Our national pastime...God bless america!

[pennypinch]

I think he became diabetic, and it started f'in with his vision...there was a big story (I assume pre-brawl) in the LA times about what a great guy he is to try and play in these ghetto leagues. My, how the mighty have fallen...

[pennypinch]

VACAVILLE, Calif. -- Former San Francisco Giants star Kevin Mitchell punched the owner of a minor league baseball team in the face after an on-field brawl.

Mitchell, the 1989 NL MVP, plays for the Sonoma County Crushers of the independent Western Baseball League. He struck Bruce Portner, the owner of the Solano Steelheads, with his fist Tuesday night shortly after a fight between the teams had been broken up.

Portner was left with a black eye and said he plans to press assault charges against the 38-year-old player.

The fight started when Solano's Jim Converse threw a pitch behind Mitchell in retaliation for a brushback pitch. Mitchell charged the mound and punched Converse in the mouth.

The dugouts emptied and the fight was broken up, but Mitchell and Sonoma first baseman Eric White began arguing with Steelheads fans.

Portner said he asked Sonoma players if they would help prevent a fight involving the two Crushers and the fans. Then, he said, Mitchell hit him.

Sonoma players and coaches refused comment. The Crushers also fought with fans Saturday in Yuma, Ariz.

[Tuvi]

I thought you were Canadian, pennypinch.

[pennypinch]

I'm technically both. I live in the States now, and have American citizenship. I also hate watching baseball, but find these incidents funny.
This type of thing doesn't even happen in hockey... http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

[att]

somehow it doesnt surprise me to see that happening in vacaville. baseball is pretty boring though, a few more fights might liven it up a little bit, or maybe if the pitchers were allowed to brush back batters in the on deck circle like they do in the miner leagues. or pot holes in the outfield, that would be fun!

[spigidygak]

Watching baseball games suck a$$. But, if you go to a game and you can have a hell a lot of fun. Buy people some beers and watch them all start yelling and brawling http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/biggrin.gif. Also you can eat like a pig there. MMM Dodger dogs. . . I wonder whats in those http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/eek.gif.

[got apex]

Kevin Mitchell, man that guy hit rock bottom. He used to be good...for one season and now he's playing for some no name leauge. Haha, that's pathetic.

[Butch]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pennypinch:
I'm technically both. I live in the States now, and have American citizenship. I also hate watching baseball, but find these incidents funny.
This type of thing doesn't even happen in hockey... http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't even try to pretend yer American PINCH . . . you betray yourself whenever you say "about" . . . hehe . . . and what are you talkin' about things like that not happening in Hockey?? Oh yeah . . . in Hockey, you only have Marty McSorley slappin' a guy upside his head with his stick - and I can think of countless times that I've heard of players going up into the stands in Canadian minor league hockey games to fight the fans and stuff . . . yikes! . . . hehe

[This message has been edited by Butch (edited 08-02-2000).]

[sbp]

It's sad to see the number of violent incidents in sports increasing. Its just not players doing this sort of thing. A few weeks ago a father killed another father over some call in a kids hockey game. And we saw the riot "celebration" after the Lakers won the NBA championship. My view is this sort of crap needs to be cracked down on.

[Pdizog]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sbp:
My view is this sort of crap needs to be cracked down on. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Cracked down? How?

[sbp]

Throw their rampaging, destructive asses in jail of course. As for ball players kick them out of the game. Don't treat sports "heroes" as some sort of untouchable icon who can get away with whatever they choose. And finally stress to people that we're no longer going to tolerate this bad behavior. http://bbs.agn3d.com/i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif

[Blu]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Butch:
. . . and what are you talkin' about things like that not happening in Hockey?? Oh yeah . . . in Hockey, you only have Marty McSorley slappin' a guy upside his head with his stick.....<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Come on now.....Hockey is not the free-for-all that people make it out to be. Marty McSorley is the exception, not the rule, and he was punished heavily for what he did. I think it's crazy that baseball players are fighting. Baseball is 99% a no contact sport. Hockey, on the other hand, is extremly physical (at least in the NHL). You get bumped, brusied, knocked-out, and it's all legal. There is always going to be retaliation. If someone hit me for an hour, there comes a point where I would feel the need to return the favor. In baseball, the only real cheap shot is getting beaned. If that's intentional, then retaliation is definately warrented, but I've seen many times when it was an obvious wild pitch. But the batter still insisted on causing a bench clearing brawl. It's nuts....

Blu

[pennypinch]

Frankly, there is no reason whatsoever for a batter to charge the mound. If you get beaned intentionally, you should just trust that your pitcher isn't a pussy, and will throw at their batters. That's how it got done in the old days, and that's how it should be done now. The team concept of hanging together just isn't that strong anymore. As repellant as Robbie Alomar can be, he was thrown at earlier this year, and after the game, basically called his pitching staff out for not going after their guys. I was forced to agree.

[tongyang]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TheBluGuy:
In baseball, the only real cheap shot is getting beaned. If that's intentional, then retaliation is definately warrented<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's exactly the mindset that we'd like to eliminate, I'd say http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

Even retaliation shouldn't be allowed.

[Butch]

BLU . . . I love hockey . . . I think it's a great sport. In fact, it's my second favorite sport to watch after baseball. Clearly, McSorley's ACT is the exception - hockey's not a free for-for-all at all. (However, I don't necessarily think McSorley himself is an exception)

However, what bothers me is the insinuation that an act of violence is justified because a player has been "provoked" by the generally violent nature of the game as opposed to a specific act which could be returned in kind.

And as for the baseball comments - and this is a pet peeve of mine - baseball is not 99% no-contact. There are quite a few cheap things that can be done other than beaning somebody - and many legal things that can be done. However, when a beaning does occur and a batter charges the mound, he is not insisting on starting a bench clearing brawl - it's an escalation process in a sense. If he charges, the infielders are going to go protect their pitcher - then the batter's team's benche clears to protect him and the other bench clears to even the numbers. If a guy on a team doesn't leave the bench, he's going to be ostracized for not protecting his teammates.

This goes in contrast to hockey, where it is accepted that most people on the ice fight their own fights. Also, in baseball, there's no automatic penalty for getting involved in a fight like there is in hockey.

In any case, seeing something like what Kevin Mitchell did is extremely rare in baseball, and would never be seen in a major league game.

Sorry about the length of the post. Didn't even say all I wanted to . . . yikes . . . hehe . . . I talk too much.

~Luc

[This message has been edited by Butch (edited 08-03-2000).]

[pennypinch]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Butch:
I talk too much.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
ya damn right you do.

[Butch]

Let's see . . . by my count, you have . . . ohhhh . . . about 35 TIMES as many posts as I do and you think I talk too much?!?!?! . . . hehe. By the way, still have to figure out when I'm going to make it out to LA . . . gotta make plans.

[This message has been edited by Butch (edited 08-03-2000).]

[Y2J]

Remember when the giants were a good team? The battle of the bay, A's vs Giants

Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark vs Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire

Now Will Clark is McGwire's backup, Canseco has back problems, and Mitchell is living in vacaville

What 11 years will do to 4 perennial hall-of famers

[pennypinch]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Y2J:
Remember when the giants were a good team? The battle of the bay, A's vs Giants

Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark vs Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire

Now Will Clark is McGwire's backup, Canseco has back problems, and Mitchell is living in vacaville

What 11 years will do to 4 perennial hall-of famers<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
You mean 4 perennial all stars. Something tells me Kevin Mitchell may fall a few votes short of Hall-ness.

[AJ]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pennypinch:
You mean 4 perennial all stars. Something tells me Kevin Mitchell may fall a few votes short of Hall-ness.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

good call penny...

IMO Will Clark used to be good but not Hall of Fame material...and Kevin Mitchell-hahaha.
Jose Canseco i doubt it. But McGwire's going to Cooperstown after his reincarnation these past few years.