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Monday, October 23
Baseball looking into bat-throwing incident
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Baseball started investigating Roger Clemens on
Monday for throwing the barrel of Mike Piazza's shattered bat at
him in Game 2 of the World Series.
"We're having everybody look into it," commissioner Bud Selig
said.
Umpires did not eject the Yankees pitcher for tossing the jagged
end in front of Piazza on Sunday night, but Sandy Alderson,
executive vice president of baseball operations in the
commissioner's office, did not rule out discipline.
"It's happened in the past," Alderson said at Shea Stadium.
"That doesn't mean it will happen this time."
Umpires concluded Clemens, who beaned Piazza on July 8, did not
deliberately throw the bat at him.
"He just picked up the bat and winged it," umpire crew chief
Ed Montague said. "It was just an emotional deal that built over
the months."
Frank Robinson, the vice president in the commissioner's office
in charge of discipline, began telephoning executives from the
Yankees and Mets on Monday and viewing videotapes, Alderson said.
"We're reviewing the situation and will take any appropriate
action, if necessary," Alderson said. "Whatever pattern of
behavior that exists or doesn't exist will be part of the review.
There's a perception of a pattern of behavior in the minds of the
public that has to be taken into account."
Selig did not put a timetable on the investigation.
"We're in the midst of trying to run a World Series, too," he
said from Milwaukee. "I'll talk to everyone when I get back, and
in the morning, before I go back."
In the past, hitters have been penalized for throwing bats at
pitchers, most notably Oakland's Bert Campaneris. He was suspended
for the rest of the AL playoffs in 1972 after throwing his bat at
Detroit pitcher Lerrin LaGrow, who had hit him on an ankle with a
pitch.
Clemens said he had not been contacted.
"It was an unusual incident. That's why I think we're
approaching it with a certain amount of circumspence," Alderson
said. "Intent is always difficult to establish."
Mets general manager Steve Phillips said he didn't think Clemens
deliberately threw the bat fragment at his catcher.
"I understand why they didn't eject him, I really do,"
Phillips said.
Still, he was in favor of having Robinson review the strange
toss.
Any suspension would not start until next season, because the
players' association almost certainly would appeal, delaying any
penalty until after a hearing before Paul Beeston, baseball's chief
operating officer. Lawyers would need time to prepare for a
hearing.
When Clemens was ejected in the 1990 AL playoffs by umpire Terry
Cooney, who thought the pitcher was cursing at him, Clemens was
suspended for five games and fined $10,000. A final ruling after
two appeals was not made until the following April 26.
Gene Orza, the No. 2 official of the players' association,
declined comment on Robinson's investigation. Robinson did not return telephone messages.
Yankees manager Joe Torre said he already had spoken with
Robinson.
"He asked me what I thought and what I saw and what I felt,"
Torre said. "I think to be thorough about it, that's probably the
right thing."
Piazza welcomed the investigation.
"Twenty, 30 years ago, it wouldn't have been an issue," he
said. "This day and age, who knows?"
Mets manager Bobby Valentine refused to be drawn into the
debate.
"I have never thrown anyone out of a game," he said. "And
very often, I've disagreed when people have been thrown out of
games. So I don't think I'm a very good arbiter in that manner."
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