......as of 12:15PM today....let's talk tomorrow.... I would assume that the Chicago fans will all be wearing wife-beater t-shirts when we return for the final game.
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."
Most ridiculous statement I have ever seen on FreeRepublic. What, pray tell, is your experience? I have lived in Houston and have visited New York. I agree that you work at rudeness. And you're good at it. In Houston, you have to try real hard to find a rude person. Usually, they end up being transplanted New Yorkers.
......as of 12:15PM today....let's talk tomorrow.... I would assume that the Chicago fans will all be wearing wife-beater t-shirts when we return for the final game.
"Most ridiculous statement I have ever seen on FreeRepublic."
You've been here since 1998. I highly doubt that. ;-)
I always thought Texans had thicker skin that that, to not be able to withstand a little ribbing.
Slapping women is just part of baseball.
The list of wife and girlfriend slapping pro baseball players is a long one.
My BS meter is screaming at this one. Witnesses? Security? Other fans? No one but the Astros group. Trying to prop up a sagging team?
OK, I've vented. I'm cool now. Sorry for the outburst.
It's the definition of the "Midwest". Check out the map at the link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwest
Though definitions vary, any definition of the Midwest would include the Northwest Ordinance "Old Northwest" states and often includes many states that were part of the Louisiana Purchase. The states of the Old Northwest are also known as "Great Lakes states". Many of the Louisiana Purchase states are also known as Great Plains states. The Midwest is defined, by the U.S. Census Bureau as these 12 states:Illinois: Old Northwest, Ohio River and Great Lakes state
Indiana: Old Northwest, Ohio River and Great Lakes state
Iowa: Louisiana Purchase
Kansas: Louisiana Purchase, Great Plains state
Michigan: Old Northwest, and Great Lakes state
Minnesota: eastern part Old Northwest, and Great Lakes state; western part Louisiana Purchase
Missouri: Louisiana Purchase and once, a "border state"
Nebraska: Louisiana Purchase, Great Plains state
North Dakota: Louisiana Purchase, Great Plains state
Ohio: Old Northwest, Ohio River and Great Lakes state
South Dakota: Louisiana Purchase, Great Plains state
Wisconsin: Old Northwest, and Great Lakes stateThe region's largest city is Chicago, the nation's third largest city; other important cities in the regions include Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. Those cities and the farms of Kansas and Iowa loom large in any imaginative description of the Midwestern soul.
Although one of the thirteen colonies, Pennsylvania is sometimes considered a Midwest state, but in reality, only the western half of the state, around Pittsburgh shares a culture with the Midwest, while the eastern half of the state, around Philadelphia identifies more with the East Coast.
The prairie parts of Montana, Wyoming, and especially Colorado are sometimes considered part of the Midwest, especially to people in the Great Plains Midwest, although this addition would be considered incorrect to most people in the Great Lakes region.
Uh, the Texas statutes do not allow an offended party to use deadly force unless one is in fear for his/her life.
Outside of Minute Maid Field, long after the incident, one would be best advised to let the authorities handle it.
Is that what you guys call those shirts down there? Up here we call 'em Astro-beaters. :)~
Those are our Yankee transplants...
READ what I typed....I never said she was or was not in fear of her life... Yet...anyone attacked in Texas may or may not fear for their life....
Rude fans are everywhere. It's gotten to the point you have to either go undercover or travel in a large group to an SEC football game.
I wonder if the Chicago fans will "thank" the "Chicago Perp" for possibly firing up the Houston team and fans?
Only in the instance of provocation, not twenty minutes after-the-fact.
Yeah, but wouldn't the Cubbie swing and miss?
OK...you asked for it... The Houston teams never "threw" a game.... Hmmm Black Sox ring a bell?
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