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Peoria, minus Sandberg, to play Quad-Cities

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By Steve Batterson | Saturday, May 17, 2008 |

When the Quad-Cities River Bandits visit Peoria tonight, Chiefs manager Ryne Sandberg won’t be in the opposing dugout.

The hall of fame infielder will be serving the final game of a three-game suspension, a penalty handed down over the weekend by Midwest League president George Spelius because of Sandberg’s role in a bench-clearing incident Thursday night at Clinton.

Sandberg sat out his team’s games Saturday night and Sunday at Clinton and will complete his suspension in the first matchup of the season between the Midwest League’s Cardinals and Cubs affiliates.

Spelius handed down the suspension because of an incident that occurred between the sixth and seventh innings of a game at Alliant Energy Field.

Sandberg was upset after the LumberKings’ Engel Beltre attempted to lay down a bunt in the sixth inning of a 6-0 game, and he reportedly confronted Clinton manager Mike Micucci as he made his way to the third base coach’s box between innings.

As the pair argued, both benches cleared but no punches were thrown. Sandberg and Clinton’s Tim Smith were ejected at the time.

“It was verbal, nothing more,” Cubs player development director Oneri Fleita told MLB.com. “It’s not a big deal to me. Defending his players is what a manager is supposed to do.”

The ejection was the third of the season for Sandberg, whose team has struggled to a 13-23 record.

In his two seasons as the Chiefs’ manager, Sandberg has been ejected seven times, and his suspension this weekend was his second.

Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com.