Dodgers’ Dempsey Fined, Suspended for His Punch

Dodger catcher Rick Dempsey was fined $1,000 and given a one-day suspension, and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Lenny Dykstra was fined $500 Tuesday for their roles in Monday’s bench-clearing incident at Dodger Stadium.

Dempsey, who hit Dykstra at home plate in the seventh inning of the Dodgers 2-1 victory, has appealed the fine and suspension. If it is upheld, the penalty will amount to $3,777.78, with the loss of one day’s pay for Dempsey.

“I had no interest in fighting, I did not provoke the fight,” said Dempsey, who hit Dykstra with his gloved left hand after Dykstra dropped his bat and took a step toward Dempsey during an argument with umpire Ron Barnes.

“If a man is coming at you, are you going to let him hit you first?” Dempsey said. “He was definitely coming at me. This is not fair.”

Tom Lasorda, Dodger manager, said he thought Dykstra should have been suspended.

“Yes, he provoked it, didn’t he?” Lasorda said. “If you are hitting a pack of dogs in a kennel and one of them comes out and bites you, who is at fault?”

Lasorda, however, said he supported National League President Bill White, who issued the penalty.

“What (White) is saying is, in essence, is that he will not tolerate fighting on the field, and I don’t like to see it either,” Lasorda said. “Here we are in a pennant race . . . I don’t want to lose a player to injury because of a fight on the field.”