Rupe merely fined after Bosox feud

By Times staff writers
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 8, 2002

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays didn't necessarily understand the punishments handed out as a result of incidents in Sunday's game with Boston.

But they weren't going to argue.

Compared with what two Red Sox players received, Rays pitcher Ryan Rupe got off easy.

The league fined him an undisclosed sum, likely around $1,500, for "intentionally throwing at and hitting" Nomar Garciaparra and Shea Hillenbrand in the first inning.

Red Sox outfielder Trot Nixon was suspended four games and fined $2,000 for throwing his bat at Rupe. Pitcher Frank Castillo was suspended five games and fined $1,500 for hitting Randy Winn on the hip in retaliation.

"It looks cheap that they got suspended and I didn't," Rupe said. "I don't know why they would get suspended and I wouldn't. Oh, well."

The fines and suspensions may end discussion on the topic but apparently won't stop the heated talk between Nixon and second baseman Brent Abernathy.

"I think there's a time and place for everything, and I don't think that's the way to handle on-field disagreements," Abernathy said of the bat incident. "Somebody could get seriously hurt that way."

Just as bad, Abernathy said, was the way Nixon tried to act as if it were an accident, going as far as looking incredulously at his empty hands before applying extra pine tar.

"That was the worst part to me," Abernathy said. "If you're going to do something like that, you stand behind your actions. You don't try to act like it happened unintentionally."

Rupe said his actions were unintentional.

"I did smoke two of them in the first," he said. "Unfortunately it was one that hit a grand slam to win the game the night before, and I don't think Nomar did anything wrong."

Several Rays were surprised such severe action was taken, as the umpires didn't eject anyone.

"It is unusual, but that's the decision," manager Hal McRae said.

"I don't think it was fair for Rupe to get fined and I don't think it necessarily was fair for Castillo to get suspended," Abernathy said. "Nixon's situation I think was a little bit different."

Nixon clearly was unhappy with the decision, maintaining that the bat slipped and he would appeal. "I'm not going to rehash everything that went on," Nixon said in Oakland. "I'm sure that Abernathy will be more than happy to talk. He seems to be the leader over there."

DANCING MACHINE: Groundskeeper McArthur Church got his groove back on, for one night, anyway. Church, known for his dance routine after the sixth inning, Tuesday performed for the first time since opening day.

"A couple of my friends on the Yankees were asking me to do it," Church said. "I told them I wasn't ready, but they kept saying, 'C'mon, c'mon, do it.' "

Church, who said he hadn't felt up to performing since the death of his father, wouldn't commit to dancing regularly. "I'm day to day," he said.

GO FIGURE: Former first-round draft pick Josh Hamilton is back on the disabled list.

The outfielder, the No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft, has a strained muscle in his rib cage and is out indefinitely. Hamilton was hitting .381 with two homers and seven RBIs in 11 games with Class A Bakersfield.

"We're going to see how long it takes and hopefully get him back soon," director of player personnel Cam Bonifay said. "He's doing the things that he has to do to continue to improve and go to the next level. Hopefully he can get on that field and stay up so we can get him some more at-bats, because he needs them."

ODDS AND ENDS: Outfielder Ben Grieve, nursing a bruised left thumb and minor infection in his left hand, did not play for the third straight game. He is expected to serve as designated hitter today. ... Reliever Bobby Seay, on the 60-day disabled list with shoulder tendinitis, begins a rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Orlando today.

-- KEVIN KELLY, MARC TOPKIN

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