Everett

BOSTON -- Carl Everett was suspended for four games by the Boston Red Sox on Monday, a day after reporting late to a workout, the latest in a series of penalties against the outfielder.

Everett reportedly berated manager Joe Kerrigan, who had told him to leave when he arrived late. He also had several run-ins with Jimy Williams, who was fired as manager Aug. 16.

Everett was suspended 10 games by baseball last season for bumping umpire Ron Kulpa and one game by the team this year in spring training for arriving late and missing the bus.

Then he arrived late Sunday.

"The club was not pleased with the incident over the weekend and we felt a strong need to sanction the behavior," general manager Dan Duquette said Monday. "We're not going to tolerate this type of behavior."

Everett also was fined an undisclosed amount, but Duquette wouldn't say whether the player argued with Kerrigan, although he referred reporters to stories in Monday's newspapers citing such a dispute.

"The player was late for work on Sunday and there was also a misconduct by Everett in an incident stemming from his being late," Duquette said in a conference call. "The club was not pleased with it, especially in light of what happened" last week.

After terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon last Tuesday, all Major League Baseball games were postponed through Sunday. The Red Sox held closed workouts Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Fenway Park and are scheduled to play Tuesday night at home against Tampa Bay.

Everett would be eligible to play Saturday against Baltimore, the first anniversary of a clubhouse outburst in which Duquette sided with Everett.

Everett had been in the starting lineup for a day-night doubleheader against Cleveland in Boston. He arrived late, told Williams he couldn't play because of a leg injury that had limited his playing time and was replaced by Darren Lewis.

Everett then was involved in a 30-second confrontation with Lewis before two coaches interceded.

Williams, who rarely criticized a player publicly, said Everett didn't call to say he would be late. Duquette said Everett would not be disciplined.

"If I was general manager, I certainly would back the manager," Williams said two days later. "Now if you can't back the manager, then you probably need to get rid of him."

Duquette did that last month when the Red Sox were 65-53. Under Kerrigan, they're 7-16 and have dropped out of playoff contention.

With Everett having had problems with both his managers in Boston, Duquette wouldn't discuss his long-term future.

"He's suspended for four games and we made it very clear to him that his behavior was not acceptable to the club and we're not going to tolerate it," Duquette said.

He said he and Elaine Steward, the team's assistant general manager and legal counsel, met with Everett for two hours Monday. Then Everett left the ballpark.

Kerrigan deferred questions about Everett to Duquette, except to say, "I'm just going to say it's an unfortunate incident and I'm going to leave it at that."

Last year, Everett was suspended for bumping plate umpire Kulpa during a dispute over the size of the batter's box July 15. When he returned after the suspension, Everett shouted at Williams in the manager's office.

Before his first spring training workout last Feb. 21, Everett said, "Every year's a fresh start. ... You have to get along, regardless."

Then, on March 27, Everett missed the bus and was suspended for one game and fined.

His contract calls for an $8 million salary next year, $9.15 million in 2003 and an extra $333,333 payment on Jan. 15, 2002.

In siding with Everett last September, Duquette said the player "can do a better job in terms of time," but "it's more important how he produces on the field."

Last season, Everett hit .300 with 34 homers and 108 RBI. Now he's batting .257 with 14 homers and 58 RBI. On Sept. 2, he broke up Mike Mussina's bid for a perfect game with two outs and a 1-2 count in the ninth on a single against the New York Yankees pitcher.

Everett had trouble with other teams.

In 1994, as a member of the Edmonton Trappers of the Pacific Coast League, Everett was suspended for the final road trip after a dugout argument with manager Sal Rende.

In 1997, while with the New York Mets, he was suspended one game in September for excessive arguing and using an obscene gesture in a game against Florida after being ejected by umpire Larry Poncino for arguing about a call in a previous at-bat.

It has been quite an eventful second half for the Red Sox, headlined by a war of words between Duquette and star pitcher Pedro Martinez over the severity of an injury.

The Red Sox also fired pitching coach John Cumberland on Sept. 2 after being swept in a three-game series by the Yankees. Cumberland had been serving as the team's pitching coach since the promotion of Kerrigan.

The players' anger and disbelief over Cumberland's firing touched off a firestorm. Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra publicly ripped the team and outfielder Trot Nixon also questioned the move.