Ueberroth Levies Fine of $10,000 Against Argyros for Phone Call

George Argyros, Seattle Mariner owner and prospective San Diego Padre owner, has been fined $10,000 by Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, for making a congratulatory phone call last week to Larry Bowa, Padre manager.

Previously, Ueberroth had warned Argyros not to have any contact with the Padres until the Mariners are sold. Argyros can’t become Padre owner until he sells the Seattle ballclub and his purchase of the Padres is approved by a majority of National League owners.

But Argyros called Bowa last Thursday, after the Padres had defeated the Dodgers for their second victory of the season.

When the phone rang in Bowa’s office, A. Bartlett Giamatti, National League president, happened to be sitting with Bowa and Jack McKeon, Padre general manager. Bowa spoke only briefly on the phone and when he hung up, McKeon asked: “Who was that?”

“George,” Bowa said.

“That was George Argyros?” Giamatti said.

Giamatti then shook his head and laughed, Bowa said.

Giamatti eventually told Ueberroth, who fined Argyros during the weekend.

“Take it out of my salary,” said Bowa, who makes $125,000 a year. “ . . . If I had known it would’ve gotten (Argyros) in trouble, I wouldn’t have said anything. I’d have said it was my dad or something. I had no idea.

“I guess it’s my fault. Nobody would’ve known about it if I hadn’t said something. . . . I’m going so bad, I get the new owner fined 10 grand.”

A spokesman from Ueberroth’s office said: “(Argyros) had been informed that he could not have any contact with the (Padres) club” to avoid conflict of interest.

Argyros said that he thought the fine was silly but that he would pay it without protest.