4 players, 3 coaches fined for NLCS fracas

[October 14, 2008]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Manny Ramirez and Dodgers teammate Hiroki Kuroda were among four players fined Monday by Major League Baseball for the Game 3 fracas between Los Angeles and the Philadelphia Phillies during the NL championship series.

Kuroda threw a pitch behind Shane Victorino's head in the third inning Sunday, apparently retaliation for Philadelphia's Brett Myers throwing behind Ramirez in Game 2. Benches and bullpens cleared, and plate umpire Mike Everitt immediately warned both teams. There were no ejections.

Kuroda was fined $7,500, Ramirez was docked $2,500, first-base coach Mariano Duncan got $1,000 and third-base coach Larry Bowa $500, Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.

Victorino was fined $2,500 and first-base coach Davey Lopes and reliever J.C. Romero $1,000 each, according to Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

Asked about his penalty, Ramirez said, "That's fine."

"I don't care. It's worth it," Dodgers catcher Russell Martin said.

Torre had a much different opinion.

"I think it's ridiculous," he said before the Dodgers and Phillies played in Game 4. "I guess the time of year is what enhances the price. I'm not sure what kind of a message this was."

Ramirez raced in from left field and had to be restrained by Torre, among others.

"I tried (to grab Ramirez)," Torre said. "I was moved without much effort. I was just trying to get Manny's attention. I didn't want to lose him. He's usually pretty good at keeping it under control. He's a good teammate, this guy."

Torre said Kuroda, a 33-year-old rookie who pitched 11 years previously in the Japanese Central League, earned additional respect from his teammates.

"I don't think there's any question," Torre said. "He was a good teammate. Guys rally around good teammates. Nobody encourages anybody to hit anybody in the head. The game's changed. I think everybody's become a little more sensitive to it. I guess it's trying to keep the people who play on the field. (But) sometimes umpires don't read the game right. There's some people that can't translate it. People are going to get hit."

Torre did say he believed the umpires "did a good job yesterday."

Manuel said he thought the fines were excessive as well.

"That's coming down pretty hard with what happened," he said. "That's coming down harder than you would have thought. There was no fight and nobody got hurt. I guess it was the fact that some of them had to be restrained."

[Associated Press; By JOHN NADEL]

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