Boise Hawks manager suspended
Published 2:26 pm Sunday, August 8, 2010
Boise manager Jody Davis, who pulled his team off the field Saturday night leading to a forfeit of the Hawks’ Northwest League baseball game against the Everett AquaSox, has been suspended for six games, NWL president Bob Richmond said Sunday.
Davis began serving the suspension immediately. He also was fined, Richmond said.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had one of these in the Northwest League,” Richmond said in a phone interview. “That’s something we just can’t put up with.”
Rain delayed the start of Saturday night’s contest for 80 minutes. Davis ordered his team off the field in the bottom of the first inning after left-fielder Ryan Cuneo slipped while trying to track down a ball hit by Everett’s Hawkins Gebbers.
After a 23-minute discussion with the umpires, who ruled the field playable, Davis refused to return his players to their positions, leading to the forfeit.
“I know his intentions were honorable,” said Richmond, who nevertheless likened the manager’s actions to a soldier refusing to follow orders.
“When you get a (game started) the umpires are essentially the generals,” Richmond said, “and they need to be obeyed. They weren’t. That’s why the suspension.”
Boise hitting coach Ricardo Medina served as the Hawks’ acting manager in Sunday’s game.
