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Clemens is fined for bat chuck

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 25, 2000

NEW YORK -- No one but Roger Clemens will ever know if he threw the broken bat at Mike Piazza intentionally in the first inning of Sunday's World Series game. But Major League Baseball decided Tuesday Clemens' actions were inappropriate enough that he was fined $50,000.

None of the key figures had anything substantive to say about the disciplinary action, which is less than 4/100ths of Clemens' annual salary of $12.6-million.

Clemens, who did not join the Yankees on the Shea Stadium field for practice before Tuesday's game, released a statement saying he would wait until after the Series to decide whether to appeal the fine and would have nothing to say until then.

Piazza didn't say much more. "Guys, I really have no comment," he said. "The issue has already played out."

Mets general manager Steve Phillips said he was satisfied with the outcome of MLB's investigation. "I think it was handled appropriately," Phillips said. "We weren't calling for him to be suspended. I think they did what they needed to do by looking at it."

Mets co-owner Fred Wilpon said he was glad Clemens wasn't suspended. "I don't want to beat the Yankees without Roger Clemens in the lineup," he said. "I don't want there to be an asterisk on the World Series."

Clemens was not ejected as the umpires believed he did not throw the bat on purpose. Frank Robinson, the MLB vice president who handed out the penalty, said in a statement Clemens was fined "for inappropriate conduct."

Later, he said his decision was not made based on Clemens' intentions, but because "throwing the bat off the field toward a player's path and toward the stands was a reckless act that could have hurt somebody."

Yankees reliever Jeff Nelson said he thought the fine was "ridiculous." "I don't know why they fined Roger," he said. "If Roger is fined than why not fine (Mets pitcher) Mike Hampton for hitting David Justice (in the sixth inning). You can't tell me that wasn't intentional."

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