Back in 2014, Ravens running back Ray Rice punched his then fiancee, now wife, knocking her out cold. Without seeing the video, the NFL determined Rice should only receive a two game suspension. At the time, Rice was still upheld as a role model by the Ravens. Ravens fans and fantasy football fans were contemplating how Rice would perform when he returned.

Remember, while there was outrage in certain parts of the world, the main focus was on the football impact. That was until TMZ released the video of what he actually did.

The response was overwhelming. A now suddenly image conscious NFL suspended Rice indefinitely, and they worked to institute a new domestic violence policy. Other leagues would do the same, including Major League Baseball. Little did we know at the time, but baseball’s policy would soon be put to the test.

Starting with Aroldis Chapman, there have been nine MLB players suspended for domestic violence. With each incident, there have been different reactions by each team. The Reds wanted no part of Chapman, and as a result, they traded him to the Yankees. The Blue Jays had a similar reaction with Roberto Osuna trading him to the Astros rather than having him pitch another game for their franchise.

Other teams have had different reactions. It may be callous to assert this, but it’s eminently fair to say the Chicago Cubs don’t care about it. Back in 2016, they traded away huge haul in the form of Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, and Adam Warren to obtain Chapman. This offseason, they opted to tender Addison Russell a contract despite fully knowing Russell’s history.

With respect to Russell, this past year was not the first time Russell was accused of abusing his now ex-wife. In 2017, his now ex-wife made the claim on social media, but she deleted the posts. She also wouldn’t cooperated with MLB investigators, and as a result, MLB would levy no suspension upon Russell.

While his ex-wife was not willing to cooperate in 2018, she was in 2018. She found the strength and courage to tell her story. While previous MLB incidents had been detailed in police reports and newspaper articles, Melissa Russell, gave a face and voice to the abused. The allegations were harrowing, and the details gut-wrenching. It was the closest thing to a Ray Rice video MLB has seen.

That was until last night.

Last night, images surfaced on Twitter accusing former Mets minor league Christian Montgomery of beating his girlfriend on Friday night. Before clicking the link, be warned they are graphic and disturbing images.

It should be noted Montgomery has not been with the Mets for over two years now. Back in July 2016, he was put on the restricted list after testing positive a second time for a “drug of abuse.” With the two positive test results, plus a 5.65 ERA over five minor league seasons, Montgomery was proving he was not nearly talented enough to put up with his off-the-field behavior.

What we don’t know is if the Mets knew or factored in his domestic violence issues (to the extent this was an issues at the time). What we do know is the same month Montgomery was suspended was the same month Jose Reyes played for the Mets again.

Like with other incidents, we only heard what Reyes did. We never got the Ray Rice video. We didn’t have the photos from Montgomery. We didn’t even have the Russell story. This allowed the team, media, and even fans to have a certain level of cognitive dissonance. We knew something happened, but we didn’t know exactly what happened. At least, that is what many of us have told ourselves.

Sure, Reyes’ wife went to the hospital, but no one actually saw what she looked like upon arrival. Really, no one saw her until June when she attended Reyes’ first game back. She was in Brooklyn as the fans cheered and welcomed back Reyes. Nary was there a boo of voice of disapproval in the stadium in either Brooklyn or in Queens.

It’s no different than what we saw happened with Chapman or Osuna. It’s no different than what we have seen with any of the players accused of or suspended for domestic violence. If you don’t see it or the results of it, you don’t have the understanding of what truly happened. To a certain extent, that’s human nature.

If you look at the photos from the Montgomery accusations, you have a better understanding of what happened with Reyes even if the circumstances and the injuries were different. Looking at those pictures, you have to question how exactly Reyes was nominated for the Marvin Miller Award. If you are a fan who wanted him to return or still wear his jersey, the hope is the pictures should force you to revisit your opinion.

In the end, just remember that when there is an incident of domestic violence, there is a woman who looks like Ray Rice’s wife or Christian Montgomery’s girlfriend. There is a woman with a story like Addison Russell’s ex-wife has. If you’re a team looking to sign a player like Chapman, or a fan cheering for a Russell, or a Mets fan getting wrapped up in nostalgia wearing your Reyes jersey, just revisit these videos, pictures, and stories.

When you’re done, ask yourself if that is something you want to support.