Major League Baseball has suspended Cubs catcher Michael Barrett for 10 games and White Sox outfielder Brian Anderson five games for a bench-clearing brawl that led to four ejections. Both players were also fined an undisclosed amount.
The commissioner's office also announced that White Sox third base coach Joey Cora was suspended two games and fined while the White Sox's A.J. Pierzynski was fined.
The incident took place during Saturday's Interleague game at Comiskey Park. Barrett punched Pierzynksi in the face after Pierzynski slid hard into home plate. A bench clearing melee ensued.
Barrett immediately filed an appeal and played in the Cubs Friday afternoon game against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field. He will not begin serving his suspension until the appeal is ruled upon. He said he was hoping to see the number of games reduced.
'I didn't know what to expect. I've never been really been in a situation like this,' Barrett said. 'I tried to prepare myself for the worst-case scenario and obviously hope for the best and just try at this point to take whatever comes next.'
Regardless of the outcome, Barrett wanted to put the incident behind him. 'I don't know what is going to happen. I'm just anxious to put this behind me and move on,' he said.
Cubs skipper Dusty Baker was disappointed with the suspensions. 'We knew it would be something. We were hoping it wasn't going to be that many days,' Baker said.
Baker was also disappointed that Pierzynski was not suspended. 'Like I said, whenever there is a cause, there is an effect. The effect was Michael.'
There is no timetable for the commissioner's office to hear Barrett's appeal. The Cubs and White Sox meet again in Interleague play at Wrigley Field on July 31.
