http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_y...g=ap-astros-chaconsuspended&prov=ap&type=lgns Astros suspend pitcher Shawn Chacon indefinitely By KRISTIE RIEKEN, AP Sports Writer 32 minutes ago HOUSTON (AP)—Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon was suspended indefinitely by the team Wednesday for insubordination. Houston general manager Ed Wade announced the move, but would not provide any other details. Chacon has been upset since being bumped from the rotation and moved into the bullpen on Sunday. “He is suspended pending final resolution of whatever move we end up making with him,” Wade said. When asked if Chacon was disciplined because he physically accosted Wade, the GM said: “I’m not getting into any details of anything beyond what I just said. It is an internal matter.” Wade did confirm that Chacon’s agent called and requested a trade earlier this week but said “that has nothing to do with the events of today.” Chacon is 2-3 with a 5.04 ERA in 15 starts for Houston this year. The right-hander set a major league record with nine straight no-decisions to start the season. Chacon signed a $2 million, one-year contract with Houston in February after spending 2007 with Pittsburgh. He split time as a starter and a reliever there and was 5-4 with a 3.94 ERA and one save in 64 appearances with the Pirates.
Must have been more than the general b****ing and kvetching people usually do when they are sent to the pen. Must have accosted Wade or Coop or refused to report to the pen.
Astros suspend Chacon after altercation with GM Wade By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Already upset that he was demoted from the Astros' starting rotation to the bullpen, Shawn Chacon was suspended indefinitely Wednesday night after a heated exchange turned violent with general manager Ed Wade an hour before the Astros played the Texas Rangers. Chacon, who understands that he may not play again this season, admitted that he lost his cool after Wade insisted he go in the manager’s office to meet with him and manager Cecil Cooper. The argument took place in the team’s dining room, which Chacon admittedly refused to leave even though Cooper and Wade asked him to join them in the manager’s office. Chacon said he lost his temper after Wade cursed and him and told him to “(expletive) look in the mirror,” he said. When made aware of Chacon’s comment, Wade politely declined comment on the specifics. “Insubordination to the club,” Wade said. “I'm not getting into the details. It's an internal matter.” Chacon made his displeasure clear on Sunday after he was demoted to the bullpen, and had asked for a trade though his agent Dan Horwits soon after he was taken out of the rotation. It hadn’t turned ugly, however, until Wednesday. According Chacon, he was in the lunch room after batting practice when Cooper asked him to join him in his office. “And 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 just wanted to be left alone. “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 said 'I don’t want to go to the office with you and Cooper.’ And I said ‘You can tell me whatever you 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 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 (butt). Words were exchanged.” Players quickly intervened to separate Wade and Chacon, who remembers being pulled away by backup 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 a 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, an outing that saw him turn his back on Dewey Robinson in the pitching coach's visit to the mound. Following a six-run outing in Baltimore June 19, he was told three days later that he'd be demoted to the bullpen. Chacon called the decision "horse (expletive)" prior to Sunday's game against Tampa Bay and was not used out of the bullpen before he was suspended. “I'd hoped he pitched better for us,” Wade said. “That's the bottom line. ... We took him out of the rotation on Sunday basically on merit. He'd had 10 starts since late April, and the last three starts, four starts weren't very good. So we hoped that he would help us in the bullpen, and unfortunately we're at a point right now when we think it's in our best interest to move forward.” Chacon admits he asked for a trade. “Obviously I’ve not been pleased with the decision to move to the pen and made that clear the day they told me,” he said. “After that I decided I wasn’t going to say anything more and go about my business. After that my agent and I decided we were going to let them know I wanted to be traded. “Through my agent I also told them the only reason I signed with Houston was because they were going to let me start the season all year.” After the altercation, though, Chacon wonders if he’ll pitch again in the majors. “Maybe it shouldn’t have happened,” Chacon said. “But when you do those things and you’re yelling at somebody and you’re cussing you better know what type of person you’re dealing with. If there’s any regret, I just wish they had just let me alone. I wish they had left me alone. “I’m there for my teammates. I’m not there for them. I’m out there for my teammates. It just sucks that it had to end like that. … Obviously I won’t be able to play the rest of the year or whatever, but it’s fine. I don’t expect to. I don’t expect anything to be different. It’s really just a matter of if I want to play anymore.”
Thats insane Chacon might have his days in the majors numbered. Also he requested a trade I doubt this will occur now.
Wow. this is embarassing. I knew things would get ugly before this ended. Chacon is an idiot. Who does he think he is? It would be one thing if he pitched even remotely mediocre over his last three starts, but to have this attitude, I dont get it.
Someone will sign him, it sounds like Ed Wade needs a lesson in management, and particularly in managing tough egos and situations. DD
If Wade did get up in his face and scream expletives at Chacon, then either Wade was looking to provoke Chacon, or Wade is stupid. It’s not like Chacon is some unknown player just up from the minors. He has a very long history of angry outbursts and responding poorly to being yelled at. If you kick a bull in the testicles, you shouldn't be surprised if it mauls you. If you get all up in Chacon’s business and yell at him, you shouldn’t be surprised if he freaks out. That is just an acknowledgement of reality. If you are a competent manager of people, you think about what you are saying and tailor your comments to the person you are talking to. If they act like a little child, your obligation is to be the calm orderly one. Maybe Wade just wanted to release Chacon, but needed some incident to avoid paying the rest of his salary. I'm hoping that it’s something nefarious like that, not just simply incompetent personnel skills by Wade.
Not sure what Wade did wrong here. He tried to have a closed door meeting. Chacon refused, so Wade dressed him down. Not the first or last time a boss yells @ an insubordinate employee. The MLBPA will not allow Chacon to be suspended the rest of the year, no matter what Chacon did.
Cooper tells Chacon to go to his office - he refuses. Wade tells Chacon to go to Cooper's office - he refuses. Exactly what did Wade do wrong?
That's fine for a manager at McDonalds, and if employees don't toe in line, you are perfectly happy to fire them and replace them with an indistinguishable duplicate. Things like art, professional sports, or acting the situation is different. Especially when you have someone signed to a guaranteed contract. The end result of this, assuming he doesn't want to get rid of him, is that Wade has taken a player who could have helped the team and forced an incident. Now, he still has to pay the salary, but has to find a player of lesser skill to replace Chacon in the bullpen. The outcome is the worst of all possible outcomes. If the guy with a contract for the rest of the year wants to sulk for a while, let him. This is not the Army. The discipline is irrelevant unless you are just on a power trip to show that you are boss. In the final equation, Wade fails because the end result is not the best one for the team. Swallow your power trip, send him to the bullpen to sulk, and as long as he goes in the game when you call his number, you are better off than releasing him and paying his salary. When you signed Chacon, you knew who he was. It wasn't a secret. If you want to run the team with strict military discipline, then don’t choose to sign him in the first place. And it doesn't take an oricle to realize that if you get in his face and yell at him, that he won't suddently become contrite and repentant.
Wow. That's certainly one way to ensure a nice ticket on the bench the rest of the year. Christ, lol.
Strict military discipline? He asked Chacon to go into a private meeting. Chacon refused. So was Wade just supposed to walk away at that point?
Started cussing him out in front of people, got in his face, continued yelling when he was asked not to...... I mean come on, how stupid does he have to be..... If Chacon refused...as he said he did.....fine...suspend him......for that..... Why escalate it and then on top of that get your butt kicked, and basically lose tons of respect by the players in the room. And weaken the team in the process........unreal, and horrible management. Just STUPID on Wade's part.....I mean SOMEONE has to be the parent..... DD
Anything would have beter than getting in his face and saying 'look in the *explative* mirror'. Tell me, did that get the desired result for Wade? Would it have been possible for Wade to aproach it another way that would have gotten results? What I would do is after the first time he refused to have a meeting and Wade did walk away I would have looked for another way to communicate with him and I wouldn't have forced the issue.
