Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz is appealing a $5,000 fine that Major League Baseball handed down to him stemming from an incident where he smashed the phone in the visitor's dugout at Camden Yards with a bat following his ejection from a July 27 game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Ortiz is making $14 million this season with Boston, but isn't willing to part ways with the $5,000 punishment on principle.
Ortiz was facing a 3-0 count from Jairo Ascencio in that July 27th game against Baltimore when the fourth pitch of the at-bat sailed high for what Big Papi thought was ball four. It was called a strike by home plate umpire Tim Timmons, though, upsetting the slugger. Ortiz had also called for time, but wasn't granted it from Timmons, adding more fuel to the fire.
Ortiz flipped the bat thinking he earned a walk, and even stared at Timmons and made a comment that he thought the pitch was high. Ortiz grew even angrier when the following pitch, which was also borderline, was called a strike. By the time Ortiz struck out swinging on a pitch in the dirt to end the at-bat, the DH was downright furious.
Ortiz screamed at Timmons and cursed all the way back to the dugout before grabbing a bat and dismantling the phone in the Red Sox dugout. That was the last straw for Timmons, who threw the usually-jubilant Ortiz out of the game. Ortiz tried to run on the field to get in the ump's face, but second baseman Dustin Pedroia and other teammates held him back, as seen in the video below.
The offense could have been worthy of a suspension, but the MLB opted to fine the slugger. Still, Ortiz is upset at the fine and has decided to appeal it.
Ortiz, 37, wasn't only red-hot in the dugout in Baltimore, as he's been scorching on the field as well this year. Ortiz, who made his 9th All-Star appearance this past July, is hitting .332 with 21 homers and 73 RBIs this season. The Red Sox (70-46) currently own the best record in the American League and sit in first place in the AL East with a 2.5 game lead over the second place Tampa Bay Rays.
While Ortiz took his frustrations out on a telephone last month in Baltimore, there isn't too many things for the Red Sox to be upset about these days.
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