The Huntsville / Chattanooga Brawl -- Aftermath Thread (Info on Stars' Suspensions)

[Mass Haas]

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Chattanooga: Lookouts, Stars feud still boiling

By David Paschall, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Tempers remained hot Sunday following Saturday night's dugout-clearing brawl between the Chattanooga Lookouts and Huntsville Stars at AT&T Field.

"I think what Huntsville's pitchers did was chicken, if you want to know the truth," Lookouts manager Mike Goff said. "They did that earlier in the series, and they did it again last night when they smoked Tonys Gutierrez. We let it slide the first time, but I thought the whole thing was chicken on their part."

Goff was ejected, as were four Lookouts players and four Stars players. The full-scale fracas, which occurred in the fifth inning and delayed Chattanooga's eventual 13-3 win by 30 minutes, was the first in AT&T's nine-year history and the first Frank Burke had experienced in 14 seasons as Lookouts owner.

Burke spoke with Southern League president Don Mincher late Saturday night and learned there will be numerous fines and several suspensions. The penalties could be announced later this week.

"That situation was allowed to get out of hand by everyone involved," Burke said. "When a guy is throwing a baseball at you, he's trying to hurt you, and he can screw up your entire career. That's going to get out of hand if not controlled properly, and I hate the fact it went where it did."

Saturday's troubles began in the bottom of the fourth inning when Huntsville relief pitcher Patrick Ryan hit Gutierrez in the knee. Gutierrez had launched a grand slam off Stars starter Donovan Hand in the second to give the Lookouts an 8-2 lead, and Ryan had just allowed a solo shot to Danny Dorn before throwing at Gutierrez.

Ryan was up first against Lookouts starter Sam LeCure in the top of the fifth, and LeCure threw inside several times before allowing a walk. Michael Brantley was up next and, after dodging two inside pitches, lifted his bat at LeCure and walked toward the mound.

Lookouts catcher Craig Tatum pounced on Brantley, and the dugouts emptied.

"I thought the umpires handled it terribly," Goff said. "There should have been a warning thrown out there. It was no choice from our side but to react, and that's what we did."

Huntsville manager Don Money called Tatum's attack of Brantley a "cheap shot" and also took issue with Goff and LeCure.

"For a manager to be out there throwing punches - you're not supposed to do that," Money said. "The thing I disliked about the whole thing was the amount of pitches they threw at our players. That's what I don't agree with.

"If you have to do your business, go ahead and do it, but don't go out there and take five, six or seven pitches to do it."

Money was planning to talk with Mincher about Goff's role in the fight. Goff was quick to join in the chaos but disputed any accounts of going on the offensive.

"There were five guys out there on Tatum, and I grabbed Brantley's shirt and pulled his shirt off," Goff said. "I got smoked a few times, but I wasn't throwing any punches."

When asked about Money's comments, Goff said, "Let him run his mouth all he wants to. We're going to play those guys again. I thought it was chicken what his pitchers did, and you can tell him I said that."

The Lookouts and Stars are scheduled to meet again Aug. 12-16 at Huntsville's Joe Davis Stadium and close out the regular season at AT&T Aug. 28-Sept. 1. Several Lookouts and Stars will be North Division teammates tonight when the league holds its annual all-star game in Zebulon, N.C.

Pitcher Ben Jukich, reliever Robert Manuel and third baseman Eric Eymann, none of whom were ejected Saturday night, are representing the Lookouts. The Stars will have three participants tonight who were ejected, Brantley, catcher Angel Salome and pitcher David Welch, as well as Ryan.

[Mass Haas]

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Brawl has managers stewing at the break

Stars-Lookouts fight could bring suspensions, fines

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

Saturday night's benches-clearing brawl between the Huntsville Stars and Chattanooga Lookouts is expected to bring substantial fines and suspensions from the Southern League, according to both clubs.

 

The fight led to nine ejections, and both managers were still simmering Sunday as the teams began a three-day hiatus for the Double-A All-Star break.

 

Huntsville's Don Money - particularly irked by what he viewed as Lookouts manager Mike Goff taking part in the fracas - said he'll discuss the matter with Southern League president Don Mincher.

 

"Their manager was in there throwing punches," Money said. "He came out on the short end of the stick on that deal, but for a manager to be out there throwing punches, you're not supposed to do that. I will be talking to Don about that."

 

Goff said Sunday he was angry that Huntsville reliever Patrick Ryan hit Tonys Gutierrez with a fourth-inning pitch in what he deemed retaliation for Gutierrez's grand slam earlier in the game. Ryan also had surrendered a solo homer to Danny Dorn in the previous at-bat.

 

"I think what Huntsville's pitchers did was chicken-(expletive), if you want to know the truth," Goff said. "They did that earlier in the series, and they did it again last night when they smoked Gutierrez. We let it slide the first time, but I thought the whole thing was chicken-(expletive) on their part."

 

"I thought the umpires handled it terribly. There should have been a warning thrown out there. It was no choice from our side but to react, and that's what we did."

 

Ryan led off the next inning, and Lookouts pitcher Sam LeCure threw inside several times before walking him. Then Stars center fielder Michael Brantley dodged two inside pitches before raising his bat toward LeCure and taking several steps toward the mound.

 

When Brantley started toward LeCure, Lookouts catcher Craig Tatum jumped him from behind - what Money called a "cheap shot" - and the benches cleared.

 

"The thing I disliked about the whole thing was the amount of pitches they threw at our players," Money said. "That's what I don't agree with.

 

"If you have to do your business, go ahead and do it, but don't go out there and take five, six or seven pitches to do it."

 

Brantley, second baseman Mike Bell, catcher Angel Salome and pitcher David Welch were ejected from the Stars.

 

Among Chattanooga's ejections was Goff, tossed for arguing after the fight ended. He was not ejected for fighting and bristled at Money's claim that he threw punches.

 

"There were five guys out there on Tatum, and I grabbed Brantley's shirt and pulled his shirt off," Goff said. "I got smoked a few times, but I wasn't throwing any punches.

 

"Let (Money) run his mouth all he wants to. We're going to play those guys again. I thought it was chicken-(expletive) what his pitchers did, and you can tell him I said that."

 

The teams don't meet again until Aug. 13 in Huntsville.

 

"I'm sure there will be some fines and some suspensions," Goff said. "That happens when you have a brawl, but there comes a time in the game where you have to defend your guys when they take chicken-(expletive) shots at your guys after home runs."

 

Money said he wasn't certain Ryan tried to brush back Gutierrez.

 

"I mean, he got him in the leg with a slider," Money said. "Was he frustrated he'd given up the home run? Probably."

 

Lookouts owner Frank Burke said he spoke with Mincher on Saturday night and didn't expect any disciplinary action to be announced until after the all-star break.

 

"That situation was allowed to get out-of-hand by everyone involved," Burke said. "I don't want to necessarily point fingers, but Don Money could have stopped it, and, quite honestly, so could have Mike Goff.

 

"When a guy is throwing a baseball at you, he's trying to hurt you, and he can screw up your entire career. That's going to get out-of-hand if not controlled properly, and I hate the fact it went where it did."

[Postseason2006]

Goff sounds like a real winner. Hopefully he gets some extra time for his comments. Wus.

[Mass Haas]

David Weiser in Huntsville with the update --

 

Suspensions were served to all four Stars involved in last Saturday's brawl with the Lookouts at AT&T Field......... Michael Brantley, David Welch, Angel Salome, and Mike Bell were fined $350 and will miss three games, staggered over the next couple of weeks. Brantley is serving his now. Welch will serve his after Friday's start. Salome and Bell will follow.

[Mass Haas]

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Four Stars suspended

By BRAD SHEPARD

For The Huntsville Times

 

Four Huntsville Stars have been suspended three games by the Southern League for their part in a benches-clearing brawl with Chattanooga on Saturday night, and every member of the team was fined at least $100, multiple players said.

 

The four suspended players - Michael Brantley, Angel Salome, Mike Bell and David Welch - were fined $300, an amount that several players and hitting coach Sandy Guerrero said was too steep.

 

"I think the fine is a little bit too high for the amount of money they're making," Guerrero said. "Some guys are making $1,200 a month. After taxes ... some guys can't even pay rent. That's a lot of money for a kid."

 

According to the on-field behavioral policy in the minor leagues, there is a minimum three-game suspension and $300 fine for instigators or respondents in an on-field fight and a minimum $100 fine for any other participant, Southern League president Don Mincher said.

 

Brantley served the second game of his suspension Thursday night in Huntsville's 9-3 win over first-place Tennessee in front of 2,706 fans at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

The Chattanooga Lookouts also were dealt four three-game suspensions and fines. Pitcher Sam LeCure - who threw inside to Patrick Ryan and Brantley prior to the fight - Craig Tatum, Sean Henry and Justin Turner will all miss three games. Lookouts manager Mike Goff was fined an undisclosed amount.

 

"You fight, you're suspended, you pay a fine and hopefully it's over with," Mincher said. "Then you go play baseball."

 

Mincher said the suspensions did not all have to be served at one time because, according to league bylaws, a suspended player cannot be replaced on the roster, and both teams needed enough players to compete nightly. He also said the fine money will go to charity.

 

Welch will not miss a start while serving his suspension, but he still felt plenty of the sting from the fine. Though he would not divulge his monthly salary, Welch said the $300 was a "chunk of change."

 

"We're making 500 bucks every couple of weeks or around that; those who haven't negotiated their contracts in a while," Welch said. "I thought it was a big fine on what we make, but they don't want fighting on the field, which they made obvious.

 

"All we were doing was protecting our teammate. Brantley was out there by himself. What were we going to do? I think they should fine guys for not coming out of the dugout."

 

Saturday's fight occurred after Ryan hit the Lookouts' Tonys Gutierrez in the leg following a home run. Gutierrez had hit a grand slam earlier in the game.

 

When LeCure retaliated in the next inning, he threw several times inside to Ryan before walking him. After two inside pitches to Brantley, the Stars center fielder walked toward the mound, pointing his bat at LeCure, before being pushed from behind by Tatum. The benches then cleared.

 

Brantley chose not to discuss the suspension or fine in detail, as did manager Don Money, who said he wasn't arguing with a league policy.

 

"Whatever they decide is up to them," Money said.

 

The two teams meet again Aug. 12 at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

"We talked to them about the next time they play, and they're aware that we'll be looking," Mincher said. "That's our concern: That this carries over. Hopefully it's over."