Long after much of the country east of the Mississippi was asleep, all hell was breaking loose on the west coast. In the 6th inning of last night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke hit left fielder Carlos Quentin with a fastball, leading Quentin to charge the mound and spark a bench-clearing brawl. And, because of it, Greinke broke his collarbone.
So, the worst of the situation clearly comes for the Dodgers and Greinke. The star pitcher was a very expensive and high-profile signing for LA this offseason as the team’s new owners are trying to show they are serious about winning. His $147MM contract is proof of that and he is a big part of the Dodgers’ plans for 2013 and beyond.
But now his contributions will be put on hold for a while, possibly for as long as two months. That’s bad enough, but it stings even more when considering he was off to a very good start this year. In his two starts he had thrown 11.1 innings, given up just 2 runs, had a 10-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and picked up a win. And with the way he has handled National League hitters over his career, there’s been no reason to think it wouldn’t continue.
In the preseason, LA seemed to have an abundance of starting pitching and it seemed plausible that the team could trade someone, potentially Ted Lilly or Chris Capuano. Throughout the last several years, Lilly has been very reliable and certainly is deserving of a rotation spot somwhere. He’s started this season on the disabled list, though, and had a rehab start on Wednesday for AAA Albuquerque and gave up 6 runs in 6 innings.
Capuano, meanwhile, has started the year in the bullpen and, in 2.2 innings, has failed to allow a run. Transitioning back to a starter’s role wouldn’t be a problem for him as he has spent most of his career there. He has a lifetime 69-76 record and 4.27 ERA. While either he or Lilly should be fine as a replacement, neither will provide what Greinke would.
The Dodgers are in this situation because of a stupid move by an overly combative player. After the game, Quentin claimed Greinke said something to him which prompted him to charge the mound, but replays show he was already on his way there before Greinke said anything.
Quentin also added that he and the pitcher had a history, which, if one counts being hit by a Greinke pitch twice before, is true. Though, for a guy who has been hit by 116 pitches in his career, two should hardly stand out.  And he’s been hit on his own accord by standing on top of the plate more times than a pitcher’s hit him on purpose.
What’s more is that any even a basic baseball education would teach someone that a pitcher does not intentionally hit a batter in the game situation the Dodgers were in. LA was holding on to a one-run lead heading into the late innings. Quentin was the first batter of the frame and Greinke had him in a full count. A pitcher wanting to drill a batter won’t do it during a full count and with the game potentially at a turning point.
Instead, it was a selfish act by a man who convinced himself of a lie and, because of it, has taken one of the league’s top pitchers out of action for possibly a third of the season. Even if Greinke is partly at fault for shoulder-blocking a man nearly 50 pounds heavier than he who has charging at him, the fact that he was forced to defend himself is all on Quentin.
Now the baseball world waits to see if and for how long Quentin will be suspended. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly wants him to be out until Greinke returns. While that won’t happen, the harsher end of any punishment would see him suspended for 10-15 games, which could be the equivalent of how many starts Greinke would miss. Even if that is how long the Padres left fielder will be out, it still won’t make up for the hit a team with real playoff aspirations will take because of an ill-conceived moment of arrogance.
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