The Cleveland Indians need to lay the hammer down on Mike Clevinger

The Cleveland Indians need to make an example out of Mike Clevinger.

It’s one thing for Adam Plesac to go out, get caught, and be sent home by the Cleveland Indians. A hefty fine should be coming his way, but at least he didn’t sit in a room with his teammates after going out, defend the idea of going out, and put everyone else at risk all so he could see Chicago for the dozenth time. Nope, Plesac didn’t do that. Mike Clevinger did. That’s right, when Plesac went out that fateful night in Chicago, Clevinger was right behind him.

Clevinger decided that it was a good idea to sit in a team meeting, defend Plesac to everyone, all while knowing that he too went out, violated the team rules, and deliberately put everyone else at risk.

Oh, by the way, Clevinger and Plesac’s actions are putting the life of their manager, Terry Francona, at risk. Francona, who has had heart issues in recent years, was gone for a bit to attend to other health issues. With the health of his manager very public, it’d of bee one thing to go out and get caught. That’d be bad enough. To go out, not get caught, put everyone at risk, lie to the teams face, and defend the actions? That’s trash. Especially knowing that Francona was supposed to rejoin the team this week.

If anyone tests positive, that means Francona is gone too, at least should be, for a little while longer. Considering his health issues, the last thing he should be doing is risking his health for a game. If for whatever reason, Francona does decide to delay his return or opt-out altogether, Plesac and Clevinger will be to blame.

Ultimately, Clevinger will apologize. He’ll claim he didn’t know better or made a mistake, all while asking for forgiveness. Yet, that won’t come. Clevinger is going to be 30-years-old in a matter of months. He shouldn’t be acting like a 9-year-old afraid of being punished by daddy. He should’ve been man enough to go to the team and say “I was out with Plesac, whatever happens to him should happen to me too.” He didn’t. He showed no remorse, no sense of accountability, and absolutely no sense of maturity.

Clevinger should be done for the year and fined his entire yearly salary. His audacious actions and risky behavior can not be abided by. He may be one of the better pitchers on the team but he’s shown himself to be immature and widely unreliable. If he had come forward or got caught alongside Plesac then that’d be one thing. Yet, to knowingly sit among people who trust you, all while showing them no respect or concern for their health?

That makes Clevinger’s transgressions so much worse.