BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Cardinals’ Torre Bans Fraternization

Joe Torre, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, banned opposing players from the clubhouse one day after two of his players fought over the subject.

On Saturday, relief pitcher Todd Worrell and first baseman Pedro Guerrero each threw punches after Guerrero brought the Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs into the clubhouse after Chicago’s 5-4 victory.

Torre held a team meeting before Sunday’s game to announce that fraternization would not be tolerated. “There just won’t be people coming in this clubhouse,” Torre said.

Said utility player Rex Hudler: “Anyone else comes in here again, they’re free game. Open season, baby.

“If you’re the enemy and you come into the enemy foxhole, most of the time you don’t get out of it,” Hudler said of Sosa. “He’s lucky he got out without serious damage.”

The fight started after Worrell told Guerrero he shouldn’t have brought Sosa to the locker room. The two started shouting and Guerrero jumped over a table and threw a punch, then Worrell shoved Guerrero into a locker stall and a few punches were thrown.

“I shouldn’t have brought him in,” Guerrero said. “It was my mistake.”

Ruben Sierra, right fielder for the Texas Rangers, sat out Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics because of a sore left wrist. Sierra was injured making a sliding catch Saturday when the grass caught his glove and bent the wrist backward.

The Rangers activated second baseman Julio Franco and sent pitcher Wayne Rosenthal to triple-A Oklahoma City. Franco has been sidelined because of bursitis in his right knee.