![]() | ![]() |
![]() |
Friday, March 15 Updated: March 16, 12:55 PM ET Watson announces first suspensions by e-mail Associated Press |
||||||
NEW YORK -- San Diego pitcher Bobby Jones was suspended for seven games and Anaheim infielder Scott Spiezio for six for their roles in a brawl-filled spring training game last weekend.
Padres outfielder Ryan Klesko was suspended for five games and Angels third baseman Troy Glaus was suspended for two games.
All penalties are to be served during the regular season. The Angels play in the major league opener, at home on March 31 against Cleveland.
Bob Watson, baseball's new vice president of discipline, announced the suspensions in an e-mail sent to news organizations Friday night.
Anaheim's Aaron Sele, who hit Klesko with a pitch that triggered the first of two fights, was fined but not suspended.
San Diego outfielder Ron Gant and first baseman Phil Nevin also were fined. The amounts of the fines were not disclosed.
These were the first penalties decided by Watson since he replaced Frank Robinson, who left the commissioner's office last month to become manager of the Montreal Expos.
"What we're trying to do is let them know this kind of behavior won't be condoned," Watson said in a telephone conversation early Saturday.
Jones, Spiezio and Klesko are to serve their suspension from the start of the season. Glaus' penalty is to begin April 8.
If appeals are filed, the penalties would be delayed.
Paul Beeston, who had heard appeals in his role as baseball's chief operating officer, announced his resignation earlier this month, effective March 15. It is not yet clear whether his replacement, Bob DuPuy, will replace him in the appeals role.
In the last six years, Russ Davis, Julian Tavarez and T.J. Mathews have sat out regular-season games for suspensions imposed because of spring-training skirmishes.
Although Watson said in recent weeks that he intended to be tough, he said he didn't make these penalties especially harsh to send a message.
"That had nothing to do with it, this being the first," he said. "It wasn't going to be the last."
There were two bench-clearing brawls and six ejections in the game March 9 at Tempe, Ariz.
The first fight started when Sele hit Klesko in the back with a pitch with two outs in the top of the first, apparently the continuation of a feud that started last year when Sele pitched for the Seattle Mariners.
Klesko charged the mound, knocked Sele down and punched him, and was ejected.
In the bottom of the first, Jones threw a pitch up and in near Glaus' chin. The All-Star third baseman charged the mound and was tackled from behind by Padres catcher Adan Amezcua. Both benches emptied.
Klesko was in his street clothes when he jumped into the second brawl.
Klesko said he thought Sele's pitch was a holdover from a June 17 interleague game between the Padres and Seattle.
After being brushed back a few times in that at-bat, Klesko hit a three-run homer. Klesko said Nevin told him Sele was angered when Klesko tossed his bat aside and lifted both arms in the air before beginning his trot.
Sele denied trying to hit Klesko and called his explanation "a long theory." But he added, "If he thought I was throwing at him, he did the right thing." |
|