David Ortiz, Kevin Gregg Suspended 4 Games For Fight

By KC Downey in Featured, Red Sox, Top Story ⋅ July 15, 2011 at 2:34am ⋅ Post a comment

Kevin Gregg, David Ortiz (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)

Nearly a week after David Ortiz and Kevin Gregg went toe-to-toe near the pitcher’s mound (and no one even landed a punch), Major League Baseball came down hard on the parties involved, issuing four-game suspensions to each player. Ortiz has appealed his suspension with a big series against the Rays coming up.

In case you missed the fight, Sports of Boston has you covered with an encore presentation. The tension between the teams is pretty good, and the commentary from Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy make it even better.

But, there’s no fighting “allowed” in baseball even though “it’s a part of the game.” So, baseball officials had to lay down the law.

The suspension (which may be reduced to three games for each player after appeals), affects a position player (or DH in this case) that plays every day way more than it affects a pitcher. Now, Ortiz must sit potentially for an entire series.

Gregg, meanwhile, is a relief pitcher. They can sit out for three days at a time without even being suspended, so manager Buck Showalter can work his bullpen so Gregg would have three days off anyway.

Was the fight worth it for either side?