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Rogers Begins Suspension After Selig Rejects Appeal
Kenny Rogers' appeal of his 20-game suspension for shoving two cameramen was rejected Wednesday by commissioner Bud Selig, and the players' association said it will pursue a grievance before an arbitrator to overturn the penalty.
The commissioner, who heard the appeal by the Texas Rangers pitcher last Friday, said the suspension would begin with Wednesday night's at Baltimore. Under baseball's rules, Selig decided the original penalty and also ruled on the appeal. "Kenny Rogers' behavior towards the two cameramen who were present at the ballpark and doing their job on June 29th, was wholly unacceptable," Selig said in a statement. "I have always placed a special emphasis on the social responsibility that each of us has in Major League Baseball given its proper place in American history and culture as a social institution. The media is entitled to perform its important role without fear of physical intimidation or contact from our players or other participants. While I listened carefully to Kenny Rogers' sincere explanation last week, I heard nothing that would warrant either eliminating or reducing the discipline imposed."
Selig imposed the suspension and a $50,000 fine for a June 29 videotaped tirade in which Rogers, a three-time All-Star, shoved two cameramen when he came onto the field for pregame stretching.
The players' association filed a grievance on July 8, and arbitrator Shyam Das scheduled an Aug. 8 hearing after Selig made his decision Wednesday. Das turned down the union's request to stay the suspension pending the new hearing, saying he didn't think he had the authority, union general counsel Michael Weiner said.
The union contends that Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline, should have made the initial decision, not Selig. "We think the decision is both unfair and inconsistent with the basic agreement," Weiner said. "We don't think commissioner Selig had the authority in the first place to issue discipline. We also think 20 games and a $50,000 fine wholly disregards industry precedent with respect conduct of this type. We look forward to seeking appropriate relief for both Kenny and his Texas teammates before the arbitrator."
Source: AP
The commissioner, who heard the appeal by the Texas Rangers pitcher last Friday, said the suspension would begin with Wednesday night's at Baltimore. Under baseball's rules, Selig decided the original penalty and also ruled on the appeal. "Kenny Rogers' behavior towards the two cameramen who were present at the ballpark and doing their job on June 29th, was wholly unacceptable," Selig said in a statement. "I have always placed a special emphasis on the social responsibility that each of us has in Major League Baseball given its proper place in American history and culture as a social institution. The media is entitled to perform its important role without fear of physical intimidation or contact from our players or other participants. While I listened carefully to Kenny Rogers' sincere explanation last week, I heard nothing that would warrant either eliminating or reducing the discipline imposed."
Selig imposed the suspension and a $50,000 fine for a June 29 videotaped tirade in which Rogers, a three-time All-Star, shoved two cameramen when he came onto the field for pregame stretching.
The players' association filed a grievance on July 8, and arbitrator Shyam Das scheduled an Aug. 8 hearing after Selig made his decision Wednesday. Das turned down the union's request to stay the suspension pending the new hearing, saying he didn't think he had the authority, union general counsel Michael Weiner said.
The union contends that Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline, should have made the initial decision, not Selig. "We think the decision is both unfair and inconsistent with the basic agreement," Weiner said. "We don't think commissioner Selig had the authority in the first place to issue discipline. We also think 20 games and a $50,000 fine wholly disregards industry precedent with respect conduct of this type. We look forward to seeking appropriate relief for both Kenny and his Texas teammates before the arbitrator."
Source: AP
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