On Wednesday, Joe Kelly was suspended for eight games longer than any member of the Houston Astros were for cheating their way to a World Series.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly became a folk hero amongst Dodgers fans. In the first meeting between the teams since the 2017 World Series, he sent a direct message to the Houston Astros. He threw a 96 MPH fastball behind Alex Bregman‘s head, continually brushed back Yuri Gurriel, and brushed Carlos Correa back before striking out the Astros shortstop. On the way back to the dugout, he continued to mock Correa, prompting the benches to clear.
For those actions, Major League Baseball has decreed their discipline – with Kelly being suspended for eight games. Manager Dave Roberts received a one game suspension, and Astros manager Dusty Baker has been fined an undisclosed sum.
Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly has been suspended eight games. In announcing it, MLB referred to Kelly's past history with intentional throwing, the fastball that buzzed Alex Bregman and his taunting of Carlos Correa.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2020
Yes, Kelly has a history. And yes, throwing at anyone’s head is a dangerous proposition, and one that should not have been taken. But eight games? That is far too severe a punishment.
That is especially the case because Major League Baseball could have kept this from happening. When the lid was blown off of AstroGate, Rob Manfred could have suspended the players involved. While three managers lost their jobs due their presence on the Astros, and general manager Jeff Luhnow was also fired, none of the players received any punishment.
Understandably, this irked players around the game. Kelly may not have been a part of the Astros in 2017, but he was on the Red Sox squad that lost in the division series to Houston that year. In fact, Kelly picked up the only Red Sox win in that series, getting the W in Game Three.
In a way, Kelly was the perfect pitcher to bring forth the punishment that the league refused to dole out. His shoddy command gave him plausible deniability; after all, who can forget the footage of his breaking a window in his house when throwing in April?
Was a suspension warranted? Yes, it was. But multiple suspensions were warranted back when AstroGate broke, and not just to Luhnow and A.J. Hinch. The players involved needed to be held accountable as well. MLB’s refusal to do so set the stage for what happened on Tuesday, and in Kelly becoming a national hero.
Joe Kelly has been suspended for eight games due to his actions in facing the Houston Astros on Tuesday. That suspension would not have been necessary if Major League Baseball had done what they should have in the first place and suspend those players involved in AstroGate.