Chicago Cubs right-hander Carlos Silva and third baseman Aramis Ramirez exchanged heated words in the dugout Wednesday following a meltdown by the Cubs' defense.
Silva erupted after the Cubs committed three errors which contributed to a six-run first inning by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Silva, who also gave up two home runs in the inning, was later escorted to the clubhouse by a coach. He completed his day's conditioning on an outer field. He declined to comment on the incident.
Cubs manager Mike Quade said Silva would not be disciplined, and he seemed to give tacit support to the outburst following another sloppy inning by the defense. The Cubs have been charged with 14 errors in four games, including five on Wednesday.
"You've got two (ticked)-off people," Quade told reporters, according to CBSSports.com. "It was a brutal first inning. ... Maybe that's what we need. My sense was Silva was frustrated, and said something about the defense. (Ramirez) took offense."
Ramirez tried to downplay the incident afterward.
?That doesn?t mean anything,? Ramirez told reporters, according to CSNChicago.com. ?That means (Silva?s) a competitor. ? Obviously, he didn?t throw the way he likes today and we didn?t make the plays behind him either. So everything just went the other way.?
Ramirez, shortstop Starlin Castro and catcher Koyie Hill were charged with errors. Hill's was an interference call that prolonged the inning.
Quade told reporters he called a team meeting for Thursday to discuss the incident and the errors.
"I've got to do (the meeting) for me. I don't sleep if I don't," Quade told reporters, according to CBSSports.com "If we start getting after each other (i.e., fight) on a regular basis, we're going to be done."
Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano and first baseman Derrek Lee had a blowup in the dugout during the season last year. The Cubs suspended Zambrano for three games, then placed him on the restricted list as he underwent anger management training.
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