Photo

Click on photo to enlarge

Houston Astros starter Shawn Chacon warms up from the mound during the second inning of a spring training baseball game against the New York Yankees in Tampa, Florida, March 7, 2008. REUTERS/Steve Nesius

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Houston Astros placed Shawn Chacon on waivers on Thursday, starting the process of releasing the pitcher after he physically confronted general manager Ed Wade.

If Chacon clears waivers he will be released without pay after signing a one-year contract in the off-season, Wade told a news conference at Minute Maid Park.

"His defiance of the manager, the pitching coach, me and especially the organization led us to this decision," said Wade.

He said the incident occurred when Chacon, a 10-year major league veteran, was summoned to manager Cecil Cooper's office before Wednesday's game against cross-state rival Texas Rangers.

"I told him he needed to look at himself in the mirror," Wade told Major League Baseball's official website (www.mlb.com).

"Chacon responded with profane and threatening remarks. He moved toward me face to face and shoved me to the ground. I started to get up and he shoved me again."

The right-handed pitcher offered a slightly different account to the Houston Chronicle.

"He started yelling and cussing. I'm sitting there and I said to him very calmly, 'Ed, you need to stop yelling at me'," Chacon told the newspaper.

"He continued and was basically yelling and at that point I lost my cool. I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground."

The Astros said on Wednesday they had suspended Chacon for an indefinite period.

The pitcher is 2-3 this season with a 5.04 earned run average.

(Writing by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Tony Jimenez)