Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach Guillermo Martinez was suspended five games and fined an undisclosed amount for making contact with umpire Doug Eddings and for his unsportsmanlike conduct while exchanging the lineup card before the game Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, the league announced Friday.
After shaking hands with the umpires at home plate, Martinez was ejected from the game. He then proceeded to argue face-to-face with Eddings before heading back to the Toronto dugout.
The disagreement was likely a carryover from the night before, when Eddings was the plate umpire. Several close calls led to arguments from both benches during the back-and-forth game, and Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker was ejected. The White Sox would go on to win 7-6 in 12 innings.
Coaches and managers are not permitted to appeal suspensions, so Martinez will begin serving his Friday when the Blue Jays play at Milwaukee.
