Hunter will not appeal two-game suspension

09/10/2008 3:30 PM ET
Hunter will not appeal suspension
Center fielder was involved in scuffle with Yanks' Rodriguez
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Handed a two-game suspension by Major League Baseball for his involvement in a benches-clearing spat with Ivan Rodriguez on Monday night at Angel Stadium, Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said he is not appealing and will serve the two games immediately.

Rodriguez, who also was given a two-game suspension, also is not appealing. Hunter said he met with Rodriguez on Wednesday and cleared the air, adding that there are no lingering issues with the Yankees' catcher.

Angels pitcher John Lackey was fined an undisclosed amount by MLB for his involvement in the flap.

Admitting that his initial response was to appeal, Hunter said he reconsidered after meeting with manager Mike Sciosica on Wednesday morning. After a tweak of his quad forced him out of Tuesday night's game in the fifth inning, Hunter, with Scioscia's input, decided that this was the best time to serve his suspension.

"Even if I didn't have the quad thing, I think I'd still take the suspension," Hunter said. "He shoved me first, and I shoved him back. You're appealing Major League Baseball? You can't win."

Hunter, replaced by Gary Matthews Jr. in center field on Wednesday, said he "figured it would be like a game -- I didn't expect that [two games]."

Scioscia called it a "relatively minor incident," adding that he thinks Hunter "was a little embarrassed [by] the incident.

"He's a very family-conscious guy and knows there [are] a lot of kids in the stands, and that's not the way Torii acts. He'll take the suspension and move on.

"I think that any time benches clear, there's always the possibility of some discipline coming from the league. I think it was a relatively minor incident. Whatever the league hands down, I know Torii will accept."

Hunter, Scioscia said, was not going to play on Wednesday and probably wouldn't have played in Thursday's series opener with the Mariners to avoid aggravating the quad.

As for Lackey's fine, Scioscia said: "Sometimes when guys are in there trying to break it up, elbows get thrown and things happen. John was in the middle of it. At that point, you're not a pitcher, a catcher or an outfielder -- you're a teammate.

"I don't think you want things like this to happen at all. I'm talking from experience. I've been at the bottom of my fair share of piles."

The quad "tweak," as Hunter put it, developed on Tuesday night when he made a movement in the outfield. He said it is nothing major and that he could have played on Wednesday if necessary.

"Over the course of your career, you know what something is," Hunter, a Rawlings Gold Glove winner seven consecutive seasons, said. "I understand you've got to be careful. In the playoffs last year, you saw all the guys [four Angels regulars] hurt. I didn't want to battle it out and be hurt for a month.

"So I guess the suspension came at the wrong time but the right time."

Hunter, under the terms of the suspension, could not be in the clubhouse or in the dugout during the game but could find a place inside Angel Stadium, which is what he planned to do.

Hunter had one other incident in his career which resulted in a suspension. While with the Twins in 2002, he hurled the baseball back at pitcher Danys Baez after Baez hit him with a pitch, and was suspended for three games.

Hunter emphasized that he has no issues with anger and that he was not out of control during the incident with Rodriguez, who took exception when Hunter tripped slightly over the bat at home plate and shoved Hunter while walking toward the mound. That prompted Hunter's response and the clearing of both dugouts and bullpens.

"Do the crime, you've got to do the time," Hunter said, grinning. "I always tell people to stay out of trouble. But this isn't trouble. This is just being competitive.

"I don't need anger management [counseling]. I apologize for my actions, but this is sports. These things happen."

Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.