04:06 AM EDT on Monday, July 26, 2004

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Suspensions are virtually assured for some of the combatants in Saturday's bench-clearing brawl between the Red Sox and New York Yankees, an umpiring supervisor who filed a report on the altercation said yesterday.

"Any other time we've had this situation, there have been suspensions," said Richie Garcia, a former umpire who now serves as an umpiring supervisor.

Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek and Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who exchanged words and then punches, after Rodriguez was struck in the left elbow by a pitch from Red Sox starter Bronson Arroyo, are almost certain to be given suspensions.

Boston outfielder Gabe Kapler and New York outfielder Kenny Lofton were also ejected and could face further disciplinary action, as could Yankee starter Tanyon Sturtze and Red Sox outfielder Trot Nixon.

David Ortiz, who was involved in a side scuffle with Sturtze, is already appealing a five-game suspension for his behavior with umpires in a game earlier this month in Anaheim. But Garcia said the two incidents were unrelated and would be judged separately. There had been some fear that Ortiz may have jeopardized his appeal from the previous case by his actions Saturday, but that concern appeared unfounded.

"That would be unfair," he said. "These things have to be judged on their own merit."

Ortiz's appeal -- to be heard by John McHale, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of administration -- could take place in Baltimore, where the Sox tonight open a three-game series. To the extent that they can orchestrate the timing of the suspension, the Sox would like to have Ortiz sit out parts of upcoming series with Tampa Bay and Detroit, both of which have a number of left-handed starting pitchers.

Garcia and the umpiring crew that worked the series watched videotape of the incident yesterday morning and filed their reports to Bob Watson, Major League Baseball's vice president of on-field operations.

Watson is expected to review the reports and tape of the confrontation today and contact the parties involved this week for their input, then make a determination about further discipline by the end of the week.

Garcia praised the umpires -- and crew chief Bruce Froemming in particular -- for the way they dealt with the altercation.

"I think they did a great job handling it," he said.

Garcia said before last night's game that it was unlikely that Froemming would issue warnings to both teams before last night's series finale, though home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt did visit Red Sox starter Derek Lowe on the mound minutes before the first pitch.

However, when Yankee starter Jose Contreras hit Kevin Millar -- the second hit batsman of the four-run Red Sox inning -- both benches were officially warned by Wendelstedt.

Meanwhile, hard feelings remained a day after the incident. The Red Sox dismissed suggestions from the Yankees that Rodriguez was hit intentionally.

"I don't know if it looked like it, but I didn't hit him on purpose," said Arroyo. "The only time I would do that is if it came from the bench or if I'm protecting a teammate. I'm not going to put a guy on first base. I get my satisfaction from striking somebody out, not hitting them."

"Bronson's not trying to hit him there," said teammate Curt Schilling. "That's ridiculous. He overreacted to the situation. That's stupid. For it to evolve into a fight, shouldn't happen. If you can't get out of the way of a pitch that's not too far in, you're too comfortable in the box. That tells Bronson he's not going in enough. You get out of the way of that pitch when you're not too comfortable.

"He got a hit the night before to beat us, but it's not like he's been killing us."

Steven Krasner contributed to this report.