Major League Baseball can suspend players with pay when legal charges are pending in “exceptional cases” under a new domestic violence policy signed on Friday.
The 13-page deal signed on Friday by the league and players’ association, which followed a series of high-profile domestic violence cases involving NFL players, allows the baseball commissioner to issue discipline for “just cause,” the same standard used under the sport’s collective bargaining agreement. Discipline is not dependent on a criminal conviction.
“Major League Baseball and its clubs are proud to adopt a comprehensive policy that reflects the gravity and the sensitivities of these significant societal issues,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “We believe that these efforts will foster not only an approach of education and prevention, but also a united stance against these matters throughout our sport and our communities.”
The commissioner can place a player accused of domestic violence, sexual assault or child abuse on paid “administrative leave” for up to seven days before a disciplinary decision, which can be appealed to the sport’s arbitration panel, chaired by an independent arbitrator. The commissioner can also defer a discipline decision until the resolution of criminal charges.
Suspensions that are upheld are without pay, and there are no maximum or minimum penalties. Players will not receive service time for the period of the suspension.
Players can be suspended with pay in “exceptional cases” while criminal charges are pending if the commissioner determines “allowing the player to play during the pendency of the criminal or legal proceeding would result in substantial or irreparable harm to either the club or Major League Baseball.” If the disciplinary action becomes an unpaid suspension, the player has the right to offset the time served against the penalty, but must repay any salary he received from his team during the paid suspension.
The deal creates a joint policy board to provide treatment, which could include mandatory counseling and psychological evaluation. Three experts are to serve on the board along with two members appointed by MLB and two by the union, and one of the experts will submit a proposed treatment plan to the full board for approval. Players who fail to comply with their treatment plan might be subject to discipline.
“Players are husbands, fathers, sons and boyfriends and as such, want to set an example that makes clear that there is no place for domestic abuse in our society,” players’ union executive director Tony Clark said in the release. “We are hopeful that this new comprehensive, collectively-bargained policy will deter future violence, promote victim safety, and serve as a step toward a better understanding of the causes and consequences of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.”
Previously, the labor contract included a voluntary treatment program for certain alcohol-related and off-field violent conduct. It also allows the commissioner or a team to impose discipline, but did not say of what sort, if a player was charged with a crime “involving the use of physical force or violence, including but not limited to, sexual assault, domestic violence, resisting arrest, battery, and assault.”
Following the decision by the New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez to have outside lawyers of his choice handle the arbitration of his drug suspension two years ago, the agreement includes a provision that the player and union can be represented “only by in-house counsel of the players’ association and/or by outside counsel appointed by the players’ association.”
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
RSS