Baseball

Boston right-hander Roger Clemens denied allegations that his $5.38-million-per-year contract includes money to pay for any fines he might incur, and suggested he would take his case against American League umpires to Commissioner Fay Vincent.

Richie Phillips, head of the Major League Umpires Assn., last week asked American League President Bobby Brown to look into Clemens’ contract. Phillips said part of Clemens’ bonus clause of $621,000 was designed to pay for any fines Clemens might receive this season.

“If Richie Phillips is going to keep harping on these subjects, then we’re just going to have to take it one step higher and demand something be done to them,” Clemens told KRIV-TV in Houston.

Clemens was fined $10,000 and suspended for the first five games of the 1991 season after being ejected from Game 4 of the American League playoffs by umpire Terry Cooney.