Report: No Suspension For Ortiz Over Saturday Night Tirade
BOSTON (CBS) - Major League Baseball will not punish Red Sox DH David Ortiz for his Saturday night tirade in Baltimore, according to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo.
There was some speculation that Ortiz could be fined or suspended after losing his cool in Saturday night's win over the Orioles, but Cafardo Tweeted Monday afternoon that MLB decided not to suspend him after reviewing the matter.
Ortiz was ejected from the game after showing his frustration with home plate umpire Tim Timmons following some questionable strike calls in the seventh inning. Ortiz was fuming after Timmons called a high fastball on a 3-0 count a strike, and lost it after striking out a few pitches later.
He yelled at Timmons and was ejected on his way back to the dugout, and since he could not connect on the 3-2 offering, decided to put his bat to use against two dugout phones. Ortiz obliterated the plastic covers of the phones, and then charged the field only to be restrained by manager John Farrell and bench coach Torey Lovullo.
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The Sox slugger said he felt disrespected after the game, and was furious that Timmons felt he made the correct call.
"I got 17 years in the league, and I don't think I deserved to be disrespected like that," said Ortiz. "If you want to get respect from the player, you respect the player. That was horrible, both of those pitches -- not one."
"People are always focused when we snap. We're not snapping every day out there; there is a reason why we snap," said Ortiz. "You always look like the bad guy. I'm not the bad guy, I'm trying to do my job."
Despite missing the first three weeks of the season, Ortiz leads the Red Sox in batting average (.329), home runs (20), RBIs (67) and OBP (.413). He was booed heavily each time he stepped to the plate on Sunday, clubbing a two-run homer in the third inning.
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The destroyed phone covers were replaced by Sunday's game, but Ryan Dempster and Jonny Gomes had some fun prior to the game, bringing two tin cans attached with a string into the Boston dugout.
