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Commissioner Bud Selig has fined David Wells an additional $5,000 on top of his seven-game suspension (under appeal) for comments critical of the disciplinary process:
"It is highly inappropriate to impugn the honesty, integrity and impartiality of the Office of the Commissioner and the umpires to the media under any circumstance," Selig wrote. "Such actions are inflammatory and strike at the heart of the public confidence in the game of baseball.
"I expect that you will refrain from making such derogatory comments about the Office of the Commissioner and its umpires in the future. In the event you engage in such misconduct again, the discipline will be much more severe."
But Wells turned to his keen, legal skills for a retort:
"What happened to our First Amendment, freedom of speech?" Wells said.
David, I hate to break this to you, but this isn't a First Amendment issue. You signed a contract where you said you'd behave and you also agreed to allow such discipline to be meted out. However, because the Commissioner is a nice guy, he is giving Wells the right to petition him for a redress of grievances.
Wells has also been granted Third Amendment privileges by the Commissioner as long as he's a player, which means he doesn't have to have those Marines from Camp Pendleton stay at his apartment in San Diego.
Its funny, but sad, how many people don't understand that the First Amendment is a restriction on the government, and the government alone.
Was Ol Bud promptly struck by lightning?
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