Last week Josh Donaldson was suspended for one game after a really dumb dustup with Pirates starter Joe Musgrove. It was basically two guys playing the “stop looking at me/I’m not looking at you” game. It all happened after Musgrove barely grazed Donaldson’s jersey and then the benches barely cleared while the two jawed at each other. It was about 67% effort on the part of everyone involved except for the umpires who went to 110% in ejecting Donaldson, Musgrove and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle over what was, basically, a case of the crankies.
Donaldson got a one-game suspension out of it. One-game suspensions are usually upheld, as MLB has a habit of just reducing suspensions on appeal rather than eliminating them. When you get one game, it’s the league’s way of saying “just sit out, OK?” But not here:
Atlanta Braves third baseman Josh Donaldson won his appeal and will not be suspended after a benches-clearing incident with Pittsburgh, a source tells ESPN. Donaldson originally was suspended for one game. His fine for the incident was also reduced to $1,000.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 21, 2019
Thus endeth our long national night-- er, mildly weird dream that doesn’t really elicit strong feelings and which is forgotten soon after breakfast.
