A's vs. Royals 2015

I'll update this post with more thoughts about the epic rivalry that has been sparked between the A's and the Royals this season, but let's start things off with a picture that adequately describes the most recent dust-up.

UPDATE: A five game suspension and a couple of undisclosed fines. That's how chapter one of the great A's vs. Royals unwritten rules-a-thon 2015 officially ends. Yordano Ventura gets one of the fines for beaning Brett Lawrie (pictured, right) in response to a "good hard slide" that ended up injuring Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar. Meanwhile, Kelvin Herrera (pictured, left) gets the suspension and the other fine for throwing behind Lawrie's head, even after it appeared that all the on-field retaliation was finished.

The tensions between these two clubs date back to last year's Wild Card game, a brutal extra-innings affair, where Kansas City simultaneously put a pin in Oakland's late season collapse, and exposed Jon Lester's issues with the running game for all the world to see. Actually, the tensions can be traced all the way back to the 60's when the Athletics franchise left Kansas City for Oakland. But the funny part about these particular tensions is that the player whose actions sparked this little fracas wasn't even with the A's last October, let alone in 1967.

Brett Lawrie has a bit of a reputation as a badass - just look at his arm tats and warrior eye black - so maybe some preconceived notions had something to do with the Royals getting all bent out of shape. But judging by how calmly Lawrie reacted after getting hit by Yordano Ventura, it's clear that he has an understanding of baseball's unwritten rules. If something you did on the field is perceived as dirty or unnecessarily rough, you can expect some retaliation. Lawrie clearly expected the plunking and he silently walked to first base, even as Ventura gave him the stink-eye the whole way (a look he usually reserves for Mike Trout). It wasn't until after a 100-mph fastball from Herrera came whizzing behind Lawrie's head that he started showing some emotion, and with good cause.

This week in the fantasy baseball league of which I'm the commissioner, I posted the poll pictured at right. Take a moment to mull over the choices and sound off in the comments or on Twitter (@Hunter_S_Batman) with your opinion. However, after reviewing the facts, I realize there's one other option that I didn't include. Remember that Ventura's beaning of Lawrie and Herrera's rogue suspension-inducing pitch took place in two different games and were separated by one very important hit batter: Lorenzo Cain was hit in the foot by A's starter Scott Kazmir on a pitch that appeared to be unintentional. Or at least it appeared so to the umpires, because no punishment was issued. That is, until Royals manager Ned Yost stormed out of the dugout, ran his mouth, and was immediately tossed from the game. Yost clearly was under the impression that the A's wanted to continue the beef, and his ejection likely put that thought in the minds of some of his players, one of whom nearly took an opposing player's head clean off.

So I don't know if two-thirds of the fines/suspensions that were issued by MLB due to this mess would have gone away if Ned Yost had just turned around and walked back down the dugout steps after Cain's HBP. But it's worth considering another option to add to the poll above: Ned Yost is an unapolagetic hothead who let all that bunting affect his judgment. We'll see what happens when these two teams square off again in late June, but unless Kelvin Herrera waits until then to serve his suspension, I can't see how tempers aren't gonna flare...