In the end, no, he shouldn't be banned from MLB or anything like that. I just don't have to want him on my team. (Also, I'd sooner ban people who commit violence than take PEDs. But the Phillies have always welcomed both).
The thing is, nobody ever gets banned. There's rarely any consequences, including legal. The charge is only a misdemeanor. But the policy allows MLB to punish more than the legal system will. At the same time there is no scenario where his contract will be terminated or he'll be suspended for an inordinate amount of time. People calling for a lifetime ban are just talking on the Internet or (understandably) frustrated with a history where both the sport and society at large don't hold abusers accountable. You could field an entire all-star team of 'em.
But I don't care about Venezuelan culture as a mitigating factor. He's here. He works here. He's a public figure here. I suspect you could just as easily say Brett Myers didn't know any better. Also, in a weird way "domestic violence" makes it sound more complicated than it really is. This is a physically imposing professional athlete who hit his 20 year-old girlfriend at a casino. There's no cultural disconnect to that.
Also, he may well have been acting out as a result of being frustrated with his game and his benching. I'm not sure which would be worse, cracking under pressure like that or being a habitual abuser.
