The Slade Heathcott Brawl

by 159 Comments

Yankees fall to Red Sox, drop third straight
Girardi called team meeting after last night's game

Yeah, that doesn’t look so good. I figure the catcher had to have said something to him, maybe about yesterday’s article. Stuff like that about a first round pick gets around pretty quickly. Not making excuses for him, because that is total garbage right there and has no place in the game. Heathcott’s going to be suspended for a while, I just have no idea how long. My money’s on 5-10 games.

Yankees fall to Red Sox, drop third straight
Girardi called team meeting after last night's game
  • Matt :: Sec110

    sad that he showed more fire/intensity than an entire yankee team over the past week.

    • http://www.CarlsYankeeDugout.com Carl

      You may be right there.

    • Neil

      Perfectly stated!

    • Kevin

      did you notice Escobar kicking Slade while they were piled up? Looks like a few suspensions coming

  • bonestock94

    I understand that this is pretty bad for a minor leaguer with makeup concerns, but I’m not really seeing a problem with the fight itself.

    • Will

      Agreed. I mean, it’s a problem *that he was fighting*, but it’s not like the guy took out a shiv and started slicing the catcher. It was a pretty run-of-the-mill basebrawl. Hardly worth more than 5 games, if that. (Unless the minors have harsher punishments.)

  • Xstar7

    Damn. Slade was kicking ass until the catcher’s teammates came over and dog piled on him.

    • Jericho Spade

      Seriously, you see how thick he is and how the catcher dropped when he hit him. The double leg tackle was a nice touch too. He is definitely not someone I want to get into a fight with.

    • Ted Nelson

      Yeah… there were some elbows and kicks thrown in there. One thing to hit a man in his face while he’s also swinging at you. Quite another to throw kidney shots and kicks at a man who is being restrained and can’t fight back.

  • TSJC Troll Doppleganger

    Brien Taylor, anyone? What a two-bit punk. Release his ass and send him back to the trailer park he came from.

    • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

      …send him back to the trailer park he came from.

      How typical.

    • pete

      just out of curiosity, what does “two-bit” mean?

      • http://yankeeanalysts.com Matt Imbrogno
      • Xstar7

        Two-bit is 1/4 of eight-bit. So by that logic I think he’s trying to say that Slade Heathcott is a very bad video game.

        • JohnnyC

          Spell your name correctly at least. It’s doppelganger. Stop looking like a two-bit troll.

          • Xstar7

            -1
            I think I’ll keep my name just the way it is.

            • boogie down

              Believe that was a reply fail, not a comment on your handle.

              • Xstar7

                Oh jeez you’re right. Sorry JohnnyC.

      • Joltin’ Joe

        2 bits is 25 cents…

    • http://www.simdynasty.com/index.jsp?refer=Jeety Jeety

      You have to be out of your mind, How many players have been involved in fights?? You don’t just release them.

    • Kevin

      The TSJC Troll Doppleganger must be alittle touchy about his own up bringing and the fact that he maybe broke a painted nail as a teen in kickball…just sayin..give the kid a break, after all that is what he is a kid finding his way…..and talented

    • Jack MeHoff

      Whats the matter, did you mom move your house again because she couldn’t pay her lot rent???(you might need to get another paper route to help pay what foodstamps/welfare doesnt cover)

    • paul c

      not even close to taylor..good night..be quiet

  • H to the ISO

    Dude the tweets made it sound worse.
    The tweets made it sound like he punched the catcher in the face, he just shoved the guy.
    The catcher was probably talking smack anyway.

    • bonestock94

      The beatwriter said he should get a season long suspension, LOL

      • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

        Yeah that won’t happen. Delmon Young got 50 games for THROWING A BAT AT AN UMPIRE.

  • Mike Myers

    Why is everyone so sure he said something? Looks like he got beaned real close to the face…that could have set him off

    • Rick in Boston

      I’d like to see if the first pitch was close to hitting him. Were the Sox throwing at him?

    • Don W

      His reaction is immediate after getting hit. A pitch that would’ve hit him in the face if he hadn’t turned out of the way BTW. Who attacks a catcher after getting hit? The catcher must’ve said something and then gets the pitch at the head. That’s the only way his reaction makes sense.
      I’m sure the plate umpire has a story to tell. His version of events will determine how long of a suspension Slade gets.

      • The BIG 3

        “Who attacks a catcher after getting hit?”

        A person with anger issues?

        Didn’t look like there was any time for the catcher to say anything. Looks to me as if, in a fit of anger, Slade sought someone to hit after getting plunked.

        Players and managers will take advantage of that weakness.

        • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

          It didn’t look like there was any time for the catcher to say something in the two seconds of footage before the pitch. That wasn’t the first pitch of the at-bat, you know.

          • The BIG 3

            I know. Hearing the last game between the two featured some questionable headhunting as well. Any truth to that?

          • Kevin

            The catcher was probably lipping off from the get go, its a sports fight some of you need an on the field education

            • The BIG 3

              It was Slade’s first AB. I very much doubt the ump would have allowed the level of smak (given the seconds Slade was in the batters box) the catcher must have issued to cause such a fierce reaction.

              • Ted Nelson

                What are you talking about? It takes two seconds to say something that gets under someone’s skin. That doesn’t mean the response is at all justified, but that Slade was pissed the pitcher hit him and decided the catcher was the guy to take it out on is way, way less likely than the catcher having said something. All he would have had to say is something like “watch out” as the pitch was being thrown or “watch out for this one” before the pitch for Slade to know they were throwing at him intentionally and react. Or he could have said a simple sentence about Slade’s mother using drugs or abandoning him to live out of his car… would take all of a few words to get that across.

                • Ted Nelson

                  The umpire is not their babysitter and is not going to throw the catcher out of the game for a personal insult.

          • LarryM.,Fl.

            The catcher knows the plan of attack and Slade did the right thing. Why run 60′ 6″ and have the whole team gang-up on you. The catcher is the first guy in red uniform. I noticed Escobar tried to get a couple of punches in from behind and some kicks just a chicken-$hit if you ask me.

            Slade looks like he’s got some size to him and his family live growing wasn’t the best maybe the catcher had a comment about his families pedigree.

        • jeff heathcott

          well the catcher was running his mouth about getting redy to have the pitcher take him out bet he thinks twice before doing that again lol

    • Ted Nelson

      If the thing that sets you off is the pitcher hitting you, why would you turn around and hit the catcher?

  • Anthony A.K.A THE TRUTH

    Until we find out if the catcher said anything everyone relax…..i liked the fire the kid showed, hes having a great year and yes he does need to grow up in the sense where u realize just cause he says something (IF HE DID) you don’t have to destroy the guy like he did…….if you read the article that was very well written about how the kid grew up you wouldn’t be calling him trailer trash but then again america is the land of stereotypes and judgments before getting the facts….. Brien Taylor was a poor trailer park kid which is different then Slade…..Taylor also was a pitcher who should have realized im a lefty who touches 100mph easily and i shouldnt get into a fight where i might hurt my arm which is the only talent and smarts i have in my life………an outfielder fighting its not gonna blow his career like a pitcher…….and the person who wants him released please unless you wanted nettles released or arod released for fighting get over yourself and realized its a game and tempers flare especially if someone instigates (IF THE CATCHER DID SAY SOMETHING) i was a catcher my whole life i and everyone else i knew talked to the hitters all the time to get them off focus..so please stop and let the kid explain what happened

    • AnthonyD

      Totally agree. SH’s a tough dude. Let’s see why he snapped at the catcher before jumping to conclusions. This was player vs player confrontation – nothing off the field and nothing cheap like M Bradley or D Young going nuts on an ump.

    • Steve in PDX

      Agree, except for “if you read the article that was very well written”. It was garbage writing, my middle schoolers can do better.

  • http://ablogforarod.blogspot.com/ The Captain

    Anybody see 33 trying to kick Heathcott after the other team started piling on him? It’s right around the 16-17 second mark. That’s gotta be worth 5-10 games there too.

    24 locking a standing guillotine choke on him should be worth 3-5 too.

    • Mister Delaware

      Yup, that was far more egregious than Heathcott going after the catcher.

      • The BIG 3

        Is that sarcasm? Sorry if so.

        What 33 was doing is certainly more wimpish than picking a fight with a masked catcher, but that was some serious rage on Slade’s part. Seemingly uncontrollable rage.

        • Mike M

          Theres a reason kicks to the head of a down opponent aren’t legal in MMA’s unified rules. Doing something like that in a fight you really aren’t even involved in is much worse than shoving a guy

          • The BIG 3

            Except that he kicked him in his ass, not head.

            I’m not defending the guy, it was a real douchy thing to do and I hope he’s rightfully suspended. But really, Slade started it by going batshit insane on a catcher who had nothing to with anything except for being on the same team that hit him with a pitch. His craziness deserves a longer suspension.

            • Cuso

              Nothing to do with?

              He called the pitch, right?

            • Ted Nelson

              A. You’re jumping to huge conclusions about why Slade decided to go after the catcher. How much baseball have you watched? How many times have you seen a guy who gets hit walk towards or charge the mound? It’s really rare to take your aggression on the pitcher out on the catcher.

              B. How else do you fight besides with aggression? How many fights have you seen? If you want to win a fight in the middle of a baseball game you don’t do so in a slow, docile manner. If you want to get in a shot on a man with a mask before it is broken up… that’s about the only way to do it. You have to knock off the mask and then you have to strike quickly. I’m not saying it’s ok to do that, but if you are going to do that it’s the only way to go about it. After accepting the fact that there was a fight between Slade and the catcher (and that Slade will and should be punished for that fight), I’m not sure what else you would have wanted him to do. You’d rather him fight poorly than fight well once the fight started?

              C. If he was in an uncontrollable rage as you suggest… He literally had a bat in his hand with which to strike the catcher. If he had no control over himself and was just trying to hurt the catcher, he would have used the bat.

  • Nick

    Anyone notice that piece of shit #33 Escobar on the other team throwing kicks at the pile. Then he runs away when someone gets close. What a little wuss.

    • AnthonyD

      First thing I noticed. A million comments ran through my head but I will let them stay there.

    • Am I the only Kevin?

      #33 and #37 both kicked at his head with cleats. Should get as big a suspension as Heathcott for that.

      #13 also threw punches while Heathcott was on the ground. Also some suspensions there.

      • http://ablogforarod.blogspot.com/ The Captain

        And where the hell were the rest of the River Dogs when all of this was going on? They came running out and then just stood around and held each other back while Heathcott got wailed on.

        Even if the kid did instigate the whole thing by going after the catcher, you still have to protect your teammate. Come on!

    • 101010

      Leave it to red sox players to fight dirty.

    • George

      MORE LIKE A BIG WUSS…

  • TSJC Troll Doppleganger

    This kid has a lot of demons. I don’t foresee a happy ending in this story.

    • rbizzler

      Thanks for sharing. Any other predictions that you would like to enlighten us with?

      • Sayid J.

        I don’t get the need for snark here. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Considering Slade lied to the Yankees about his past, drunkenly overslept for an exhibition game in spring training, and now tried to take out the opposing catcher, I don’t think anything about “This kid has a lot of demons. I don’t foresee a happy ending in this story” is that controversial.

        • rbizzler

          The kid is 20 years old and he is predicting a Doomsday scenario for him. Slade has made his fair share of mistakes, and, I assume, will make a few more along the way, but this incident (despite his past) is in no way cause for condemnation.

          Also, I don’t see the need to defend a poster who upthread had this to say:

          Brien Taylor, anyone? What a two-bit punk. Release his ass and send him back to the trailer park he came from.

          If any one is a 2-bit punk, it is the guy who is trolling and making elitist comments about someone he has never met.

          • The BIG 3

            No, it’s not cause for condemnation, but look at the video again. Keep your eye on Slade throughout. He is stark raving insane; George Brett, batshit insane mad.

            I agree with the troll. Given what’s now known about Slade’s background, Slade’s reaction last night is pretty scary stuff.

            • Ted Nelson

              Because George Brett was such a bad baseball player right?

              In what world would someone go after a catcher if they had not lost their temper? That’s what I don’t understand about your comments. Clearly he had lost his temper. If he had not lost his temper, he would not have gone after the catcher.

              Because he has substance abuse and comes from a broken family with substance abuse problems he’s held to a different standard? If a prospect from an upper class family had reacted to the exact same situation in the exact same way you would view him differently? No. The past doesn’t have anything to do with how this incident should be viewed.

          • Sayid J.

            I’m not defending him specifically, I’m defending the general snark around here whenever somebody posts something that is disagreed with by the masses. The groupthink here is outrageous A lot of times, somebody who disagrees with the core commenting base is belittled. The trailer park comment is obviously unnecessary, but I don’t think the premise of his comments is wrong. Slade clearly has issues. Is nobody pissed off that he lied to the Yankees in order to get drafted and then threw it in their faces by getting too drunk to make it to a game on time in spring training?

            Look, I’m rooting for the guy. I hope he turns the corner. I’m not making obnoxious comments and I’m not defending people who do, but I don’t think it’s fair for any comment that attacks Slade to be immediately viewed as something worthy of sarcasm.

            • rbizzler

              I have no idea what my comment has to do with groupthink.

              The troll is degrading and writing someone off who he/she knows very little about.

              Also, I think that you are overreacting to some isolated incidents that Slade chose to disclose in that article and making more of them than is necessary. We can agree to differ on that though as i can see it from both sides. I am more inclined than some to cut a 19-20 y.o. some slack for immature and irresponsible behavior.

            • Ted Nelson

              His issued were with alcohol… not attitude or temper. By all accounts he’s an upstanding guy and great teammate. If he wasn’t drunk during that incident I don’t see what it has to do with his other issues. As long as he is/stays sober, he has turned the corner.

    • JD

      yes, he might be another Hamilton

      • the tenth inning stretch

        That was my initial reaction, too.

      • Cano23

        yes because Slade has a history of shooting up heroin….everyone loved the fight against the Orioles back in the day now they want to crush slade for fighting the catcher…especially when no one ever really knows what happened

      • fire levine

        I wish he was. MVP!!

    • Kevin

      Troll you do not know that, give it a break and as “TheTruth” stated relax and lets see how it pans out.

    • byron

      you people should realize most of the storys that have been written about slade growing are some of them only half truth the other thing was you kn ow what the catcher said before pitch was thrown

  • yankeefan15

    After reading his story, I admire the young man. He has the burden of growing up in an insane household. To be able to get to this level as a player is astonishing. He has character. He’s only 20..give him some slack. Whatever sparked the brawl had to be pretty nasty. Now if some of the big league guys could get just as pissed off we’d be making fewer mistakes!

  • http://twitter.com/bniche B

    In a fight to the finish, would you take Slade Heathcott or Kyle Farnsworth?

  • http://yankeesfansunite.wordpress.com/ Matt

    this kid needs a call from Jeter or another long term yankee to tell him you can’t do stuff like that.

    • http://www.twitter.com/deanezag Zack

      Hopefully Chad Curtis will call him after too.

  • Wow

    Frick. And I was going to go to that game, too.

  • Mike Myers

    Did everyone see the flying clothesline at around the 11 second mark? Amazing!

  • Tampa Yankee

    Would there be this amount of outrage if that article had not been published yesterday? I don’t think so. Look, everyone snaps and overreacts sometimes (ARod vs Varitek). We have no idea what was said during the AB or even leading up to that moment. We should not rush to pass judgement until the dust settles. If this continues then there is a huge problem but if this is an isolated incident and he learns from it then it’ll be a blip on the radar.

    • rbizzler

      I agree. I am not all that concerned with someone standing up for themself, if that was indeed the case. Once that article made the rounds in opposing clubhouses (and we would be naive to think otherwise), Slade was going to be targeted. He made his point that he is not to be tested and it is now up to him to deal with the repercussions and the inevitable attempts to get under his skin.

      And I also agree that #33 is a punk for kicking someone under the pile with a pair of metal cleats and then running away. I am assuming that he ends up with a fastball in his ear sooner or later for his actions.

    • http://www.twitter.com/deanezag Zack

      but if this is an isolated incident

      Except that article shows it’s not an isolated incdient. Unless we’re discounting the others because of alcohol. (That’s going to sound snarky, but it’s not meant to be).

  • JobaWockeeZ

    And Heathcott suddenly becomes my 3rd favorite prospect.

  • Jim

    What were the RiverDogs doing here? They left him completely out to dry. Brandon Jacobs had him in a perfectly executed guillotine choke and he was not getting out of that. Jacobs was recruited to Auburn to play football and is probably the only person on that field who could easily take care of Heathcott in a brawl. But seriously when your teammate is in a brawl you do everything you can to protect him. There are no RiverDogs in there until about 15 seconds in. Pathetic.

    • Jim

      Actually if you look at the 29-30 second mark, a RiverDog player actually lands a punch on another RiverDog player. What the hell were they doing?

      • NC Saint

        Wow, so he does.

  • pollo

    dont mess with texas?

  • Crispy

    312/396/900 ops. Yeah.. release him.. good idea. The catcher probably told him they were gunning for him or something and he flipped out. Would be nice to see the Yankees show some heart for once instead of taking it in the you know what any time a team challenges them.

  • Dr strangepork

    Yankees have been missing this fire since Straw retired (see armundo Benitez). He’ll get straightened out over time. No way the Yankees let that kind of talent waste away because of “deamons”

  • JarJar

    That’s some nice speculation there. Journalistic integrity is strong in you.

  • Pasqua

    As a die hard Yankee fan, and having absolutely no knowledge of the context of, or build-up to, that brawl, I’m going to say: the catcher was asking for it.

    /truthiness’d

    • http://www.twitter.com/astrophunq Dax J.

      I think we need to find out if the catcher said something to him at all. I don’t think the hit by pitch would’ve triggered the fight.

      • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

        I think he definitely did. It happened too fast, the catcher was probably getting on him about the drinking or something earlier in the at-bat.

        • http://www.twitter.com/astrophunq Dax J.

          It had to be something like that. Also, that Escobar dude has to be suspended too. I mean, the guy was kicking Slade while he was on the ground. That’s not fair at all.

  • Gonzo

    Do you think this incident (and maybe to a lesser extent this week’s article) has damaged his trade value?

    • http://www.twitter.com/deanezag Zack

      To some teams sure, others will claim it to get more pieces in a trade, and Seattle will blame Cashman for hiding this information.

      • Gonzo

        I still shake my head about the Josh Lueke situation.

        • http://www.twitter.com/deanezag Zack

          That’s just Jack Z covering himself, tried to sneak it by the President and failed.

  • http://www.twitter.com/astrophunq Dax J.

    I don’t think like this is something worth a season suspension like Josh Norris said. If he gets that kind of suspension, it’s a bit of an overreaction. He should be suspended like 5 or 10 games, like Mike said.

    • pollo

      5-10 is effin ridiculous. the catcher obviously said something.

      3-5 games at most.

      • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

        Hey, he could get five games and we’ll both be right!

        • Daniel

          will we ever find out what actually happened?? keep us posted mike

  • http://www.twitter.com/deanezag Zack

    I’m glad to see name calling is now a defense for one’s action.

    You’re 20 and playing in the Yankees organization, not at recess in 7th grade. He’ll be suspended, he’ll be getting a call from Cashman, he’ll do an apology to his teammates and Yankee organization, and hopefully this is the last of the negative events.

    • Dr. O

      Yes, fights in baseball should be limited to mature situations only, like when a pitch comes nowhere close to hitting Manny Ramirez.

  • Dr. O

    You just know if it was some top Red Sox prospect that did this (during this era) he’d be getting about a thousand compliments about his “grit, fire, spark plug-iness, etc” this morning. Anyone trying to connect it directly to Slade’s past is an a-hole as well. I don’t care how mild mannered someone is, everyone has their line. It’s like with dogs. I don’t care how cute & sugary sweet the thing is, if you tug on it’s tail one too many times it will bite you.

    • Jim

      I know we are all (mostly) Yankee fans here, but I don’t see how anyone can put a positive spin on this. If you want him to be “gritty” or “fiery”, I’d rather have him get in the catchers face and jaw at him. Not ambush him while he is still in the crouch. This is a bad situation for both Heathcott and the Yankees. Sometimes, you just have to be the bigger man, and Slade was not the bigger man last night.

  • dzop

    This is bad, real bad. If this were a Red Sock, the comments would read quite different.

    If its an isolated event – maybe then its “something the catcher said”, or maybe Slade’s girl told him she was cheating before the game or etc.

    But this isn’t isolated. This is a troubled guy with a troubled past going way the fuck out of line on a ballfield. Plenty of shit is said playing sports, and plenty of players dont fly off the fucking handle and trigger a huge brawl, and not one of those “hold me back, hold me back” kind of brawls but a real punches-thrown kind of brawl.

    This is a Big. Fucking. Deal. This is a first round pick demonstrating personal problems of the ilk that could keep you out of the big leagues. If you can’t handle the media glare of fucking Charleston without throwing a punch on the diamond, have fun in New York fuckin’ City.

    That being said, the pitcher who kicked-and-ran is a bitch who deserves a 4 seamer in the back.

    • Dr. O

      Is there another video that shows him chugging vodka & pulling a gun on the guy that I’m missing?

      • dzop

        Did you read the newspaper article linked in the post, genius?

        • Dr. O

          Oh wow, I’ll have to check out the article for this brawl to see where Slade was chugging vodka and pulling a gun during the game!! Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

          • TSJC Troll Doppleganger

            So naive… go hug a tree somewhere.

            • Dr. O

              Could I convince you to side with the opposition in every instance in my life? It would REALLY be a huge benefit.

  • Tripp

    Man, Heathcott is a beast now. They have him on a serious workout routine. He’s had to put on 25-30 pounds of muscle since he was drafted.

  • dzop

    And the other issue, as noted up thread, is that none of his teamates rushed out to help him. Says a lot about what they think of him.

    Anyone who doesn’t recognize this as a big problem has their head firmly wedged up their pinstriped ass. This is worse than any physical injury, IMO.

    • Dr. O

      you know the guys wearing the same uniform as Slade are his teammates right? Just checking.

      • dzop

        You must not be watching the same video I am. I see 2 guys in red getting to the fight before anyone from the charleston bench, then the charleston guys back off, and slade is surrounded by a ring of guys in red, one of him is kicking him while another guy holds him down.

        • Dr. O

          You also know that during games the team batting usually sits in a dugout right? It would seem the other teammate (evidenced by the helmet he was wearing) was a base runner. Maybe I’m wrong though and that particular stadium has the visiting team’s dugout right near the pitching mound, in that case there would be no excuse for the other team’s guys to be there faster than Slade’s teammates.

          • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

            Good grief, this isn’t rocket science. Heathcott was the first batter of the game, the guy in the batting helmet was the guy on deck. The fight spilled over to the first base side of the field, closer to the other team’s dugout. That’s why they got there first.

            • Dr. O

              exactly. I didn’t know it was the first AB, but thanks for bringing some common sense.

    • Pasqua

      How is this worse than a physical injury? Something obviously sparked serious, heat-seeking anger in Heathcott and he went off. If he had a track record of starting fights, I’d be concerned, but he’ll serve his punishment, probably do a major mea culpa to the team and organization, and we will ALL move on.

  • CMP

    Before condemning Slade, we need to know what lead up to the fight. True he should have shown some self control but he’s still just a kid after all.

    Besides, every now and then the situation calls for an act of barbarism.

  • Dee

    Wow, anyone see #33 Escobar try to stomp on him at the 16-19 second marks? Yikes that’s scary. Cleats are no joke.

    • TSJC Troll Doppleganger

      Just another 2-bit punk ;)

  • the tenth inning stretch

    Noticed that there was a second or two immediately following the HBP where Slade stares at the catcher before going after him. He could’ve been saying something there, too.

  • http://www.facebook.com/cecala Joseph Cecala

    Why are people getting on Slade so much for fighting without even knowing the context. I would rather see someone stand up for themselves than take it. The sad part is how no one defended him, what was with that?

    • first time lawng time

      Why are people getting on Slade at all? It’s minor league baseball; it doesn’t matter.

  • Frank

    If that catcher said something about his family or that article, I have absolutely no problem with Slade’s reaction.

    • TSJC Troll Doppleganger

      Yeah, Slade should handle the NY media well with that thick skin of his. Wait, what?

      • Pasqua

        Yes, because this version of Slade Heathcott will be the same man forever and ever. People don’t mature. They don’t learn from mistakes. For crying out loud, he’s a fucking KID.

        • TSJC Troll Doppleganger

          Oh, I forgot people stop lying to their employers, drink, point guns at family members, and have bat-shit insane blow-ups past the age of 20. How dumb of me.

          As a military guy and still on active duty, I have met people from all corners of this country with all different types of backgrounds. Folks with this type of background usually don’t succeed, and if they do, it’s usually till they’re much older with lots of regret. It’s almost as if they have a self-sabotage mentality, and perhaps that’s because of their unfortunate backgrounds.

          • Andrew 518

            I met a guy once….

            so I know all about everyone.

  • Tom Zig

    I wonder if Slade didn’t knock the catcher’s mask off, would he have kept it on like the Reanimated Corpse of Captain America?

  • first time lawng time

    That’s good entertainment.

  • Chris13

    Watch the video again. Slade’s first reaction was to turn around and go after the catcher. He didn’t even look at the pitcher. There’s a split second there before he wails on him, I bet the catcher said something.

  • BigTimeBartolo

    at 49 seconds you see Gary Sanchez. He’s thinking, damn I don’t want to fight that dude

  • bakekrukow412

    IMHO, if the catcher made some sort of sassy remark about that article, then I say kick his ass Slade.

  • NEPA Yankee

    Looked like Slade was auditioning for the movie version of Graig Nettles Yankeeography. He should hold a team meeting with the big boys and show them what “fire” is in a young player. (Insert your own Eye of the Tiger refrence here).I think some of them are starting to forget. I know somewhere Nettles and Sweet Lou are watching this video and smiling.

  • Howard Cosell

    Man has everyone got this one wrong and Totally wrong at that. That Catcher must’ve told Slade that he was going to get hit for some reason -perhaps from last year etc. I don’t know. But the reaction is not a normal one. Here’s why:

    First off the PITCHER THREW AT HIS HEAD! – are you kidding me?!?!?!?!

    Second, the hitter’s normal reaction is to react and look at the pitcher. Slade reacted in lighting speed to hit the catcher. That just doesn’t happen normally under any scenario.

    FIRST OFF – the pitcher should be ejected for 5 games for throwing at the head.

    Second – the league needs to interview the 3 players and find out what exactly took place.

    THERE IS SOOOOOOOO MUCH MORE TO THIS STORY.

    Do not blame SLADE on this one – this was premeditated and at his head.

    HC……

    • Howard Cosell

      ESCOBAR also came in a 2nd time to throw a sucker’s punch. That was not reactionary (even if you could justify the 1st round of kicking)

      THAT should be a 15 game suspension – that sucker’s punch within that time span is ridiculous.;

      I wasn’t happy that the Yankee players were trying to break it up while the Red Sox players were looking to get a lot punches in but knowing the lower Yankee minor league program – they train their players like a military operation. So it doesn’t surprise me. Lots of discipline, film etc…

      HC

  • Andrew 518

    Going after the catcher…unorthidox, I like it. Funny that I’ve been thinking that the real Yankees could use a dust up like this to turn things around for them. Sometimes thins like this can bring a team out of a funk.

  • Pasqua

    Was it Upton or Young who THREW A FUCKING BAT AT AN UMPIRE when he wasn’t looking? My point? People can do some seriously questionable shit and live to see another day. We must chill.

  • Andrew 518

    Amazing how all of the armchair psychologists come out of the woodwork(they’re far worse than armchair managers). There must be something wrong with him, the catcher must have said something, dump him….

    Sure this seems bad combined with the article about his story but really? What exactly is so bad here? Remember when you played sports (if you ever did). Sports are about getting irrationally emotionally involved in something that doesn’t matter at all. Some times tempers flair and things like this happen. I don’t think that means there is something wrong with him. Plenty of “good characters” get involved in a brawl once in a while. Robin Ventura tried, and I emphisize tried, to fight Nolan Ryan.

    Maybe the catcher said something and this was “justified,” perhaps not, maybe he just plain overreacted, it happens to everyone sometimes. Twenty year old guys do irrational things all of the time.

    It’s just a sports fight, and a kind of entertaining one at that, end of story, he’ll be suspended a few games and then we’ll all forget.

  • Howard Cosell

    THE REAL SCOOP AND WHY THE BRAWL TOOK PLACE:

    Spoke to a player on Charlestown, – apparently the night before the catcher for the Red Sox hits a home run and ran the bases like “Manny” and Slade was yelling at him from Centerfield to stop hotdogging it.

    Then this game – the catcher told Slade something like “I’d watch your head” smart ass and the first pitch – he gets hits in the head.

    There’s your story. I guess our drug addict/alcohol drinking 1st round bum isn’t that bad of a leader after all……

    Give me more Slade’s (PAUL O’NEILL’s) and let the Red Sox have all the MANNY’s they want……

    HC

    • Monteroisdinero

      If this is true, promote Slade immediately. The sooner we get a gritty/fire in the belly player, the better.

    • mbonzo

      Heathcott shouldn’t have said anything in the first place. If that catcher wants to act like a douchebag, let him. He should know his place on the team and in the league, and know he’s above him. Even if he gets hit and the catcher says something, just take your base and let your pitcher nail the catcher when he comes to bat. This is how teenagers act, Heathcott needs to mature.

      • robert

        The point is, throwing at someone’s head is never justified. Smack talk will always exists in sports, but we can prevent DEATH.

    • pat

      Charleston didn’t play Greenville the night before.

    • The BIG 3

      Cool story bro.

      Greenville hasn’t faced Charleston since April 23rd, and worse (for your story), no HR by Greenville was hit that game.

      • Howard Cosell

        I got the story from the kid’s parent- I can’t use real names for obvious reasons – but whenever that took place – that’s what its about – the source is solid……

        From the player to the parent – solid family – that’s the story – apparently a Yankee pitcher that weighs like 140 pounds was suspended too.

        The parent and I laughed – saying what can 140 pounds do?

        HC

  • AC

    For him to go right after the catcher there had to be words said right after he got plunked or during at bat or a previous at bat. I understand you have to control your emotions but good for Slade not to take any crap. If he gets a 5-10 game suspension just take 1 for the team, come back atear the cover off the ball. Let your stick do the talking. The catcher oviously did something here. Hes no angel.

  • Brian

    I love it! I love when players stand up for themselves and don’t just let opponents get away with shit! I was already a huge Heathcott fan and this makes me like him even more!

  • johnnyl

    Fights happen, especially among kids. He’s getting suspended, and I’m sure some member of that coaching staff is giving a “grow up” type talk. I’m sure its happened to all of us: fuck up, take your medicine, learn from it, move on. Right?

  • Double V

    Listen, not condoning the fight, but Slade don’t take no crap. The Yanks could use someone like that. They seem to be sleepwalking through their games. So the kid got drunk-how old is he?? Some of you guys have to lighten up. My money is on Slade

  • brian g

    i’m a fucking pacifist and i somehow love slade for going ape shit on that asshole. you know the catcher was fucking with him. once the pain of that ball hitting you kicks in, all bets are off. adrenaline takes over and you do some weird shit. i got slade’s back.

  • Will in NJ

    From a purely baseball fight point of view, here are my humble observations:

    1. Slade beat the shit out of the catcher. You see him grab the catcher by the legs and bring him down with someone on top of him at :09?
    2. Escobar is a little pussy bitch
    3. Bryce Brentz (I think?) made a nice little diving tackle fail at :11
    4. Brandon Jacobs is a fucking tank, kinda funny hes got the same name as the NYG RB
    5. The entire RiverDogs team made a horrendous and terrible effort in backing up their player. It took them basically a minute to get Jacobs off of Slade, and at one point one RiverDogs player punched another!

  • BavarianYankee

    great fight, no matter how long Heathcott will be suspended but it was definitly worth it. I’m sure he had good reasons to do it.

    btw: I will several players will be suspended, there was a lotta kicking and brawling in there (e.g. that Youkilis look-alike :D)

  • MudBall

    Batter going after a catcher is news? Anyone here old enough to remember Juan Marichal taking BP on catcher John Roseboro’s head after Roseboro hit his head while returning the ball to the pitcher?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Marichal

    If Heathcott thought he was calling for a beanball, then good for him.

    I hope he brings that fire to the Bronx. Kid reminds me of Nails Dykstra.