It was the wrong thing to do. A message has to be sent, but not to pitchers who pitch inside to keep hitters on their toes. A message should be sent to hitters who think that any ball that comes over the inner half of the plate is a ball targeting their livelihood. They have to be taught that it's a pitch designed to get them out. Not suspending Martinez would have helped show that.
Nobody wants to see anymore bench-clearing fiascoes like the one in Detroit.
But until that stance is taken, suspensions for those involved in fights on the field will do. But suspensions won't work for pitchers trying to get a legal advantage by pitching inside and showing the hitter who is boss. Baseball did a good thing by hiring Robinson and putting him in charge of on-field discipline. Players, managers and even fans respect him as a baseball figure. Robinson did a good thing by handing out the fines and suspensions he did to those involved in the fight in Detroit.