Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
If you haven't already heard about this, you might be shocked by some of the behavior exhibited by this blackpitcher for Peoria. I've been in Peoria for the last few weeks but just got back into town after my honeymoon and saw this in the local rag this morning. Crazy stuff, but should we expect anything different?
http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x2109423288/Baseballs-black-eye
[url]http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x1816444108/Chiefs-brawl-got-to tally-out-of-hand[/url]
[url]http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x2109423434/Umpires-told-to-kee p-tight-rein-on-rematch[/url]
[url]http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x2109423432/Chiefs-swept-out-of -town-by-Dragons[/url]
"This was supposed to a golden weekend for the Peoria Chiefs.
They are playing their best baseball of the season, if not in the last few years; their manager, Ryne Sandberg, is enjoying his Hall of Fame status this weekend in Cooperstown; they are days away from playing in front of 30,000 people in Wrigley Field.
Instead, Thursday night marked a low point in both the franchise's and Midwest League's history when they rumbled with the Dayton Dragons in the first inning.
This wasn't just an ordinary baseball set-to, where for the most part pleasantries are exchanged with a minimum of punches. In fact, Thursday was the fourth time Peoria emptied its bench, but just the first where hostilities truly were exchanged.
From the videos floating about the Internet, Thursday's brawl was ugly.
The ugliest of all the incidents, of course, is Peoria pitcher Julio Castillo winding up to throw the baseball at a Dayton player in the dugout. He missed and hit a fan, Chris McCarthy.
Castillo, regardless of what the Dayton, Ohio, court system throws at him, should have thrown his last pitch in the Chicago Cubs organization, if not North American organized baseball.
Allowing him to continue his career would be inexcusable.
When three Chiefs players were arrested in 1996, then-manager Roy Silver said: "Baseball is a privilege. Sports are a privilege. Nobody has to play sports. If people don't follow rules, you take the privilege away."
Whether Castillo's throw hit a fan or whichever player for whom it was intended, when he let that ball go his privilege to play should have left with it.
But all this could have, and should have, been avoided earlier.
After Zach Cozart was hit in the head by a Castillo pitch, plate umpire Tyler Wilson should have issued warnings to Castillo and both benches. To not issue any warnings was incredible given the way Wednesday night's game ended - with a walk-off home run, then Peoria shortstop Nate Samson being hit by a pitch in the top of the first Thursday.
Had warnings been given, Castillo would have been ejected after he hit Angel Cabrera and certainly would not have been in the game to brush Brandon Manchaca back after Cabrera went hard into second base to break up a double play.
After the brushback, when Dayton manager Donnie Scott argued with Wilson, acting Chiefs manager Carmelo Martinez should have stayed in the dugout and not confronted Scott. That's to say nothing of getting in the first shove which turned out to be the match that lit the tinderbox.
All that is easy to say in hindsight, but that doesn't make it untrue.
Through it all George Spelius, the Midwest League President, should be on his knees among the rhododendrons thanking the heavens that it wasn't worse than it was.
And it looked plenty bad after Castillo's throw hit McCarthy in the face. It's a wonder that he was not seriously injured.
Spelius' transgression in this monstrosity did not come back to haunt him, but that doesn't make it right.
Spelius - at the behest of Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty, who was in attendance, and the Cubs' organization - over-ruled the ejections handed out by Wilson and base umpire Joey Amaral.
How bad would it have looked if the bad blood continued and one of the 15 players tossed started another incident?
Spelius undermined the arbiters' authority because of the concern that pitchers would have had to play the outfield because of the number of ejections. This sets an incredibly bad precedent.
If the Reds and Cubs were so concerned about having to put some pitchers in the field, there was one other option available.
Take the forfeit.
It's not like it would have dragged the game much lower."
Kevin Capie is a Journal Star sports reporter. He can be reached at 686-3214 or e-mail kcapie@pjstar.com.
"
The day after the Peoria Chiefs took part in an on-field brawl that landed pitcher Julio Castillo in jail, Peoria Chiefs manager Ryne Sandberg struggled with what happened two states away.
"It's been quite the talk (in Cooperstown) among the players," Sandberg said. "It's kind of a helpless feeling for me, because I'm so far removed from it."
The Hall of Famer is away from the team this weekend attending the annual induction festivities in Cooperstown, N.Y.
The incident drew national attention with video from the fight on several media outlets and the Internet. It shows Castillo winding up and throwing the ball that allegedly struck fan Chris McCarthy in the face.
Castillo was ordered held on $50,000 bond on Friday after being charged with felonious assault Thursday night after the brawl between the Chiefs and Dayton Dragons.
"It's amazing how quickly it snowballed and got totally out of hand," Sandberg said. "For Julio, there's a tough lesson to be learned."
The Dominican Republic native was arraigned via video from the Montgomery County (Ohio) Jail.
Castillo also was ordered by Dayton Municipal Judge Carl Henderson to surrender his passport.
"This charge is a result of outlandish and inexcusable conduct by a professional baseball player," Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias Heck Jr. said in a statement.
Defense attorney Kevin Braig asked for Castillo's release. Braig did not return a call from the Journal Star.
Castillo spoke through an interpreter at the hearing and said he's been living with his Peoria teammates in the United States for a month since joining the Chiefs.
The brawl started after Castillo hit two batters and almost hit a third in the first inning on Thursday. When acting Chiefs manager Carmelo Martinez shoved Dayton manager Donnie Scott, both benches emptied and Castillo attempted to throw the ball at a Dayton player in the dugout. Instead, it hit the 44-year-old McCarthy of Middletown, Ohio.
Middletown detectives, who interviewed McCarthy on Friday as part of the investigation, told the Dayton Daily News that McCarthy plans to avoid all contact with the news media.
"It's an unfortunate situation, especially in minor league baseball, which prides itself on family fun," Chiefs president Rocky Vonachen said Friday. "We don't like seeing anyone get hurt, especially a fan."
Both teams were ordered by their parent clubs not to talk about the fight, in which 15 players were initially ejected and then reinstated by Midwest League president George Spelius.
"In a normal bench-clearing, there are only two or three players ejected, so then teams can put in other position players," Spelius said. "There were so many ejected they would have to use pitchers for outfielders. The fans deserve more than that."
Spelius said he is reviewing videos of the brawl and reports from the umpiring crew. A decision on suspensions is expected next week. Because of the number of players involved, the suspensions are likely to be staggered.
"It doesn't come at a good time," Sandberg said. "We'll take the suspensions and serve whatever is decided."
It's possible even more sanctions could be levied by the Cubs.
"We'll make sure the punishment fits the crime," Cubs vice president of player personnel Oneri Fleita told MILB.com. "These things are not condoned by the organization.
"I can assure you it's not tolerated and not condoned. We're trying to develop winning-type players, and those actions are not those of winning players."
Castillo, who was slated to start Tuesday's game at Wrigley Field, was demoted to Mesa of the Arizona Rookie League on Friday.
He was 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA in six outings.
The transactions were largely a paper move so the Chiefs pitching staff will not be short-handed.
"The one question everyone has asked me about is the pitcher," Spelius said. "That's the Cubs' (decision). People want to know if I can suspend him for life. I couldn't suspend anyone for life if I wanted to."
Castillo pictured below-
http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x2109423288/Baseballs-black-eye
[url]http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x1816444108/Chiefs-brawl-got-to tally-out-of-hand[/url]
[url]http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x2109423434/Umpires-told-to-kee p-tight-rein-on-rematch[/url]
[url]http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x2109423432/Chiefs-swept-out-of -town-by-Dragons[/url]
"This was supposed to a golden weekend for the Peoria Chiefs.
They are playing their best baseball of the season, if not in the last few years; their manager, Ryne Sandberg, is enjoying his Hall of Fame status this weekend in Cooperstown; they are days away from playing in front of 30,000 people in Wrigley Field.
Instead, Thursday night marked a low point in both the franchise's and Midwest League's history when they rumbled with the Dayton Dragons in the first inning.
This wasn't just an ordinary baseball set-to, where for the most part pleasantries are exchanged with a minimum of punches. In fact, Thursday was the fourth time Peoria emptied its bench, but just the first where hostilities truly were exchanged.
From the videos floating about the Internet, Thursday's brawl was ugly.
The ugliest of all the incidents, of course, is Peoria pitcher Julio Castillo winding up to throw the baseball at a Dayton player in the dugout. He missed and hit a fan, Chris McCarthy.
Castillo, regardless of what the Dayton, Ohio, court system throws at him, should have thrown his last pitch in the Chicago Cubs organization, if not North American organized baseball.
Allowing him to continue his career would be inexcusable.
When three Chiefs players were arrested in 1996, then-manager Roy Silver said: "Baseball is a privilege. Sports are a privilege. Nobody has to play sports. If people don't follow rules, you take the privilege away."
Whether Castillo's throw hit a fan or whichever player for whom it was intended, when he let that ball go his privilege to play should have left with it.
But all this could have, and should have, been avoided earlier.
After Zach Cozart was hit in the head by a Castillo pitch, plate umpire Tyler Wilson should have issued warnings to Castillo and both benches. To not issue any warnings was incredible given the way Wednesday night's game ended - with a walk-off home run, then Peoria shortstop Nate Samson being hit by a pitch in the top of the first Thursday.
Had warnings been given, Castillo would have been ejected after he hit Angel Cabrera and certainly would not have been in the game to brush Brandon Manchaca back after Cabrera went hard into second base to break up a double play.
After the brushback, when Dayton manager Donnie Scott argued with Wilson, acting Chiefs manager Carmelo Martinez should have stayed in the dugout and not confronted Scott. That's to say nothing of getting in the first shove which turned out to be the match that lit the tinderbox.
All that is easy to say in hindsight, but that doesn't make it untrue.
Through it all George Spelius, the Midwest League President, should be on his knees among the rhododendrons thanking the heavens that it wasn't worse than it was.
And it looked plenty bad after Castillo's throw hit McCarthy in the face. It's a wonder that he was not seriously injured.
Spelius' transgression in this monstrosity did not come back to haunt him, but that doesn't make it right.
Spelius - at the behest of Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty, who was in attendance, and the Cubs' organization - over-ruled the ejections handed out by Wilson and base umpire Joey Amaral.
How bad would it have looked if the bad blood continued and one of the 15 players tossed started another incident?
Spelius undermined the arbiters' authority because of the concern that pitchers would have had to play the outfield because of the number of ejections. This sets an incredibly bad precedent.
If the Reds and Cubs were so concerned about having to put some pitchers in the field, there was one other option available.
Take the forfeit.
It's not like it would have dragged the game much lower."
Kevin Capie is a Journal Star sports reporter. He can be reached at 686-3214 or e-mail kcapie@pjstar.com.
"
The day after the Peoria Chiefs took part in an on-field brawl that landed pitcher Julio Castillo in jail, Peoria Chiefs manager Ryne Sandberg struggled with what happened two states away.
"It's been quite the talk (in Cooperstown) among the players," Sandberg said. "It's kind of a helpless feeling for me, because I'm so far removed from it."
The Hall of Famer is away from the team this weekend attending the annual induction festivities in Cooperstown, N.Y.
The incident drew national attention with video from the fight on several media outlets and the Internet. It shows Castillo winding up and throwing the ball that allegedly struck fan Chris McCarthy in the face.
Castillo was ordered held on $50,000 bond on Friday after being charged with felonious assault Thursday night after the brawl between the Chiefs and Dayton Dragons.
"It's amazing how quickly it snowballed and got totally out of hand," Sandberg said. "For Julio, there's a tough lesson to be learned."
The Dominican Republic native was arraigned via video from the Montgomery County (Ohio) Jail.
Castillo also was ordered by Dayton Municipal Judge Carl Henderson to surrender his passport.
"This charge is a result of outlandish and inexcusable conduct by a professional baseball player," Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias Heck Jr. said in a statement.
Defense attorney Kevin Braig asked for Castillo's release. Braig did not return a call from the Journal Star.
Castillo spoke through an interpreter at the hearing and said he's been living with his Peoria teammates in the United States for a month since joining the Chiefs.
The brawl started after Castillo hit two batters and almost hit a third in the first inning on Thursday. When acting Chiefs manager Carmelo Martinez shoved Dayton manager Donnie Scott, both benches emptied and Castillo attempted to throw the ball at a Dayton player in the dugout. Instead, it hit the 44-year-old McCarthy of Middletown, Ohio.
Middletown detectives, who interviewed McCarthy on Friday as part of the investigation, told the Dayton Daily News that McCarthy plans to avoid all contact with the news media.
"It's an unfortunate situation, especially in minor league baseball, which prides itself on family fun," Chiefs president Rocky Vonachen said Friday. "We don't like seeing anyone get hurt, especially a fan."
Both teams were ordered by their parent clubs not to talk about the fight, in which 15 players were initially ejected and then reinstated by Midwest League president George Spelius.
"In a normal bench-clearing, there are only two or three players ejected, so then teams can put in other position players," Spelius said. "There were so many ejected they would have to use pitchers for outfielders. The fans deserve more than that."
Spelius said he is reviewing videos of the brawl and reports from the umpiring crew. A decision on suspensions is expected next week. Because of the number of players involved, the suspensions are likely to be staggered.
"It doesn't come at a good time," Sandberg said. "We'll take the suspensions and serve whatever is decided."
It's possible even more sanctions could be levied by the Cubs.
"We'll make sure the punishment fits the crime," Cubs vice president of player personnel Oneri Fleita told MILB.com. "These things are not condoned by the organization.
"I can assure you it's not tolerated and not condoned. We're trying to develop winning-type players, and those actions are not those of winning players."
Castillo, who was slated to start Tuesday's game at Wrigley Field, was demoted to Mesa of the Arizona Rookie League on Friday.
He was 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA in six outings.
The transactions were largely a paper move so the Chiefs pitching staff will not be short-handed.
"The one question everyone has asked me about is the pitcher," Spelius said. "That's the Cubs' (decision). People want to know if I can suspend him for life. I couldn't suspend anyone for life if I wanted to."
Castillo pictured below-