Clemens Suspended Five Games, Fined

Roger Clemens was suspended for the first five games of next season and fined $10,000 Tuesday for behavior that led to the Boston pitcher’s ejection from the last game of the American League playoffs.

The penalty announced by AL President Bobby Brown will force Clemens to miss one start. It comes a week after he earned a $50,000 bonus provided in his contract for finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

Although Clemens can appeal, Red Sox General Manager Lou Gorman said, “Dr. Brown’s statement and subsequent fine and suspension of Roger Clemens speaks for itself. Although we are not in agreement with the severity of the league’s action, we are satisfied that the issue has been addressed.”

Clemens was ejected by plate umpire Terry Cooney in the second inning of Oakland’s 3-1 victory that completed the A’s four-game sweep Oct. 10.

The altercation occurred after Clemens walked Willie Randolph, giving the A’s, who led 1-0, runners on first and third. Cooney and Clemens got into a shouting match, and Clemens, trying to get closer to Cooney, bumped umpire Jim Evans.

In his announcement, Brown cited Clemens for making “. . . significant physical contact with an umpire (Evans), for threatening umpire Cooney, for verbally abusing umpire Cooney with personal obscenities and for not leaving the dugout immediately after the ejection.”

Clemens was not immediately available for comment.

Last season, Clemens led the league for the second time in earned run average with a 1.93 mark. He was 21-6, the second winningest season of his career.

He finished second to Oakland’s Bob Welch in the Cy Young balloting. Clemens won the award in 1986 and 1987 and was most valuable player in 1987.