SPORTS WATCH : Baseball or Basebrawl?

America’s pastime is beginning to resemble boxing. Two brawls marred the Dodgers-Rockies game Tuesday night. That’s no way to play the game.

Players who throw blows instead of balls ought to be made to pay until it hurts. What’s a $1,000 fine to a player who makes millions? No big deal. What’s a suspension with pay? A vacation.

Major league baseball should increase fines (pro basketball fines offenders up to $20,000), double the penalties for anyone who leaves the dugout or bullpen to join the fray and withhold pay during all suspensions. If a fight turns into a team effort, the entire team should pay.

Are brawls contagious? Bench-clearing fights interrupted play earlier this month in Anaheim during an Angels-Blue Jays game and in Baltimore during an Orioles-Mariners match-up. The resulting ejections, fines and suspensions (three to five games) have not stopped other players from mixing it up. Clearly, stronger deterrents are needed.

During the Dodger melee, broadcaster Vin Scully stressed for young fans that fighting is wrong and brawls are bad, and in the post-game highlights show he refused to show the fights. His message is important because baseball players are heroes to many youngsters.

Baseball club owners are meeting this week in Denver, site of the most recent fights. They’re sure to be busy with finding a new commissioner and other matters. But they also need to address the fighting problem. Brawling can never be in the best interest of baseball.