Sausage Attack Overshadows Brewers' Win

AP ^ | 07/10/03 | BEN WALKER

[nypokerface]

The Italian sausage was a hit with Randall Simon.

In a bizarre scene during the popular sausage race at Miller Park, the Pittsburgh first baseman took his bat and delivered a two-handed chop that knocked over a woman dressed in costume Wednesday night.

Simon was booked for misdemeanor battery and released after the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pirates 2-1 in 12 innings. He will meet with the district attorney's office Thursday, and it will be up to prosecutors to determine whether formal charges are filed.

"It was very strange," Pirates outfielder Reggie Sanders said.

The race is a fan favorite at Miller Park. Held between the sixth and seventh innings, people dress up as a bratwurst, hot dog, Polish sausage and Italian sausage and run around the field.

As the group went past Pirates' third-base dugout, Simon reached over a railing and hit the Italian sausage character from behind, causing the 20-year-old woman wearing the outfit to tumble. When she fell, the woman portraying the hot dog also went down.

"They both were treated at the scene for scraped knees, but at this point I don't think they have any other complaints," said Deputy Inspector Sherry Warichak of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department.

Pirates outfielder Reggie Sanders said he thought the weight of the head on the sausage costume contributed to the fall.

"It maybe made it look worse than it was," Sanders said. "It was an unfortunate situation and, hopefully, it gets resolved."

The Brewers wound up winning on Wes Helms' infield hit with two outs in the 12th.

Brooks Kieschnick, a slugger who always had trouble making contact, earned his first victory since reviving his career as a reliever.

Kieschnick (1-1) singled as a pinch-hitter in the 11th, then pitched a hitless 12th for the victory.

"I can't even describe it. I'm so excited," Kieschnick said. "This was a good, all-around win for us."

In other NL games, Arizona beat San Diego 8-3, Colorado stopped San Francisco 11-7, Philadelphia blanked Montreal 2-0, Chicago defeated Florida 5-1, Houston routed Cincinnati 12-2, Los Angeles edged St. Louis 6-5, and Atlanta topped New York 6-3.

Simon was booed by many fans when he came up as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. He grounded out.

Later, the two women inside the costumes and Simon were interviewed at the stadium.

Rick Schlessinger, the Brewers' executive vice president for business operations, said he was in contact with Larry Silverman, vice president/baseball legal counsel for the Pirates.

Schlessinger called Simon's action "one of the most despicable things I've seen in a ballpark in a long time."

Ryan Borghoff, portraying the bratwurst, said Simon "just hit the costume and she fell over."

"These things are so top-heavy that it doesn't take much," he said.

With the Italian sausage and hot dog down and out, Borghoff went on to win the race.

"Somebody had to, I guess," he said.

[Akira]

Note the dimensions, the top of the head of the person inside would be at the bottom of the nose of the costume, even if it were John Kerry or Julia Roberts in there.

That was perhaps the funniest thing I've heard come out of this thread!

Come on, people! Watch the video! Yes, it was stupid but meant to be HARMLESS. It was a love tap on top of 2 feet of foam! If you can watch that video and think anything else, you probably also think OJ is innocent.

As for the comment another poster (not Mr. Squat) made that "he'll deserve what's coming to him", I guess he thus deserves NO CRIMINAL CHARGES and a $432 fine. Gawd, please don't bring a civil suit on this one...

[#3Fan]

I agree. He hit her hard enough with a baseball bat to the back to knock her down. Looks like assault to me.

[discostu]

I'll give him a pass on assault, I'll even admit he wasn't trying to hurt her. But I'm not giving him a pass on should have known better. Just because somebody doesn't mean to do any harm doesn't mean we shouldn't recognize the stupidity and potential harmfulness of the act. I'm sure that basketball player who killed his chaffuer a couple of years ago didn't mean to do any harm either, just playing around with a shotgun, did something a little stupid, but he didn't mean any harm.

[discostu]

And as for it being "blown out of proportion" the currently leading punishment on the ESPN poll is sending him back to the Tigers, I think things are pretty well proportioned.

[BraveMan]

That report is a Hoot! LOL!!

Simon's alibi: Official baseball statistics show Simon has not had a hit in the month of July, so the chances of the .272-hitter being able to nail a speeding sausage are very slim. Also, Simon claims to be a vegetarian and says he would never "harm a sausage or any other meat product."

Simon also claimed the sausage was "going down anyway" and said "it's impossible to run with a head that big because it makes you top heavy." He also claimed that he never actually made contact with the sausage's head because "that freakin' chef hat is a foot and a half tall."

[Diddle E. Squat]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/2003/07/10/mascot_timeline/

A history of bizarre mascot incidents

By SI.com staff

Let's face it -- they're really just sitting targets.

In their funny costumes with their funny walks, sports mascots aim to entertain. But trouble can ensue, especially when they get a little too frisky with the subjects of their antics.

Wednesday night's incident in which Pittsburgh Pirate first baseman Randall Simon swung a bat and hit a woman dressed as an Italian sausage was just the latest in a long series of curious events involving mascots ...

August 1988 -- Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda exchanges fisticuffs with the Philly Phanatic after the mascot does a routine using a doll of Lasorda as a punching bag.

September 1989 -- Miami's Sebastian the Ibis leads the Hurricanes onto the field for their annual clash with Florida State carrying a fire extinguisher -- intending to douse the Seminoles' famous flaming spear. Five police officers surround the mascot, slam him against a wall and empty his extinguisher.

January 1991 -- The world famous San Diego Chicken grabs a Chicago Bulls cheerleader, dances with her and rolls her on the floor. She later sues and is awarded $317,000 in damages.

October 1992 -- A fight between mascots breaks out during Northeast Louisiana's homecoming game against Northwestern State, with Northwestern's Vic the Demon landing a series of haymakers after Chief Brave Spirit rips off his head.

April 1994 -- Arizona's Wilbur Wildcat blows out his knee tackling Arkansas' Razorbacks from behind during a Final Four game.

May 1994 -- At the opening of a paint store, Charles Donoghue suffers back injuries from being hugged too hard by the Philly Phanatic. He later sues and is awarded $2.5 million.

August 1994 -- Colorado Rockies radio announcer Jeff Kingery shoves and curses Dinger the Dinosaur after the team mascot falls down a step and bumps into the broadcaster during game action.

October 1994 -- At an exhibition game in Puerto Rico, the Miami Heat's Burnie pulls a female spectator onto the court by her legs. The woman, wife of a local Supreme Court justice, is not amused. Burnie is convicted of aggravated assault and later sued for $1 million.

February 1995 -- Don Jackson, coach of the International Hockey League's Cincinnati Cyclones, is suspended 10 games and fined $1,000 for climbing over the glass and attacking Atlanta Knights mascot Sir Slapshot, who had hit the glass while Jackson was leaning on it.

February 1995 -- During an ESPN-televised timeout, the Stanford Tree and Cal's Oski engage in a legendary wrestling match after Oski apparently taunts the Stanford student section. The two have to be separated by police, but no charges are filed.

April 1995 -- In what will become a running feud over the years, Denver Nuggets mascot Rocky the Mountain Lion challenges the Phoenix Suns' Charles Barkley to a friendly boxing match -- only to get clocked in the face.

October 1995 -- In separate incidents less than a week apart, Seattle's Mariner Moose roller blades into an outfield wall, breaking his ankle, and the Cleveland Indians' Slider falls six feet off an outfield wall, tearing his knee ligament.

October 1995 -- Cal offensive tackle Tarik Glenn slugs Benny Beaver on his way into the locker room after the Oregon mascot -- a 5-foot-9, 135-pound woman -- taps the 6-6, 330-pounder on the shoulder with an inflatable hammer. Later that season, Arizona's 6-5, 305-pound Frank Middleton punches Benny in the head.

October 1995 -- The Anaheim Mighty Ducks' Wild Wing performs a stunt in which he he jumps a "wall of fire" ... but doesn't make it all the way over and is set aflame.

October 1995 -- Maine mascot Bananas is slugged in the head and stomach by a player ... from his own team.

November 1996 -- Wisconsin mascot Bucky the Badger is arrested and issued a $141.50 ticket for crowd surfing in the student section. When asked by the booking officer to spell his name, the student begins by saying, "Badger. B-A-D-G ... "

May 1997 -- During Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoff series, NBA Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes, 69, takes offense to the Miami Heat's Burnie spraying him and the rest of the Orlando Magic's cheering section with a water gun. He clocks the mascot with a right hook.

September 1997 -- While waiting inside a zamboni machine as part of an unveiling ceremony before the Carolina Hurricanes' first preseason game, the person playing the mascot Stormy has a major anxiety attack, never comes out and is taken to the hospital.

May 1999 -- The Baltimore Orioles' mascot falls 15 feet and breaks his left ankle after a Philadelphia electrician shoves him off the right-field wall at Camden Yards. The mascot sues and wins $59,000 in damages.

July 2000 -- Florida's Billy the Marlin accidentally hits an elderly man in the eye with a tightly wadded T-shirt launched out of a pressurized gun, temporarily knocking him unconscious. The man later files suit but it is unsuccessful.

January 2001 -- The Miami Hurricanes suffer a 15-yard penalty during their Sugar Bowl game against Florida when Sebastian the Ibis runs onto the field and taunts the Gators after a Miami touchdown.

January 2003 -- Edmonton Oilers coach Craig MacTavish, fed up with Calgary mascot Harvey the Hound dangling over his team's bench, rips the dog's fabric tongue out of his mouth and tosses it into the stands.

March 2003 -- A scuffle ensues between the Oregon Duck and Utah's Swoop during halftime of a first- round NCAA tournament game when Swoop accidentally rips off the Oregon mascot's head. The two are sent to a room beneath the stands to make peace, later hugging center court to a standing ovation.

July 2003 -- Pittsburgh Pirates player Randall Simon is arrested and fined $432 for nailing the Italian Sausage with a bat during the Milwaukee Brewers' human sausage race, knocking the woman in the costume to the ground.

[#3Fan]

I'll give him a pass on assault, I'll even admit he wasn't trying to hurt her. But I'm not giving him a pass on should have known better. Just because somebody doesn't mean to do any harm doesn't mean we shouldn't recognize the stupidity and potential harmfulness of the act. I'm sure that basketball player who killed his chaffuer a couple of years ago didn't mean to do any harm either, just playing around with a shotgun, did something a little stupid, but he didn't mean any harm.

Yeah, I'll have to watch the video. For a person running, it seems like it would take a hard hit to knock her forward. I'll see.

[discostu]

I think it's a mass thing, hitting the top of the foam tilted her forward and that made her topple, probably some WTF shock played into it too. Given some of the stuff baseball fans have done lately if I were in that thing and suddenly it got hit I wouldn't be trying too hard to stay upright, lowering my profile would be goal 1, finding out if I'm on fire would be #2. Seriously dumb. Do this from the front and give her lots of warning and it could be funny, hopefully the Brewers will come up with a mocking tradition they can do to honor the event, like the trashcan toss at that one minor league hockey team (commemorating a coach that blew his top and threw a trashcan on the ice). Or maybe just add a midget in a yellow jumpsuit to the race.

[#3Fan]

...like the trashcan toss at that one minor league hockey team (commemorating a coach that blew his top and threw a trashcan on the ice).

I didn't know Bobby Knight also coached minor-league hockey. :^)

[discostu]

Oh he had Bobby Knight beat. He threw eveyrthing he could get his hands on, sticks, equipment bags, spare pucks, the trashcan (nice shiny metal one too), and when he ran out of stuff he took off his tie, sport coat, shirt and shoes. Makes Bobby's worst temper tantrum seem like an amateur. Sadly as just a minor league coach it didn't get the attention it deserved, immortalized on one of the many hockey fight tapes out there though.

[Akira]

Most of those are hilarious. But this one was just sad:

January 1991 -- The world famous San Diego Chicken grabs a Chicago Bulls cheerleader, dances with her and rolls her on the floor. She later sues and is awarded $317,000 in damages.

But I remember in the last few years, Billy the Marlin (I think) was on roller-blades behind this four-wheeler going about 20mph and ran into the outfield wall and snapped his ankle! Perhaps that one was too gross to list. It sort of made me queasy watching it on tape. But hey, Sausages aren't supposed to have knees, and Marlins aren't supposed to have ankles.

[Akira]

You said "Looks like assault to me" and you haven't even watched the video?!?!?!?!? So how exactly does it look like assault to you?

I think everybody is in agreement that it was ETERNALLY STUPID, but perhaps we all have different definitions of intent and assault. But hey, people have been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in civil court for less than this, so what do I know?

I do know that I cannot believe I recently joined FR to waste 10 posts on a foam sausage story. ;-) Like there's nothing else going on in this world.

[StormEye]

Maybe the Department of Justice should investigate
this incident. This could be one of those
infamous hate crimes!

[spoiler2]

"This could be one of those infamous hate crimes!"

Consider -that if the guy with the bat had been white and the girl that was hit had been black, that'd definitely be the angle.

[#3Fan]

Oh he had Bobby Knight beat. He threw eveyrthing he could get his hands on, sticks, equipment bags, spare pucks, the trashcan (nice shiny metal one too), and when he ran out of stuff he took off his tie, sport coat, shirt and shoes. Makes Bobby's worst temper tantrum seem like an amateur. Sadly as just a minor league coach it didn't get the attention it deserved, immortalized on one of the many hockey fight tapes out there though.

Truly laughing out loud. Lou Pinella(sp?) of baseball can throw some good ones too. :^)

[#3Fan]

You said "Looks like assault to me" and you haven't even watched the video?!?!?!?!? So how exactly does it look like assault to you?

The words form a picture. He hit a female he didn't know with a baseball bat and knocked her down causing injury. Looks like assault to me. If the video shows that it was more of a case of the girl being thrown off balance than a hard hit, then maybe it's not assault.

I think everybody is in agreement that it was ETERNALLY STUPID, but perhaps we all have different definitions of intent and assault. But hey, people have been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in civil court for less than this, so what do I know?

I don't agree with the huge settlements.

I do know that I cannot believe I recently joined FR to waste 10 posts on a foam sausage story. ;-) Like there's nothing else going on in this world.

True. :^)

[BunnySlippers]

Maybe the Department of Justice should investigate this incident. This could be one of those infamous hate crimes!

Obviously since it was an Italian sausage it was directed at Italians. However it hurt us when the American hot dog took a tumble too.

[Charles Henrickson]

This could be one of those infamous hate crimes! . . . Obviously since it was an Italian sausage it was directed at Italians.

Playing the sausage race card, eh?

[Charles Henrickson]

Thanks for the sausage links.

[Skywalk]

We agree on this case. I don't think he should do hard time or anything, or even face criminal charges, but the way I look at it is this:

That's your girlfriend or sister in the race. The guy takes whack at her, she falls.

How angry would you be?

It's all fun and games when it happens to a mascot, it's like people turn off their empathy when the human dons the outfit. But if these same people's wives or sisters were in that costume, they'd feel differently.

That is NOT to say I think he should be beaten to a pulp, but one good punch would suffice.