Erickson Charged With Assault

Baltimore Oriole pitcher Scott Erickson was charged Monday with assaulting his girlfriend after she confronted him about whether he was cheating on her, police said.

Erickson and Lisa Ortiz had a “heated argument” that ended with Erickson throwing her to the floor of an elevator in the building where they live, according to a police report.

The right-handed pitcher told police Ortiz bit him on his right arm, causing a bruise and swelling. Police also said Erickson’s right foot was bleeding and they found blood stains leading from the couple’s condominium to the elevator.

Erickson and Ortiz told police they did not require medical attention.

“It’s nothing. It’s just a bad break,” Erickson said before Monday’s game against Toronto at Camden Yards. “Nothing happened. It was pretty much a situation where they had to do something and it just got blown out of proportion. No harm done.”

Erickson, who did not have any visible injuries, added “everything will be dropped.”

However, a prosecutor said the state’s attorney’s office will decide whether to pursue the case.

Because Ortiz and Erickson aren’t married, she could be compelled to testify against him, prosecutor Alex Miller said.

An Oriole spokesman said the team would not comment until it had more information about the arrest. Manager Mike Hargrove said the team will stand behind Erickson.

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Detroit Tiger President Dave Dombrowski apologized for comments he made at a private luncheon that later were broadcast by a sports radio station.

Dombrowski apologized on radio station WXYT-AM “to any player that may have been hurt by the comments” he made Friday to suite holders and corporate sponsors, Tiger spokesman Jim Anderson said. Callers who said they attended the luncheon began discussing the statements on sports talk shows through the weekend.

“I have never had anything like this happen in my career,” Dombrowski told The Detroit News in today’s editions. “I should have not made this mistake, but when you’re talking to a group like that, you are trying to entertain, you’ve been asked to do that, and all of a sudden I crossed the line in my opinion.”

WDFN-AM received a recording of part of Dombrowski’s speech and broadcast it Monday. In it, Dombrowski tallied the salaries of several Tigers, saying no team would accept them in a trade.

“I don’t mean to disparage any of these guys, but put yourself in my shoes and say, ‘I want to change some of the faces,’ ” Dombrowski said at the luncheon.

“I love Dean Palmer. He’s a great guy. If you can trade him tomorrow, give me a call. Save me $8.5 million in our budget next year. Damion Easley ... he’s still not hitting .200--and there’s $6.5 million for next year. We’re up to $15 [million].”

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The Chicago White Sox fired pitching coach Nardi Contreras and appointed Don Cooper to the position.

Contreras, 50, was hired by Chicago in May 1998. The White Sox staff compiled a 4.77 earned-run average in 704 games under Contreras.