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Pirates' Simon cited for disorderly conduct in incident
Journal Sentinel staff, wire reports
Last Updated: July 10, 2003
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon won't face criminal charges for swatting a young woman with a bat as she took part in the popular human sausage race at the Milwaukee Brewers' ballpark.
Deputy District Attorney Jon Reddin said the women "were not interested in having him charged criminally" and did not believe Simon meant to hurt them.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department cited Simon for disorderly conduct, which carries a $432 fine.
Simon said he didn't deliberately try to knock down the woman, who was wearing an Italian sausage costume. She tumbled to the ground and got a few scrapes but wasn't hurt.
"That wasn't my intention in my heart for that to happen," Simon said in the locker room at Miller Park before Thursday afternoon's game. "I was just trying to get a tap at the costume and for her to finish the race."
Sheriff David Clarke said Simon can contest the disorderly conduct citation at a Sept. 3 court hearing.
Mandy Block, the 19-year-old South Milwaukee woman inside the Italian sausage outfit, said she holds nothing against Simon or the Pirates.
"The players are always throwing sunflower seeds and stuff at us to mess with us," said Block, who in the fall will be a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is a kinesiology major.
While she doesn't care to pursue criminal charges, she would like one thing from Simon - the bat he used to hit her. - signed by Simon. "And maybe he could sign it," she said.
The sausage race, a fan favorite at Miller Park, features four people dressed as an oversized bratwurst, a hot dog, an Italian sausage and a Polish sausage who run around the infield warning track between the sixth and seventh innings.
The sausages were racing past the Pirates' dugout Wednesday night when videotape showed Simon took a bat and swatted the Italian sausage. Inside that costume, Block fell to the ground and caused the 19-year-old woman in the hot dog costume to also fall.
Simon said he was just playing around when he swatted at the mascot with the bat.
"I thought at the moment they were trying to play with us. They were running right next to the players," he said. "I'm a fun player, and I've never hurt anyone in my life."
Simon was taken in handcuffs to the Milwaukee County Jail. He was booked, released and ordered to meet with county prosecutors Thursday. Clarke said the booking was standard procedure for someone from out of town.
After the incident, Simon drew boos from many of the fans when he was used as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. He grounded out in the only playing time he saw. The Brewers won 2-1 in 12 innings.
The Pirates issued a statement Thursday apologizing for the incident and saying the team does not condone Simon's behavior and will address the issue internally.
Simon was not in the starting lineup Thursday.
Rick Schlessinger, Brewers executive vice president for business operations, said he felt Simon's conduct was unjustified.
"This is one of the most outrageous things I've ever seen inside a ballpark or outside a ballpark," he said. "It sickened me to see it."
The team planned to continue the sausage races in their current form.
Brewers spokesman Jon Greenberg said the sausages were scheduled to compete against Pittsburgh's racing pierogies at a series Aug. 15-17 in Pittsburgh and at a series Aug. 22-24 at Milwaukee. A pierogi is a type of stuffed dumpling.
Brewers vice president Laurel Prieb said the racing sausages have been a fan favorite since they were introduced "as a lark" around 1995.
Brewers fan Teresa Krebs said, "This is a big sausage town. It's the beer and brats factor. "It's just kind of a goofy tradition."
Brad Ehlers, a Pirates fan at Thursday's game, said he thought Pittsburgh should fine Simon.
"It sets a bad example for kids, especially for someone people look up to," he said.
Jim Verage, though, said the incident was overblown.
"I think he was just clowning around," he said.
More complete coverage of this story will appear online later tonight and in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the morning
Pirates' Simon cited for disorderly conduct in incident
Journal Sentinel staff, wire reports
Last Updated: July 10, 2003
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon won't face criminal charges for swatting a young woman with a bat as she took part in the popular human sausage race at the Milwaukee Brewers' ballpark.
Deputy District Attorney Jon Reddin said the women "were not interested in having him charged criminally" and did not believe Simon meant to hurt them.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department cited Simon for disorderly conduct, which carries a $432 fine.
Simon said he didn't deliberately try to knock down the woman, who was wearing an Italian sausage costume. She tumbled to the ground and got a few scrapes but wasn't hurt.
"That wasn't my intention in my heart for that to happen," Simon said in the locker room at Miller Park before Thursday afternoon's game. "I was just trying to get a tap at the costume and for her to finish the race."
Sheriff David Clarke said Simon can contest the disorderly conduct citation at a Sept. 3 court hearing.
Mandy Block, the 19-year-old South Milwaukee woman inside the Italian sausage outfit, said she holds nothing against Simon or the Pirates.
"The players are always throwing sunflower seeds and stuff at us to mess with us," said Block, who in the fall will be a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is a kinesiology major.
While she doesn't care to pursue criminal charges, she would like one thing from Simon - the bat he used to hit her. - signed by Simon. "And maybe he could sign it," she said.
The sausage race, a fan favorite at Miller Park, features four people dressed as an oversized bratwurst, a hot dog, an Italian sausage and a Polish sausage who run around the infield warning track between the sixth and seventh innings.
The sausages were racing past the Pirates' dugout Wednesday night when videotape showed Simon took a bat and swatted the Italian sausage. Inside that costume, Block fell to the ground and caused the 19-year-old woman in the hot dog costume to also fall.
Simon said he was just playing around when he swatted at the mascot with the bat.
"I thought at the moment they were trying to play with us. They were running right next to the players," he said. "I'm a fun player, and I've never hurt anyone in my life."
Simon was taken in handcuffs to the Milwaukee County Jail. He was booked, released and ordered to meet with county prosecutors Thursday. Clarke said the booking was standard procedure for someone from out of town.
After the incident, Simon drew boos from many of the fans when he was used as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. He grounded out in the only playing time he saw. The Brewers won 2-1 in 12 innings.
The Pirates issued a statement Thursday apologizing for the incident and saying the team does not condone Simon's behavior and will address the issue internally.
Simon was not in the starting lineup Thursday.
Rick Schlessinger, Brewers executive vice president for business operations, said he felt Simon's conduct was unjustified.
"This is one of the most outrageous things I've ever seen inside a ballpark or outside a ballpark," he said. "It sickened me to see it."
The team planned to continue the sausage races in their current form.
Brewers spokesman Jon Greenberg said the sausages were scheduled to compete against Pittsburgh's racing pierogies at a series Aug. 15-17 in Pittsburgh and at a series Aug. 22-24 at Milwaukee. A pierogi is a type of stuffed dumpling.
Brewers vice president Laurel Prieb said the racing sausages have been a fan favorite since they were introduced "as a lark" around 1995.
Brewers fan Teresa Krebs said, "This is a big sausage town. It's the beer and brats factor. "It's just kind of a goofy tradition."
Brad Ehlers, a Pirates fan at Thursday's game, said he thought Pittsburgh should fine Simon.
"It sets a bad example for kids, especially for someone people look up to," he said.
Jim Verage, though, said the incident was overblown.
"I think he was just clowning around," he said.
More complete coverage of this story will appear online later tonight and in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the morning
