Tigers, Twins receive fines for actions, Bonderman suspended

Tigers, Twins receive fines for actions
In addition, Bonderman suspended for role in activities

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

10/02/09 5:06 PM ET

Tigers right-hander Jeremy Bonderman was suspended three games and fined for intentionally throwing at the Twins' Delmon Young on Thursday, Major League Baseball announced in news release on Friday.

Bonderman, who plunked Young in the top of the ninth after a warning had been issued to both clubs the previous half-inning, was scheduled to begin his suspension during Friday night's game, but he has elected to appeal, meaning the punishment will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.

Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon was suspended one game and fined for Bonderman's actions, and he will serve the suspension on Friday.

In addition, Twins pitcher Jose Mijares -- who intentionally threw at the Tigers' Adam Everett, causing a warning to be issued in the bottom of the eighth -- as well as Detroit manager Jim Leyland and catcher Gerald Laird -- both of whom engaged in separate arguments with umpire Angel Hernandez -- were fined.

On the Tigers side, Bonderman was fined $1,500, McClendon $1,000, Laird $500 and Leyland $500. Mijares' fine was not immediately disclosed.

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

What the heck? Who gets to fine the umps for being big whiny babies?????????

Pudgerocks wrote:

What the heck? Who gets to fine the umps for being big whiny babies?????????

I agree, they blew so many plays, then got mad when Leyland brought it up!

Saturday, October 3, 2009
Jim Leyland puzzled by bean-ball punishment
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

Detroit -- Thursday's strange ejections became Friday's strange suspensions. And fines.

The combination of the two prompted Tigers manager Jim Leyland to call it "the most mind-boggling situation I've ever heard of in baseball."

Four Tigers were fined a total of $3,500, and two were suspended, for the incident Thursday, when Jeremy Bonderman hit Delmon Young of the Twins with a pitch in the ninth inning -- only to have Young blame it on his own pitcher, Jose Mijares.

Bonderman was suspended three games, which he's appealing, and fined $1,500. Acting manager Lloyd McClendon was suspended one game, which he served Friday night, and fined $1,000 -- even though the umpiring crew didn't even eject him.

McClendon had taken over for Leyland, who was ejected in the eighth when plate umpire Angel Hernandez warned both teams after Mijares stunned everyone by throwing behind Adam Everett.

Leyland and Gerald Laird, who also was ejected for having words with Hernandez, were fined $500 but not suspended.

Mijares was fined $750 but not suspended.

Keep in mind Mijares surprised even his own team by throwing at Everett -- so much so that Twins manager Ron Gardenhire even called Leyland to apologize, and Young, who had expected to get hit, angrily pointed at Mijares in the Twins' dugout after getting back on his feet.

"Gardy told our guys on the field that (Bonderman) did exactly what he should have done," Leyland said. "I'll leave it at saying that this was a great series with, for some unknown reason, a foolish pitch from one of the Twins pitchers. There was no other problem the entire series -- and never has been with the Twins.

"By their own admission, their pitcher made a mistake. And I'm just sad to see the Tigers pay so much more for the mistake than the guy (Mijares) who made the mistake."

Marcus Thames had been hit by a pitch earlier in the game, and nearly hit with another. But that resulted in nothing more than Thames glaring at Twins starter Scott Baker with what he later labeled "a happy look."

He also called Baker "my buddy".

But Thames' situation had nothing to do with what took place in the eighth and ninth that left both teams amazed, but not speechless.

"I don't think I've ever been as shocked in my baseball life as I was when (Mijares) threw that pitch (at Everett)," Leyland said. "They had a big lead. They had the game in hand. And Adam Everett? He doesn't have any enemy in the world.

"What I can't figure out is the punishment for it. I'd already been thrown out, but I just can't figure it out. Nobody asked who the acting manager was. Nobody threw the acting manager out.

"But Mac got fined and suspended a game, but wasn't even thrown out of the game. If you can figure it out, more power to you.

"I better stop, though, or I'll get a big fine. It was a great series between two teams that were doing nothing but battling each other -- and it kind of got ruined by one foolish pitch.

"I'm not calling (Mijares) a foolish pitcher, but he made a foolish pitch. It was a heck of a series, great for baseball. I just can't fathom how it turned out."

On Friday, Mijares told the Associated Press he knows he made a mistake, that his "head wasn't in the game" and he planned to apologize to Young and his team. Gardenhire said he wasn't surprised his pitcher wasn't suspended because he wasn't ejected.Bonderman said only that, "I'm appealing, we'll see what happens." When asked to describe his role in the Twins' series, however, he said, "short."

As for McClendon's reaction to the suspension and fine, he said, "those are the rules. Nothing you can do about it."

Except be surprised with everyone else.

tom.gage@detnews.com

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!

this is not gonna win the AL Central, for sure. Just plain stupid (umps that is, enough already).

Booooo umpires!