NEW YORK -- Major league umpires Frank Pulli and Richie Garcia were placed on two years' probation in 1989 after a secret investigation into gambling on sports other than baseball.

The New York Daily News said John Dowd, also the investigator in the Pete Rose gambling probe, wrote the report that led to the sanctions against the two umpires.

Fay Vincent, who was deputy commissioner and later commissioner in 1989, said that Don Zimmer -- then manager of the Chicago Cubs -- also was placed on probation in 1989 for betting on sports other than baseball. Zimmer discussed the sanction in a book published last year.

"These guys came in, they didn't deny it, it was no big deal," Vincent said. "That was it."

Vincent said the case was minor is his mind because there was no evidence of betting on baseball. Rose, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, agreed to a lifetime ban that same year following an investigation into his gambling.

While there was no official finding, commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti said he had concluded that Rose, the career hits leader, had bet on baseball.

Pulli and Garcia did not respond to attempts to reach them by the Daily News. Pulli did not return a telephone call Friday from The Associated Press seeking comment and Garcia could not be contacted.

Pulli is entering his third season as an umpire supervisor and baseball is considering hiring Garcia as a supervisor.

Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office, declined comment.