Saturday, August 03, 2002
Expos say Steinbrenner was off base
Boss blasted deal that sent Floyd to Bosox
The Associated Press
MONTREAL - Expos president Tony Tavares and general manager Omar Minaya asked New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner to apologize for his criticism of the deal that sent Cliff Floyd to Boston.
Floyd, acquired by Montreal from Florida after the All-Star game, was traded from the Expos to the Red Sox on Tuesday.
Those are the three teams that received new owners last winter in an unusual shift. Jeffrey Loria sold the Expos to the other 29 teams for and bought the Marlins from John Henry, who headed the group that bought the Red Sox.
The commissioner's office is operating the Expos, and commissioner Bud Selig hired Tavares and Minaya.
“If Major League Baseball owns Montreal and they get (Floyd) and (three) weeks later they trade him to our biggest competitor, that's hard to believe,” Steinbrenner was quoted as saying in Thursday's editions of The New York Post.
Steinbrenner wondered why the Red Sox weren't criticized for adding payroll. Earlier in the season, the Yankees were criticized by some when they added Raul Mondesi and Jeff Weaver.
“It's a hell of a deal for the Red Sox, but what's the difference between what they did and what we did?” Steinbrenner was quoted as saying. “They still owe a lot on the team. It's a very good move. I don't know how smart it is, but certainly a good deal.”
Tavares and Minaya were unhappy with Steinbrenner's statements.
“We were stunned and disappointed by recent innuendo,” their statement said. “While we attribute the motivation of Mr. Steinbrenner's comments to his competitive fire, his statements are uninformed, reckless, inaccurate and harmful to the Montreal Expos.
“A cursory examination of the facts surrounding the trading of Cliff Floyd would reveal that the New York Yankees were given ample and repeated opportunity to consummate a trade with our organization for this player. For reasons known only to the New York Yankees, they chose not to pursue a trade for Cliff Floyd with full knowledge that we intended to trade him to the Boston Red Sox, in absence of a superior offer.
“We certainly hope that, upon reflection, Mr. Steinbrenner will deliver a public apology to the Montreal Expos with the same ease that he found in impugning the integrity of our organization
LEWIS QUITS: Outfielder Darren Lewis told the Cubs on Friday he's retiring and won't report to Pittsburgh, forcing the teams to rework the trade that sent outfielder Chad Hermansen to Chicago.
The Cubs will send minor league left-handers Ricardo Palma and Tim Lavery and cash to the Pirates, who also sent minor league outfielder Aron Weston to Chicago. The trade began Wednesday as a 1-for-1 deal.
Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said the teams expanded a minor league trade they were already working on when the 35-year-old Lewis decided to retire rather than go to the Pirates.
SUSPENSIONS: Baltimore's Willis Roberts and Boston's Derek Lowe were among five players suspended Friday for their roles in a brawl last weekend.
Roberts was suspended for seven games and Orioles teammate Melvin Mora was suspended for four games by Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline.
Lowe (five games) was among three Red Sox players suspended, joined by Jason Varitek (four games) and Rey Sanchez (three games). Boston pitching coach Tony Cloninger was given a two-game suspension.
The suspensions for all except Sanchez were to start Friday, unless appealed. Sanchez's penalty is to start Wednesday.
Baltimore manager Mike Hargrove said Watson came down too hard on the Orioles.
“It's very heavy handed,” Hargrove said. “Lowe, who started this whole thing and admitted that he started it, got five. He'll miss a start. I don't understand the equity in the punishment.”
Eight participants in Sunday's bench-clearing brawl at Fenway Park also were fined but not suspended. Baltimore's David Segui, Jeff Conine, Gary Matthews Jr. and Rodrigo Lopez were fined, as were Boston's Carlos Baerga, Shea Hillenbrand, Doug Mirabelli and Ugueth Urbina.
COLBRUNN BACK: The Arizona Diamondbacks activated first baseman Greg Colbrunn from the 15-day disabled list and put him in the starting lineup Friday night against the New York Mets.
Infielder Chris Donnels was put on the 15-day DL because of a lower back strain.
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Expos say Steinbrenner was off base
