CHICAGO -- Both benches cleared briefly in the second inning of Friday's game between the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs when Cubs catcher Michael Barrett began jawing with Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt, five days after Oswalt hit him in the back with a pitch.
No punches were thrown as plate umpire C.B. Bucknor intervened and steered the angry Barrett back away from Oswalt. The teams rushed out of their dugouts and lingered near home plate without incident for a minute or two.
Oswalt was ejected for hitting Barrett in Houston last Sunday following a three-run homer by Aramis Ramirez. Two innings later, Cubs starter Kerry Wood also was tossed for hitting Jeff Kent with a pitch after both benches had been warned. Full story
D.C. lawmaker warns of action
WASHINGTON -- If Northern Virginia is chosen over Washington as the new home of the Montreal Expos, Washington could pass legislation that would ban the team from RFK Stadium, a District of Columbia Council member said.
Finance Committee chairman Jack Evans, whose committee would have to approve any ballpark financing plan, said he believed baseball would make a decision on the merits of the District's proposal, but he said the city could act against a Virginia-based team.
Evans said he had not discussed such legislation with baseball commissioner Bud Selig or members of the relocation committee.
AL HR leader Ramirez bruises knee
BOSTON -- Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez left against the Detroit Tigers after fouling a ball off his left knee. X-rays were negative and he was day-to-day with a bruise.
Ramirez tipped the pitch from left-hander Mike Maroth off his knee and limped around in pain. After the trainers came out to talk to him, Ramirez finished his at-bat -- lining out to left field -- and headed to the dugout.
Dave Roberts replaced Ramirez in left field to start the fifth inning.
Gwynn's No. 19 to be retired by Padres
MONTREAL -- Tony Gwynn will have his number retired by the San Diego Padres on Sept. 4.
The Padres announced Friday that Gwynn's No. 19 will join the numbers of Dave Winfield, Randy Jones and Steve Garvey, which were previously retired by the team.
Gwynn, who became the 22nd player in major-league history to reach 3,000 hits on Aug. 6, 1999, at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, played his entire 20-year career with San Diego -- his hometown team -- from 1982-2001.
