Technically, Roger McDowell has been placed on administrative leave:
Roger McDowell, Braves Pitching Coach, Suspended For Weekend
The Atlanta Braves placed pitching coach Roger McDowell on administrative leave Friday while they investigate allegations that he made homophobic comments and crude gestures toward fans before a game in San Francisco last weekend.
McDowell also is accused of using a baseball bat to threatening a fan who objected to his actions.
The former major league reliever apologized in a statement, but the team barred him from the bench heading into a three-game series against St. Louis.
If you believe one of the eyewitnesses, this was some pretty disgusting behavior (if you haven’t already been so blessed, here’s the weirdest press conference ever). My guess is that McDowell won’t lose his job over this, but will have to make some pretty serious amends.
Over at Baseball Musings, David Pinto opines, “The Braves are making the right move here. They don’t want another John Rocker situation on their hands. Of course, pitching coaches are more expendable than closers.”
That depends on the pitching coach and the closer, right? Would the Cardinals rather give up Dave Duncan, or Mitchell Boggs? Granted, Craig Kimbrel's pretty amazing. But the Braves' pitching has been pretty good under McDowell, and he probably deserves at least some of the credit.
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