Bowa suspended, fined for preseason outburst

By Bob Brookover INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Posted: April 03, 2003

MIAMI — For the third time in two seasons, Phillies manager Larry Bowa's on-field conduct has drawn a suspension from Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline.

Bowa learned before last night's game against the Florida Marlins that Watson had fined him and suspended him for one game for his actions during a March 26 exhibition game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

"It's a joke," Bowa said. "It borders on the ridiculous."

Bowa is appealing the suspension, which was supposed to take effect for today's series finale against the Marlins. The appeal will be heard Tuesday.

Toronto's Roy Halladay drilled Phillies slugger Jim Thome in the third inning of the March 26 game. When Halladay led off the next inning, reliever Rheal Cormier threw consecutive inside pitches and drew a warning from home-plate umpire Eric Cooper. Bowa argued the warning with Cooper, then shouted at Halladay as he left the field.

"I had left word with [the commissioner's office] right after the incident occurred and gave our version of what happened," Phillies general manager Ed Wade said. "When I didn't hear anything back, I mistakenly thought it was a dead issue."

Bowa was fined and suspended for using foul language while arguing with an umpire during a spring-training game last year. That suspension later was removed, but Bowa served a three-game suspension during a series in Montreal last May after being ejected from a game in Arizona.

Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at 215-854-2577 or bbrookover@phillynews.com.

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