La Russa, McClendon suspended
Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon and St. Louis manager Tony La Russa were each suspended for two games Friday after getting into a shouting match during a game that caused both benches to empty.
McClendon and La Russa were also both fined undisclosed amounts by Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president of on-field operations.
La Russa was set to begin his suspension for Friday night’s game against Houston. McClendon is to begin his suspension today.
La Russa said before Friday’s game against Houston that he was surprised the ruling came so quickly. He said a committee of coaches, led by pitching coach Dave Duncan, would manage in his absence.
“I thought what would happen was before anybody made a decision that they would look at the videotape, they would look at all the pitches thrown at Cardinals, they would ask for the Pirates’ side and the Cardinals’ side and then make a decision,” La Russa said. “That’s not how it went.”
Both managers were ejected with two outs in the top of the ninth inning in St. Louis’ 4-2 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday after Pirates reliever Mike Gonzalez sent Tony Womack to the dirt with a high, inside pitch.
Before Gonzalez’s next pitch, La Russa yelled at him. That prompted McClendon to storm out of his team’s dugout and head toward the Cardinals dugout to confront La Russa.
Plate umpire Brian Gorman and first-base umpire Dale Scott tried to restrain McClendon. La Russa came onto the field, and the umpires stood between the managers as they exchanged heated words along the first-base line near the Cardinals dugout.
Yankees to skip Contreras’ turn
The New York Yankees will skip Jose Contreras’ turn in the rotation, giving the erratic right-hander a chance to work out flaws in his pitching motion.
Yankees manager Joe Torre said pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre spotted the problem in Contreras’ delivery. Instead of pitching Tuesday against Colorado, Contreras will get three bullpen sessions before starting against San Diego on June 12.
• Jason Giambi rejoined the Yankees after he went 1 for 6 in a pair of minor league rehabilitation games with Class-A Tampa. Giambi took batting practice in an indoor cage, and New York plans to activate him before Sunday’s series finale and start him at first base.
• Derek Jeter left New York’s game against Texas in the fourth inning because of tightness in his left groin. The Yankees said Jeter was day-to-day.
Sexson has season-ending surgery
Once he realized shoulder surgery was inevitable, Richie Sexson wasted no time having it done.
The Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman had surgery on the torn cartilage in his left shoulder Friday morning after getting a second opinion Wednesday recommending the procedure.
Team doctor Michael Lee said the operation took about an hour and had a 90 percent chance of being successful.
The prognosis now is for Sexson to be 100 percent within about six months – well in time for spring training.
Clearing the bases
The Milwaukee Brewers purchased the contract of infielder Jeff Liefer from Triple-A Indianapolis. Pitcher Ben Hendrickson was optioned to Indianapolis to make room for Liefer. To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Kade Johnson was designated for assignment. . . . Colorado Rockies pitcher Joe Kennedy left his start against the San Francisco Giants after only three innings because of tightness in his left shoulder. . . . White Sox slugger Magglio Ordonez will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in Chicago today and is expected to miss four to seven weeks. . . . The San Francisco Giants optioned infielder Brian Dallimore to Triple-A Fresno and purchased infielder Cody Ransom‘s contract from Fresno. Outfielder Todd Linden was recalled from Fresno to take Jeffrey Hammonds’ roster spot, who was released.