Posted on 10/25/2005 8:42:45 AM PDT by Jalapeno
By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen issued a public apology on behalf of his organization to Astros second baseman Craig Biggio, whose wife was slapped by a fan in the stands at U.S. Cellular Field.
"I feel like it's our fault, and I talked to (Biggio) about it, and he knows we're sorry," Guillen said. "He knows it was something we couldn't control. It wasn't like a fight. (The fan) hit the lady and left."
The incident occurred on Sunday night during Game 2 of the 101st World Series at Chicago's ballpark, where several members of the Astros' traveling party were harassed.
"He slapped her and ran," Biggio said of the fan who struck his wife, Patty. "She ran after him. My brother-in-law ended up putting him against the wall. That's pretty sorry."
Asked if Patty had been hurt, Biggio said his New Jersey-raised wife held her own.
"You don't slap a New Jersey girl and get away with it," he said. "That happens sometimes. It's terrible. It's over."
Added Guillen: "I wish she would have grabbed something and broken his head. If that happened to my family, it would have been a big problem. ... People should just go to the game and not bother people next to you, or you're not a White Sox fan or a baseball fan. Just enjoy the game. Drink if you want to drink; just respect the people next to you."
No criminal complaint was made against the fan, according to Chicago police. Chicago defended
Biggio, manager Phil Garner, general manager Tim Purpura, catcher Brad Ausmus and several of the Astros were adamant that a few cowardly acts weren't indicative of the White Sox or Chicago fan base.
"The word was that the guy had been gouging her a little bit, pulling her hair and just doing some stupid things, things that are just not necessary," Garner said. "Have your fun. This (World Series) is a great thing for them and a great thing for us. Cheer and be as loud as you want to be and whatever else, but don't do that.
"I can't imagine Patty Biggio ever saying anything that would incite anything, either. I just can't imagine that. Even if she had, there's no excuse."
Despite the incident, Garner said he heard the Astros' traveling party had mostly positive experiences with the fans.
Nonetheless, Guillen did not hide his disgust at the treatment Patty Biggio received.
"On behalf of the White Sox organization, I just don't think we could control that," Guillen said. "But I think the family is a big part of my life. I think especially the kids. And when that happened in the ballpark, you feel you need to be supportive.
"When you're a man and you hit a lady, no matter whose wife it is or whose sister it is, you respect them. But it's something that's tough to control. It happened so quick." More harassment
Although Patty Biggio was the only Astros wife who was slapped Sunday, she wasn't the only member of the traveling party who was harassed. Ausmus said his wife, Liz, endured some vulgar taunts and a few vulgar hand gestures throughout the night.
"Some of the treatment that the Astros families received at U.S. Cellular Field was a huge black eye for the city of Chicago," Ausmus said. "Now, I understand that's not indicative of all the people in the Chicago area, because I have friends and relatives there.
"I know the people of Chicago are overwhelmingly good people. But if I was from Chicago, I'd be embarrassed by the way the Astros' families were treated by the White Sox fans. My wife didn't get hit or anything, but people flipped her off and were screaming at her."
The attendance at U.S. Cellular Field was announced as 41,432 for Game 2, and the crowd was obviously overwhelmingly in support of the White Sox. With that in mind, Ausmus said there was little the Astros' family members could do in response. "You don't want to get caught in a situation where you're inflaming the masses," Ausmus said. "So I think as an Astros fan at a visiting park, you pretty much have to swallow it."
'Bring him to me'
Maybe so, but Guillen insinuated that he would have definitely defended anybody in the Astros' traveling party.
"I know the security in Chicago is doing a great job," Guillen said. "And when something happens so quick, you can't blame anybody. And the guy that did it, he should be brought to Biggio, and he's the one that can hopefully get him back.
"I told the police, 'Don't put him in jail. Bring him to me in the dugout.' But hopefully, that won't happen again."
Shortstop Adam Everett heard a little bit about the incident, but he knew more than enough to form his opinion.
"That's real weak," he said. "That's bad. I don't care where you're at, to hit a woman is not good."
Chicago, New York, Houston, etc. all cities have there obnoxious fans. I got hit by a thrown bottle of Jack Danials coming off the field at Fayetteville (LSU vs Arkansas) . . . whew! . . . still had my helmet on! But hitting a woman at a sporting event is only reserved to the most gutless of cowards and they are not limited to Chicago.
Princess,
It seems the force is with him...
I no likey White Sox or their fans. Beezball been veddy veddy good to Ozzie Guillen but he's still a classless jerk along with Tim "run up the line while the other team is warming up" Raines and that infinitely unlikeable Pierzynski. His wifey has a new little bundle of joy. Where's dad? Oh yeah at the meat market sucking whipped cream off of Paris Hilton skankalikes.
http://sportsbybrooks.com/A.J.Pierzynski.html
what a spoiled little punk.
I wish, oh how I wish the Astros would find a way to shut em up.
Why the heck not?!
Oakland has the worst fans in pro ball. That is the consensus of American League teams, and even some National League teams.
Almost forgot. Pierzynski, the man who outunlikeabled Barry Bonds in SF. Now that takes unctuousness.
Roger that! Guillen got on this story and like a class act spoke for the real men.
If he does, that would be great. I'm more of a baseball fan than just a Sox fan. Actually, I'm a Cardinals fan who has lived in Chicago for a number of years. A few years ago I decided I needed to have a Chicago team, and it obviously couldn't be the Cubs. I would like to see the Sox win, but I'm more interested in a hard-fought and competitive series.
May the best team win.
Guillen's a phoney. He'll kick anyone's butt who gets in the way of his fun.
This kind of cheap foolishness has nothing to do with the actual game that is played on the field.
The fact is, Houston's closer, Brad Lidge, is likely ruined for the rest of the series. The last two men he's faced have hit game-winning home runs off him.
Clemens has a bad leg.
And Houston's clutch hitting from the top of the lineup has vanished.
The Astros win two of the next four, and wait 'til next year unless they start stealing bases, try a suicide squeeze or two, and get better relief pitching.
"This kind of cheap foolishness has nothing to do with the actual game that is played on the field."
I agree. Someone needs to ring Raines bell 1st inning when he does his little act.
Clemens going out after 2 innings wasn't ideal and Pettitte pitch a pretty good game, both loses were due to the bullpen. Oswalt will get the win, the guy doesn't know how to lose the "big game". The Astros are still in this and Minute Maid Field is going to be crazy tonight. The Astros will not lay down and die, the team has too much heart.
Raines is just having a little fun. The Astros don't care, so I don't see why you're getting your panties in a wad over it.
Fans like that lack any kind of a life of their own. Their whole being is tied up in their team. They consider everything that happens in the game a personal insult.
Well, they better start playing the small ball they're good at and start picking up those runners on second and third base.
But my main point is men hitting woman (for any reason), that's no longer about obnoxiousness but grossly cowardly behavior that merits a public scrutiny.
Haven't followed Baseball as much as in my younger years so I wouldn't know. I am glad he had the sack to say something.
If I didn't know better I'd swear you were a Red Sox fan. They are famous for moaning about the umps and claiming the other team was "lucky"
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