Sox and Rays: Who's fault is it?

A fight broke out in the game between the Rays and the Red Sox today after James Shields intentionally threw at Coco Crisp in retaliation for a hard slide on Akinori Iwamura the previous night.

Was anyone surprised? I wasn't. Coco Crisp and Rays Manager John Madden got into a shouting match after the incident in which Madden believed Crisp slid too hard and late into Iwamura. Crisp plays outfield, so the most efficient technique to get retribution is throwing at him.

This might be the way problems in baseball are taken care of, but does that make it right? An eye for an eye? When does the cycle stop? Will it be over after Shields hits Crisp or will the Red Sox come back and nail one of the Rays?

I'm sure the league will have something to say about the incident. Crisp and Shields will, almost certainly, be suspended. Matt Kemp and Yorvit Torrealba were both suspended following their skirmish earlier in the week. Why doesn't the league step in preemptively?

If Coco Crisp violated the MLB code of ethics, then he should be suspended. By suspending Crisp, there wouldn't be a need for James Shields to throw at Crisp to retaliate. The result is that Crisp is still suspended, but Shields isn't suspended and MLB doesn't have another brawl on their record - I can't imagine the league office likes to see these incidents, which is why they suspend the players involved (unless they secretly like them but don't want to be seen as condoning them). Shields is only suspended because he was the starter for the Rays today. If Scott Kazmir had started, he probably would have been the one throwing at Crisp.

If the league doesn't feel Crisp did anything wrong, and no penalty was leveled against him, and Shields decided to throw at him then Shields (and only Shields) should be suspended for the intentional HBP. Of course, if Crisp charged the mound, he'd then be in the wrong and deserve a suspension as well.

The league should try to limit late, hard, takeout slides and intentional plunkings of players for the safety of the players. A system of penalties should be devised (either fines or suspensions) to discourage players from committing the violations. I thought the league was interested in speeding up the games. Brawls and shouting matches embarrass the league and waste time, although a segment of fans might find them entertaining. I'm all for watching a good fight, but I'd rather watch Faber v. Pulver or GSP v. Hughes or Griffin v. Rampage than anything involving baseball players. Basebrawls aren't good fights, for the most part.

Late slides would be penalized. Intentional plunkings would be penalized. Charging the mound would be penalized. Pushing the catcher when he's tagging you out after a dropped third strike would be penalized. That's about all you'd need, I think.

Somewhat related question: Generally, people don't have a problem with antics of pitchers after a big out (think K by Joba Chamberlain, Carlos Zambrano, etc.). But, people do have a problem with antics of hitters after a big hit (think HR by Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez, etc.). Why the discrepancy? Why are hitters thrown at after admiring a tape measure HR if pitchers are fist-pumping after a big K? Aren't the pitchers showing up the hitters in much the same way that hitters are showing up the pitchers?