Dodgers, D-Backs Suspensions Announced

It was as if Joe Garagiola and Joe Torre were communicating with carrier pigeons, but they finally announced the suspensions and fines for the Dodgers and Diamondbacks today for their brawl in the seventh inning on Tuesday.

Dodgers

• Manager Don Mattingly - 1 game.
• Hitting coach Mark McGwire - 2 games.
• Reliver J.P. Howell - 2 games.
• Utility player Skip Schumaker - 2 games.
• Reliever Ronald Belisario - 1 game.

Diamondbacks

• Manger Kirk Gibson - 1 game.
• Pitcher Ian Kennedy - 10 games.
• Bench player Eric Hinske - 5 games.

In addition to the suspensions, Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke were fined from the Dodgers while Miguel Montero and Gerardo Parra of the D-Backs received fines. Both teams were also fined for allowing players on the disabled list on the field.

A couple of issues here. Firstly, after reviewing both the KCAL and Fox Sports Arizona footage of the brawl, I still don't see what Schumaker did that was bad. He never appeared to throw a punch, and he pulled Josh Beckett away from the fray. Schumaker said he's appealing his suspension.

Also Hinske gets punched by Puig, but he's the one with a five-game suspension?

This almost makes Brendan Shanahan and the NHL's version of supplementary discipline look logical.

This is hardly over judging what Montero told reporters today:

There are disagreements about whether brawls and pitchers getting retribution have a place in baseball. But there is one thing we can all agree on: you don't target the face.

Clayton Kershaw and most of the Dodgers the day after the brawl made it clear that he didn't think the pitch that grazed Puig's nose was intentional. Once Greinke hit Montero in the back everything was even, and everyone assumed the issue was dead.

"Zack protected the guy who got hit in the face," Mattingly said. "It should have ended right there."

Then Kennedy got Greinke above the shoulders. "To do it agian in Zack's face, that's inappropriate," Kershaw said. While Gibson said that the Dodgers instigated the madness, Kershaw disagreed. "In this case I don't think we institagated. We're just protecting our guys."

Things were interesting on Monday when the Dodgers recalled Justin Sellers from Triple-A Albuquerque when Scott Van Slyke went on the disabled list for shoulder bursitis. When asked what went into the decision to bring Sellers up, Mattingly had the most curious reply. "I wouldn't be able to speak to that, honestly," Mattingly replied. "They let me know who was coming, and that's who it was."

So Mattingly had no input? "No," he tersely replied.

It sounded like there was some dischord between Mattingly and the front office with general manager Ned Colletti and president Stan Kasten making the decisions while leaving Mattingly hung out to dry. Mattingly downplayed his comments the next day.

"That was one of those it had to be made quick, and it was made," Mattingly said. "Ned always lets me know what he's thinking, talking about different guys. That was one of those that happened late, and it was all of a sudden this is who you've got."

Mattingly reassured that the communication line is still intact. "For the most part it's really good," he said.

The Dodgers opened the road trip just about how you expected: they lost 3-0 to the Pittsburgh Pirates.