6:51pm: MLB and the Players Association have negotiated the suspension down to four games, González reports (Twitter link). Rendon has dropped his appeal and will be out for the set in Seattle, as well as Friday’s series opener with the Blue Jays.
6:11pm: The Halos have informed reporters that Rendon is appealing the ban, tweets Sam Blum of the Athletic. He’ll continue playing while that process plays out. Rendon is starting at third base and hitting cleanup tonight against George Kirby.
5:05pm: Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon has been handed a five-game suspension, Major League Baseball announced Monday afternoon. He has also been fined an undisclosed amount.
The discipline arises out of an Opening Day incident in Oakland. Rendon got into an argument with an A’s fan, whom he said had called him a “b****.” Rendon was holding the fan’s shirt through the guardrail during that spat, in which he called the fan “a motherf*****.” Rendon then swiped towards the fan’s head with his left hand, although it didn’t appear he made contact on that swing. The All-Star infielder then walked down the dugout.
Video of the incident circulated on Twitter the following day. MLB and the Oakland Police Department both opened investigations. The OPD hasn’t provided any further update beyond initially noting they’ve created a case file and were “actively investigating” the matter. Rendon and the Angels both declined comment over the weekend.
Rendon has the right to appeal the suspension. It isn’t yet clear whether he’ll do so. If he declines to appeal, he’d begin serving the ban during tonight’s game against the Mariners.
Alden González of ESPN reported the suspension shortly before the league announcement.
Dodgerfan34
Well that was dumb of him to do. 5 days off!
13Morgs13
So far he has taken that whole contract off, what’s 5 days
egrossen
If he isn’t injured he’s suspended…
Hope he gets it together and finally puts in a good season.
13Morgs13
If u are a angels fan be happy. Since signing that’s the closest he came to hitting something
HalosHeavenJJ
thanks for the laugh. He did hit Jesse Winker, though, so he’s 1 for 2.
Plugnplay
Ok, I’ll give in to this troll. Give Rendon some credit, he totally short armed that tiny jab and pulled it back. He could of gave that scum a chin check if he wanted to. Trust!
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
He’s a baseball player, not a boxer and we’ve seen how 3B fight, just ask Robin Ventura!
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
He could’ve pulled that back? It was a weenie shot at best It makes like Rendon look like a Sunday afternoon weenie bbq..
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
If anything it makes Rendon look like he can’t hit anything.
Punishment? a slap on the “face”
ARC 2
So if I went to a game and Rendon called me the B word i have the right to grab his jersey and curse him out and knock his cap off. According to many here I should not get kicked out but praised by you guys that support Rendon actions.
websoulsurfer
He was trying to hit his cap, not his face. If he had it would have been a closed fist, not a flick of the wrist.
Ted
It’s not that you “have the right to” so much as both parties would be to blame. Nobody is arguing that Rendon is in the right here. Just that the fan is equally to blame.
thecrown24
@PlugnPlay and if he touched that fan with a punch he would be out Hundreds of Thousands of dollars which I’m sure The fan will sue and still get a nice little check out of a “Mental Midgets” lapse in judgement. Trust when I say that Your response seems like you are the type of dude who couldn’t handle the heckling from fans if you were in the show.
prov356
plug – “…he could of gave…”?
“..he could HAVE GIVEN…”
Stay in school.
Colorado Red
If he had, it would have been at least 30 games, or more.
Colorado Red
A little fist pump as pitcher, gets you 7 games, punch out a fan and 5 games. shows how dumb MLB Leadership is
bronxmac77
You might have the ‘right’…
But you’d never have the cajoñes.
bronxmac77
Bingo.
Rishi
Yes. Indeed. If someone verbally abused you they should have to pay the consequences. If you aren’t allowed to retaliate we live in a world where someone can bully you but you can’t do anything about it. That’s not how life should work.
Rishi
I am arguing that he had the right to hit him. So people should be aloud to verbally attack you and there is nothing you can do about it except insult them back which they likely don’t give a dam and would love an excuse to escalate things more?
nukeg
Insert eye roll. Apparently nobody has been to an NFL or NBA game. The only factor here is that it was caught on video.
One of my favorite “fan” memories – many years ago – was we had court side tix at Clippers and Suns. The players walked by for half time and a guy tells Tom Chambers he’s “a white b-tch.” Tom stopped in his tracks and grabbed the guy to snap him in half. Security jumped in and Tom went his merry way. Security took the fan away.
bronxmac77
Today Tom could have the moron prosecuted for a racist hate crime.
bronxmac77
Nobody got punched out, Red.
But I agree, MLB leadership could use help. This amended sentence was brokered by the MLBPA and MLB, so there is that.
bronxmac77
Well sed, Ted.
bronxmac77
Rendon no.
Josh Donaldson yes.
Tim Anderson also yes.
bronxmac77
@ARC 2
If Rendon called you the B word, the other B word, the C word, the DB word(s), the F word, the other F word, the J word, the LGBTQ plus or minus words, the N word, the P word and/or the S word… you would indeed have the right to grab his shirt, and knock his cap off.
Curse? No. We don’t want to stoop to his level, do we?
possible donkey
That gave me a good laugh. Very true
Deadguy
BURN!!!
I’m on rondons side, hit that motherf***er! Don’t let him talk to you like that… if it was a woman, then yeah he was stupid… dudes got the money and doesn’t like playing baseball anyways like Trevor Bauer? Said he doent want to play till he’s 40… he can retire now and go kick that fans ass
The angels sure do have a knack for signing free agents to terrible deals? Must be the front offices business model? Josh Hamilton and now Anthony Rendon
GoogleMe
You have to take care when you talk crap to other people. You never know what someone is going through. Rendon probably feels an extreme amount of pressure. He has heard how he is the worst contract in baseball. His daughter just broke her arm. He is probably tired of losing and they just lost another one. Every one has a breaking point even if the typically reserved Rendon reaches a point where they can snap.
Fan is lucky it was Rendon that showed restraint. There is no telling what would happen if this was Albert Belle.
outinleftfield
The fan he grabbed and the older guy he was with were incessant all game. It started with insults hurled at Rendon, quickly escalated to obscenities and verbal abuse. If it was Albert Belle or Milton Bradley, they would have been carrying the guy out on a stretcher around about the 2nd or 3rd inning.
ARC 2
@outinleftfield How do you know that happened? I doubt you were at the agme so don’t believe what somebody says on a talk radio show.
outinleftfield
Season ticket holder since the 1980s and I attend about 100 Angels games a year. Definitely not going to miss opening day no matter where it is.
You can doubt it all you want or you can come find me in the stands next time opening day is on the road. If its in Oakland again or anywhere with only 20k fans in the stands, I will be close to the Angels dugout.
ARC 2
Next time don’t lie about it. That was not behind the dug out but 3 sections over from the dugout. Its the players tunnel I know because I sat there before. Why lie about it?
bronxmac77
I’m sorry. But I cannot condone Rendon’s tone about the bone he had to pick with the obnoxious drunk fan.
outinleftfield
WTF are you talking about? Rendon was walking from the dugout to the tunnel which is between the dugout and the Diamond Level dugout seats directly behind home plate. Right in front of the on deck circle which you can see in some of the videos. The only way you access that section is through the dugout seating sections between 114 and 115. We were in 114 row 13 on that side. The other players were signing autographs. Probably 10 of the 30 people hanging over the rail wanted an Ohtani autograph and he was just behind Rendon. Watch the video of all the fans hanging over the rail to get stuff signed. Those two guys pushed their way through all the fans trying to get autographs to talk more crud.
ARC 2
I have sat in those seats and they are not close to the dugout. The players walk 2 sections to get through the tunnel. No way Rendon was ragged on all game because you wouldn’t hear 2 fans from that far away from the dugout. Stop making up excuses.
outinleftfield
You sat in those $400 per game Diamond Level seats? LMFAO.
Section 14 is directly over the dugout. Right where players come out to go to the on deck circle or to run onto the field. Stop f’ing lying.
bronxmac77
Watch the f’ing language.
We don’t go for that sh’t around here.
statman
I’m surprised that either of the a’s fans upset Rendon that much!
Rounding3rd
Maybe he was upset at BOTH of the A’s fans. Attendance is going to be atrocious this season given the quality of the team. And I’m an A’s fan.
outinleftfield
To be fair, about 20 thousand showed up for A’s opening day. In that huge old mausoleum that seats 60k plus, it felt like only a few hundred fans. Not like the sold out games in the Big A.
BPax
Rendon was in uniform? When did this happen?
iverbure
What’s dumb is fan are allowed to say whatever they want to these athletes and they think they can get away with it. Judges should start forcing these guys to fight these athletes for everyone’s else entertainment and the money raised from his beating is what they get. No money from the athlete.
bronxmac77
Agree. Plus he didn’t even hit the guy. Whiff!
Brad Zoe
As long as that fan is banned then it’s all good. Fans need to start respecting people. It doesn’t matter “they play a sport” the stuff people scream at players ….man… players should be allowed to do this.
showmebb
Ridiculous take. No one should be allowed to physically assault a fan. I don’t like name calling personally but if he can’t take being called names then he has no business in the game.
BaseballBrian
“players should be allowed to do this.”….Several bozos liked that comment? God help us.
hiflew
Since when is putting up with drunken jerks a key requirement for playing baseball? Everyone is saying that Rendon should just put up with it, but would you? If some guy came to your job and called you a b****, would you just let it go?
The onus should be on the fan to not act like that. Just because you buy a ticket doesn’t mean you don’t have to live by the rules of society. If you walk up to a man on the street and call him that name, you are going to get worse than your shirt grabbed. I know I would slug a guy in the jaw for it.
bhambrave
And you’d be arrested.
hiflew
Being arrested is far better than not standing up for yourself.
BlueSkies_LA
Ever since players got paid to do just that. They aren’t just guys on the street, they are wearing a uniform. They are representing their sport and their team.
The fan was certainly subject to being ejected from the stadium for his behavior, but for that to happen he’s got to be caught by an usher or security. Apparently he wasn’t.
CardsFan77
Well, that ENTIRE salary and Trouts and Showtime and every other athlete is paid for by the fans. I will agree that it is in poor taste to heckle players but to make them stop literally infringes on their forst amendment rights as an American. Also, to assault someone physically over a word does actually make him a B****…he is wealthy, he has everything in life, be the bigger man and move on…
paisley101
If I were arrested, I’d loss my job. Not worth it.
websoulsurfer
Chronicle said today that the fan had been identified.
showmebb
Names having bothered me since I became an adult.
el rey
If they catch you. Usually they don’t.
outinleftfield
While the comments from the fan went on all game, the altercation with Rendon happened after the game was over.
disadvantage
@hiflew – Heckling will always be a part of sports. If I knew that as a (bad) high school pitcher or when I decided to wear my Giants gear to Dodger Stadium, I’m going to go out on a limb that Rendon understands that he will be called names.
As for your hypotheticals, there’s a lot of missing context. For starters, does your employer collect money to have thousands people stand around you at a desk to cheer for/against you while also providing them with alcohol?
MuleorAstroMule
Brad here doesn’t say anywhere that it’s okay to assault anyone. But if you mouth off you should understand that human nature can lead you down of path of you having a couple less teeth for your trouble. And of all the people I could feel pity for, an obnoxious fan is pretty far down the list.
MC Tim C
You’re probably the fan who called him that showme. I’d put you in the ground if I were him.
bhambrave
Keyboard warriors are out tonight.
bronxmac77
Says the dweeb who gets beach-slapped by girl scouts selling cookies
bhambrave
Case in point.
rondon
You’re take is just as ridiculous. You see a clip on twitter and you becomes the judge and jury. I think Rendon was wrong to make physical contact, but where does verbal abuse end? Buying a ticket does NOT give you the right to verbally abuse a player or anyone else in the stands for that matter. The PC police bs is out of control.
JP8
You dont like verbal abuse or the PC police? They are diametrically opposed.
bronxmac77
Oh BOOLSHEET.
outinleftfield
showme, what is ridiculous is commenting without actually knowing what happened. You were not at the game and you are making a judgement based on a video you saw on Twitter that is about 10 seconds long, not an incident that was over 2 hours in the making.
The level of verbal abuse from that guy and his buddy was worse than I have seen in the bleachers at Candlestick, Wrigley, or Yankee Stadium. That the fan was allowed to continue his tirade without being escorted out of the ballpark was pathetic. The A’s management should be ashamed.
I would have climbed up into the stands and beat his a$$ by the 2nd or 3rd inning and many A’s and Angels fans were yelling at that fan and his equally inebriated friend to shut up for much of the game.
That said, I am not being paid millions of dollars, nor do I have a clause in my contract that specifies what penalties I can be given for a physical altercation with a fan. That Rendon received the lowest penalty of 5 days suspension, says volumes about what MLB saw and heard in their investigation.
So climb down off your ill-informed soapbox and get more evidence before trying to judge the situation.
Fraham_
Players are paid at a premium to withstand taunting. Fans pay for tickets and really can say whatever they want as long as it’s not racist/violent or something of that nature.
BlueSkies_LA
The A’s fan code of conduct is broader than that. It prohibits “foul/abusive language or obscene gestures” and the team “reserves unto itself the right to determine what constitutes unacceptable behavior.” Fans who fail to comply can be ejected.
bhambrave
Ballparks have rules, and if a fan breaks those rules he can suffer the consequences. Those consequences shouldn’t include being assaulted.
BaseballisLife
Depends what you say. If you threaten to harm someone, which is assault, then physical battery against you is legally defensible in most states.
MLB must know something that we don’t about what the fan did because the suspension was so short. I’m sure more will come out about this in the days to come.
outinleftfield
Its too bad that the stadium staff in Oakland do not actually enforce that. If they did this guy would have been gone long before this happened. He would not have made it to the 2nd inning at the Big A or Dodger Stadium.
BlueSkies_LA
Not sure what happens in Oakland but even in those other parks usually someone has to report the behavior to security. Not so long ago Dodger Stadium stationed ushers in nearly ever aisle. Now they have hardly any and they only appear if someone texts to security.
Longtimecoming
Fraham – do you really think that is in a players contract?
Fraham_
Being able to deal with taunting and negativity is part of being a profesional athlete.
Dodgerfan34
I’m curious to know if he even picked the right guy? Plus, as long as the Fans are paying then MLB has to take their best interest at heart peryou may not like it when somebody calls you a name, take it on the chin and walk away. It’s a bad look if you have your players attacking fans. Nobody know.
outinleftfield
He picked the right guy.
hiflew
Can we please stop calling this assault? Rendon grabbed his jacket. That is not assault. At worst it could be called battery, but even that would be a stretch and would get you laughed out of court in most states.
SJG
I don’t think you understand the definition of either. It’s assault, but not battery. Assault can be something as simple as throwing something at a person, even if it doesn’t make contact. Battery is physically touching.
BlueSkies_LA
It’s funny how these discussions fill up with junior Perry Masons the moment something like this happens. This isn’t a legal matter, it’s a matter of a player being docked a few games by his employer for irresponsible behavior and an equally irresponsible fan not getting thrown out of the stadium not because he shouldn’t have been but because he wasn’t caught except on videos. Your witness, councilor.
hiflew
Kiss my ass every once in a while, your breath might improve.
flamingbagofpoop
Hiflew is wrong, consistently…it’s not surprising.
websoulsurfer
The Chronicle said today that the fan had been identified by other fans to the Athletics staff. The game was over and both the player and the fans were leaving, so the drunk fan was just escorted out by his friends. Doesn’t mean there will be no consequences for the fan or the season ticket holder if that fan wasn’t one.
“Major League Baseball is investigating a postgame incident involving Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon and a fan at Oakland’s Coliseum after the Athletics and Angels’ opening night game on Thursday.”
GoogleMe
5 games for putting a loud mouth jerk in his place, but 0 games that cheated with trashcans, google watches, or spider tack.
Armaments216
If the player has an issue with a fan, say something to management and let the stadium authorities deal with it. There’s no reason or excuse for confronting a fan directly.
outinleftfield
If that worked, that guy would have been escorted out by the 2nd inning.
bhambrave
It looks like Hiflew muted me, since I can no longer reply to his posts. LOL.
Technically, legally, this was assault.
“Assault is generally defined as an intentional act that puts another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact.”
-Cornell
Longtimecoming
Brave – look up battery. In my law school that taught us in criminal law that Battery involves contact and Assault was non-contact. I understand there was contact – even if minimal it’s like being pregnant – either was or wasn’t. Not graded on a scale of how bad or subjective as to how if it was enough or not.
BaseballisLife
Once you touch the other person it is battery. It can be considered assault just by saying you intend to strike them. “I am going to kick your bleep, bl+ch” would be considered assault.
Ted
There’s an appalling number of fans who think “I paid for my ticket so I can XYZ” whether we’re talking about cursing at athletes, using a phone at a movie theater, or talking during a play.
Your ticket gets you the right to enjoy the production. It’s not a free pass on civilized behavior.
Fan should be banned for life.
pirateking24
There are people who get a rise out making others upset. He would have been better smiling and saying thank you and walking away. This annoys Unpleasant people.
HalosHeavenJJ
You had me until the three dots.
I get the “if the fans had to pay the price for running their mouths maybe they wouldn’t run them so much” angle and agree that’s true.
There’s zero chance this guy calls Rendon anything if he thought he’d have to actually square up and face the music.
But we can’t have players fighting fans.
nosake
This!
Senioreditor
Just because they allow you to comment doesn’t mean you should.
Senioreditor
You’re arguing with idiots.
Senioreditor
Now get out of here with such talk!
Senioreditor
For all of you that think what Rendon did was ok, it’s only one small step to Malice in the Palace and I assure you EVERY public figure is extremely fearful of that scenario. Rendon was a double fool for even acknowledging the fan, what if that fan had a gun or knife on him? We’d be referring to Rendon in past tense. It’s baseball. Ignore the taunts and play your 162 games and focus of far more important things.
websoulsurfer
Now that is pretty stupid. Have you ever been to a game in person? You are not getting in with a gun or a knife.
Since you have no idea what was said TO Rendon, but MLB obviously does know and gave him a slap on the wrist, it might be good to shut up until you do.
OnlineFeatures
If he can’t take being called a b**** then he doesn’t need to be on the field. I agree that there are things that are said that are well over the line. Those are uncalled for. But this? Naw, if you can’t take being called a b**** then get thicker skin as a professional athlete being paid 30+ mill a year
Questionable_Source
These guys are pathetic. Whining about someone being mean to them.
I remember John Rocker getting doused with beers, having (plastic) beer bottles and batteries thrown at him along with verbal abuse in Shea Stadium during the playoffs.
He took the high road, did his job, then fought back in the media. How’d that work out, again?
SocoComfort
@Questionable One of the reasons why Guys like Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron were and are so loved is because they took all that verbal abuse and didn’t retaliate back. All this retaliation back just shows how far our country has turned away from Christ by not turning the other cheek and not going about things peacefully. Everyone is so emotional about everything now a days and most folks don’t realize the spiritual reasons behind it .
BlueSkies_LA
Right problem, wrong answer. Very wrong answer.
prov356
Thank you SocoComfort.
BlueSkies_LA
So you agree that the problem with the country is not everyone practices YOUR religion. Smug much? And that’s the VERY most generous way I can ask the question.
bronxmac77
More recently, Adam Jones endured that kind of crap in Boston. He dealt with it with far more class than Rendon did. Sad that nonsense is still an issue a century after JRR’s birth.
Manfred Rob's Earth Band
Love the answer. Spot on.
outinleftfield
Most religions have some precept about being kind and peaceful. If he simply said that, his post would be ok in my book. Trying to push your specific religion on a baseball website is not kosher. Pun intended.
outinleftfield
Most recently Tommy Pham endured a small portion of what Rendon endured for the entire game on Thursday and he found the fan after the game and threatened to beat him up. Sad that fans like that guy are allowed to deliver that garbage for an entire game without being ejected.
websoulsurfer
Pham has done that on two different teams, Padres and Red Sox. Will he make it a trifecta with the Mets? Might get himself killed doing that outside of Citi Field.
BlueSkies_LA
As do people who adhere to no organized religion. Trying to push religious beliefs on anyone anywhere, let alone declaring your own religion to be the exclusive source of all good must be called what it is: bigotry.
bronxmac77
The Sad part about JRR, most of HIS abuse didn’t come from the stands.
bronxmac77
John Rocker took the high road…
That’s fuggin’ funny.
brewsingblue82
Should a fan feel the need to heckle? No. But athletes are under both a spotlight and a microscope. They need to have thick skin. And also realize the need to be a role model. I’m pretty sure most of us have been called a “b****” before in our lives. And any of us with thicker skin would have shrugged it off. There’s much worse things people can say to us, and if that’s what sets off an altercation, punishment should be handed down.
That being said, the fan deserved punishment as well. Fan honestly should be banned from live games. But a 5 game suspension for Rendon was fair. He reacted in a negative way, and even if he didn’t make contact with the slap attempt, he made an aggressive move with the shirt grab.
It was a moment where he should’ve held himself to higher standards than a likely drunken fan, and he failed to do so.
BaseballisLife
A 5 game suspension was the least that MLB could give for a physical altercation with a fan according to the CBA. If MLB thought this was serious, they could have sat Rendon for a very long time.
All we have as fans is a 12 second video on Twitter. MLB has much more info. Apparently they think the incident was not all that serious.
bronxmac77
Heckling is one thing.
The only time I ever chirped or booed at a game was if a player dogged it…
But even then I never took it personal. The guy on the field is still a human being.
outinleftfield
I remember yelling funny things like “Dante’s got a wedgie” to Dante Bichette, and “back on the bus, you’re one of us” at other players trying to get a laugh or a rise out of them. But I have never, ever said an obscenity at a game. Its supposed to be a family friendly environment. One I want to take my kids and grandkids to and have them be excited about going.
The fan at opening day in Oakland was WAY out of line the whole game and then went over the top after the game was over.
By the way, I stole that line from another fan and Dante did laugh and responded to the 4 of us the rest of the game. He was a great sport.
bronxmac77
Totally agree. I saw Rickey in San Diego. Twice. He’d chitchat with the left field fans all the time. No malice. Lots of fun. I know Oakland LOVED that guy. So did I.
Manfred Rob's Earth Band
It’s one of those cases where it’s easy to say how someone SHOULD act. It’s another to experience what Hector experienced and react perfectly. I’m in awe at the athletes who take the verbal abuse they do without blinking. Good for them.
thecrown24
@Brad Zoe “They play a sport” making millions of dollars that’s why they should take it. Unless it was a racial slur then these players should eat everything with a smile and realize they are payed this much to play a god damn sport! Plain and simple. Some people are trash did you see Hank Aaron reacting to any of this crap when he was getting death threats, and being treated like dirt from the racist scumbags? That man had Pride, Integrity, Honor, and the Thickest Skin in the sport. The true Homerun king and did it with all the hate and adversity that most these players in todays day DO NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO EXPERIENCING AND NEVER WILL.
Plugnplay
Nice Crown or Clown should I say. The last thing you should be typing is hating on a person standing up for decency. Enough said. I don’t care if you make a buck or billions.
There’s one thing in life that should matter to all, and it doesn’t matter what profession your in.
“Treat all how you want to be treated”
End of story and we’re all good.
thecrown24
@Plugnplay you sound like a Buffon. Your advocating and in defense of Rendons actions of physically assaulting a fan because he was called a B**** from a fan and then Rendon calls him a Mother F*****? Words are words and are some fans absolutely ridiculous and classless absolutely and they should be punished also if they are deliberately harassing players. But to sit there and think being called the B word as opposed to a MFer is worse you are Lossttttt. Not only is Rendon soft and wrong he actually called the guy a harsher curse word.
DarkSide830
Rendon shouldn’t have done what he did, but some of these idiot fans need to get a clue and act better.
outinleftfield
Darkside, More than that, fans like this guy should be held accountable for their actions.
Other fans need to be responsible for reporting actions that are offensive or abusive. They are the first line against idiots like this guy and his buddy who drank too much and feel they have a right to shout obscenities and and other verbal abuse. This guy never should have allowed to still be at that game until after it was over when this altercation happened. He should have been removed innings earlier. Like in the 2nd inning.
In this case, other fans were upset enough that one pushed the fan Rendon grabbed. They didn’t like what he was saying either.
There are cameras all over stadiums. There is no area of the park that is not monitored, especially near dugouts and bullpens. There are security personnel in and around the dugout. Team security personnel need to take reports seriously and remove abusive fans immediately, not allow them to continue inning and after inning like this jerk did. .
Rendon was not in the right to escalate the situation to a physical altercation. Violence is seldom the answer. He deserved and received a suspension. From media reports it seems the suspension was the shortest one MLB could impose and even that was shortened on appeal.
Now lets play ball 1st place Angels.
BaseballisLife
From your comments I take it you were at the game?
outinleftfield
Have only missed a couple Angels opening day games since the 1980s.
swanhenge
Rendon has millions in the bank and he’s an entertainer in LA. Why does he even care about comments coming from the unwashed masses? Just keep walking…
racosun
Another swing-&-miss even after the game.
SanDiegoSuperDissapointingPadres
As they say, dude couldn’t even hit a barn door!
Longtimecoming
I tend to agree with Darkside but also think fans need to be held accountable for their actions.
What is the penalty – fan is banned for how long when Rendon gets 5 games? That is the problem. Can’t see banning a fan for life compared to 5 games? The season, probably not. Then if he is 1 x / year fan is there really a “penalty”.
Difficult situation all the way around and neither of their actions is good for the sport.
When I was younger in the 70’s I seem to recall a player going in the stands and getting in a few shots at a fan – Reds I believe. Cepeda or Tolan maybe. Someone will know or look up.
bhambrave
Fans have been heckling players since baseball started. If you kick every fan who heckles out of the ballpark, then there are going to be A LOT of empty seats.
Longtimecoming
Is some comment like this or even a racist comment (as an example) just heckling?
When a fan / person makes it personal, it’s not sport related and is out of bounds as a normal sense of societies rules for decent human conduct.
HalosHeavenJJ
Agreed.
Teams have fan codes of conduct that they put on the video boards before the games for a reason.
You violate those terms, you forfeit your privilege of attending games.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
How is calling somebody a “b—” personal?? That is a pretty generic term these days. It might be one level above calling someone a jerk. Big deal.
Ted
How is it not personal? How would you feel if someone called you that in public? It’s not a “generic” term. It’s disgusting and sexist.
Longtimecoming
ignorant – so a guy walking down the sidewalk calls out to you mom – Hey Bi*** – you’re good with that?
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
It’s just a word, dude. Is it rude? Certainly. But c’mon. It comes with the territory when you’re making the big bucks and you’re in the spotlight. The way Rendon reacted is just going to magnify the amount of harassment he hears at games from now on by 1000%. Particularly if he keeps struggling.
drasco036
If I said, “Hey Rendon, you’re a little b@$&” that is personal.
I’m not assuming anything at this point. I don’t know what was said or what really happened and I probably won’t.
HalosHeavenJJ
It appears he specifically called out Rendon. Not a single other player even looks at the idiot.
And B is a lot worse than a jerk.
Calling a man a B is 100% an attack on his manhood, often the last insult needed to start a fight.
I’ll take getting called a jerk. I’m not a big fan of street fighting, but if I get called a B I have a vastly different reaction.
HalosHeavenJJ
I thought the same. Now that fans know he has thin skin, they’ll harass him even more.
Best thing Rendon could’ve done is ignored him or clowned him with the obvious “look who’s tough when he’s behind a fence” or something like that.
Halo11Fan
I can’t believe there is not more to the story. I’m sure drunk obnoxious fans are constantly yelling profanity. It seems strange he reacted.
During the appeal, Rendon will tell his side of the story, and the suspension will be reduced. You can’t grab a jersey and you can swipe at the bill of a fans cap. A suspension is warranted.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
The only thing I see is if a heckler is using profane language and is drunk off his a$$ in front of children & families…that should be reason enough to expel someone from the park. But just for yelling at players…nah. Part of the game.
bhambrave
Yeah, I get your point. There can be consequences for a fan who crosses the line that’s written on the back of the ticket.
Longtimecoming
Ignorant – The handle fits!
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Thank you, that’s why I chose it. Cheers.
HalosHeavenJJ
I love a good ironic laugh. Thanks.
You make a good point up to a point. I think we all agree that heckling to a degree is part of the fan experience. We’ll have different views on where lines are crossed.
Anything racist is always over that line. Anything personal is usually over that line.
websoulsurfer
That fan obviously was using “profane language” and was “drunk off his a$$”. What we don’t know is what he was saying before Rendon reacted to him after the game was over.
MLB has all the evidence, and they gave Rendon a minimal penalty for his actions. Obviously, there is more to the story than we got to see in that 12 second clip on Twitter edited from a much longer video.
BaseballisLife
You never saw the fan using profane language. That is the problem with most of the comments here. You are making a judgement based on 12 seconds of video you saw on Twitter. You have no idea what led up to that 12 seconds. Judging either party from that video is rather stupid on our parts. Let’s see what info comes out before we pronounce judgement.
jjd002
I played college ball with Tolan’s son. I could totally see him doing that. He was a hot head at his son’s games.
Appalachian_Outlaw
Honestly, I have no issue with what Rendon did. The fan antagonized him, and I think Rendon was trying to knock the guy’s hat off his head, not punch him.
I get the suspension though, and I can’t say I have an issue with that either. MLB has to draw a line or next time it could be a player punching a fan.
2012orioles
If players acted like that anytime a fan called them something you and me would be lacing up to play eventually. There’s no excuse to act like that. Is the fan a jerk, yes, but move on. It’s expected to have drunk idiots at the park
Appalachian_Outlaw
There should be a line for fans that they can’t cross, too. It’s one thing to heckle a player about his game, but it’s an entirely different thing to personally attack a player. It goes beyond being a drunken idiot. And if any fan can’t handle their beer, don’t drink.
The fan got his card pulled, and he deserved it. Maybe next time he won’t be such a clown.
KingOmar
2012orioles = clown show.
Any fan openly denigrating a player with name-calling is 100% in the wrong. Players are people too.
2012orioles
Again, I’m not defending the fans actions. I like to see fake tough guys get their chops busted when they chirp from behind a wall. But Rendon can’t be doing that. You think that’s the first time someone’s been called a b**** at a ball game? It’s part of being in the spotlight.
2012orioles
And I guess you’re in the wrong for calling me a clown. I’ll be sure to get my free swing at you when I see you at the royal parade King Omar. I’m the peasant with the clown nose on
In Seager/Hader We Trust > the 70 MM DH Ohtani
I am waiting for a 324 game suspension…
Still waiting…
Curveball1984
“Domestic violence is abhorrent in all of its forms”. Apparently not we see. So the League & Union are pro-domestic violence.
BaseballisLife
Are you saying that fan was Rendon’s boyfriend or do you misunderstand what domestic means?
ctbronx7
Rendon was out of line and deserved to be docked a few days pay.
But the fan’s was worse. He should be banned from all MLB and MILB parks for at least a year.
TrillionaireTeamOperator
It’s the right decision. It’s a solid message to all involved that violence isn’t an appropriate response. I am guessing he loses the pay for the games he’s suspended and he’s been fined something like a token $100k, so Rendon loses around $1.3M from this. Even at his pay level, that’s a pretty steep financial penalty to pay and sends the right message.
As for the fan- I have mixed feelings. I don’t get why people are so against a fan saying something that a lot of fans say. A lot of fans yell harsh stuff at players. It’s the modern equivalent of screaming “you’re a bum!” or something classic like that.
Rendon should’ve been situationally aware enough to know not to physically go after the guy- or say anything, really.
Heck, if Rendon had walked away into the club house then screamed “MFer” etc that would have been fine.
There’s a huge difference between letting out in semi-privacy off camera off the field, not directly interacting with the fan base vs what Rendon did.
In real life, if someone had called someone else what this guy called Rendon, at say a bar or a casual beer league game, etc. Rendon grabbing the dude and swinging at him would have been battery and possibly assault.
I don’t think he’d have deserved jail time for it, but it still would have required some kind of penalty, like getting 86’d from that location.
So this suspension and the related fines/loss of income are absolutely commensurate and appropriate.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Very level-headed and rational take. +1
Halo11Fan
He didn’t swing at him. He tried to hit the bill of his cap. That’s really obvious.
We don’t have to exaggerate this. Grabbing his jersey and slapping at the bill of his cap is enough to warrant suspension.
As far as battery. Why not charge him for kidnapping. That’s ridiculous.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
There was some evidence that Rendon may have been attempting a light hearted interaction with the fan, but it just didn’t come off that way overall. I agree that the “swipe” looked like a playful gesture trying to knock off his cap.
HalosHeavenJJ
yeah, if Rendon really wanted to hit the dude he’d have done it with one hand while continuing to hold him with the other hand.
He did a swipe to make the dude flinch back and look like a wimp. Possibly to knock his hat off. In no way was that a punch or a strike intended to land.
Curveball1984
Clearly you’re an Angels Homer. Rendon was not being playful. He had the look of wild anger in his eyes. Anyone who’s ever been in a fight knows that look. Rendon was doing the smiley thing with the intent of confronting or striking the guy to get his retribution. He deserved a far stiffer punishment than he got. Had he done what he did outside, he’d of been immediately arrested under California law.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Yeah it’s difficult to discern from the 12 second clip; but I am going to propose that Rendon was attempting to be playful (the swipe) but his “energy” was all wrong. His energy did not jive with his actions…but he was sorta Dr.Jekyl & Mr. Hyde all in the same moment. I believe that’s why his teammates didn’t intervene, because they thought he was “playin.”
Halo11Fan
California doesn’t arrest felons. Are you kidding me?
YankeesBleacherCreature
I felt nobody intervened because they didn’t want to escalate the mano a mano situation. His teammates know Rendon and the security behind them all read the situation. You don’t know who the fan’s “friends” are in the stands. It could get ugly really quick when bodies are being pushed.
websoulsurfer
It will cost Rendon $888,888.89.
You have no idea what the fan said. You ONLY know what Rendon said. MLB knows what happened. They gave Rendon a minimal penalty. It could have been much, much longer. Up to a permanent ban from the game.
BaseballisLife
Most Rendon can be fined is $10k. He will lose 4 games out of 162 on a $36 million salary. That is a healthy chunk of change.
nbresnak
Although I don’t condone what Rendon did, I definitely get it. He’s a human being, and emotionally, it’s tough. Some type of consequence is needed for both parties.
He wasn’t Ron Artest or whatever that guy changed his name to. A 2 or 3 game suspension, at most, should be warranted for Rendon.
I hope that next time, Rendon just gets security and has the fans escorted out or whatever consequences are appropriate for an obnoxious fan and their antics on players.
patricktroen
Stupidity brinkmanship
BlueSkies_LA
You could have knocked me over with a feather.
aragon
move the a’s to nebraska!
bhambrave
Grabbing a fan is like bumping an ump. You have to draw a solid line.
drasco036
I love how people are commenting that the fan deserves some type of punishment without having any of the details.
I think the length of suspension kind of tells us a lot, that after investigation, the incident wasn’t as bad as I looked in a short video clip. Five games for “violently assaulting a fan” (as some media outlets have referred to it) doesn’t seem that long when you consider Rendon also served a five game suspension last season for his part in a bench clearing “brawl”.
Of course, Milton Bradley had the precedent set in his season ending suspension (4 games) and fine for throwing a bottle (plastic) back in the stands at a fan who threw it at him, in addition to a 2,500 dollar fine.
BlueSkies_LA
I’d forgotten about the Milton Bradley incident. He was a case. Reminded me of a Mets game at Shea I was at, around 1970 it must have been. They were playing the Reds and Pete Rose was in LF. If I remember right a fan in the bleachers threw a beer cup at him or maybe just starting razzing him. Either way the fan and Rose got into quite a chin flap. Wonder if any video of incident this exists.
Longtimecoming
Blue Skies – they were throwing batteries at him – back then fans took transistor radios to the game to listen.
BlueSkies_LA
I was at that game and don’t remember any batteries being thrown but maybe that was it. And I certainly do remember taking transistor radios to the games.
BlueSkies_LA
I just realized you are saying he was assaulted with batteries! That did happen too, but it was at a playoff game in 1973. This one was years earlier, regular season.
BaseballisLife
Padres vs Braves. Players went into the stands. 1984 I think. Have to look it up.
Halo11Fan
According to witnesses on twitter, the fan was shouting obscenities all game including M.F.er. That is against every ballpark policy in MLB baseball.
The fan is to blame, stadium security is to blame and Rendon is to blame.
BlueSkies_LA
As a fan you can and should report bad stuff happening. I’ve come close to doing it a few times.
Gwynning
Who had under 6 on the over/under bet? Nailed it!
Plugnplay
Even at that if you were a gambling man. I’d bet the house on it even being reduced from 5 on the appeal.
JScottG
Physical confrontation never equals just words. Ever. Lots of idiots here who think its equal culpability.
Out of your minds dumb.
Words are easy to ignore. Walk to the locker room. Unless someone hits you with something or touches you 1st, no player is allowed in any sport to make it a physical confrontation.
Originally I thought 5 games, then thought he might get 10 because he got suspended last year in a brawl while on the IL.
He deserves it. He’s an idiot (Rendon) and next time could be a whole lot worse for all sides.
BaseballisLife
Players in MLB are not allowed to make it a physical altercation even if a fan throws something at them. If MLB gives a penalty, 5 days suspension is the minimum agreed upon penalty in the CBA.
Now if that fan came out of the stands they do have a right to defend themselves, but that was not the case here.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Should we play Rock Paper Scissors for J-Roc ??
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Loser has to be Leahy
basquiat
I believe ever since that little incident with Ty Cobb, the burden is on the player to stay on his side of the line and not go after fans. Surprised at Anthony. Watched almost all his games with the Nats and never saw anything but a mellow guy.
bronxmac77
I bet it made future fans at NYY games give pause though.
WAR_OVERRATED
If you continue to injure an assailant who is no longer a threat, you could face civil and criminal charges.
The moment you are deemed safe, any additional defensive actions may, in fact, become offensive actions.
You’ll need to articulate that you had no choice when faced with a threat who had the:
■ Intent (stated or evident goal of harming you)
■ Capability (has the prowess or tools to harm you)
■ Opportunity (proximity)
Even if you prevail in criminal court, you are likely to face civil charges, including aggravated assault, and might have to face compensating the injured party for lost earnings, medical bills, pain, and suffering, along with the prospective of a jury awarding punitive damages to teach you a le$$on.
**It cannot be emphasized enough, when defending yourself, that you are only entitled to use the amount of force that is commensurate with the threat.**
CardsFan77
Honestly, it should have been a 50 game suspension to send a message to all athletes not to do this ever again.. maybe Rendon should focus on correcting that albatross contract rather that who called him a name in kindergarten… do better
Plugnplay
Lmfao at you, 50 games! Hahahaha!
JP8
If you watch the short vid by madethecut, Rendon turned back, beckoned the fan over with his arm, then grabbed his shirt. He easily couldve kept walking. Right or wrong, thats why he got 5.
websoulsurfer
This was literally the lowest end of the scale of penalties agreed to in the CBA for contact with a fan. Rendon got the least possible penalty at 5 games and then it was reduced by an arbitrator.
There was obviously more that was said by the fan than we all heard in that 12 second edited clip of a 1:44 minute video. MLB also talked to other players, security personnel and police that were right there, and probably season ticket holders in that area.
outinleftfield
Lots more. 9 innings more. I was completely dumbfounded that he was still there in the 2nd inning, let alone after the game when Angels fans were trying to get autographs from players.
Plugnplay
Simply put,this will be reduced for many reasons.
HalosHeavenJJ
Seems fair. Perhaps even light. Yes the fan was almost certainly the type of drunken A hole other fans hope to avoid at the ballpark but you can’t lay your hands on paying customers.
Rendon should just take the 5 games off. Rest the knee.
Hopefully the fan is banned as well.
nukeg
Sometimes I think Rendon is *trying* to make that contract look as bad as possible. This is the put up or shut up year across the board for the Angels. So Rendon…shut up. Start putting up. Oh yeah. After your 5 games. Cmon man.
baked mcbride
Thoughts and prayers for everyone involved in this terrible, terrible tragedy.
Plugnplay
Lol, now that’s funny. All this banter for a shirt pull for a loud mouth drunk. People need to find some more interesting, and important things than this to complain about on social media. Hahaha.
Halo11Fan
My opinion, He’ll appeal, get three games. It appeared to me that he tried to hit the bill of his cap, which is not good, but a lot better than slapping at his head.
rpoabr
Where the hell is the ballpark security? Someone should have pointed out the fan being abusive long before it reached this point. Kick him out of the park quickly. Maybe if people had some fear of this they would act like idiots.
Security was probably busy chasing someone who moved up into fully empty seats…
leftykoufax
Hammering hank and many other black players endured much more verbal abuse then Rendon ever has, unless he was in physical harm, his actions were unacceptable and classless.
Fraham_
Surprised comments are on here.
kripes-brewers
I’m surprised 115 people have such strong opinions about physical violence over words. There was this little saying back in the day about sticks and stones…
In Seager/Hader We Trust > the 70 MM DH Ohtani
He is appealing? MLB should push for a longer suspension.
Tom Price
Should have gotten 25 games w/no chance to appeal.
BlueSkies_LA
Dunno where you came up with 25 games, but a player’s right to appeal a suspension is in the CBA.
Tom Price
The fan didnt touch rendon – rendon grabbed the fan.
If the shoe was on the other foot – the fan would be in jail right now. Fact.
StreakingBlue
Maybe public flogging is more appropriate “eye roll”
Dumpster Divin Theo
Kinda sux he didn’t connect. If you’re gonna get your moneys worth gotta make contact. My cat would have done better than that with a free paw. Just goes to show baseballs such a hard game. Even the best fail 7 out of 10 times.
Halo11Fan
He slapped at his cap. Maybe if he connected people wouldn’t be saying he slapped at his head. And that would be a good thing.
kscheer
Rendon is washed. So glad the rangers stayed away from that head case.
orange2001
I think he will have a big season, as long as he stays healthy. He’s been injured the last two seasons, resulting in season-ending surgery both times, but was solid in the shortened 2020 campaign. He had a terrific spring. Just needs to stay off the DL.
MPrck
Well it could have been worse. What if it had been the new bud light girl, it would have been a lifetime ban. Being accused of mansplaining in today’s world is going to be punished severely, and that’s a fact. When the union caved to the jab, that should have been enough notice to the players, they will have no room for error.
riffraff
Gotta give credit to the new bud light girl..having your face on thousands of cans of beer takes balls.
Dumpster Divin Theo
What if it had been a tree, and Rendon had been a collie. Then the punishment would have been spay
good vibes only
Rendon should have consequences for taking a swipe. I’m sure emotions were high when dealing with a rude fan but he’s paid to be the bigger man and let stadium staff deal with it if need be.
That said I’m sick of this fan behavior being tolerated. Heckling and screaming obsceneties at individual players is ridiculous. It’s embarrassing. I see it at almost every game and I’ve never seen stadium staff or the hundreds of cops at the stadium do anything about it.
StreakingBlue
I am more surprised that none of his fellow teammates came to Rendon’s rescue to stop the fan interaction. Maybe he isn’t well liked by the clubhouse.
bhambrave
Trout was about to, but it was over before he got there.
Camden453
Rendon even whiffed hitting the fan
martras
Surprised at the amount of folks defending Rendon. Every professional sports player knows you can’t initiate contact with fans. Period. No matter what the fans do. If a fan is over the top, it takes 30 seconds to have security remove the fan. That’s the way it has to be.
You can’t have an event with tens of thousands of people devolve into a physical fight. Nobody is allowed to initiate any physical contact for good reason.
websoulsurfer
You do realize that this entire situation happened AFTER the game was over, right? I mean you couldn’t be commenting and not know that fact, could you?
martras
Players are forbidden to get physical with fans. It’s unbelievably dangerous. Not sure what you’re confused about @websoulserfer, but it doesn’t matter if it’s before the game, during the game or just after the last out by 30 seconds. There were 27,000 fans in attendance for the game and the fans don’t just teleport from the stadium back to their homes instantly after the last out as you can see by the 3 dozen or so A’s fans in the tiny video frame.
Aside from the immediate altercations, violence spreads. Fighting in crowds not only spreads, but triggers crowd panic and stampedes where people literally die. I’ve watched people be trampled at even food events from even quick panicking crowd surges. Luckily the trampled women were okay, but they wouldn’t have been had the stampede continued.
Rendon was not actively being heckled as he was out of sight of the fan and probably 15 feet away. Rendon went out of his way to stop walking into the clubhouse, turn to the seats, attempt to get the fan’s attention, call the fan over and then physically assaulted the fan out of the blue after the fan denied calling Rendon a female dog. The fact Rendon didn’t get much, much longer is surprising. Tim Anderson got a 1 game suspension for flipping the bird to a fan. 4 games? For attacking a fan? Rendon should have gotten 20 games or more. Frank Francisco got 16 games and felony charges for snapping and tossing a folding chair into the stands in 2004, but there is far less tolerance for violence today than there was 20 years ago.
outinleftfield
It was several minutes after the last out of the game and there might have been 1-2k fans left in the park, mostly ANGELS fans. In that section directly behind the visiting teams dugout there may have been 30 fans, almost all Angels fans, there to try to get autographs.
So there was no fighting in crowds or any of the other complete BS you are trying to bring up. There were two drunk fans that had been yelling obscenities and verbal abuse at Rendon for the entire game that chose to push their way down several rows through the Angels fans so they could continue to try to verbally attack him from the front row.
The FAN was the one that assaulted Rendon. Yes, the fan. Saying I should kick your “behind” (expletive) after a whole game of showering garbage on him is legally assault in CA. Rendon then retaliated with BATTERY against him by grabbing his shirt.
Its obvious ALL the information you have is that short video, You think
12 seconds out of a 2+ hour interaction is enough to make a judgement. You are mistaken. It makes you out to be a fool.
Rendon got the absolute minimum MLB could mete out for touching a fan and THEY had all the information. They have videos and interviews with security and many other witnesses. But somehow you think YOUR judgement of the situation is more important. That its even somehow correct. That is delusional.
Today, I have far less tolerance for people that spout off without knowing the facts.
foppert
Geez. Im not sure if I’m more shocked at only 5 games or some of the commentary on here. You people live in a completely different world to me. Fair enough. It’s your show.
Halo11Fan
I’m surprised he got five games.
drasco036
Four games? That was quick
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
Well, it is something
However does this really solve the issue?
StreakingBlue
I don’t think anyone but Rendon can “solve” this issue. Very strange situation with him, and a dumb fan. I could see if he was behind the Angel dugout, and harassing Rendon all game in a poor manner, as some way of leading to the actions taken. However, just very strange to respond the way Rendon did. There has to be more context that we are not being made aware of. I think 4 or 5 games is pretty light.
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
I have never ever heard anything like this from Rendon
So I am.a bit surprised
orange2001
Streakingblue – the context is that the Angels had a very frustrating loss when their bullpen blew a terrific outing by Ohtani in the 8th inning. Had the Angels held on to win and been in much better spirits, then I’m sure Rendon would have kept walking amidst the jeers.
websoulsurfer
5 games is the lowest penalty in the CBA for contract with a fan. An arbitrator lowered it to 4 games. That says volumes.
Plugnplay
Your right Web, and the 4 games was to much. I’d throw a game suspension at him just to make a point if anything.
Stop it Rendon! You can’t police everyone. To many bad apples out there.
orange2001
I wonder if the Angels sitting him out on Sunday played a role in MLB reducing his suspension from 5 to 4 games? The bottom line is he will be out of 5 games in a row no matter how you slice it.
Plugnplay
This is true, but 1 more games pay for him.
bigbarn17
Any person that wants to throw insults at another deserves the consequences. People need to learn that freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom of consequences.
Old York
Terrible decision. If players and fans want to resolve differences in a certain manner, they should be allowed to. Having him sit and fined some money doesn’t provide and sense of consequences for actions and the fan isn’t even punished. Should have let them resolve their differences, then and there. Problem solved.
BlueSkies_LA
🙁
Roger Beshen's Patented FootballSlider
im sure the PAul Brothers would finance a main event between these 2.
baseballteam
MLB, MLBPA agree on $300 million extension for Rendon.
foppert
There’s a workplace distinction here. I’m all for shutting up a big mouth, but you just can’t do that on someone else’s time. You are bringing in consequences for the people who are employing you at that moment. That’s why they generally have zero tolerance for it. Unless you are the MLB……
LFGMets (Metsin7)
Always an excuse for this guy to not play. This is getting ridiculous. MLB should void his contract for his behavior. Would teach players not to sit out, nor get into altercations with fans. Their egos are out of this world. If words hurt you should go cry about it and whipe away your tears with the millions you have stolen. Hes a theif just like Chris Davis, Jed Lowrie, and Stephen Stratsburg
baseballteam
Agree and I’d love to see a marijuana or opioid test.
thunderroad19
The A’s have a fan?
Cool
websoulsurfer
None of us can judge Rendon’s actions until we see the entire video instead of a 12 second edited clip. MLB did see the entire video plus testimony from people that were there and gave Rendon a slap on the wrist.
jmaggio76
well this is BS. the fan should’ve been punched in his teeth. it’s ridiculous. rendon stepped up to the idiot and called out the big mouth. you wanna talk trash, be ready to back it up or be called out on it. that’s the problem today…. more CODDLING and not enough being put in your place when you open your mouth. total BS.
websoulsurfer
It seems to me that many people here don’t realize that if that fan said “I should kick your ass, b*tch” that would be assault and Rendon would have a legal right in California to defend himself physically. Assault is defined as “acted in a way that would lead a reasonable person to believe the defendant would directly and probably use physical force against someone.”
All we have seen publicly is an edited 12 second clip of a video that was 1 minute, 44 seconds long in total. You can be absolutely sure that there were other videos including by camerapersons in the well and witnesses that included police and security personnel, other players, and coaches. Probably a few long-time season ticket holders in that area that were talked to as well. MLB may have also seen the entire video wee only saw a clip of.
MLB didn’t make a decision to give Rendon a slap on the wrist because he was guilty of an unprovoked attack on a fan. They did it because the fan said something you and I are not privy to and for PR purposes they still had to give Rendon at least some penalty for grabbing a fan. So, he will sit out 4 games.
Dock_Elvis
Websoulsurfer- That’s pretty dead on probably. Initial 5 game said to me that there’s not much here..just a little hype. But the penalty also might be handed in light of the fan not making a police report (I believe).
MLB had to do something, or risk either condoning Rendon, or perhaps inciting other fans. Hand a 30 game suspension and you’d have quite a few crazy fans intentionally trying to work players for their team benefit…or it’d be wide open to that. And now add legal gambling. There’s financial incentive to mess with the game.
MLB probably had to walk a fine line (not to mention dealing with the MLBPA. 4 games…whatever.
YankeesBleacherCreature
“California Penal Code 422 is the statute that makes it a crime to communicate a threat to somebody that could result in great bodily injury or death, which is known as “criminal threats.”
You are correct, sir. Anyway, it appears that Rendon and the fan later spoke by phone and hashed it out.
websoulsurfer
That is a good thing. That solves much of the PR issue for MLB since they kissed and made up.
YankeesBleacherCreature
It was also the smart move since it would be up to a DA’s prosecutorial discretion whether to pursue charges.
Dock_Elvis
Not much of a surprise. Any fine? The charitable donation would be the only win from this ridiculous incident. I’d have rather seen a donation to charity than the benching.
Dock_Elvis
Watching Oakland play now. It probably doesn’t help when you can hear individual fans there, because there’s so few people generally. I don’t know what they’re claiming for attendance tonight. But if it’s 5,000 I wouldn’t be surprised from what I can tell. I can hear clear individual fans in the stands. Reminds me of TBS broadcasting lousy Braves games in the 80s…you could hear each vendor hawking.
outinleftfield
It was opening day and there were abut 20k there that game. That is sad. They were pretty loud for as few fans as were there.
Its also sad that the Oakland stadium management allowed that fan to continue his verbal onslaught for the entire game and even after the game was over. If he did that in Anaheim, he would have been escorted out in the 1st inning.
Dock_Elvis
I watch a lot of A’s games. They’re a 9pm home start for me. Tonight they walked off in front of me and what must have been sincerely less than 1k fans still in the stands. Cleveland..cold…April. Still.
THEY LIVE!!!
Five games? If I’m the Angel’s owner I suspend him another 5 games without pay. He is an embarrassment to the team, the owner, and the league. Angels can’t afford this cancerous rot. They are literally better off without him.
Mercenary.Freddie.Freeman
I’m not really sure what happened to Rendon he was a monster with the Nationals but is a shell of himself on the Angels. I noticed he raked in spring training this year but now this. I have only heard what a great guy he is before all this… Stunning!
implant
If Rendon (or any of us) are walking down the street and someone calls him a b$tch that person might get the crap beat out of him and no one would blink an eye. However in this situation Rendon represents not only himself but the Angels and MLB
CardsFan57
They might not blink an eye, but you would be charged with a crime if they found you. It might be a serious felony charge depending on the severity of the beating.
CravenMoorehead
Rendon was trying to Shang Tsung that fan he was going for his soul
cecildawg
What a little boy,”He called me the b word.”
CardsFan57
I’m sure teams warn the players that there are cameras everywhere. Anything out of the ordinary will be filmed. You don’t want to be the guy going viral for a negative interaction with a fan. This was a really bad idea on Rendon’s part. Use some self control and keep walking.
Luke Strong
Isn’t attempted physical assault a crime? I didn’t go to law school but if I’m not mistaken, taking a swing at someone is a crime. I’m pretty sure if I threw a punch at someone, it missed but was on camera, and they pressed charges against me, I’m pretty sure I’m getting more than a 4 or 5 day suspension from my job.
websoulsurfer
If the fan threatened physical violence, Rendon would be within his legal right to beat the guy up. MLB could still suspend him, but legally Rendon would face no repercussions.
Plugnplay
Reduced! Of coarse, when the minimal is 5 games for such a thing, and it gets reduced to 4 games. It just means, “I guess we have to do something”.
This thing is just stupid. Get over it.
Go Angels!
BTW Mariners, I’ll be at the game today, and if you hit Trout again. I’m gonna rush the mound, and I’m not going to just grab his shirt 😉
bronxmac77
Lol… tough guy.
Psssh.
bronxmac77
@Plugnplay
You couldn’t charge a plate of nachos with a Visa Black Card…
DanUgglasRing
If he was mad at that guy just wait til he reads this comment section. We’re all gonna need new shirts.
imgman09
Suspend the fan too!
BlueSkies_LA
In other fan news, a man who ran onto the field at Dodger Stadium during the 7th inning stretch to propose to his girlfriend was tackled by security and hauled off. He’s been banned from Dodger Stadium for the rest of the season.
BTW, she said yes.
websoulsurfer
One stupid girl. Starting your relationship down thousands of dollars and with your fiancé locked in the Dodger Stadium pokey.
bronxmac77
Yep, one could say he risked it all for her hand.
Others could say those dollars could buy a nice ring, a nice dinner, nice bottle of vintage wine… etc.
And they can still go to Dodgers games.
Still, if he could sell tickets on StubHub…
BlueSkies_LA
After he spent some time with security they were both sent home on the same party bus that brought them. Anyway just as a matter of curiosity, what thousands of dollars?
outinleftfield
The fine for entering the field starts at $2500. It’s a city ordinance. Even though he was released on his own recognizance, he will have his day in court and it will cost him some money. Probably the minimum, but that would make for a pretty nice honeymoon.
bronxmac77
Good. I don’t know if it’ll totally fix stupid, but it’s a good start.
BlueSkies_LA
Thanks, I didn’t know that. They may have sent him home with a citation in his pocket. His girlfriend said he was kind of drunk but of course those aren’t exactly mitigating circumstances.
outinleftfield
If you have to have a few beers to propose, what does that say?
bronxmac77
Says your mancave is gonna be a doghouse.
bronxmac77
I’m glad she said yes.
Glad he got banned. I don’t feature paying $100 or so to watch fans do fan things.
bronxmac77
Funny thing, I watched a YT video last night… LeBron asked security to remove fans who made rude comments about his family. They were courtside. The security removed them. I’m not a LeBron fan, but good for him. And I hope the fans near those dolts took heed.
Funny thing, the comments section was split, just like this one!
derekjeterfan2hof
I guess rendon had a tea time 5 days in
highheat
Whole lot of soft cats in these comments; if somebody calls you a “b****” and you react to it physically? Congrats, you just confirmed that you are one. They were just words before then; words are not violence.
Rendon chose that contract, I have no sympathy for him; he’s a well-paid entertainer that hasn’t been very entertaining. It’s not like he got traded there against his will.
People are well within their rights to heckle him, it wasn’t within Rendon’s rights to put hands on anyone. 4-5 game suspension for an assault caught on video? What a joke. Heckling has been a part of baseball longer than anybody here has been alive.
I’ve heard worse insults thrown Ryan Braun’s way after his “MVP”; you know what he did? Flipped off the bleachers without even looking away from the field of play, and hit as many missiles at the fans as he could when he got in the box.
Sounds like baby boy Rendon (my nephew has better control of his emotions) is worried that he can’t back up that contract with his play. That’s his problem, nobody else’s.
He can always retire and leave that money on the table if he feels it’s too bad, but obviously he valued money more than comfort.
Do your job well so people have no ground to stand on; if you’re content with sucking, be content with people reminding you (regularly) that you suck at your job.
That’s the same for everybody; y’all lily-livers need to man up lol. Not everybody’s opinion matters (nor should they matter) to everyone.
BlueSkies_LA
Actually the Colosseum was within its rights to eject the fan, which they probably would have done if security had caught him or he’d been reported by another fan. This is not a defense of Rendon’s reaction, he got what was coming to him. I’m simply pointing out that the fan wasn’t within his rights.
bronxmac77
I agree with you. As a fan, I don’t even like sitting near those types.
bronxmac77
At SD Chargers games (!) they had a family section. No alcohol. No cussing allowed (aloud?). Made for a much nicer experience. You can bw loud and proud without being a rude obnoxious fill-in-the-blank.
bronxmac77
Hey swishi!
You’re muted!
I no longer engage with infantile juveniles under the age, or IQ, of 18!
Can’t see you. Can’t hear you. Can’t stand you. Bye.
bronxmac77
Suarez’s strike/ball ratio (59/18) was EXCELLENT tonight!
Go Angels!