Chicago’s baseball teams lost a doubleheader without playing a game Monday.
Major League Baseball upheld Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood’s five-game suspension and $1,000 fine for an April 17 incident involving umpire Eric Cooper. And White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was suspended for two games for his argument with umpire Hunter Wendelstedt in the first inning of the Aug. 9 game against the Cleveland Indians.
Both suspensions begin Tuesday.
Sox general manager Ken Williams called MLB disciplinarian Bob Watson and lobbied for Guillen, but to no avail. Guillen plans to call Watson on Tuesday.
Managers cannot appeal suspensions, but there have been instances in which their suspensions have been reduced.
Wood’s scheduled start on Saturday in Houston will be filled by Glendon Rusch, and Wood will be eligible to pitch Sunday at Minute Maid Park on seven days’ rest.
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was livid over the decision and didn’t try to hide his displeasure with the ruling.
“We felt this never warranted a suspension,” Hendry said. “There was no precedent for this in the past, and Major League Baseball has always done a good job in the past in cases where there is no precedent.”
Wood was ejected after charging Cooper as he was being removed from the game in the ninth inning. Wood was upset over a called ball on a 3-2 pitch that may have changed the outcome of the game. He wound up throwing a helmet over the dugout railing after being tossed.
The day after the incident, Wood spoke to Cooper and apologized.
The decision comes nearly four months after the incident, unfortunate for the Cubs, who are now in a tight race for the wild-card playoff berth.
Few teams have had as many run-ins with umpires as the Cubs have had over the last two seasons, and it may be working against them.
Moises Alou was ejected from Sunday’s game after an argument over a checked-swing strikeout. Alou, Wood, manager Dusty Baker, LaTroy Hawkins, Kent Mercker, Carlos Zambrano, Michael Barrett, pitching coach Larry Rothschild and hitting coach Gary Matthews have been ejected from games this season. Baker, Wood, Zambrano and Hawkins have been issued suspensions.
Guillen’s run-in with Wendelstedt occurred when he went out to argue after Carlos Lee was thrown out at second trying to steal. After returning to the dugout, Guillen went back on the field and got into a heated exchange with Wendelstedt.
The official report will be released Tuesday.
