NEW YORK -- The union for baseball umpires will not contest the season-ending suspension given to Mike Winters for using a profanity aimed at San Diego's Milton Bradley last weekend.
The World Umpires Association issued a contrite statement Thursday, and union spokesman Lamell McMorris said the WUA would not challenge the penalty handed down by Major League Baseball a day earlier.
"I've spoken with Mike Winters, and he sincerely regrets what happened on the field that day," McMorris said. "Sometimes, regrettable situations just come out of nowhere and spiral out of control, and everyone involved later wishes that the entire thing can be undone and everyone can go back to the beginning and start over. Unfortunately, this is not one of those situations. But we wish the Padres well on the remainder of their season, and we look forward to having Mike back on the field next year."
McMorris said Winters does not plan to telephone Bradley, who tore a knee ligament when Padres manager Bud Black spun him to the ground to keep him from going after the umpire during Sunday's 7-3 loss to Colorado in San Diego.
Bradley was scheduled to undergo knee surgery Thursday in Cincinnati.
Winters will not work during the postseason, a baseball official said. He umpired during last year's World Series and would have been in line to work a league championship series this season.
San Diego claimed Winters baited Bradley, who has had a volatile temper in the past, into the confrontation.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
