MLB Players React to the Joe Kelly Suspension on Social Media
You had to figure something like this was coming from around MLB. When the Joe Kelly suspension was announced from the league, current and former players started to go off. Check out some of the reactions from around the league yesterday.
Former Angels’ pitcher Jered Weaver had plenty to say on the suspension. Weaver called MLB soft and noted that cheating in baseball is basically encouraged now.
??? 8 games! What a joke.. @mlb is so soft anymore it’s kinda embarrassing.. people should just keep cheating because apparently there is 0 game suspensions for that ?
— Jered Weaver (@Weave1036) July 29, 2020
Current Dodgers pitcher Jimmy Nelson summed up MLB perfectly for us in just two words. Nelson is currently on the IL after having back surgery and is out for the entire season.
https://twitter.com/Jimmy_J_Nelson/status/1288598758247325702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1288598758247325702%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yahoo.com%2Fsports%2Fmlb-players-react-to-joe-kellys-eightgame-suspension-for-getting-revenge-on-the-astros-233433273.html
Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven added on to Marcus Stroman’s thoughts about the MLB. Stroman took issue with the fact that the league sided with a team that had openly cheated their way to a title. He also mentioned that he did not think that Joe Kelly should be suspended at all.
I fully agree. It’s bull! https://t.co/87mib8kPI8
— Bert Blyleven (@BertBlyleven28) July 29, 2020
Former Cy Young winner Frank ‘Sweet Music’ Viola chimed in on the situation as well. Viola encouraged Kelly’s behavior, noting that he could pitch for him any time. Viola has served as a pitching coach in Independent leagues over the last few years.
Joe Kelly can pitch for me anytime!!! Period….He gets it!!! Shame others don’t see it!!!
— Frank J. Viola, Jr. (@FrankViola16) July 29, 2020
We all saw SportsNet LA analyst Jerry Hairston Jr go off on MLB yesterday, so this one is no surprise. Hairston could not believe that the league could suspend Kelly after not suspending any Astros players in 2017.
Astros players for ‘17 WS = Immunity
Joe Kelley doesn’t hit anyone = suspended 8 games.
Justice?!? #MLB https://t.co/mQUBXkuBdw
— Jerry Hairston, Jr. (@TheRealJHair) July 29, 2020
And finally, Phil Hughes changed his profile picture to our all-time favorite photo of any MLB player ever. Well done Phil.
#NewProfilePic #AmericanHero #FreeKelly pic.twitter.com/YH0WdU1V76
— Phil Hughes (@PJHughes45) July 29, 2020
Next Up for the Dodgers
The Dodgers will head to Arizona for a four-game series with the Diamondbacks. After that, they travel down to San Diego before heading back home again.
Dodgers Broadcast Crew Takes a Shot at the Astros Cheating
Astros owner Jim Crane clearly has “compromising” photos of Rob Manfred injecting steroids into a Barry Bonds bobblehead!
Should be no punishment the cheaters deserve even more. They should be banned from post season play for at least two years and the series taken away they suck.
I’m loving what’s going on right now
I don’t mind Kelly throwing at them but, not at their head. Astros should have gotten a tougher penalty. Suspension is too long and will be reduced.
Kelly clearly threw a “message” pitch at Bregman: a fastball behind him (the classic message pitch). there is no danger there. Kelly was not throwing “at him”. the pitches to Correa were also a message pitch, but a lot tighter. they were curves, so they were not meant to hurt, but only intimidate, by going high and tight.
Kelly should not be punished as harshly as Correa, since it was the Astro who caused the benches to clear. and so it was Dusty’s fault as much as Roberts’ when the benches cleared, so why no suspension for Dusty? unfair, uneven, asymmetric punishment.