Pirates' Dennis Santana firmly blames fan in aftermath of wild incident in Detroit

In the wake of things getting ugly between Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana and a fan in the Pirates' doubleheader affair against the Detroit Tigers on June 19, the embattled reliever had a clear message. Despite his usually "calm demeanor," a line was crossed.

How far over the line the fan in question went is still a mystery; however, for his role in the hullabaloo and taking a swipe at a fan, Santana has received a four-game ban, which he intends to appeal.

“You guys know me. I’m a calm demeanor type of person. I’ve never had any issues for any of the teams that I’ve played for," Santana said, pointing the finger at the Detroit crowd. "I guess the guy crossed the line a few times.”

Santana has always been a fiery competitor on the mound, and in the midst of a career year, has positioned himself as one of the Pirates' best trade chips ahead of the July 31 deadline. This incident might not have a negative effect on his trade value, but it should serve to open a larger conversation about the relationships between athletes and fans.

This is not the first instance where tempers have erupted and spilled into the stands, and it likely won't be the last.

We can acknowledge that Pirates' Dennis Santana crossed the line while also accepting that we, as fans, need to be better

While it was Santana who stated the fan crossed the line, it's important to remember that no amount of heckling or verbal abuse should result in physical violence of any kind being committed by a professional athlete, full stop.

With that said, players are human. In a climate where tensions are running high for many things going on in the world outside of baseball, combined with the adrenaline rush of playing under the bright lights in front of a stadium full of fans, it's easy to see how an athlete could lose control once someone pushes them too far.

It's easy to get lost in the high of the action, cheering on your team and talking trash to your opponent, but as fans, it's important to remember that the guys on the field are human too. There is a cost to the abuse that can be hurled at them, and when it gets bad, as it did a few years back for Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, the consequences could be very grave.

It was disappointing to see Santana show no remorse for his role in the altercation, placing the blame clearly on the fan and downplaying his role by accentuating the fact that he's never been involved in an episode like this before. And that may be true, but as the professional athlete, the lion's share of the burden to maintain calm lies with him, and not some guy who may have been chugging beers all afternoon.

At the same time, it's on fans to show respect for the players who suit up every day and give it their all to entertain us. And most importantly, it's on the security staff at these stadiums to ensure everyone is safe and no one is overserved, intervening accordingly before tensions escalate this way.

Regardless of what was said, Santana is deserving of blame, and his suspension is likely warranted. But that doesn't mean that, as fans, we shouldn't take a moment to reflect on what our responsibilities are for civil conduct while these players give their blood, sweat, and tears for our entertainment.