Atlanta Braves infielder, Whit Merrifield’s recent outburst calls for Major League Baseball (MLB) to deal with the issue of pitchers who lack control of their throws, thus causing harm to batters. Merrifield, who was hit by a high-speed pitch by Colorado Rockies’ Jeff Criswell, argues that the situation is dangerous and could lead to serious injuries if not addressed. Merrifield suggests the reckless pitching reflects poorly on the game and therefore needs to be changed.
Merrifield is an influential figure in MLB as a player representative on the MLB Competition Committee. He was hit right behind his left ear during the match and was visibly furious with Criswell. Merrifield passed a concussion protocol test and was promptly taken for a CT scan to check for any internal injury.
Merrifield’s incident is one of several such episodes involving the Braves. Earlier in August, Travis d’Arnaud and Austin Riley were struck by fastballs leading to a forearm contusion and broken hand respectively. Additionally, Michael Harris II had to leave a game after a fastball hit his hand, although the injury was not severe.
The Braves player lambasted the rising trend of high-speed yet uncontrollable pitches. He suggests such throws indicate a lack of regard for players’ safety. Merrifield accused pitchers of throwing as hard and carelessly as they can, lamenting the loss of fear and deterrent in the game.
The player believes the current game’s rules encourage pitchers to throw at maximum speed without concern for accuracy or the batter’s safety. He adds that the game doesn’t penalize the pitchers, resulting in an escalation of such dangerous throws. In light of the recent occurrences, Merrifield has vowed to bring up this issue in their forthcoming meeting.
In his seventh MLB relief appearance, 25-year-old Criswell caused the recent controversy. He pitched 1 2/3 innings, with one hit, one run, and three walks with one strikeout to his name. Merrifield derided that despite this incident, Criswell faced no repercussions, endangering the lives of the players. Merrifield concluded that such a state of the game is unacceptable and could lead to dire consequences if not addressed immediately.
