Giamatti Suspends Howell for 3 Days; Appeal Considered
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NEW YORK — Dodger relief pitcher Jay Howell, who violated a rule by using pine tar Saturday in Game 3 of the National League championship series, was suspended Sunday for 3 days by league president Bart Giamatti.
Howell, who said he used the foreign substance only to get a better grip in the cold weather and not to enhance his curveball, said he was planning to confer with representatives of the Major League Players Assn. Sunday night to decide if he would appeal the decision this morning.
Should Howell decide to appeal the suspension, which began Sunday with Game 4, his case would be heard by Giamatti.
Howell is believed to be the second player to be suspended by either league during the playoffs. In the 1972 American League playoffs, Bert Campaneris of the Oakland A’s was suspended for throwing his bat at a pitcher who had hit him.
“I think 3 days is too long,” said Howell, who met with reporters before the game but would not take questions. “Given yesterday’s ejection, that’s 4 days. That’s too long. . . . My intent certainly was not to cheat in any way. That is the simple truth.”
Barring a successful appeal, Howell will not be eligible until Wednesday night. If the playoff goes to the limit and there are no rainouts, that would be Game 7.
If Howell chooses to appeal, he would be allowed to pitch until Giamatti makes a final ruling. However, an immediate hearing is expected.
The Dodgers, whose playoff roster was frozen on the day before the playoff opener, will not be allowed to replace Howell. Without Howell, the Dodgers have only 4 relievers and 4 starters.
In announcing the ruling, Giamatti said he had “attempted to balance all the elements of this decision. I do not want to see a championship ultimately decided for fans and teammates . . . by the accident of one man’s mistake. Therefore, Mr. Howell would be eligible to pitch should there be a seventh game.”
Because the suspension is for 3 days, not 3 games, Howell could pitch before Game 7 if there is a rainout.
Peter O’Malley, the Dodger owner, released a statement Sunday saying that the club “has no quarrel” with Giamatti’s decision and that the club “does not condone the violation of any rules.”
But Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda, often raising his voice in reply to reporters’ questions, apparently had a few quarrels with Howell’s suspension. The Dodgers will lose their best reliever, a hard-throwing right-hander who had a team-high 21 saves and had finished the regular season by pitching 18 consecutive scoreless innings.
“I think it’s unjust,” Lasorda said. “It’s my own opinion. I speak for myself, not the club. Three days is too long, and having Jay Howell out at all is not right.”
Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president, said he, too, disagreed with the severity of Giamatti’s ruling. Claire said he spoke with Giamatti Sunday afternoon, when the league president called to inform the Dodgers of the suspension.
“I thought it was severe,” Claire said. “I know Bart gave a lot of thought to it, and probably asked a lot of people. But, in my view, it was heavy.
“I think Jay Howell is an honest guy. I think the way he faced the issue showed that.”
Lasorda expressed confusion over Giamatti’s ruling that bringing back Howell in time for a potential seventh game would not be deciding the series.
“I think (games) 4, 5 and 6 are important,” Lasorda said. “We got to get past 4, 5, and 6 before we can even think about 7.”
Howell, who spoke with Donald Fehr, executive director of the players association Sunday, did not say if he was waiting until after Game 4 to decide whether to seek an appeal.
Fehr, reached at his New York home Sunday, said he had encouraged Howell to immediately seek an appeal.
“There had been several conversations between Jay and the office,” Fehr said. “We’ve urged him to consider an appeal at least. My understanding is that a decision is certainly possible tomorrow (today). I’m sure there would be an immediate hearing at the stadium or league office (in New York).
“It’s an unfortunate incident. There did not appear to be any conscious attempt to alter the ball or make it perform differently, which is the intent of the rule.’
Howell delivered his statement in street clothes. He was flanked by Lasorda, pitching coach Ron Perranoski and teammate Orel Hershiser. He spoke with little emotion, except for some irritation when reviewing his reasons for using pine tar.
“I think you are all aware of why I used it,” he said. “The conditions were adverse. Players have come forward and said that what I did really didn’t have any effect on the ball. The intent was not to cheat in any way. I’ve never had a baseball checked or questioned.”
There is disagreement about the advantages of using pine tar. Howell and Lasorda say it serves the same purpose as it does to hitters when they smear it on bats--to improve the grip. Others, including a few Met players, said that it improves a pitcher’s “bite” on a curveball.
Lasorda claimed Sunday that “everybody who pitches” occasionally uses pine tar on cold and rainy days.
“I was stunned yesterday, when he was ejected,” Lasorda said. “Technically, it’s the rule. But theoretically, it’s not right. He was not doctoring the ball. That’s the whole point to the case. Now, if it’s a scuff mark, or a nail or a file, he deserves the suspension. But he wasn’t helping the ball move in any illegal way.”
Lasorda, admitting he is not an unbiased observer, said he would not have suspended Howell for such an offense. He said that he would have merely asked Howell to change gloves and washed the pine tar off his fingertips. Although Lasorda did not criticize Met Manager Davey Johnson for asking to have Howell’s glove checked, the Dodger manager reiterated that he would not have used such a tactic. “I would never do it,” Lasorda said. “I’m not going to comment on what Davey did.”
Lasorda then added: “Now, I’m going to check every glove in the National League--starting tonight.”
Times sports writer Ross Newhan also contributed to this story.
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