Phill11
The Payphone Man
PHOENIX -- Bob Brenly will have to find another way to express his frustration in the future.
The Diamondbacks' manager was suspended for Saturday's game and fined an undisclosed amount for what Major League Baseball said was "inappropriate conduct directed towards an umpire following the conclusion" of a Spring Training game with the Brewers on March 29.
The game ended on a 10th-inning, walk-off homer by former Arizona first baseman Lyle Overbay. As the ball traveled out of the park, Brenly said he threw up his arms in reaction to the homer and a baseball that was in one of his hands flew onto the field and rolled towards home plate umpire Mike DiMuro, who was moving up the third-base line.
"I was reacting to the Overbay home run and the umpire misinterpreted it as being directed at him," Brenly said. "I will characterize it as a misunderstanding. I didn't feel my actions warranted it, but apparently somebody else did."
Brenly was suspended by MLB for two games last season, when he threw a ball into the stands after being ejected from a game.
The manager was going through his mail Friday when he saw a letter from MLB informing him of his suspension.
"It came as very much a surprise," he said.
Brenly and D-Backs general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. had spoken earlier in the week with Bob Watson, the vice president of on-field operations for Major League Baseball. Brenly explained what happened to Watson, but he cannot appeal his suspension. Only players have the right to appeal. Managers and coaches do not.
"I think every manager and coach in this game is upset we don't have the right to appeal suspensions," Brenly said. "But that's the way the rules are."
Bench coach Robin Yount will be the acting manager on Saturday.
"I'm sure most of it will be scripted ahead of time," Yount said as a smile crept across his face. "At least if I were Bob I'd make sure I scripted it."
"It's so ironic because Robin and I were talking about it the other day and he said, 'Please, if you're going to get ejected do it here at home where you can at least stay down the steps and I can talk to you,'" Brenly said.
Two in a row: Due to the trouble he had during the spring with his fingernails, closer Matt Mantei did not have the opportunity to work in back-to-back games. With his nails doing fine, working two games in a row is not a problem now.
"At this point he has no restrictions," Brenly said.
The skipper will watch relievers Mike Koplove (shoulder) and Oscar Villarreal (elbow) closely as they are both coming off injuries, but might also use them in back-to-back games if the situations are right.
"Depending on pitch counts and how much they've had to work, the kind of situation they were brought into," Brenly said. "Physically, I think they're both capable of doing that."
Rare occurrence: Richie Sexson's walk-off homer Thursday night was just the second of his career.
Brenly was asked Friday if he thought it was strange that with as many homers as Sexson has hit in his career (193), he hasn't had more walk-offs.
"He's been working on that this year," Brenly said with tongue firmly planted in cheek. "It's something he's really trying to get better at. There are great hitters that have probably never had the opportunity to hit a walk-off homer in their careers. It's just one of those things that happens or it doesn't happen. You can hit a walk-off homer in the third inning -- you just don't walk off until the ninth."
Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN AWNSERED
The Diamondbacks' manager was suspended for Saturday's game and fined an undisclosed amount for what Major League Baseball said was "inappropriate conduct directed towards an umpire following the conclusion" of a Spring Training game with the Brewers on March 29.
The game ended on a 10th-inning, walk-off homer by former Arizona first baseman Lyle Overbay. As the ball traveled out of the park, Brenly said he threw up his arms in reaction to the homer and a baseball that was in one of his hands flew onto the field and rolled towards home plate umpire Mike DiMuro, who was moving up the third-base line.
"I was reacting to the Overbay home run and the umpire misinterpreted it as being directed at him," Brenly said. "I will characterize it as a misunderstanding. I didn't feel my actions warranted it, but apparently somebody else did."
Brenly was suspended by MLB for two games last season, when he threw a ball into the stands after being ejected from a game.
The manager was going through his mail Friday when he saw a letter from MLB informing him of his suspension.
"It came as very much a surprise," he said.
Brenly and D-Backs general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. had spoken earlier in the week with Bob Watson, the vice president of on-field operations for Major League Baseball. Brenly explained what happened to Watson, but he cannot appeal his suspension. Only players have the right to appeal. Managers and coaches do not.
"I think every manager and coach in this game is upset we don't have the right to appeal suspensions," Brenly said. "But that's the way the rules are."
Bench coach Robin Yount will be the acting manager on Saturday.
"I'm sure most of it will be scripted ahead of time," Yount said as a smile crept across his face. "At least if I were Bob I'd make sure I scripted it."
"It's so ironic because Robin and I were talking about it the other day and he said, 'Please, if you're going to get ejected do it here at home where you can at least stay down the steps and I can talk to you,'" Brenly said.
Two in a row: Due to the trouble he had during the spring with his fingernails, closer Matt Mantei did not have the opportunity to work in back-to-back games. With his nails doing fine, working two games in a row is not a problem now.
"At this point he has no restrictions," Brenly said.
The skipper will watch relievers Mike Koplove (shoulder) and Oscar Villarreal (elbow) closely as they are both coming off injuries, but might also use them in back-to-back games if the situations are right.
"Depending on pitch counts and how much they've had to work, the kind of situation they were brought into," Brenly said. "Physically, I think they're both capable of doing that."
Rare occurrence: Richie Sexson's walk-off homer Thursday night was just the second of his career.
Brenly was asked Friday if he thought it was strange that with as many homers as Sexson has hit in his career (193), he hasn't had more walk-offs.
"He's been working on that this year," Brenly said with tongue firmly planted in cheek. "It's something he's really trying to get better at. There are great hitters that have probably never had the opportunity to hit a walk-off homer in their careers. It's just one of those things that happens or it doesn't happen. You can hit a walk-off homer in the third inning -- you just don't walk off until the ninth."
Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN AWNSERED
