Even the oldest, er wisest, of baseball men say they enjoy going to the ballpark because of the chance they might see something different every day they’re there.
Longtime Dodgers announcer Vin Scully said earlier this season there was a specific double play combination he had never seen before. Another announcer espoused the possibility that Scully had seen such a play, he just didn’t remember. He has called Dodgers games since before the move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in the late 1950s!
Reds beat writer Hal McCoy and play-by-play announcer Marty Brennaman are both guys who’ve talked about the game in this way and while I haven’t been around the game as long as these men, and I certainly haven’t attended as many games as them in person, I saw something Thursday night that I had never seen before.
The CPA and I went to the Dayton Dragons game with a group from her company. The Dragons are the low Single-A affiliate of the Reds.
In the top of the first inning a Dragon hit a Peoria player. No big deal, the inning ended and we were off to the bottom of the first.
The second hitter was hit in the head by Peoria pitcher Julio Castillo. The ball hit so hard that Zack Cozart’s helmet was sent flying about 20 feet behind home plate. Eventually he sat up, was helped to his feet and helped off the field.
A few batters later and Castillo hit 6-foot-5 infielder Angel Cabrera. He didn’t take too kindly to that, throwing down his bat and batting gloves while glaring at the Peroria dugout all the way to first.
A double play ball gave Cabrera a chance at retribution as he slid spikes up into the shortstop, who in turn couldn’t make the turn. He yelled at Cabrera all the way back to the dugout and Castillo, anxious to get back in the middle of things, came inside to the next hitter.
Dayton manager Donnie Scott started having words with the umpire and/or Castillo, when former big leaguer, and interim Peroria manager, Carmello Martinez came out of the dugout to confront Scott.
That’s when all the players from both teams converged near the Dragons’ dugout.
Video seen on ESPN or at the Dayton Daily News’ web site makes it look like what happened next actually happened early, but a few shoves had taken place when Castillo came into the fray sporting his 95-mph fast ball. Only this time it was aimed at a Dayton player.
Unfortunately, much like Nuke LaLoosh from Bull Durham, he had a million dollar arm and a ten cent head and couldn’t harness any control — during the game or with this throw — and it hit an unsuspecting fan in the front row.
An ambulance arrived shortly after and after several minutes the fan was taken away from the stadium.
The brawl wasn’t like you usually see in the big leagues, with all millionaires looking to keep themselves as healthy as possible. This was serious. Punches were thrown. Grown men were slammed to the ground with ease.
Castillo looked ready to take on the entire stadium before finally being harnessed and dragged into his dugout and clubhouse.
A Dragon went into his dugout to grab a serious weapon, his bat. Luckily he was restrained and didn’t get to use the tool.
After over an hour, and the ejection of 15 players and both managers, the ejections were reversed and they played ball.
It was something I’ve never seen and likely won’t see again. Sure there will be other brawls, but Castillo could’ve killed the fan, let alone whatever player he was aiming at, with that throw. The last thing I saw said he’ll face felony charges.
Not quite the field of dreams he envisioned when he left the Dominican Republic I assume.
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