Astros pitcher Chacon attacks GM
Player suspended after exchange turns violent
By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
<!-- rbox goes here --><!-- rbox ends here -->Already upset about being demoted from the starting rotation to the bullpen, Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon was suspended indefinitely Wednesday night after a heated exchange with general manager Ed Wade turned violent an hour before the Astros played the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park.
Chacon, who realizes he might not play again this season, admitted he lost his cool and threw Wade to the ground after Wade insisted he go to manager Cecil Cooper's office. The argument took place in the team's dining room, which Chacon refused to leave when asked to report to Cooper.
Chacon said he lost his temper after Wade cursed at him and told him to "(expletive) look in the mirror." Wade declined comment on the specifics.
"Insubordination to the club," Wade said. "I'm not getting into the details. It's an internal matter."
Chacon, who on Sunday made his displeasure clear after he was demoted to the bullpen, asked for a trade through his agent, Dan Horwits, soon after he was taken out of the rotation. The situation didn't turn ugly until Wednesday, however.
According to Chacon, he was in the dining room after batting practice when Cooper asked him to come to his office.
Words exchanged
"I said, 'What do you want to speak to me about?' " Chacon said. "He said, 'We just want to talk to you.' I said, 'Anything you can say, you can say to me right here. I don't want to go to the office.' He looked at me, and I said, 'There's nothing for me to say to you guys.' And I don't think whatever they had to say to me they were going to make me happy. I didn't want to get in a closed-room conversation."
"I sat down to eat, and Ed Wade came to me and very sternly said, 'You need to come with me to the office.' I said, 'For what? I don't want to go to the office with you and Cooper.' And I said, 'You can tell me whatever you've got to tell me right here.' He's like, 'Oh, you want me to tell you right here?' And I said, 'Yeah.' I'm not yelling. I'm calm."
It deteriorated quickly afterward, according to Chacon.
"He started yelling and cussing," Chacon said of Wade. "I'm sitting there, and I said to him very calmly, 'Ed, you need to stop yelling at me. Then I stood up and said, 'You better stop yelling at me.' I stood up. He continued and was basically yelling and stuff and was like, 'You need to (expletive) look in the mirror.' So at that point I lost my cool, and I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground. I jumped on top of him, because at that point I wanted to beat his (behind). Words were exchanged."
Players quickly separated Wade and Chacon, who remembers being pulled away by outfielder Reggie Abercrombie.
Chacon (2-3, 5.04 ERA) signed a one-year, $2 million deal to come to the Astros during spring training and was given a spot in the starting rotation.
Despite a record-setting nine straight no-decisions to begin the season, he pitched well early on and had a 2-0 record and 3.95 ERA as May turned to June.
But he struggled in June, going 0-3 in four starts with a 9.35 ERA. He pitched just one inning on June 1 in Milwaukee, and he turned his back on pitching coach Dewey Robinson during a visit to the mound. Three days after a six-run outing in Baltimore on June 19, Chacon was demoted to the bullpen.
McLane supports Wade
After the altercation, Chacon wonders if he'll pitch again in the majors. Astros owner Drayton McLane is adamant that if he does, it won't be for his team, and he told his players as much in a meeting shortly before they began their 3-2 loss to the Rangers Wednesday.
"We can't have anarchy," McLane said. "You can't have rebellion. If he disagreed with what Cecil wanted him to do, he should have had the courage to sit down and talk to him."
McLane went on to say, "If you shoved a policeman down or any other public servant ... can you imagine shoving a principal in a school? It was in full view of several players. Players pulled Chacon and restrained him. There's absolutely no way.
"You can't defy authority. Even if he disagreed with what they wanted him to do, he should have had the courage to sit down and talk to him."
jesus.ortiz@chron.com
Player suspended after exchange turns violent
By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
<!-- rbox goes here --><!-- rbox ends here -->Already upset about being demoted from the starting rotation to the bullpen, Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon was suspended indefinitely Wednesday night after a heated exchange with general manager Ed Wade turned violent an hour before the Astros played the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park.
Chacon, who realizes he might not play again this season, admitted he lost his cool and threw Wade to the ground after Wade insisted he go to manager Cecil Cooper's office. The argument took place in the team's dining room, which Chacon refused to leave when asked to report to Cooper.
Chacon said he lost his temper after Wade cursed at him and told him to "(expletive) look in the mirror." Wade declined comment on the specifics.
"Insubordination to the club," Wade said. "I'm not getting into the details. It's an internal matter."
Chacon, who on Sunday made his displeasure clear after he was demoted to the bullpen, asked for a trade through his agent, Dan Horwits, soon after he was taken out of the rotation. The situation didn't turn ugly until Wednesday, however.
According to Chacon, he was in the dining room after batting practice when Cooper asked him to come to his office.
Words exchanged
"I said, 'What do you want to speak to me about?' " Chacon said. "He said, 'We just want to talk to you.' I said, 'Anything you can say, you can say to me right here. I don't want to go to the office.' He looked at me, and I said, 'There's nothing for me to say to you guys.' And I don't think whatever they had to say to me they were going to make me happy. I didn't want to get in a closed-room conversation."
"I sat down to eat, and Ed Wade came to me and very sternly said, 'You need to come with me to the office.' I said, 'For what? I don't want to go to the office with you and Cooper.' And I said, 'You can tell me whatever you've got to tell me right here.' He's like, 'Oh, you want me to tell you right here?' And I said, 'Yeah.' I'm not yelling. I'm calm."
It deteriorated quickly afterward, according to Chacon.
"He started yelling and cussing," Chacon said of Wade. "I'm sitting there, and I said to him very calmly, 'Ed, you need to stop yelling at me. Then I stood up and said, 'You better stop yelling at me.' I stood up. He continued and was basically yelling and stuff and was like, 'You need to (expletive) look in the mirror.' So at that point I lost my cool, and I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground. I jumped on top of him, because at that point I wanted to beat his (behind). Words were exchanged."
Players quickly separated Wade and Chacon, who remembers being pulled away by outfielder Reggie Abercrombie.
Chacon (2-3, 5.04 ERA) signed a one-year, $2 million deal to come to the Astros during spring training and was given a spot in the starting rotation.
Despite a record-setting nine straight no-decisions to begin the season, he pitched well early on and had a 2-0 record and 3.95 ERA as May turned to June.
But he struggled in June, going 0-3 in four starts with a 9.35 ERA. He pitched just one inning on June 1 in Milwaukee, and he turned his back on pitching coach Dewey Robinson during a visit to the mound. Three days after a six-run outing in Baltimore on June 19, Chacon was demoted to the bullpen.
McLane supports Wade
After the altercation, Chacon wonders if he'll pitch again in the majors. Astros owner Drayton McLane is adamant that if he does, it won't be for his team, and he told his players as much in a meeting shortly before they began their 3-2 loss to the Rangers Wednesday.
"We can't have anarchy," McLane said. "You can't have rebellion. If he disagreed with what Cecil wanted him to do, he should have had the courage to sit down and talk to him."
McLane went on to say, "If you shoved a policeman down or any other public servant ... can you imagine shoving a principal in a school? It was in full view of several players. Players pulled Chacon and restrained him. There's absolutely no way.
"You can't defy authority. Even if he disagreed with what they wanted him to do, he should have had the courage to sit down and talk to him."
jesus.ortiz@chron.com
