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."
"I got hit by a thrown bottle of Jack Danials coming off the field at Fayetteville (LSU vs Arkansas) . ."
Alcohol is banned in stadiums now. Which doesn't help, because the drinkers get blasted before the game.
A White Sox fan has no class! Stop the presses!
It's usually drunk behavior, which is why I don't go to public athletic events any longer.
I've had a bellyful of listening to the tail-gaters, sotted to the gills after three hours and half-a-case in the parking lot prior to the game.
Chicago is to the Midwest as Miami is to the South.
It is more then obvious you have either not been to NY or else you have never visited MA or the other New England states.
And people say Philly fans are @$$holes...
because he's being an ass. he's getting in someone's kitchen in an attempt to get in their head. Garner used to be a pretty emotional guy before he got to Houston. He and Guillen went toe to toe in a Brewers White Sox game a few years ago. The Astros owner is such a decent guy, I'm sure they are scared to get in a rumble. Hopefully the Astros will get a win tonight and get this thing going. Wouldn't surprise me to see the WhiteSox try to get into Oswalts head by starting a fight tonight. Right up their alley.
whoa. nice one.
Hitting a girl is something us South Siders would expect Cubs fans to do!
BTW, Astros in 6.
If wishes were horses beggars would ride, kinghorse!
This year his fun is winning the Series, and the Astros are the butts in the way.
You and me both. I get down to Baton Rouge once a year to hook up with some alum buddies and catch a Tiguh game . . . not bad . . . but Deaf Valley has to be the largest open-roofed bourbon warehouse in the country. And liquor is banned!!
Drunkeness is absolutely no excuse for assault.
Under the State of Texas statutes regarding the use of force and deadly force, the punk that attacked her could be delt with in a most harsh manor outside Minute Maid Field.....but Chicago ain't Texas....
A Houston fan pulling this stunt would have had his ass handed to him, even if it were someone in my own party. (which would NEVER happen.)
Go Astros!
As I said on another post, Tiguh Stadium is an open bourbon warehouse on Saturday nights in Baton Rouge. I think all that's banned are the bottles the liquor comes in. They get it in by other means . . .
A Houston fan pulling this stunt would have had his ass handed to him, even if it were someone in my own party. (which would NEVER happen.)
Go Astros!
How can Illinois be in the Midwest when it's in the eastern half of the country?
>>>"You don't slap a New Jersey girl and get away with it.<<<
Amen to that!
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