Bad Play at the Ballpark

There was nothing funny about the dangerous and inane action of New York Mets outfielder Vince Coleman after a baseball game at Dodger Stadium last Saturday. In what Dodger Eric Davis later called a “joke,” Coleman tossed a firecracker from an automobile driven by Davis. The result: Three fans were reportedly injured by the explosion, including an 11-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl attending her first baseball game. Some joke.

“We were laughing about it (throwing the firecracker) when we drove off,” said Davis, “It’s not like it was something out of the ordinary.”

The authorities and victims aren’t laughing.

According to some accounts, the firecracker was in fact an M-80, a powerful little device used to simulate artillery fire in the military. The Los Angeles County district attorney is awaiting results of explosive tests before making a decision on filing criminal charges.

As for the New York Mets, the National League and major league baseball, they must not treat this incident like some clubhouse antic. Coleman, who earns about $3 million a year, should be swiftly and severely punished.

In the end, the amount of Coleman’s fine and/or the length of his suspension won’t be as important as sending an unequivocal message to players, and the youngsters who idolize them, that this type of behavior will not and cannot be tolerated.

Baseball has a history of harmless tricks and pranks. But Coleman’s shameful behavior in this case must not be remembered as one of them.