Dempster won't appeal 5-game suspension for plunking Rodriguez in weekend loss to New York

Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster accepted his punishment without admitting any misdeed. Dempster was suspended for five games and fined by Major League Baseball on Tuesday for intentionally hitting New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez with a pitch last weekend. While Dempster still maintains he was only trying to establish the inside part of the plate and wasn't trying to hit Rodriguez on purpose, he will not contest the punishment and began serving it on Tuesday.

"I thought about appealing," Dempster said before Boston played the Giants in San Francisco.

"At the end of the day, I think Major League Baseball does a really good job of thinking through punishments before they hand them out. I thought it was in the best interest for us as a team to go ahead and serve my suspension."

MLB senior vice-president Joe Garagiola Jr. announced the penalty two days after Dempster hit A-Rod in the second inning at Fenway Park.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was fined for arguing with plate umpire Brian O'Nora.

Dempster's fine was $2,500 and Girardi's was $5,000, people familiar with the disciplinary action said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the amounts were not announced.

Dempster was scheduled to pitch on Saturday at the Los Angeles Dodgers but now could be pushed back to next Tuesday's homestand opener against Baltimore. He will throw a simulated game on Friday.

Boston is off Thursday, and Jon Lester will be able to pitch on regular rest on Saturday in Dempster's place. Jake Peavy is set to go on Sunday on normal four days' rest.

"That has nothing to do with it," said Dempster, one of the few Canadian-born starters in MLB.

"I think it has to do with taking my suspension and putting it in the past. There's no point in carrying out an appeals process. We have other things to worry about -going out and winning ball games.

"I'll take my punishment."

Earlier on Tuesday, Girardi insisted it would be "open season" on Rodriguez if MLB failed to suspend Dempster. Girardi had hoped for a suspension long enough to make Dempster miss a turn.

"I think I made my feelings pretty clear then," Girardi said after the suspension was announced.

Dempster threw one pitch behind A-Rod's knees and two more inside during the second inning. Then his 3-0 pitch struck Rodriguez's left elbow pad and ricocheted off his back.

"You don't throw at a guy four times," Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia said. "He violated every code in every way."

Dempster said he will never stop pitching inside.

"That's a real important part of pitching to any hitter, especially a big power hitter," he said.

Girardi sprinted onto the field, screaming at O'Nora for not ejecting the pitcher.

Girardi was tossed as the benches and bullpens emptied, and Rodriguez homered off Dempster to spark a sixth-inning rally that lifted the Yankees to a 9-6 win.

"That baseball is a weapon. It's not a tennis ball. It's a weapon, and it can do a lot of damage to someone's life," Girardi said before New York swept a doubleheader against Toronto on Tuesday.

"And that's why I was so upset about it. You can express your opinion and be upset with someone, but you just can't start throwing baseballs at people. I mean, it's scary."

Girardi said his profane rant at O'Nora probably was the angriest he's been on a ball field.

Rodriguez was suspended for 211 games on Aug 5 for violating baseball's drug and labor agreements but is playing while he appeals. Red Sox pitcher John Lackey criticized the rules last week for allowing A-Rod to play.

Girardi said before the announcement that if Dempster wasn't punished, it would make Rodriguez "open season for people, and that can't happen. It's not fair.

"If a player is suspended for throwing at someone, they're going to get their appeal. Are we just going to throw that out, too?"

The Red Sox did not criticize the decision, saying their focus was on winning games and making it to the playoffs.

"We fully respect what MLB has decided to do and hand down the suspension," manager John Farrell said.

After Sunday's game Rodriguez declined to say whether Dempster should be suspended.

"I'm the wrong guy to be asking about suspensions ... holy mackerel!" A-Rod said with a laugh. "But I've got an attorney I can recommend."

(China Daily 08/22/2013 page24)