Yankees' Burnett Suspended for Defending His Teammate

Here's how it works in baseball: Texas' Vicente Padilla throws at, and hits, the Yankees' Mark Teixeira twice and gets fined. A.J. Burnett tries to protect Teixeira with a pitch that doesn't hit Nelson Cruz and gets suspended.

All this happened Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, and the punishment was handed down Thursday by Major League Baseball.

"I pitch in all the time, but I can't complain about it," Burnett said before the Yanks hosted the Rangers at the new Yankee Stadium. "Obviously, a warning was issued and nothing else."

Still, he wasn't overly surprised by the decision.

"You kind of expect something to happen when ball comes that close," Burnett said. "It looked bad. Obviously, it was up tight."

Padilla hit Teixeira on the right biceps in Tuesday's second inning and on the rear end in the fourth, prompting Teixeira to stare down Padilla and then blast him as a headhunter after the game.

In the top of the fifth, Burnett sailed one over the head of Cruz, who had homered in the third inning. Home-plate umpire Doug Eddings then warned both teams.

It makes no sense for Padilla to get off with a lighter punishment. Bob Watson, MLB's Vice President of On-Field Operations, has judged that both pitchers intentionally threw at batters. But the guy who did it first, and actually hit someone, gets no suspension?

If Teixeira is right, and it seems that way, then Padilla was the instigator and Burnett was merely trying to send a message back to the Rangers that the Yankees would not sit by and let players get plunked. Had the umpires warned the teams after Teixeira was hit the second time, then Burnett would not have retaliated.

Burnett has appealed his suspension and is thus eligible to play in the meantime.