Cliff Lee Suspended Five Games

Cliff Lee is not starting his Seattle Mariners career off on the right foot.

Lee was suspended five regular season games today for intentionally throwing a fastball over the head of Diamondback Chris Snyder earlier this week. The Tacoma News Tribune's Ryan Divish tweets Lee has also been fined an undisclosed amount.

Lookout Landing's Jeff Sullivan hates the suspension as a Mariners fan, but overall understands the penalty:

As a Mariners fan, I hate this, and think it's ridiculous. If I slip into my objectivity underoos, though, there is enough evidence - not proof, but evidence - that Lee was throwing at Chris Snyder to warrant a suspension. The second pitch came up high, and that's a real dangerous area. While I'm aware that Lee's been struggling with his command this spring, it's pretty hard to miss that bad by accident. You have to discourage that sort of stuff, and you discourage by penalizing.

If Lee really was throwing at Snyder's head -- or in that vicinity -- why would he do it during spring training? Obviously throwing at someone's head can do some damage, so doing it at any time is frowned upon (hence the suspension), but why not wait for the regular season? Or, better yet, why do it in the first place?

"Get off my plate, Chris Snyder! This is spring training and it matters!"