Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
WASHINGTON - Once he calmed down, Livan Hernandez wanted to make a few things clear Thursday: He won't have knee surgery until after the season, he will keep taking the mound every five days, even in pain, and he would never quit on his club.
A day after saying during a rambling postgame interview that he was thinking about having an operation, the Nationals right-hander unleashed a profanity-laced tirade at reporters in the RFK Stadium clubhouse.
The gist of his outburst was that his comments about being "99.9 percent" sure he might have season-ending surgery and "I'm done, I think" after Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the NL-worst Rockies came in the heat of the moment and weren't reported accurately.
Minutes later, he sat on a stool in front of his corner locker to explain himself.
"You don't know how I feel last night. You don't know I got a bad leg. You don't know I don't sleep last night because my knee hurt. That was the problem," Hernandez said.
"I'm pitching with my knee more than 17 starts like that. I never quit. Somebody else maybe quit. But not me. I'm going to make every start now. I don't got no problem. I feel, last night, not good. ... My knee looked like it want to explode last night."
He said he plans to have surgery after the season, "because I want to feel right next year."
BRAWL PENALTIES: Royals right-hander Runelvys Hernandez was suspended for 10 games and fined an undisclosed amount, and manager Buddy Bell will have to sit out a game after a benches-clearing brawl Sunday at Detroit.
Tigers reliever Kyle Farnsworth was suspended for six games and starter Jeremy Bonderman for five. Both right-handers and Tigers shortstop Carlos Guillen were fined.
Hernandez and Bell also were fined. The penalties were imposed by Bob Watson, baseball's head disciplinarian.
Hernandez, whose beaning of Guillen touched off the brawl, will appeal the ruling and said he plans to start tonight against the Blue Jays.
MORE SUSPENSIONS: Dodgers right-hander Brad Penny was suspended five games and fined an undisclosed amount for his run-in with an umpire during a July 14 game against the Giants. Penny was ejected by plate umpire Rob Drake after throwing his helmet while returning to the dugout after a play at first. ... Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was suspended one game for inappropriate comments about an umpire. Gardenhire was also fined an undisclosed amount for his comments about plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after Monday's 3-2 loss to the Orioles in 11.
WOOD SIDELINED: Cubs right-hander Kerry Wood will miss at least one start after getting a cortisone shot in his aching pitching shoulder, which has forced him onto the disabled list once this season. Wood will rest for a couple days before seeing whether the cortisone gets rid of the inflammation and pain and allows him to keep pitching.
RANGERS: Texas added two veteran right-handers, acquiring reliever Kevin Gryboski in a trade with Atlanta and claiming James Baldwin off waivers from Baltimore. Manager Buck Showalter said he was eyeing Gryboski for a late-inning slot and was going to wait to decide how to use Baldwin.
YANKEES: Right-hander Jaret Wright threw 33 pitches during a two-inning simulated game in Tampa, the first time he'd faced hitters since being sidelined in late April with an injured pitching shoulder. Wright is scheduled for additional simulated games Saturday and Monday.