The Wrong Kind of Swing

Gary Sanchez has been one of baseball hottest hitters during August: crushing 11 home runs this month -- including four in the Yankees three-game series in Detroit. But a swing of the wrong kind is the one making headlines. During a brawl in Thursday's ugly, bean-ball fueled loss at Comerica, Sanchez punched Tigers star Miguel Cabrera. Many reports call it a sucker-punch, with Miggy unable to defend himself. And while Cabrera was among those ejected for the fighting that kept flaring up, Sanchez was not.
You know MLB officials will be looking at the video from this fiasco. A suspension for the All Star catcher is likely to result. And that will hurt the Yankees as they try and secure a Wild Card and maybe make one last push toward the first-place Red Sox.
Leadership isn't the same as recklessness. Sanchez -- who was hit by Detroit starter Michael Fullmer an inning after his 400-something-foot blast -- had a right to feel victimized. But how much is too much, when a three or four game absence could mean the difference between playing in the post-season and watching it from home?

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