NATIONAL LEAGUE League reacts to complaint that umpire helps brother

He made statements about umpire Jim Wolf, whose brother plays for the Phillies.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
PHILADELPHIA -- Absolute, jaw-dropping disbelief.
That was the reaction on Friday from the Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals, and a Major League Baseball umpire's supervisor when they learned of remarks made by Florida Marlins pitcher Mark Redman on Thursday night.
Speaking to reporters after a 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Redman raised the issue of whether the rival Phillies stood to benefit in the National League wild-card race because umpire Jim Wolf is the brother of Phillies pitcher Randy Wolf.
The remarks came after Jim Wolf was involved in three close calls that went against the Marlins as he worked first base. The Marlins are the Phillies' closest rivals in the wild-card race. They entered the weekend trailing the Phils by a half game.
"That's ludicrous," Jim McKean, one of five umpire supervisors employed by Major League Baseball, said upon learning of Redman's remarks. "That's stupid stuff. Jim Wolf is one of our better young umpires, without a doubt.
"In baseball, we play fine until Aug. 15. From Aug. 15 to Sept. 15, you always hear stuff like this because it's crunch time. It doesn't disturb me as much as it might some people because I know how unrealistic it is."
No accusations made
Redman was careful not to explicitly accuse Jim Wolf of any wrongdoing, but he hinted that the umpire's presence in games involving teams in the NL wild-card race had left some players questioning whether it was a conflict of interest.
"I guarantee you it crosses every player's mind," Redman said. "You hope he doesn't do that. It crosses people's minds, but he's a professional."
Randy Wolf, 26, at first declined to comment, saying the matter was not an issue in his mind. He then went on to defend his older brother's integrity.
"It's a shame that a professional would question a man's integrity like that," he said. "Nobody questioned [Jim's] integrity when he blew a call against us when we were playing the Angels [on June 10]. I know he's a good umpire, and he has a lot of integrity."
Randy Wolf was asked if he would confront Redman when the Phillies and Marlins play next month.
"If I do, no one will know," he said.
Jim Wolf, 34, is a triple-A minor-league umpire who has worked as a fill-in at the major-league level since 1999. He hopes to be hired as a full-time major-league umpire next season.
"Jim Wolf couldn't care less who wins or loses games," McKean said. "He's looking for a major-league job. He's trying to do the best job he can."
Never behind the plate
Major League Baseball has taken steps to make sure Jim Wolf does not umpire home plate when his brother pitches. However, Jim has occasionally umpired the bases in Phillies games.
Phillies manager Larry Bowa has never detected a conflict of interest with Jim Wolf.
"This is so ridiculous I don't even want to respond," Bowa said. "He made a call in Anaheim that cost us a run. I guess he must have been upset with Randy. It's ridiculous."
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, whose team is also battling the Phillies for a postseason berth, reacted sharply to Redman's remarks.
"It's improper for Redman to even make that kind of a claim," La Russa said. "We've had Jim Wolf a number of times. He's a pro."
Sandy Alderson, executive vice president for baseball operations, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.