Sweeney, Fick Get Big Suspensions for Brawl

Kansas City Royal first baseman Mike Sweeney was suspended for 10 games and Detroit Tiger catcher Robert Fick was suspended for eight for their roles in a brawl last week.

Five players and four coaches were disciplined Thursday by Frank Robinson, the vice president in charge of discipline for the commissioner’s office.

Robinson accused Sweeney of “charging the mound, fighting on multiple occasions and inciting a bench-clearing incident” last Friday and penalized Fick for “fighting and his aggressive actions during a bench-clearing incident.”

Said Tiger Manager Phil Garner: “How can you give Sweeney 10 games and Robert eight? That’s a joke. We didn’t start this, but we’ve got six people fined or suspended and they have three?”

The suspensions were to start today.

Royal pitching coach Al Nipper was suspended for three games, Tiger hitting coach Bill Madlock was suspended for two and Tiger first-base coach Juan Samuel was suspended for one, with Samuel’s suspension delayed to Sunday. Madlock and Samuel both indicated they will appeal.

Robinson fined Tiger outfielder Wendell Magee, Tiger pitcher Jeff Weaver, Royal catcher Brent Mayne and Tiger bullpen coach Ed Ott.

Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau had a fitting goodbye when a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was played at the end of his funeral in Frankfort, Ill. Boudreau died last week at the age of 84. . . . A U.S. Justice Department Justice investigation of the Baltimore Orioles found no evidence the team discriminated in its hiring practices. Oriole owner Peter Angelos had been accused of refusing to sign Cuban defectors in order to maintain good relations with the government of Fidel Castro. . . . A minor leaguer in the Royals’ organization was allegedly stabbed by a teammate after an argument in Spokane, Wash. Jose Durand, 20, a catcher for the Spokane Indians of the Class-A Northwest League, was stabbed in the hand in a fight with Rafael Garcia, according to a statement released by the Royals late Thursday.