Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers has had his 20 game suspension reduced by an arbitrator, making him eligible to pitch tonight when the Rangers face the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Rogers had missed 13 games due to the suspension.
Rogers was suspended for shoving two cameramen prior to a game against the Angels on June 29. One of the cameramen was hospitalized as a result of the incident.
The arbitrator, Shyam Das, heard the case on Monday in Chicago and ruled that commissioner Bud Selig's 20 game suspension was too severe. He also deemed the $50,000 fine Rogers was asked to pay as a 'charitable contribution.'
Selig released a statement disagreeing with Das' decision.
'It sends the wrong message to every one of our constituents: the fans, the media, and our players,' he said. 'There is a standard of behavior that is expected of our players, which was breached in this case. The arbitrator's decision diminishes that standard and is contrary to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. In my opinion, the decision is seriously ill-conceived.'
Not surprisingly, Rangers manager Buck Showalter was eager to get the 40-year-old lefthander back in his rotation.
'We're excited to get Kenny back as a teammate and as a pitcher for our organization,' said Showalter. 'We're looking forward to him helping us compete against the Red Sox tomorrow.'
The suspension cost Rogers two or three starts in the Rangers five-man rotation.
While the press and many observers were critical of Rogers' actions, many baseball players defended him. Red Sox starting pitcher David Wells told the 'Boston Globe' on July 8, 'I'm glad he did that. He needed to vent. He's been a mild-mannered ballplayer his whole life . . . What Kenny did, I'm fine with. The cameraman wasn't hurt. He went to the hospital, pretending to be hurt. He's winking at another guy, saying, 'I'm going to get paid.' That guy's a [expletive] idiot.'
Showalter urged everybody to put the incident behind them.
'It's time to move on and get the focus back on trying to get people out. That's challenging enough,' Showalter said.
