Wigginton banished three games for umpire bump

Major League Baseball suspended Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ty Wigginton for three games and fined him an undisclosed amount Friday for making contact with an umpire in a game Thursday.

Wigginton said he will appeal the ruling handed down by Major League Baseball officials after his confrontation with umpire Gary Darling after a call at first base in a game against the Minnesota Twins.

Darling declared J.J. Hardy safe at first after a throw back to first, prompting Willington to toss his cap off and scream at the umpire until being pulled away from interim manage Juan Samuel.

After being ejected from the game, Wigginton tossed the ball into the stands.

"The way I look at it, I got thrown out of the game," Wigginton said. "They chose to suspend me and now I have the right to appeal."

Television replays supported the idea that Darling should have called Hardy out, although Wigginton's suspension came "for his inappropriate actions, which included making contact with umpire Gary Darling," according to major league vice president Bob Watson.

"It wasn't like a definite bump," Wigginton said. "I feel like if I bump someone, they're going to move back.

"If I did and didn't realize it, my bad. But I think it was more of a brush if anything."