The third class of inductees to the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame is announced in New York, NY. Puerto Rican Bernie Williams is one of six contemporary players selected, in addition to six veterans. The group will be enshrined at a ceremony in La Romana, in the Dominican Republic, on February 11th.

Already appealing a seven-game suspension for throwing a baseball into the crowd in anger and hitting a fan in Philadelphia on August 21st, Nationals OF Nyjer Morgan is at the center of a bench-clearing brawl in today’s 16 – 10 loss to the Florida Marlins. The brawl starts when Chris Volstad thows a ball behind Morgan, who has already been hit by a pitch earlier in the game; Morgan charges the mound and throws a punch at Volstad before 1B Gaby Sanchez tackles him. He needs to be escorted from the field, with his shirt ripped and his face bruised, but pounds his chest and screams at the crowd as he departs. He, Volstad, Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez and reliever Jose Veras are all ejected from the game after the dust settles, then one inning later, Nats manager Jim Riggleman and P Doug Slaten are also thrown out when Sanchez is hit by a pitch. The trouble started the day before, when Morgan slammed into Marlins catcher Brett Hayes in the 10th inning, separating his shoulder; he infuriates his opponents further when, after his hit-by-pitch, he steals second and third base even though his team trails, 14 – 3. In two days, the National League will hand out suspensions to all involved, including 8 games for Morgan, 6 for Volstad and shorter suspensions for both managers, Nats coach Pat Listach, Slaten, Sanchez and Marlins reliever Alex Sanabia, while Veras escapes with a simple fine and warning. The league cites the succession of incidents in which Morgan has been involved in recent days to explain the unusually long verdict. Morgan will appeal, but now faces the prospect of two weeks of forced inaction.

Brandon Allen, just recalled form AAA Reno, hits a grand slam to lead the Diamondbacks to a 5 – 2 win over San Diego for the Padres’ 7th consecutive loss. The Pads waste a ten-strikeout effort by starter Mat Latos, who is lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 7th as they take a short-lived 2 – 1 lead.

2009 – The Rangers have double vision today as they sweep a pair at home from the Blue Jays. Both games end on a 5 – 2, score, with Frank Francisco picking up the save each time. CF Josh Hamilton hits two home runs for Texas, ending a 23-game homer drought and finally reaching double figures for the year, but 3B Michael Young injures his hamstring running out a ground ball in the nitecap and will miss at least two weeks.

Cliff Lee shuts out the White Sox, 5-0, to become the Indians’ 56th twenty-game winner in franchise history, but the first to accomplish the feat in 34 years. The last Tribe’s moundsman to win as many games was Gaylord Perry, who posted a 21-13 record in 1974.

A bad year off the field for the Clemens clan continues. While Roger Clemens has faced claims of adultery and steroid use, son Koby Clemens and teammates Mark Ori and Jimmy Goethals are arrested for their role in a restaurant fight.

In his complete game effort against the Pirates, CC Sabathia gives up only a questionable infield hit to Andy LaRoche in the fifth inning of the Brewers’ 7-0 victory at PNC Park. The club plans to forward a DVD of the play to Major League Baseball, hoping somehow official scorer Bob Webb, the only person allowed to reverse his own call according to the rule book, can be convinced to change the scoring of the grounder to the mound to an error.