Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon got to do something most Phillies fan dreamed of for years.  Choke Ed Wade.  It all stems from the former Phillies General Manager wanting to meet with Chacon and manager Cecil Cooper. The supposed reason was to to discuss with Chacon his unhappienss from being removed from the Astros rotation and requesting a trade.  The story directly from Chacon (courtesy of espn.com).

“I sat down to eat and Ed Wade came to me and very sternly said, ‘You need to come with me to the office,’” Chacon said. “I said, ‘For what?’ I said, ‘I don’t want to go to the office with you and Cooper.’ And I said, ‘You can tell me whatever you got to tell me right here.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, you want me to tell you right here?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ I’m not yelling. I’m calm.”

Judging by the start, you know this can go anywhere good.  Maybe Chacon just should have went to the office.

“He started yelling and cussing,” Chacon said of Wade, according to a story on the Chronicle’s Web site. “I’m sitting there and I said to him very calmly, ‘Ed, you need to stop yelling at me.’ Then I stood up and said, ‘You better stop yelling at me.’ I stood up. He continued and was basically yelling.”

Chacon obviously needs to grow up.  When someone is yelling at you, you don’t need to stand up and be threatening.

“So at that point I lost my cool and I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground. I jumped on top of him,” he said. “Words were exchanged.”

Shawn, when adults don’t like the way they are being spoken to by their superiors, they walk away.  They don’t assault their boss. 

“Maybe it shouldn’t have happened,” Chacon said. “But when you do those things and you’re yelling at somebody and you’re cussing you better know what type of person you’re dealing with. If there’s any regret, I just wish they had just let me alone. I wish they had left me alone.”

Chacon’s only regret is that he wished Wade left him alone?  Is he serious?  I understand the life of a major leaguer isn’t like the life of the common schmo who gets up for work every day, but regardless, Wade is still his boss. 

It doesn’t matter how much money Chacon makes.  What he did is inexcusable.  Chacon should never pitch another game in the major leagues, especailly given the fact he has no remorse.   

This incident is very remicent of Latrell Sprewell choking then-coach PJ Carlesimo during a Golden State Warriors practice.  Sprewell was suspended for an entire season, although arbitration reduced the suspension to 68 games.  Baseball has always held itself to a higher standard, and there’s no room in this sport for this type of behavior.

Chacon has been suspended indefinitely by the Astros, but I expect Major League Baseball to step in and hand down a lengthy suspension of their own.