Umpire to miss playoffs

0 Comments | USA TODAY, September, 2007 | by Hal Bodley

Veteran umpire Mike Winters, suspended for the remainder of the regular season Wednesday for his confrontation with San Diego Padres outfielder Milton Bradley, also will lose the opportunity to land a lucrative postseason assignment because of his actions.

Winters, in his 18th season, is being suspended without pay and will not be a member of the postseason crew, according to two baseball officials familiar with the situation. Winters has worked in nine of the past 10 postseasons, including the World Series in 2002 and 2006.

Major League Baseball, in its brief public statement, made no mention of details of the suspension, but two MLB officials involved in the decision said it was because Winters, 48, was unprofessional and used profanity in the incident with...