Former Viper Morgan Gets Eight Game Suspension:

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MLB hands out suspensions to Nats, Marlins

09/03/10 7:46 PM ET

PITTSBURGH -- Major League Baseball on Friday handed down suspensions for Wednesday night's on-field brawl between the Nationals and Marlins, and Washington outfielder Nyjer Morgan received the longest -- eight games.

Morgan's suspension is in addition to a seven-game suspension -- stemming from an Aug. 21 incident in Philadelphia -- that he is currently appealing.

Also for the Nationals, pitcher Doug Slaten and third-base coach Pat Listach received three-game suspensions, and manager Jim Riggleman got a two-game penalty. Major League Baseball reduced Listach's suspension to two games before Friday night's game in Pittsburgh.

On the Marlins' side, pitcher Chris Volstad was suspended for six games, pitcher Alex Sanabia got five, first baseman Gaby Sanchez three and manager Edwin Rodriguez will serve one game.

"I thought the suspensions were a little bit heavy," Riggleman said. "But I certainly expected suspensions. I think when umpires give a warning to the benches and then a pitcher hits somebody, they throw the pitcher out and the manager out -- it is what it is, it's automatic. The additional time and the additional money on some players and the length of it, like I said, it's a little bit heavy, but I think baseball is saying that they are not going to put up with this and not [to] have bench-clearing brawls in baseball. As word goes around [about] how heavy some of the fines were, that will help stop it."

Unless appealed, most suspensions were scheduled to begin Friday night. Sanabia's -- pending appeal -- would begin Wednesday, and Listach's would start Sunday to avoid overlap.

All suspensions include undisclosed fines. Jose Veras of the Marlins wasn't suspended but was fined.

On Wednesday night, Volstad threw behind Morgan, which prompted the center fielder to charge the mound and swing his fists. Sanchez rushed over and took down Morgan, and a mob formed near the mound.

Morgan was involved in three separate incidents in less than one week. He unnecessarily ran into Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson on Saturday, directed inappropriate comments to fans at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on Tuesday, then charged the mound, fought and made inappropriate gestures to fans on Wednesday, MLB stated in its release.

The friction on Wednesday was linked to the 10th inning in Tuesday's game when Morgan collided with catcher Brett Hayes on a play the Marlins believed Morgan would have scored on had he slid. Hayes sustained a separated left shoulder, while Morgan was called out at the plate.

Volstad, MLB stated, threw at Morgan intentionally on two separate occasions on Wednesday. Slaten's suspension stemmed from intentionally throwing a pitch at Sanchez in the seventh inning of Wednesday's game, after a warning had already been issued.

"There's a procedure in place that MLB has," Nats general manager Mike Rizzo stated. "Certainly when things like that happen on the field, you know that there are going to be repercussions from the Commissioner's Office. We accept those and they will get their due process, because Slaten and Morgan both appealed. We'll see where that takes us. It's all part of the procedure and you go into it eyes wide open."


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