Papa Don't Preach . . . Even if I Can't Hear You

In what seems like a curious assessment of behavior, Major League Baseball has decided to fine and suspend Boston Red Sox hitting coach Ron Jackson (AKA "Papa Jack") for one game due to his actions (or mouthed expressions) in the now infamous Red Sox - Yankees game from April 14. In that game, a fan interfered with Gary Sheffield, who after completing the play, ran back to confront the fan (but, unlike Jackson, Sheffield will not be punished by Major League Baseball). Bob Watson, MLB's vice president for discipline, cited Jackson's "excessive arguing" with home plate umpire Greg Gibson after Gibson had ejected him for arguing a pitch. But Gibson didn't actually hear Jackson argue; rather, he only read Jackson's lips from behind his umpire's mask while Jackson was sitting in the dugout. So irate with Gibson for ejecting him, Jackson was then restrained by a couple of other Red Sox coaches.

So let me get this straight: In the same game where Sheffield is not tossed for physically confronting a fan, Jackson is tossed because the home plate umpire believes he could read his lips? And then, on the same day when Bob Watson praises Sheffield for "showing restraint," he fines and suspends Jackson? Huh?

I wonder: If baseball officials had the same passion for curbing steroids use in the 1990s that it now apparently has for deterring mouthed expressions, would there ever even have been a steroids scandal?

Posted in: