West, Guillen, Buehrle fined for fracas

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NEW YORK -- Umpire Joe West, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and pitcher Mark Buehrle were fined by Major League Baseball on Friday in the wake of their balk flap.

A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press there weren't any suspensions. The amount of the fines was not known.

“

I didn't say anything. I didn't touch anybody. I didn't do anything to cause anything.

” -- White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle

Guillen and Buehrle were ejected by West on Wednesday for arguing a pair of balk calls in Chicago's 5-4 win over Cleveland. Guillen was tossed for arguing the first balk. An inning later, Buehrle threw his glove to the ground after another balk call and had to be restrained.

"I didn't say anything. I didn't touch anybody. I didn't do anything to cause anything," Buehrle said before Friday night's game at Tampa Bay.

"I figured there was going to be a fine because no matter what, you get tossed from a game no matter what it is, there's always a fine. That's what I assumed I was getting. If I was getting suspended, I think I would have been surprised, yeah."

West is the head of the umpires' union. He was penalized after his publicist revealed West's schedule and told the media the veteran umpire was available to revisit April comments about the New York Yankees and Boston playing so slowly.

Asked about the fine before Friday night's game between Kansas City and Red Sox at Fenway Park, he said: "I will say that's none of your business."

Guillen was away from the White Sox for a day to attend his son's high school graduation in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Guillen unleashed a profanity-filled tirade about West after the ejections, saying, "sometimes he thinks people pay to watch him umpire." The manager said he argued because he thought West was showing up Buehrle.

"He's the type of guy that wants to control the game, and to me is one of the best umpires in the game, no doubt," Guillen added.

After the White Sox-Indians game, West disputed Guillen's version of the events.

"I don't know what he's talking about. Ozzie came out because Buehrle was making gestures on the mound that could have got him kicked out so he was protecting Buehrle, that's all he was doing. I don't have a problem with that," West said.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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