Morgan/Dibble?? suspended

[Jollay]

Nyjer gets a seven-day for throwing a ball at a fan in Phily. I know the outfield crowd gets on Tony Plush pretty hard out there, and he loves to jaw back, but that is over MLB's line. I didn't see it although I watched the game. I did see him jawing and I did see him fake throwing it later, perhaps in reference to his earlier throw. In any case, Nyjer appealed the suspension and will stay active for now.

Perhaps more interesting is the case of Rob Dibble, suspiciously absent from the Nats' booth last night. Did Dibble stray from the company line when he criticized the Nats' kid gloves approach with Strasburg and indeed Strasburg himself?

[Jollay]

From Adam Kilgore at the Post:

Phillies fan defends Nyjer Morgan
A Phillies fan sitting in the center field stands Saturday night at Citizens Bank Ballpark defended Nyjer Morgan's actions and said the throw that struck a fan did not appear to be deliberate.

On Wednesday, MLB suspended Morgan seven games and condemned his "inappropriate actions" Saturday night. A league official said Morgan had an "ongoing dialogue" with one fan in center field. Morgan appealed the suspension, played last night and is the lineup tonight.

The version of events recalled by Adam Holman, a 25-year-old from Marlton, N.J. who sat in the section where a fan was hit by a ball Morgan threw into the crowd, described Morgan as playful with hecklers and his toss into the crowd as a typical, "rainbow-style" throw.

Holman contacted The Post unsolicited in order to describe what he saw. He e-mailed a photo of his ticket stub from that night as proof he was present.

In Holman's recollection, Morgan began being heckled in the fourth or fifth inning. One made fun of how Morgan wore his socks high and pants baggy. Morgan, Holman wrote, laughed at some of the comments.

While the Nationals warmed up in the bottom of the eighth inning, Morgan played catch with left fielder Roger Bernadina. Before the inning started, Morgan looked at the crowd. A boy of about 12, Holman recalled, leaned over a railing and called for the ball.

Standing 30 or so feet away, Holman wrote, Morgan lobbed the ball "rainbow-style" in the direction of the boy. The ball sailed over the boy and smacked a fan who was looking in a different direction in the shoulder.

"It wasn't even directed towards the heckler," Holman wrote. "It's unfortunate that the ball was overthrown, but it shouldn't be Morgan's fault that the one guy in the section who wasn't paying attention got hit, there were a number of us standing up trying to catch the ball."

[craig01]

No video I guess?

As for Dibble, I think he was off base a bit in his comments towards Strasburg, especially when Dibble's arm blew up while still young.

I would be concerned about Strasburg and what I keep hearing about his release point.

[Jollay]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5506472

The fan who was hit by Morgan seems to think it was not intentional, although he does state Morgan was being heckled on and around the incident.

That would be every inning for Morgan in Phily, though, so not sure that means anything.

[craig01]

That's Philly for you.

Probably was not intentional, but Morgan has to be more reserved, especially in THAT town.

[Jollay]

Nyjer was not in the lineup Sunday for the play on Saturday where he went to hit Bryan Anderson while he was crossing the plate in the eighth. He was then called out by the ump after Pudge made contact with him before he touched the plate.

I guess for Nyjer going out of his way to hit Anderson, although I thought he was in the basepath, Riggleman benched Morgan for today and apologized to both LaRussa and Anderson.

Not really helping his case with model behavior after the Phily incident I guess, but I'd have to see how far out of his way he went to hit Anderson. I guess it was aways unless Riggleman is a complete puss...

[Jollay]

Rob Dibble is gone. Doesn't say whether he was fired or quit. Good riddance. It's all about him with that guyand he added little of value to the telecast.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sport ... 11183.html