Major League Baseball announced on Thursday afternoon that Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz and Baltimore Orioles reliever Kevin Gregg have been suspended for four games each as well as being fined an undisclosed amount. They were the catalysts of the brawl that occurred last Friday night at Fenway Park.
Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Orioles reliever Jim Johnson were fined for taking “aggressive actions” in the brawl.
Orioles reliever Mike Gonzalez was suspended for three games for intentionally throwing at Papi in Sunday’s game while skipper Buck Showalter was suspended for one game because of the actions of Gonzalez. John Lackey was fined for purposely throwing at Derrek Lee on Saturday.
The Red Sox don’t work out tonight until 6 p.m. so we won’t know until later if Papi will appeal the suspension as well as Salty and Lackey appealing their fines.
My best guess is that Papi will appeal his suspension and wait for the hearing in which he’ll get to tell his side of the story. Most likely what happens is that Papi appeals and gets it reduced down to two or three games. But first he has to appeal.
Update: According to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com, Papi will appeal his suspension.
To read the full release from MLB, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.
Here’s the release from MLB:
Major League Baseball has issued the following discipline as a result of the incidents that took place during the July 8th-10th series between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Joe Garagiola, Jr., Senior Vice President of Standards and On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement.
Designated hitter David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox and pitcher Kevin Gregg of the Baltimore Orioles each have received four-game suspensions and undisclosed fines for their actions in the Friday, July 8th game, which included inciting the benches to clear on two occasions during the bottom of the eighth inning and fighting during the second bench-clearing incident. Unless appealed, Gregg is scheduled to begin serving his suspension tonight, when the Orioles host the Cleveland Indians, and Ortiz is scheduled to begin serving his suspension tomorrow, when the Red Sox play the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg.
Orioles pitcher Mike Gonzalez also has received a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for intentionally throwing at Ortiz during the bottom of the sixth inning of the Sunday, July 10th contest after warnings had already been issued earlier in the game. Unless appealed, Gonzalez’s suspension is scheduled to begin on Monday, July 18th, when the Orioles are to host the Red Sox. Orioles manager Buck Showalter has received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for the intentional actions of Gonzalez during Sunday’s game. Showalter will serve his one-game suspension during tonight’s game against the Indians.
If any player chooses to appeal, then his discipline will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.
In addition, three players have been fined undisclosed amounts for their actions during the series. Pitcher Jim Johnson of the Orioles and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia of the Red Sox have been disciplined for their aggressive actions during the second bench-clearing incident in the eighth inning of Friday’s game. Pitcher John Lackey of the Red Sox has been disciplined for intentionally throwing at Derrek Lee of the Orioles during the top of the seventh inning of the Saturday, July 9th game.
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