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Major League Baseball issued a one-game suspension to Oakland A’s outfielder Coco Crisp for “intentionally throwing his bat in the direction of home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn, which struck Reyburn on the foot” after striking out in the fifth inning of Thursday’s game (via Jane Lee, MLB.com) in Houston. Crisp will not appeal the suspension and will be unavailable for Friday night’s game against the Astros:
Crisp decided not to appeal because he says he deserves one game suspension.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 8, 2016
Crisp still not certain bat hit Reyburn but that's beside the point, he says, because at the least it was way too close.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 8, 2016
Video replays appear to indicate that the bat’s handle did contact Reyburn on the shoe after the head of the bat struck the ground first, but as Crisp says the crux of the issue is that it is never appropriate to throw playing equipment towards an umpire.
Billy Burns will start in center field tonight with Khris Davis in left field. Jake Smolinski, Matt McBride, and Tyler Ladendorf are available off the bench:
#Athletics at #Astros, Crisp not in lineup, so assume not appealing suspension: pic.twitter.com/lr9HFG4WtJ
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 8, 2016
