Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that Cubs right-hander Keegan Thompson has been suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount “for intentionally hitting Andrew McCutchen … with a pitch during the top of the eighth inning of Saturday afternoon’s game at Wrigley Field.”
Chicago manager David Ross has also been suspended one game and fined for Thompson’s actions, as is customary. Ross will serve his ban tomorrow afternoon and miss Chicago’s upcoming game with the Pirates. Thompson’s suspension is set to go into effect tomorrow as well, but unlike Ross, he has the right to appeal.
The Cubs and Brewers traded hit batsmen on Thursday. Milwaukee pitching hit three Cubs players during the early stages of Saturday’s contest. After Milwaukee’s Trevor Gott hit Ian Happ, Thompson faced McCutchen with no one on base in a 9-0 game. His 1-1 offering was well inside and went to the backstop; on the next pitch, Thompson plunked the veteran outfielder. The benches cleared, although there was little more than barbs traded on each side. Home plate umpire Lance Barksdale ejected Thompson.
In the following inning, Cubs righty Ethan Roberts hit Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich. That pitch was a 1-2 slider that clipped the left-handed hitter in the back foot, though, and Roberts remained in the game to record the final three outs.
#ThatsCub
Seems pretty standard. Basically any team would have done the same, but feel free to base your personality on being against the cubs
You get one shot. If you miss that’s on you. There aren’t any mulligans in this situation. Be better. Hit the guy the first time and that’s that.
Don’t quote the Cutch because you heard him say this. He’s wrong.
The most famous plunking took out ARod on the 4th inside pitch and it came close to his head.
I’d love to see a hitter swing, but “accidentally” lose his grip on the bat at any additional attempts at an intentional beaning. These pitchers face no actual threat or punishment for throwing at hitters; love to see them get a taste of their own medicine and see how they like it
Yeah, having the balls to stick up for your teammates is #Cubs. Meanwhile, are you 10 years old or something? Just worry about the fact that half of your team has too many ow’ees to stay on the field.
I see Dumpster Diving Ricky diving in the dumpster to find replacements for all those fragile prima dona’s that are injured.
Same ol’ geriatric-fart White Sox_Fan. You forgot to block me when you changed your name…lol. I was missing already your stupidities, since nobody comment about your White Sucks, because nobody cares about them. Let’s see if you want to return to be a Cubs fan when the Sucks move to Las Vegas.
Lot more history to this story. He didn’t hit mccutchen in the head so seems like a pretty normal beanball situation.
It was the fact that he tried to hit him twice. If he would have hit him with the first throw, there’d be no suspension imo. Throwing at him twice is too obvious
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d take 10 intentional beanings to the legs/torso over 1 unintentional to the face.
Mets had 2-3 of those vs the Nats. What’s the appropriate response to that?
I think the difference in that situation is that the nationals can legitimately argue that their relievers are so bad that those HBP had to have been unintentional.
Sure. And I understand that intent matters. But what do you do when you keep unintentionally getting hit in the face due to lack of skill? Is there any recourse? Do you just have to keep taking it?
Retaliation would definitely be met with the charade of outrage and suspensions and what have you. Besides, hitting a guy in the ass is absolutely no comparison to a fastball to the mouth.
Personally, I’d propose a rule that says hitting a guy in the head is an immediate ejection and automatic 10 game suspension, with escalation for repeat offenders and no appeal rights. Intent doesn’t matter when you’re putting someone’s career in jeopardy (i.e. Kirby Puckett, etc.). If you’re bad at pitching, don’t put other people in danger for it. Either get better or don’t come inside.
And if he missed the second time then he should have gone for three. These are major league pitchers; get them under control or get them off the mound. You can’t keep hitting guys and expect no retaliation.
I have a feeling he didn’t care about it being obvious. Not hit in the head=playground justice.
We all aim to make our lives better, but sometimes, when we think about it, we feel ashamed
A beanball is when you hit someone in the head (AKA the “bean”). This wasn’t a beanball.
Total BS. Keegan Thompson gets suspended but the Brewers don’t get any punishment. They hit the cubs 3 times yesterday. Warnings should’ve been issued after Contreras was hit for the 2nd time in the series.
Does it really have to be explained to you that it matters if it’s intentional or not. The Cubs hit Mccutchin on purpose. The others weren’t. Did you see how Contreras leans over the inside of the plate.
Suter hit Willson in his upper back, it’s not like he clipped him inside. He doesn’t stand that close to the plate anymore. He definitely did last season/
Meh, it’s bad pitchers constantly trying to pitch inside (unsuccessfully) against the Cubs. If the umpires aren’t going to protect the players, someone else needs to, even if that means taking a suspension.
Rizzo use to stand in the strike zone and get away with it.
And how many times did he get plunked?
20+ per year since 2015 (minus 2020). Already doinked twice this year.
He’s not complaining, it’s part of his game.
Doesn’t matter if pitches are intentionally thrown or not…when one team is hitting batters at an excessive amount they will be given a warning…that is just a reasonable way to control it…yes the Brewers should have been warned
It absolutely matters if it was intentional or not, because that’s the rule in the rule book. When there’s an accidental HBP, the batter takes the base. When there’s an intentional HBP, the batter takes the base and the pitcher is tossed. Intent is exactly what the rule requires.
Lol you misinterpreted that completely…I understand the rules…but when one team is excessively hitting the other team that team should receive a warning…therefore the other team doesn’t have to retaliate because the umps are doing it for them
Huh? Like a warning is going to suddenly improve the pitcher’s control. I mean, the pitcher isn’t gonna be like well, we’ve been warned, now I need to stop unintentionally hitting people. It’s not super complex.
Well, a warning might tell a pitcher to be careful about pitching inside. Puts them BBC at a disadvantage
The batter has the right to stand in the BATTER’S box. If the pitcher is throwing the ball in the batter’s box area, technically they are throwing at the batter.
How do you know the Brewers weren’t hitting the Cubs on purpose?
You don’t know whether the Brewers were hitting the Cubs players on purpose.
Sometimes you don’t know if they are, I guess. But they’re probably not doing it on purpose in many cases. But when they ARE doing it on purpose you generally know it. Generally pitchers don’t hit batters on purpose unless in retaliation for something.
Thompson was clearly trying to hit Mccutchen and not fooling anybody, it was a easy call..
This is coming from a Cubs fan.
It annoys me that players, in the age of “protecting the players”, still have to police the game and retaliate. The umpiring crew should have nipped this in the bud the first game when Contreras got hit knowing that there is a history between the Cubs and Brewers, specifically Contreras and the Brewers. Contreras has been hit something like 12 times against the Brewers since 2020… 12 times in 32 games… and I’m sure Contreras hasn’t played in all 32 of those games. It’s ridiculous if he “crowds the plate” or not.
As always, we await developments.
Literally makes total sense
3 guys get hit you kind of have to respond. Nothing much to see here, just baseball players doing baseball player stuff. Take the couple days off and get back to it
It’ll be appealed and reduced to 2 games. Really not that big a deal since RP don’t pitch every day anyway.
Brewers took more of a L. They’re 1-3 vs terrible teams and can’t hit or pitch so far.
Why no Brewer suspensions? Hit Happ and others. They always throw at Contreras. It’s bs.
Those will be coming—you can’t tell me sometime in the next 16 games more Cubs players aren’t going to get plunked. The best thing about this is now the Brewers will be forced to change their pitching philosophy against the Cubs since one errant inside pitch may be seen as intentional and the tables will turn.
It’s a long, long, long season.
Agreed mike127…the Brewers should be punished further if they continue to hits cubs batters…it really does affect their approach to the cubs now…or at least should
I really don’t think it will (nor should it) affect their approach, but now, with the history and early season stuff it does open the door to a pitch just little too inside by Burnes or Woodruff leading to a quick hook and then potential suspension.
Unfortunately, they are already at the point where even the most unintentional of pitches will raise the radar.
As always, we await developments.
Exactly…that’s why it should change their approach…if they don’t then they risk losing a starter or whoever hits who…the point is that the Brewers should be warned immediately and therefore will have to change their approach…if they don’t that is on them but they risk suspension
Why don’t these idiot pitchers do the right thing and hit a batter (if they must because of stupid “unwritten rules”) with a slow knuckleball? Tony Coniglario anyone? Those hard thrown missiles can seriously hurt or kill. Got a beef? Challenge you amor to a mano a mano fight! Don’t be gutless.
Oh, and suspend both managers a month, not a day.
Maybe the managers will then be scared straight and keep their players in line. This is not hockey, violence has no place in baseball. Most of all, who will think of the children!!??
You mad, bro?
Stupid decision. Apparently the Brewers can hit anybody they want but when a team tries to protect their own because the umps and MLB won’t police the offending team, then we get bad decisions like this. Thanks, MLB. You continue to disappoint.
Yes, the Brewers can ACCIDENTALLY hit a Cub without penalty. However the Cubs got penalized for INTENTIONALLY hitting a Brewer. Pretty important distinction.
Contreras is being hit intentionally. Probably not every single time, but it is still happening with intent some of the time. The probability that it is him every single time is too great to not be intentional.
You can count on one hand the amount of times he has actually tried to move out of the way on all these beanings. The guy refuses to back off the plate, and he refuses to make an effort to get out of the way. What do you expect? You want the Brewers to just stop throwing inside to him?
And why do you believe the Brewers are intentionally throwing at Contreras? What reason makes sense in your head? It’s certainly not because they’re afraid to pitch to him ala Barry Bonds. Maybe they think it’s funny triggering the biggest crybaby in the game? I literally can’t think of another reason why they’d keep throwing at him on purpose.
Tony Conigliaro, that is…..
Man, come on. Talk about action & excitement in sports & one of the most integral aspects you remove. Ridiculous…
lol
Those 3 games could be the difference between the Cubs making the playoffs and falling agonizingly short. Lol.
He got hit in the wallet, don’t know what he’s so upset about. He had to know it was coming, he’s been in the majors long enough.
It’s about time
Should be fine of three games and missing 15 games (three starts).
So the team that hit four batters gets no suspensions.
Seems legit
Why doesn’t baseball just institute an intentional hit batsman rule? Avoid all this messy possible injury stuff. There. Problem solved. Honestly, this rule stuff is simple.
There is an intentional hit batsman rule: batter takes the base and pitcher is ejected.
What else did you have in mind?
Automatic hit batsman rule: the pitcher motions to the umpire and says something like, “I’m obligated to hit him with a fastball but I don’t want to commit assault so can we just say I hit him and give him the base? Like we do with intentional walks.”
The second one. I was being sarcastic.
My opinion is anything HBP above the elbow should be two bases and an immediate ejection of the pitcher.
Contreras has been hit 15 times in his career by the Brewers, including twice this year already. The umpires don’t do anything, and when the Cubs police it themselves, they are the ones that get ejected. To make matters worse, whenever 1 Brewer hitter gets hit by Cubs pitching, they cry about it endlessly during or after the game. I don’t even like the Cubs, and I actually DO like the Brewers, but this entire situation has been such a crock of S***.
Isn’t this guy on SNL?
Instead of this endlessly ambiguous nonsense of retaliation, I think these would be reasonable rules:
If a batter is hit anywhere below the shoulders or the upper back, he takes his base. That’s it.
If the HBP is anywhere near the head — from the shoulders, upper back and higher — the pitcher is ejected, intentional or not. If your control is that bad, you’re a danger to opposing players. Sit down. You’re responsible for your incompetence.
If a pitcher hits a batsman after he homered in the previous at-bat, the pitcher is ejected. Intent doesn’t matter. Umpires aren’t psychologists or mind readers and shouldn’t have to pretend to be. The pitcher’s intent is assumed, whether he intended it or not. If you didn’t intend it, pitch better next time.
Retaliation is stupid and dangerous. It’s time for MLB to grow up and eliminate it.
Contreras should have served some time as well. He didn’t even move his glove.
I would imagine something was said, some face or gesture made by the Brewers that made the Cubs feel like the HBP were intentional. Since no one at home or in the stands(and umpires for that matter) see nor hear everything taking place on the field, it’s hard to say with any real certainties. Ya know like an under-the-breath remark from the catcher to let the batter know that if he ends up wearing it, it was because he wanted him to. Lord knows I said that many occasions to a batter., always using the word “IF” so the home plate umpire couldn’t say much. If i hadn’t said anything but knew that ball was not the pitch I called, when the batter turned and looked at me, I would just grin big. My point is we just may not always see what made one team feel retribution was in order. Fully well knowing that suspension and fines would be handed out most of the time you can bet money the team felt justified in their actions. And honestly, if a manager has a pitcher missing on the inside and he has missed and hit two and he doesn’t remove him then it makes the situation intentional, and at the very least willing to risk player injury and not caring both deserve an “I’ll see you and raise you one”. Its the NL so I say wait till the pitcher gets up to bat and give him a taste of his own medicine.
That kid Thompson earned his way to be a MLB pitcher. Ross, as a former MLB catcher had to urged him to plank somebody. Everyone knows about McCuthen’s theatrics, therefore had to be to him. If it weren’t a Ross’ demand, he would had sent the pitching coach to talk to Thompson after the first attempt. I am 150% with Ross and Keegan. If you are to retaliate for a fellow team member, it has to be if the opposite team intentionally hit your pitcher or catcher. Ross and Keegan did it ok, in my opinion.
Agorolm–perfectly stated….in terms of unwritten baseball rules it was done as well as possible. Couple of things—Thompson had already gone 2.2 innings….the Cubs were ahead 9-0…a runner on base with two outs was not going to jeopardize anything…..it was the inning after Happ (third Cubs player hit) was hit and had to be removed from the game. Ross knew he was bringing in Ethan Roberts for his major league debut in the ninth and he certainly wouldn’t want him to do it (although he did hit Yelich with a two strike curveball in the dirt).
And, let’s not forget—Thompson was NOT immediately ejected….it took a huddle of all four umpires to make the call The home plate ump did not see intent at the time of the pitch.
Contreras Crowds the plate and can hit the outer zones very well. The Brewers pitch him inside to avoid his bat. He also keeps his padded elbow over the plate, not much to do to avoid hitting him in those situations.
Since 2020 Contreras has been hit a grand total of 28 times, 12 of those times came against the Brewers so apparently other teams seem to avoid hitting Contreras just fine.
24 starts against the Brewers, hit 12 times.
222 games against the field 16 times.
Brewers pitchers hit Contreras 50% of the games they play
The rest of the league 7%
Has anyone been ejected for a curve ball plunking? If he threw at the head but with a curve ball and connected would he have been ejected and could they have said it was intentional or would the old “curve ball” excuse saved him.
Punishment was extreme for the circumstances. They should have gotten Yelich though.
Bottom line is that it’s part of the game…simple rule change that would be justified is if the batter hit is injured on a pitch deemed intentional, the opposing pitcher and catcher must serve the same amount of time on the injury list.
Except for the majority of plunkings just leave a little bruise and no time is missed. Plus, there’s a big difference between a pitch that honestly gets away from a guy and throwing at someone intentionally. The latter is worse from a moral standpoint, regardless of whether the hitter gets nailed or not.
Sorry, read your post too fast and missed the word intentional. I still disagree with your proposed punishment, because plunking a guy on the butt or back is not likely to make him miss time, so the pitcher and catcher would get off penalty-free in your scenario. I don’t think they should. I can agree with the punishment depending on the severity of the infraction (including any injury), but I don’t think it ought to be a game-for-game.
Cubs crowd the plate excessively. Everybody hits them accidentally. Cub pitchers have to retaliate and get suspended. It’s been the Cubbie game plan for a few years now.
It appears the rest of the league is growing tired of this game plan and suspensions to Cubs pitchers are getting longer and rapidly and liberally disseminated.
That is a empty opinion stated as a fact without a shred of evidence.
The evidence and stats were broken out and displayed ad naseum in 2019, 2020 and 2021. At this point “the cubs crowd the plate and get hit by everybody” is scripture. The suspensions have been increasing on them that’s easy enough to just read. It’s not a safe tactic the cubbies are engaged in as it puts players at risk of injury so I understand why the league is disseminating suspensions to Chi.
Contreras (like other Cubs batters) constantly hang out over or near the plate. Rizzo was the same way. So obviously Contreras is often hit along with he refuses to move on inside pitches. Remove that piece of armor on his left arm and I bet he backs off the plate a bit after getting hit a few times.
Another part of the problem is there are more & more throwers than pitchers on the mound over the past couple of decades.
Want to fix another part of this issue? Get rid of the designated hitter!