Byrd suspended two games

Nationals center fielder Marlon Byrd was suspended two games and fined $1,000 by Major League Baseball for his aggressive conduct following his ejection prior to the top of the seventh inning against the Marlins last Saturday.
Byrd said he will appeal the suspension and fine. A team source said the hearing could take place in a week or later. Byrd also could drop the appeal and accept his punishment, but that seems doubtful, according to the source.

Byrd knocked down second base umpire Joe Brinkman following the sixth inning. Byrd was ejected after arguing with first-base umpire Bill Miller, who called Byrd out on a swinging strike. Byrd ran from shallow left field to argue with Miller. But Brinkman, who is the crew chief, tried to grab Byrd and was knocked to the ground.

Nationals trainer Tim Abraham and Marlins trainer Sean Cunningham attended to Brinkman, who suffered a scrape on his forehead, but remained in the game.

"I'm very disappointed. There was no intent for Joe to fall. I was trying to get out of his way," Byrd said. "I have to take it a day at a time. Hopefully I'll get by this and we'll continue to win.

"I think Bob Watson (vice president of on-field operations for MLB) had to do his job, and he could only go by what he heard."

Interim general manger Jim Bowden felt Watson has made the wrong call and believes the suspension will be reduced from two to zero once the league sees the videotapes. Bowden also said that Miller taunted Byrd, causing Byrd's angry reaction.

"I spent a considerable amount of time watching every camera angle of the incident," Bowden said. "The contact that was made between the second base umpire and Marlon Byrd was the complete fault of the second base umpire. When you review the tape of the incident, there's no way that Marlon Byrd could see Joe Brinkman running toward him on the side. Joe Brinkman ran into Marlon Byrd, not the other way around. It will clearly show that on the video.

"It is very evident that in all the different camera angles that we have, that the first base umpire was taunting Marlon Byrd from the first position all the way to left field. Marlon Byrd did not say a word to the umpire."

Miller was not available for comment.

Byrd said he spoke to Brinkman recently and told him that he didn't mean to knock him down. Byrd is also grateful that Brinkman was in great spirits and took the accident in stride.

"Brinkman told me that he could tell I wasn't looking at him. I saw him at the last second. That's why I dodged him. He knows I wasn't trying to hit him," Byrd said.

Source: http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/