Cameron appeals suspension for bump with ump

Jun 9, 2009 - 11:22 PM By CHRIS JENKINS AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE(AP) -- Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Mike Cameron doesn't think he should be suspended for making contact with an umpire over the weekend - because, Cameron said, the umpire was the one who bumped into him.

"I didn't bump him," Cameron said Tuesday. "He came to me. And that's it. I'm not going to talk about it any more."

Baseball officials announced earlier Tuesday that Cameron had been suspended for two games and fined an undisclosed amount for making contact with an umpire in Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves.

The suspension was scheduled to begin Tuesday night when the Brewers hosted the Colorado Rockies. But because Cameron has filed an appeal, he will be allowed to play until it is heard.

Is the suspension fair?

"Uh, no," Cameron said. "But like I said, I'm appealing it."

Cameron was ejected by plate umpire Marvin Hudson for arguing a called third strike in the ninth inning of the Brewers' 3-0 win. Hudson's cap was pushed back as the two argued face to face.

Cameron is batting .278 with 12 home runs and 30 RBIs.

Brewers manager Ken Macha said he did not yet know when Cameron's appeal would be heard and didn't offer his own opinion of the incident, deferring to baseball discipline chief Bob Watson.

"That's not my job," Macha said. "Bob Watson's going to do that, and they'll figure that out. Maybe five, six, seven years from now I'll get the job of being the discipline guy - how's that sound?"

Macha said the episode wouldn't be a distraction to the team. Cameron was in the Brewers' lineup Tuesday night and said he had put the incident completely out of his mind.

"What was that, like three days ago? I (haven't) thought about that one bit," Cameron said. "I mean, you can't worry about stuff like that. It is what it is, it already happened and we'll deal with the appeal process later on."

The Brewers also activated right-hander Mark DiFelice from the bereavement list and optioned right-hander Mike Burns to Triple-A Nashville. And Macha said right-hander Dave Bush would start Wednesday night's game despite taking a line drive off of his right elbow in his last start.