International League suspends top prospect for 50 games
Tampa Bay prospect Delmon Young was suspended for 50 games without pay by the International League on Tuesday for throwing a bat that hit a replacement umpire in the chest.
IL president Randy Mobley said he believed the suspension was the longest in the league’s 123-year history. There was no record of the most severe suspension in the minors for an on-field incident.
Young was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft and was chosen the 2005 minor league player of the year by Baseball America. His brother is Detroit Tigers star Dmitri Young.
“Fifty is a fair amount, and I’m going to serve it and then I’ll be back on the ballfield,” Young said. “No, I really don’t think I have anger management issues,” he said. “I’m competitive. I just let the emotions get a little better than me sometimes. I’ve got to control that.”
The suspension is retroactive to April 27, the day after Young tossed his bat in a Triple-A game while playing for Durham. The 20-year-old outfielder has agreed to perform at least 50 hours of community service, and can play again June 19.
Kendall drops appeal, speaks out
Oakland Athletics catcher Jason Kendall ripped Major League Baseball after dropping his appeal of his four-game suspension.
Kendall was suspended and fined for charging Los Angeles Angels pitcher John Lackey in a game on May 2.
“Major League Baseball has turned into a badminton league. They told me I didn’t have any shot of getting my suspension knocked out,” Kendall said.
Kendall said his agent, general manager Billy Beane and the union told him his suspension likely wouldn’t be reduced.
“The fact that they won’t knock anything off is embarrassing to the game because the game has changed,” Kendall said. “Now you can’t really defend yourself. I understand I have to be suspended, but it’s not like I went out and picked a fight.”
Players could toss drug policy
Major league players can scrap the sport’s toughened drug rules if they don’t have a new labor contract by August, a provision drawing attention from congressmen who pushed for the strengthened policy.
If players and owners don’t agree to a new labor contract by Aug. 1, the union has until Aug. 15 to unilaterally end the new drug policy as of Dec. 19, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.
Clearing the bases
Chicago White Sox right-hander Jose Contreras, off to a 5-0 start with a major league-low 1.41 ERA, went on the 15-day disabled list with a pinched nerve in his right leg. … The New York Yankees put Gary Sheffield on the 15-day disabled list because of a bruised left hand and called up outfielder Melky Cabrera from Triple-A Columbus. … St. Louis pitcher Sidney Ponson was put on the disabled list with a strained muscle in his right elbow. The Cardinals recalled left-hander Tyler Johnson from Triple-A Memphis to take Ponson’s spot. … Ken Griffey Jr. tried out the strained tendon in his right knee and remained on the 15-day disabled list. The Cincinnati outfielder, who took extended batting practice, could return today. … … Former St. Louis Browns outfielder Jim Delsing, best known as the pinch runner for midget Eddie Gaedel in one of baseball’s most unusual spectacles, died of cancer Thursday in Chesterfield, Mo. He was 80.