Touch 'Em All: Tantrum costs Toronto's Lawrie four games

Toronto's Brett Lawrie was suspended for four games after he angrily threw his batting helmet Tuesday - and it bounced off umpire Bill Miller.

Lawrie, outraged at ball and strike calls, is appealing and can play until there is a decision. The 22-year-old was in the starting lineup Wednesday night against the New York Yankees - with the same umpiring crew in town. Miller was at third base.

Lawrie received the loudest cheer in pregame introductions and the umpires were booed when their names were posted on the scoreboard.

Bryce Harper hit his first major-league home run Monday night.

On Tuesday night, the Washington Wunderkind went to a UFC event and had his picture taken with UFC's Octagon Girl, Brittney Palmer, who graced the cover of Playboy in February.

Harper, who won't reach the age of 20 until after the season, ripped a second home run Tuesday and stands a good chance of making the list of seven players who hit double-figure home runs in their teens.

The record for teenagers is the 24 slugged by Boston's Tony Conigliaro in 1964. Mel Ott of the New York Giants hit 19 homers as a teen; Seattle's Ken Griffey had 16; the Cubs' Phil Cavarretta 14; the Yankees' Mickey Mantle 13; the Mets' Ed Kranepool 12; and the Brewer's Robin Yount 11.

As far as we know, however, none of them posed with Miss February.

Mets manager Terry Collins and David Wright had a yelling match in the dugout Tuesday night after Collins lifted the third baseman for a pinch-hitter.

Seems Collins wanted to save Wright from getting beaned after Mets pitcher D.J. Carraso hit Brewers star Ryan Braun.

Wright, however, saw it as his right to get plunked!

Major League Baseball officially gave the 2013 All-Star Game to the Mets, with a scheduled date of July 16 at Citi Field. The Mets have not hosted an All-Star Game since 1964, at Shea Stadium.

The Phillies hosted two at Veterans Stadium, in 1976 and 1996.

Phillies president Dave Montgomery hinted in February that the team's target date for next hosting an All-Star Game could be 2026, the nation's 250th birthday year.

Roger Clemens' chief accuser was on the stand for two hours of aggressive cross-examination on what should prove to be the most important day in the perjury trial of the seven-time Cy Young winner. Clemens is charged with lying when he told Congress he had never used steroids or human growth hormone.

Former personal trainer Brian McNamee has testified he injected Clemens with both, and his credibility likely will be the No. 1 topic when the jury starts deliberating.

Defense counsel Rusty Hardin got McNamee to agree that his memory had improved once McNamee began cooperating with the federal investigators.

"Is it true that ever since you began making these accusations about Mr. Clemens, your memory and versions of what happened and details have sort of evolved?" Hardin asked.

"Yes sir," McNamee answered.

Hardin then asked if McNamee had "intentionally lied" to investigators.

"Yes sir," McNamee replied. (McNamee testified earlier in the week that he originally minimized Clemens' involvement in what he said was an effort to protect the pitcher.)

On the day Albert Pujols had his first three-hit game in a month, and the Los Angeles Angels had 12 hits in a win over the Oakland Athletics, the club fired longtime hitting coach Mickey Hatcher.

Kevin Hickey, who pitched six seasons with the White Sox and the Orioles, died at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, the White Sox said. The cause of death was not disclosed. He was 56.

This article contains information from the Associated Press.