Harrelson receives call from Selig after rant
Chicago White Sox television analyst Ken "Hawk" Harrelson has been reprimanded by Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.
Harrelson told ESPNChicago.com on Friday he received a phone call from Selig in the wake of his rant against umpire Mark Wegner on Wednesday during the White Sox's 4-3 victory over the Tampa Rays.
"We had a talk," he said. "Actually, Bud talked and I listened. If it was a prize fight, they would have stopped it in the first round.
"I also talked to (White Sox owner) Jerry (Reinsdorf), and I listened to him as well. That's all I really have to say."
Harrelson became irate after Wegner ejected White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana the fourth inning for throw a pitch behind Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist. Chicago manager Robin Ventura then was ejected, causing Harrelson to get upset. Earlier, White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski was hit by a pitch, but neither bench was warned about ejections.
"What are you doing? He threw him out of the ballgame, you've got to be bleepin' me!" Harrelson said. "What in the hell are you doing? What are you doing Wegner? You got to be kidding me. That is so bad that is absolutely brutal. That is unbelievable.
"I'll tell you what, they have got to start making guys be accountable. That is totally absurd. Here's an umpire in the American League that knows nothing about the game of baseball. They have got to do something about this. They have got some guys in this league that have no business umpiring. They have no business umpiring because they don't know what the game of baseball is about."
Harrelson, who is employed by Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN, has long been considered a passionate defender of the White Sox during broadcasts no matter the issue.
White Sox vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer said Harrelson will address the rant during Friday's White Sox telecast.
"He's ultimately going to address it the way he feels it be best addressed," Boyer said. "We've discussed it, and we'll talk about it on the air and it will be gone as of tonight."
