There's a perception of a pattern of behavior in the minds of the public that has to be taken into account. In the past, hitters have been penalized for throwing bats at pitchers, most notably Oakland's Bert Campaneris. He was suspended for the rest of the AL playoffs in 1972 after throwing his bat at Detroit pitcher Lerrin LaGrow, who had hit him on an ankle with a pitch. Clemens said he had not been contacted. It was an unusual incident.
Intent is always difficult to establish.
Mets general manager Steve Phillips said he didn't think Clemens deliberately threw the bat fragment at his catcher. Still, he was in favor of having Robinson review the strange toss. Any suspension would not start until next season, because the players' association almost certainly would appeal, delaying any penalty until after a hearing before Paul Beeston, baseball's chief operating officer. Lawyers would need time to prepare for a hearing. All rights reserved.