International League Suspends 35 for Leaving Positions During Fight

The president of the International League suspended and fined 35 players Tuesday from the Richmond and Norfolk teams for leaving their positions during a brief fight in a game Sunday night.

Randy Mobley, president of the triple-A league, fined each player $300 and suspended each for two days.

Mobley said he was working out a schedule for the suspensions so that no games would be forfeited but that all the players would sit out two games over the next two weeks. He said no more than three players at a time will be suspended from each team.

Twenty Norfolk players and 15 from Richmond were suspended.

Mobley acknowledged that the fines were harsh, but said “the rule against leaving your position during a fight is widely known.”

Said Richmond third baseman Butch Huskey: “If I knew I was going to get fined 300 bucks, I probably would have taken a whack at a couple people. It just burns me up.”