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Sports TwitterEight Dragons, manager suspended for roles in brawl
Friday, August 01, 2008
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DAYTON — After more than a week of pouring over video and umpire reports from a bench-clearing brawl between the Dragons and Peoria Chiefs last week, the Midwest League today, Aug. 1, announced suspensions and fines, none of them unexpected.
Suspended for three games each were the eight Dragons, plus manager Donnie Scott, originally ejected from the July 24, game at Fifth Third Field.
Other Dragons were also fined an undisclosed sum for leaving their positions.
The eight players suspended are catcher Devin Mesoraco, outfielders Justin Reed and Denis Phipps, infielder Kevyn Feiner and pitchers Jeff Jeffords, Jeremy Horst, Luis Montano and Henry Arias.
The suspended players and Scott have also been fined.
Because there were so many suspensions, they will be served in a rotation. Three players — Jeffords, Horst and Phipps — begin their suspensions tonight while the team is in Davenport, Iowa, playing Quad Cities.
On Tuesday, when the Dragons return home for a four-game series with Fort Wayne, two or three other players will have to sit out until all the suspensions are served.
Seven Peoria players were also ejected, along with their manager, but all players were allowed to continue in that game and in games since when it was decided those players were needed for the teams to compete. The Midwest League has not disclosed the general suspensions or fines for the Peoria players.
Peoria's ejections included outfielders Brandon Guyer and Cliff Anderson, infielder Jovan Rosa, catcher Mario Mercedes and pitchers Julio Castillo, Steve Vento and Audy Santana.
Interim manager Carmelo Martinez was suspended for 20 days.
Even before the suspensions were announced, the two teams began administering their own punishment, including the Cubs demoting Castillo to its rookie team in Mesa, Ariz. Castillo drew the harshest penalty: a 60-day suspension.
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 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.
