What the MLB Is Doing to Address Violence Against Women

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Domestic and sexual violence against women is a huge problem in our country. According to the National Organization for Women, 4.8 million women are physically abused and even raped by their partners each year. 

When it comes to sports, the stats surrounding domestic violence are even more disturbing. The NFL is often under the microscope when it comes to domestic abuse problems — and for a good reason. As of 2014, the arrest rate for NFL players who were abusive toward women was 55.4% in comparison to the national average. 

The NHL, NBA, and other professional sports leagues haven’t been immune to this problem, either. It’s easy to argue that the issue seems so problematic in sports because professional athletes are always under the microscope. While that may be true, athletes are also public figures who could be making a big statement when it comes to the acceptance of domestic violence. 

The MLB also seems to have a problem with players acting out in violence toward women. Since 2016, 13 MLB players have been under investigation for domestic abuse. So, what’s being done? What can be done? What does the MLB need to do to put a stop to violence against women once and for all? 

What Is Domestic Violence? 

Domestic violence is a pattern of abuse between people in a romantic relationship. Some people are more susceptible to this type of violence than others. Younger women in relationships are often abused, and there is a huge problem connecting human trafficking and domestic abuse. 

Women who are trafficked are often forced into marriages (many times with older men) or are forced to take part in prostitution to gain money for their traffickers. On top of this, they are often physically, emotionally, and sexually abused regularly. Abuse can take many forms. It often remains “silent” for years because of some of the stigmas associated with it. 

Thankfully, more women have started to come forward in recent years to report incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault. The recent #MeToo movement has brought light to the definition of consent and sexual abuse in this country, allowing more women to feel comfortable stepping forward to share their stories. It’s even impacted the baseball industry by allowing victims of past abuse to come forward, even years later. 

If someone is arrested for domestic abuse, the consequences can be severe. A first-degree domestic violence conviction is typically considered a felony and can result in a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. 

A Violent History in Baseball

Baseball, unfortunately, has a long history of violence against women, including shamed players who have been investigated and arrested for abuse. Until 2015, the MLB didn’t have a domestic violence policy in place. The policy that was introduced gave the MLB commissioner the right to discipline players under investigation however he saw fit. That could include game suspensions, fines, education, and even treatment for abusive behaviors. Unfortunately, even with the policy in place, violence against women has still been an issue for the league. 

In 2015, Aroldis Chapman (then of the Cincinnati Reds) allegedly choked his girlfriend and fired gunshots in the garage of his home to threaten her. The police came to the scene, but Chapman was never arrested. He was merely suspended for 30 games at the start of the 2016 season. 

Jose Reyes of the Colorado Rockies was arrested for choking his wife and shoving her through a glass door on a Hawaiian vacation in 2015. While he was suspended for 51 games that season and eventually let go by the Rockies, he was only a “free agent” for two days before being picked up by the New York Mets. 

As recently as July of 2019, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Hererra was suspended for 85 games for violating the MLB domestic abuse policy, but he hasn’t been released from the league as of yet. 

How the League Is Changing 

The four main areas of the MLB’s domestic violence policy are: 

• Treatment and intervention
• Investigations
• Discipline
• Training, education, and resources

The policy is designed to do more than just punish; it’s designed to help husbands, boyfriends, and fathers in the MLB learn the management skills needed to control their anger and violence. 

While having a domestic violence policy in place is obviously better than not having one at all, some believe that the policy is still too lenient toward players, allowing them to come back to the game and play at center stage far too quickly. 

An example of this was a two-game series in June of 2019 between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The series was played in London in hopes to draw a new crowd of fans to the MLB. Stephen Wright pitched that day for the Red Sox, and Chapman pitched for the Yankees. Wright was suspended for 15 games in 2018 due to domestic assault. 

The fact that both of these men were at center stage can send mixed messages on whether the MLB is actually taking its own policy as seriously as it should be. While having a policy geared to prevent domestic abuse within the league is a good start, the MLB certainly has a long way to go when it comes to reprimanding their players and taking abuse toward women seriously. 

As of now, there doesn’t seem to be an “ideal” situation for how to reprimand players, as a lifetime ban could further endanger victims. But it’s clear that there are still problems and violence is still occurring from some of the top players in the league. That may be cause for the MLB to revisit its policy and make some changes in the near future.