Rays' Gomez fined by MLB for comments about umpire

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carlos Gomez has been fined by Major League Baseball for comments made last week about umpire Andy Fletcher, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Gomez plans to appeal, and wouldn't disclose the amount he was fined.

"I don't think it's fair," he added.

The 32-year-old criticized Fletcher and vented his frustrations on Twitter and with the media after he was ejected Sept. 20 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

"He's the one who should have been thrown out last night because he's the only one who didn't do his job,'' Gomez said to Topkin a day after his ejection.

The veteran was tossed in the sixth inning after striking out with the bases loaded.

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)

Gomez later explained that after Fletcher punched him out, he was dismissive in defending his strike call and told Gomez to "go on" to the dugout.

"That's what made me (ticked) off, made me frustrated, the way he acted to me,'' Gomez recalled.

He continued by saying that Fletcher "got in my face" to further defend his call.

"What does that mean? I'm a man. You do that to me in the street I'm going to slap the (crap) out of you,'' he said.

This isn't the first time Gomez has been in the spotlight for something other than baseball. He criticized MLB's drug testing program earlier this year and also had a July run-in with a water cooler in Tampa's dugout.