THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 19, 1994 TAG: 9407190472
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
A bevy of $300 fines and two-day suspensions for the Norfolk Tides and Richmond Braves will be announced today by International League president Randy Mobley as a result of Sunday's mild bench-clearing altercation.
Butch Huskey is one of many none too pleased about it.
``If I knew I was going to get fined 300 bucks, I probably would've taken a whack at a couple people,'' the Tides third baseman said. ``It just burns me up. Everybody was holding everybody back. No one wanted to fight, I don't think. We could've easily fought and had a mess, but I think everybody kept their heads. It should be the umpire's discretion as far as what happened.''
Umpire discretion, though, plays no part in the rule that was adopted by the minor leagues last December to crack down on fighting. So even though Sunday's brief pushing match at home plate was ``bench-clearing'' only in the strictest terms, the rule is exact: Once a player leaves his position to join a confrontation in Triple-A, a minimum fine of $300 and a two-day suspension must be levied. The fines are less at lower minor league levels.
``You can expect that virtually everyone is going to be fined $300 and suspended for two days,'' said Mobley, who said he would announce a schedule of suspensions today. Only three players - two position players and one pitcher - may serve concurrent suspensions.
It appears as though three Tides - Joe Kmak, Dave Telgheder and Shawn Hare - and seven Braves could escape Mobley's action. Ironically, Kmak and Telgheder were the most involved in the incident that was triggered when Troy Hughes tried to bowl over Kmak in the eighth inning of Sunday's game.
Kmak, a catcher, taunted Hughes with the ball and the two exchanged words before Telgheder and Hughes pushed each other. But because Kmak and Telgheder were in their proper positions when the benches emptied - Telgheder, a pitcher, was backing up the plate - they apparently satisfy the rule. However, Mobley said late Monday he was still exploring Kmak's and Telgheder's actions. Hare was in the Tides' clubhouse at the time.
What bothers the Tides the most is that nothing happened during the scuffle, yet they violated the rule when they left their positions, dugout and bullpen. Umpire crew chief Darrel Mason, according to Tides outfielder Jeromy Burnitz, laughed as he announced the fines to the players milling about the field.
``A bunch of people stood around (Sunday) night,'' Tides general manager Dave Rosenfield said. ``They didn't do anything. The bullpens ran in, and it was over before they got there. I think that's inane.''
Rosenfield said he argued against the rule at the winter meetings and had no quarrel with Mobley or the umpires because their actions are dictated by the rule. So are players bound to an unwritten code of supporting teammates in altercations, which is the bug in whole thing.
``You can't leave your teammate out there,'' Huskey said. ``Anybody who leaves his teammate on the field, he should get his butt kicked.''
Dascenzo said players agree with the intent of the rule but a $300 penalty is too stiff for many. Some Triple-A rookies make $2,000 or less per month. The club will front the fine money and be paid back, probably over a few paychecks, Rosenfield said.
``They should think it over a little bit,'' Dascenzo said. ``They should think about all the different situations and opportunities that could come up and put it in more perspective.''
Mobley said it was the league's first bench-clearing incident this season. by CNB