Managers Get Hit By League

Managers Terry Collins of the Angels and Tony Muser of Kansas City were each suspended eight games Friday for their teams’ bench-clearing brawls and beanballs earlier this week.

In addition, nine players were suspended for a total of 22 games and fined $7,500. Under baseball’s rules, the players will be paid during any suspensions.

“The American League has a right to expect much from its field managers,” said league president Gene Budig, who happened to be at the game Tuesday night in Kansas City. “They are the ones who determine in large measure player attitudes and actions.

“There was a clear breakdown in leadership and the mangers must assume much of the responsibility,” he said in a statement. “The bench-clearing brawls were an embarrassment for major league baseball.”

The two managers and the players will begin their suspensions on June 12. However, only one player per team will sit out at a time. Players have until Monday to appeal the discipline, the players’ association said.

Anaheim won, 7-5, in a game that included two brawls and 12 ejections following a series of hit batters.

The problems started in the top of the seventh when Phil Nevin was hit in the back by Kansas City pitcher Jim Pittsley. Nevin, who was also hit in his previous at-bat by Chris Haney, charged the mound and tried to tackle Pittsley, but the pitcher wrestled Nevin down and appeared to throw some punches.

Both benches emptied, but apparently no other players threw punches. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Rich DeLucia hit Kansas City’s Dean Palmer with the first pitch.

Kansas City pitcher Scott Service hit Darin Erstad with a pitch in the top of the ninth, and in the bottom of the inning, another brawl began after the Angels’ Mike Holtz hit Jose Offerman with a pitch.

“Those are the things that happen,” said Muser, who apologized before Friday night’s game at Houston. “That’s why I was talking about etiquette. There is a certain amount of etiquette and professionalism that should go on even under times of duress.”

Angel pitcher Jack McDowell, who played a prominent part in the first brawl, was suspended for four games; Nevin for three; DeLucia, Holtz, Pittsley and Service for two; and Anaheim’s Frank Bolick and Damon Mashore for one game each.

“I don’t know why I got thrown out of the game first of all,” Pittsley said. “I was just defending myself. It’s an automatic fine anyway. Everyone involved is subject to suspension so they decided what was going to happen and you just have to deal with it.”

Kansas City’s Felix Martinez, sent to the minors after the brawl, got a five-game suspension. Martinez and Bolick, who also was sent down, will serve their suspensions after they are recalled, and McDowell will serve his when he comes off the disabled list.

In addition, Bolick, Martinez, Mashore, McDowell, Nevin, Pittsley were fined $1,000 each, and DeLucia, Holtz and Service were fined $500 each, according to a source who spoke on the condition he not be identified. Coaches Rich Dauer and Jamie Quirk of the Royals and Joe Maddon of the Angels also were fined, but those amounts weren’t immediately known.

“It all depends on what the rest of the guys do,” Service said of appealing the suspension. “I’ve never been suspended before. I don’t know how the appeals process works.”

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Fight Suspensions

Those suspended because of bench-clearing brawls during Angel-Kansas City game Tuesday. Managers and players will begin suspensions Friday. Only one player per team will sit out at a time:

ANGELS

Name: Games

Manager Terry Collins: 8

Jack McDowell*: 4

Phil Nevin: 3

Rich DeLucia: 2

Mike Holtz: 2

Frank Bolick**: 1

Damon Mashore: 1

*

ROYALS

Manager Tony Muser: 8

Felix Martinez**: 5

Jim Pittsley: 2

Scott Service: 2

* Disabled and will serve suspension when reinstated. ** Sent to minor leagues and will serve suspension when recalled.