NEW YORK — Baseball players Alex Rodriguez and Jason Varitek were suspended Thursday for four games each and fined for their roles in a bench-clearing brawl between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Bob Watson, major league baseball's vice president of on-field operations, punished six other players for the fight. They include Yankees pitcher Tanyon Sturtze and Red Sox outfielders Gabe Kapler and Trot Nixon, who were suspended for three games and fined.
Yankees outfielder Kenny Lofton, Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz were fined.
Baseball officials did not immediately say how much the fines would be.
Rodriguez, the Yankees' All-Star third baseman, and Sturtze are appealing their suspensions. It was not immediately known if Boston's suspended players would appeal.
The fight broke out after Bronson Arroyo hit Rodriguez with a pitch in the top of the third inning of the AL East rivals' game at Fenway Park on Saturday.
Rodriguez stared down Arroyo, and Varitek, still wearing his catcher's mask, got between them. Varitek and Rodriguez exchanged words, Varitek pushed Rodriguez, and then both teams' dugouts emptied onto the field.