.
Johan Santana threw two purpose pitches at two different Giants after Wright was plunked, and the Mets’ lefty received a fine.
“Brad made his appeal,” said manager Tony La Russa, who is an advocate of harsh penalties for throwing anywhere near — intentionally or not — the head of a hitter. “Baseball makes some distinction. I have no other comment.”
Todd Wellemeyer joined the team officially this morning and is listed as available from the bullpen. He threw 60 pitches in two outings already this week with Class AAA Memphis. The preference would be to avoid using him until Friday, at the earliest.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
Let’s get this straight: Thompson does NOT hit Wright and gets two games.
Cain HITS Wright and gives him a concussion and gets NOTHING. Where is the outrage? Where is the Player’s Union? Where is Perry Mason?
So…if Thompson was a Cy Young candidate, would he have gotten off easy?
This is beyond outrageous and unfair. I was at that game at Citifield and saw the pitch — no way it was a purpose pitch, no matter what TLR and MLB might think. He was not ejected or even warned — and yet he gets a 2 day suspension for NOT hitting David Wright? Absurd. And then Matt Cain hits the same player in the head a few days later, causing injury, and doesn’t even get a slap on the wrist?!! Beyond absurd. Whoever is running the player sanction system at MLB is an idiot.
Same old, same old. The big city teams and “big names” get preferential treatment. It’s no secret Bud Selig hates the Cardinals. They whip up on his Brewers time after time, season after season.
Yes, this is ridiculous. If Thompson gets 2 days for pitching high and tight, how can Cain get nothing for actually hitting the batter?
Albert gets hit with regularity and no warnings from the umpires even. Albert got hit twice in one ball game and nothing happens to that pitcher. Its not like Thompson is a “mad hungarian” type. But if he gets suspended for not hitting Wright, I guess he should hit Wright and anybody else he can. Because it certainly looks like the Cards get all the stupid calls against them.
MLB is totally inconsistent. Seems all teams outside of the media giants, go by a different set of rules. If few see the game, justice is secondary. If the game is nationally televised, they pay attention. You would think MLB would want to protect somebody like Pujols, but it is clearly open season on him. Tony has no choice but to dispense justice the old-fashioned way…eye for an eye.
Player’s union are dogs that serve only teams on the coasts.
In regards to Wellemeyer, you say it would be preferrable to not use him until Friday. Wouldn’t it be preferrable to not use him at all? As for Thompson, shouldn’t the Player’s Union do something about the inconsistency of their fines/suspensions?
What a load. Why are we always treated unfairly? Did someone in the Cards really PO someone at MLB long ago? Can’t someone in the organization standup to the ignorant MLB big wigs?
If Bob Watson was fired, MLB would be better off.