Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens and umpire Terry Cooney will get a chance to renew their argument.
Clemens confirmed Wednesday that he will appeal the American League`s five-game suspension and $10,000 fine he received for an altercation with Cooney, who ejected him in the fourth game of the playoffs.
”I think with the appeal I`ll get to state my side of the story,” the Boston right-hander said at a news conference.
”I`m going to see at the appeals hearing if Mr. Cooney will lie right to my eyes. There`s definitely a lot of fabrication in Cooney`s report. I can`t allow that to happen.”
Clemens acknowledged that he gets very intense during the playoffs, but denied using numerous obscenities with Cooney. He would not repeat exactly what he said during the game.
”I didn`t call him anything. He`s been called a lot worse,” Clemens said.
Clemens also accused Cooney of making statements ”that are disturbing to me about my character on the mound. I approach my work in a different manner than he does. I was pretty verbal in Game 2. I was upset. They are holding that against me.”
