Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has been suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount for making contact with home plate umpire Nick Mahrley during Friday's game against the Oakland Athletics.
Anderson and manager Tony La Russa were ejected in the seventh inning after a heated argument with the umpires over a called strike that appeared to be high.
The tip of Anderson’s helmet appeared to make contact with Mahrley, but La Russa said he didn’t see that.
“I know I think I saw the umpire moving forward quite a bit, which they’re taught not to do that,” La Russa said. “I didn’t see any contact that I know.”
After the game, La Russa didn’t get into details on his ejection, but said he was “disappointed in the umpire” over Anderson’s ejection.
“I don’t think Tim cursed him or anything,” La Russa said. “If you don’t allow a player to be emotional, (and) you have a bunch of robots out here playing, that’s not entertaining. That at-bat, I thought the pitches were questionable.
"He got upset. I think you need to allow players to spark, as long as they don’t cross a line. And that thing escalated before Tim did anything. He’s fired up. That’s the way he plays. That’s the way you’re supposed to play.”
