Thursday, July 20, 2006

Shea Hillenbrand Cut [J. Mark English]

ESPN.com news services --

Shea Hillenbrand was cut by the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night after he was chastised during a team meeting and he refused to sit in the dugout with his teammates.
Hours before, Hillenbrand criticized the organization and said he expected to be traded. The designated hitter and corner infielder was upset because he wasn't in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game and nobody in Toronto's front office congratulated him on adopting a baby girl last weekend.
The Blue Jays held a meeting before Wednesday night's 5-4 loss to Texas. Hillenbrand, reached by The Toronto Star during the game, said manager John Gibbons admonished him in front of the team.
"Gibby called a team meeting and then he stood up and reamed me out in front of my teammates," Hillenbrand told the newspaper. "I'm very disappointed about what he did and I find it very unprofessional."
Hillenbrand was designated for assignment during the game and was not in the locker room afterward.
"It will do wonders for the clubhouse," Gibbons said.