Suspended Manuel: ‘I have to be accountable'

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Usually Charlie Manuel is faced with decisions about baseball strategy during a game.On Friday night, Manuels only decision will be where to watch the game and whether to go with mustard, ketchup or both on his hot dog.The commissioners office slapped Manuel with a one-game suspension for his actions toward umpire Bob Davidson during a dispute in Tuesdays game against Houston. Davidson was also suspended for a game. Both men served their suspensions Friday night.I guess they thought a penalty was in order, Manuel said. I have to be accountable.Though it has happened before, it is unusual for an umpire to be suspended. Major League Baseball made it a point to say that Davidson was suspended for repeated violations of the office of the commissioners standards for handing a situation.Manuel and Davidson went nose to nose in the eighth inning Tuesday after Davidson had inadvertently blocked Phillies catcher Brian Schneiders route to a wild pitch.I screamed at him, Get the hell out of the way,Manuel said.Davidson screamed back at Manuel and more than a few obscenities were hurled by the two men.Manuel told his side of the story to Joe Torre, MLBs executive vice president of baseball operations.They thought I deserved the suspension, Manuel said. We were both doing the same thing. Thats the way I look at it.Ive been around umpires a long time. I never said I liked em, but they do have a tough jobManuel was able to be in uniform for batting practice before Friday nights game, but he had to be out of uniform and out of the clubhouse by game time. He planned to watch the game from a suite at Citizens Bank Park. Bench coach Pete Mackanin was to manage the game against Boston.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.

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