A First For The MLB

Major League Baseball took a big step on Tuesday, and so did Aroldis Chapman.

The new New York Yankees closer accepted a 30-day ban that will cost him almost $1.9 million as a result of an altercation with his girlfriend last October and MLB issued its first suspension for domestic violence that carries a specific penalty.

MLB and its players association agreed to clamp down on domestic abuse and violence agreed to last year; Chapman is the first to be suspended for a particular number of games. Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes was handed an indefinite paid suspension last week, pending a trial set for April 4, following an alleged incident between him and his wife in October.

MLB and its players got this one right, where the NFL seems almost always to get it wrong. Chapman had earlier said he would oppose a suspension, but portions of the penalty were negotiated. His case did not involve the filing of charges of abuse, which isn’t required under this policy. A handgun was also discharged multiple times. The sides worked together.

Chapman, traded to the Yankees by the Cincinnati Reds, issued a statement in which he said no harm befell his girlfriend that evening – which seems to make him a bit of a weasel because who really knows her mindset after this – but he at least accepted responsibility.

“I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening,” he said in his statement. “However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to certain actions, and for that I am sorry. The decision to accept a suspension, as opposed to appealing one, was made after careful consideration. I made this decision in an effort to minimize the distractions that an appeal would cause the Yankees, my new teammates and most importantly, my family.”

How about that? The closer seeks closure.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman