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Y! MyWebEight Dragons, manager suspended for roles in brawl
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> Breakdown of the penalties
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Friday, August 01, 2008
DAYTON — By the time he reached Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, on Friday, Aug. 1, to play the Quad Cities River Bandits, Dayton Dragons manager Donnie Scott was in no mood to discuss suspensions and fines levied by the Midwest League for his team and the Peoria Chiefs.
"I can't comment on it," said Scott, who was able to make out his lineup for the game, but not make any decisions after that due to his suspension for three games.
Eight Dragons in addition to Scott were suspended for three games each, and each was fined an undisclosed sum, believed to be $150 each, the same as the Chiefs, who had seven players suspended as well as interim manager Carmelo Martinez.
The two biggest punishments went to Martinez — 20 games, $1,500 — and Peoria pitcher Julio Castillo, who not only was part of the July 24 brawl at Fifth Third Field, but inadvertently threw a ball into the stands, striking a fan in the forehead.
Castillo, who was removed from the Peoria roster by the parent Cubs the day after the fight, was suspended for 60 games (running into next season) and fined $1,000. Castillo is also facing a felony charge in Dayton.
Martinez, the Cubs Latin American Field Coordinator filling in for Ryne Sandberg, touched off the incident by leaving his dugout to argue with Scott. When Martinez pushed Scott, the benches emptied.
The eight Dragons suspended — for three games each — are catcher Devin Mesoraco, outfielders Justin Reed and Denis Phipps, infielder Kevyn Feiner and pitchers Jeff Jeffords, Jeremy Horst, Luis Montano and Henry Arias.
All of the players and Scott — who also sits out three games — have been fined an undisclosed sum. The Dragons did not announce the fines, but the Chiefs did, and indications are that they are similar, except for the fines to Castillo and Martinez.
Additional Chiefs suspensions and fines went to outfielders Brandon Guyer and Cliff Andersen, infielder Jovan Rosa, catcher Mario Mercedes and pitchers Steve Vento and Audy Santana.
League president George Spelius said it was up to the teams to announce fines if they wanted, and Peoria did, saying each player with a three-game suspension was also fined $150.
In addition, the Chiefs' players were fined a lump sum of $1,200 for leaving their positions. While the Dragons did not announce the amount of their fines (they also face a lump-sum assessment), they are believed to be about the same. It is not known if the players will have to pay that or the parent Reds will foot the bill.
Because there were so many suspensions, they will be served in a rotation. Three players — Jeffords, Horst and Phipps (and Scott) — began their suspensions Friday.
On Tuesday, when the Dragons return home for a four-game series with Fort Wayne, Arias, Montano and Feiner will sit out for three games, followed by Mesoraco and Reed.
Even before the suspensions were announced, the parent Cubs and Reds began administering their own punishments, including the Cubs demoting Castillo to their rookie team in Mesa, Ariz. The Reds were even harsher with second baseman Angel Cabrera, who was released on Monday.
Ironically, Cabrera was not ejected, fined or suspended from the brawl game, but it is believed that some of his actions instigated the fight. Allegedly, Cabrera was the player Castillo was trying to hit when the baseball he threw hit a fan in the stands.
The Reds said Cabrera was no longer a prospect and that was the reason he was released.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.
