BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Jackson Protests ‘Wordless’ Ejection

Angel left fielder Bo Jackson protested his ejection Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners to the American League office Wednesday, hoping to avert a possible suspension.

Jackson, ejected by plate umpire Al Clark, denied he said a word to Clark until his ejection. He then heaved a 25-pound bag of balls onto the field, along with a carton of sunflower seeds, and the crowd got into the action, tossing balls, money and toilet paper onto the field.

“I cursed myself,” Jackson said. “I didn’t say a thing to him. I just looked over at their dugout, looked into space, and said, ‘Son of a . . . I never looked at the umpire. I just kicked dirt over the plate, and he threw me out. I commenced to lose my religion.

“You can’t win in a situation like that. Officials (umpires) have gotten too big for the game. You can’t question them. You can’t look at them. You can’t say anything. . . .”

Clark, a veteran of 18 years and considered one of the league’s most respected umpires, filed a report and sent it to the league office. He informed Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann of the contents, but did not want to divulge details.

If Clark desired, he could fine Jackson $100 for every item thrown onto the field, which included 17 baseballs and about 40 packets of sunflower seeds. “I didn’t bother to count them all,” Clark said.

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While the size of the crowds may not be that noticeable during this “Ceiling Tile Series,” the crowd’s behavior is. If it wasn’t enough that a fan ran onto the field to grab a ball in play during the third inning, or a 3-year-old wandering on top of the dugout in the fifth inning, or a fan who bounced a beach ball off Mariner Manager Lou Piniella’s head, there was their conduct toward the umpires.

“You didn’t have your usual California Angels fans here,” Clark said. “You usually don’t hear rude, crude comments here. People were even rude going to our car.”

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Lachemann still is livid over pitcher Phil Leftwich’s nonchalance in his attempt to pick up Felix Fermin’s grounder, and ensuing throwing error, and has yet to decide whether he will even let him pitch in his scheduled start Sunday.

“I don’t like the way he went after the ball,” Lachemann said. “It was a very lackadaisical effort. I don’t care if he throws the ball 100 feet into the stands, you go after it aggressively.”

Said Leftwich, who spoke with Lachemann: “He took me out because he was (teed off) at me, and if I had been manager, I would have done the same thing. There was no excuse.”