AL President Gene Budig yesterday announced that the league
will investigate the events of April 6 at Jacobs Filed when SI
photographer Tony Tomsic was hit by a ball allegedly thrown by
Indians OF Albert Belle. Budig said no official complaint had
been filed about the incident, but the AL thinks it is serious
enough to warrant "further investigation" (AL). In New York,
Murray Chase notes MLB officials are also "checking" on whether
Belle has been adhering to an agreement to receive regular
counseling. The counseling was part of the aftermath of the
Hannah Storm incident during the '95 World Series. Chass reports
Budig has summoned Belle, MLB Security Dir Kevin Hallinan and AL
attorney William Schweitzer to a meeting today in his office in
New York. MLBPA Associate General Counsel Gene Orza has
questioned Budig's handling of the matter. Orza: "Putting out a
press release is not the most productive way to get this thing
analyzed or resolved" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/24). But AL spokesperson
Phyllis Merhige told USA TODAY Belle has not been summoned, but
added that Belle "is in town, and someone may want to talk to
him" (Chuck Johnson, USA TODAY, 4/24). ESPN reports the AL is
"reluctant" to take disciplinary action without evidence that
would withstand a challenge from the MLBPA ("SportsCenter,"
4/23). Indians GM John Hart, who submitted the team's findings
and recommendations to the AL: "It's in the hands of the
American League" (Sheldon Ocker, Akron BEACON JOURNAL, 4/24).
BELLE'S RESPONSE: On throwing at Tomsic: "I didn't think I
hit him. I thought it went over his head or something. I didn't
know he had to go to the training room and get treatment and all
this other stuff. ... I'm getting sick and tired of hearing about
it. I know my teammates are and that's probably the thing that
pisses me off the most is that my teammates are upset about it
and tired of hearing about it. They know that every little thing
I do is going to be blown out of proportion" ("SportsCenter,"
ESPN, 4/23).
