Brian Sabean on Scott Cousins: Punishment?

Word came down Friday that Joe Torre was going to step into the fray in an attempt to diffuse the foolishness emanating from the Scott-Cousins-Buster Posey collision. It’s been over a week since the collision and Giants GM Brian Sabean is still seething from the incident.

He appeared on the Giants’ flagship in San Francisco and didn’t mince his words.

“If I never hear from Cousins again, or he doesn’t play another day in the big leagues, I think we’ll all be happy.”

I’d expect that type of talk out of a combatant at “The Royal Rumble” or UFC event. I’d expect it during a Don King-promoted press conference.

I don’t anticipate that a Major League Baseball executive will throw out threats over the course of an interview.

Another gem … “We’ll have a long memory.”

I understand that managers and team executives want players to stand up for their stars when they feel they’ve been wronged, be it an inside pitch to a superstar hitter or breaking any of the 1,000,000 unwritten rules. Those conversations are to be kept in the clubhouse, and I believe those instances to be as unspoken as those other rules are unwritten.

Players know the score. They don’t need “Precious” Paul Ellering telling them what’s what on the airwaves.

And that’s just it. Most don’t feel that there was anything malicious in what Scott Cousins did. He was a role player trying to make a play and earn extra looks. It was a split-second decision and one that has obviously affected him. It’s unfortunate that Posey’s leg got caught under him and that he was injured so severely. It’s unfortunate, but it wasn’t intentional. Cousins didn’t “run” Posey, contrary to the words put forth by Sabean in this interview.

I understand that Sabean is frustrated.

The Giants have experienced a difficult season, to be sure. Although they sit atop the NL West by half a game as of this writing, it hasn’t come easily for San Francisco. Obviously, the loss of Posey leaves a gaping hole in the lineup, and the city is still trying to come to grips with the opening day beating of fan Brian Stow in Los Angeles (charges still pending with one suspect in custody).

This wouldn’t fly in David Stern’s NBA or Roger Goodell’s NFL. Imagine the outrage is a player spouted off in such a fashion. Imagine a coach in the NBA taking of retribution and long memories. You get fined $100,000 for questioning a foul call.

Major League Baseball needs to act. This can’t be about the team issuing a statement to try and soften things.

I can’t claim to know what was behind Sabean’s words as he gave the interview. Sabean can’t claim to know what was in Cousins’ mind, either.