Peter Gammons

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Everett's tirade was a scary thing

By Peter Gammons
Special to ESPN.com

July 22

When Carl Everett's agent, Larry Reynolds, slowed down the video and proved that, contrary to the reports submitted by the umpires, that Everett didn't in fact head-butt umpire Ron Kulpa, he won a reduction in the sentence that was handed down. Reynolds showed that Everett's nose and lips struck the umpire, not his forehead.

Fine. But for Everett to then take off and blame the media made him look foolish, because the media didn't throw down Tommy Harper or fire a bat past Bret Saberhagen's head.

Carl Everett
Carl Everett was unable to control his emotions and must pay for that.

Everett is entirely correct when he says that he felt that the media obsessed on his case. Was it that big a national story? Was it necessary to lead the news with a decision not handed down? Is this just too much tabloid TV? Probably, but Everett's tirade was scary and abusive. The Red Sox' complaint that he was baited doesn't hold water, because after baiting Dennis Cook the night before, getting him ejected for hitting Everett (with a pitch that was close to a strike) and having Everett and Trot Nixon yell at him, it could be expected that Mike Piazza would pull the technicality on Everett, whose temper is well-known to his former teammates.

Frank Robinson would have preferred 15 games, but lawyers talked him down. It should also be pointed out that Kulpa was essentially exonerated by the commissioner's office, which under the watchful eye of Sandy Alderson has come down hard on umpires.

The commissioner's office knows that because of the prolonged negotiations that the training of the young umpires was put off until this coming offseason. (One tool that will be used to train umpires is a device that is currently installed at Fenway Park, which videotapes the pitches and shows where the strike zone should be. This device will also be used in the Arizona Fall League.)

But the commissioner's office is looking to crack down on managers who constantly clash with umpires, notably Bobby Cox, Larry Rothschild and Jimy Williams. In the past, managers haven't paid much of a price for ejections; for instance, one league source estimates Cox paid only $500 in fines for 13 ejections last season.

News and notes

Does it seem strange to you that seven coaches have been fired since the beginning of the season and no manager has been axed yet?

The latest came in Montreal, where assistant GM Mike Berger convinced owner Jeff Loria to dump pitching coach Bobby Cuellar, who is close to GM Jim Beattie, and Luis Pujols, who is manager Felipe Alou's closest aide on the staff. What does this say about the future of Beattie and Alou with that team, especially if the Expos leave Montreal? Jeff Torborg is the manager-in-waiting for Loria.

There are some nervous GMs around, from Terry Ryan in Minnesota to Cam Bonifay in Pittsburgh. Mets assistant GM Jim Duquette's name continues to crop up in several cities as a possible new GM.

Some general managers are beginning to think that there will be fewer big trades than many suspect as the July 31 deadline approaches. "There just isn't much quality out there," says Boston's Dan Duquette, who has talked about a number of offensive players from Rico Brogna to Ron Gant to David Segui. Duquette was not too thrilled when he went to call up right-hander Paxton Crawford -- fresh off a no-hitter for Triple-A Pawtucket -- to replace the injured Pete Schourek only to find out that Crawford badly cut his hand and is out at least two weeks. Crawford claims to have fallen out of bed and landed on a water glass next to his bed. Hmmm.

The Giants went over two million in attendance for the fourth time in their history, but every other year they didn't reach the mark until September.

The Indians are indicating that it's "50-50" that they'll deal Richie Sexson before the deadline, but the Phillies didn't like the package for Curt Schilling (before he eliminated Cleveland from his ever-changing wish list) and the Indians don't think Steve Woodard and Bob Wickman is enough for the slugger. "But how good is Sexson?" asks one GM. "That .305 on-base percentage isn't McGwire-esque."

The Angels are playing as hard and as well as anyone, but indications are that they'll stick with their talented young pitchers and try to move Ken Hill, Kent Bottenfield and Tim Belcher in the next week. Don't look for Anaheim to pick up Gary DiSarcina's 2001 option, either.

How great is the comeback of Brewers pitcher Jeff D'Amico, who is 6-4 with a 1.87 ERA this year? "He always had No. 1 starter ability," says Phil Garner, his former manager, "but health has obviously been a big problem for him."

Yes, the $25 million the Yankees have spent on international signings have enabled them to make some major deals, but their international scouting is nowhere near as successful as Oakland's. And the A's have spent less a year on signings the Yankees gave Hideki Irabu.

Next up for the A's? A 22-year-old second baseman named Jose Ortiz, who's on a 20-homer, 40-double, 30-steal pace in Triple-A. "He's a 30-homer middle infielder," says Oakland GM Billy Beane, who already has one of those players in shortstop Miguel Tejada.

Here is one appropriate thing that should happen: Harold Baines going back to the White Sox for the stretch run.

The Braves continue to look for a left-handed-hitting outfielder to play some left field. Their left fielders total .220 with nine homers through Friday, a far cry from the league average at that position of .279/18.

Going into the weekend, the Diamondbacks were one game over .500 in games not started by Randy Johnson.

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