Mixed signals on punishment from MLB for Marcus Stroman

No one who watched Monday’s game and witnessed Marcus Stroman throw behind the head of Baltimore Orioles catcher Marcus Stroman came away from the experience believing that the young Blue Jays starter would escape punishment. In fact, many expected Major League Baseball to see the act as anything other than retaliation and would suspend Stroman accordingly.

So when it initially came down through the pipe, via the following tweet from Newsday’s Steven Marcus, that there was no discipline planned for Stroman, it came as a bit of a surprise.

Well, that would certainly be nice, but it is a little too good to be true. Given the reactions of the events by Stroman, Orioles manager Buck Showalter, and even Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, I have a hard time believing that the kid would get off with nothing more than a stern talking-to from his manager about succumbing to peer pressure.

Let’s review the video just to be sure.

Needless to say, it was no surprise when Gibbons told the Toronto media (h/t Robert MaCleod, Globe and Mail) that he still expects Major League Baseball to teach the rookie a lesson.

“I expect they’ll do something stiff,” said Gibbons before Tuesday game in Baltimore.

Given the circumstances and the emotions that followed, there is no doubt that Major League Baseball will find a good reason to pass judgment on Stroman and likely give him at least a 5-game suspension. There has been enough precedence over similar incidents where that would seem appropriate.

That said, I’m sure we’ll find out in the next day or so what is to come, but leniency likely isn’t going to be the final verdict.