Some people are just imbeciles

This is about as bad as it gets. The victim has “swelling of the brain, a fractured skull, and…a frontal lobe that’s bruised pretty badly.” He’s now in a medically-induced coma.

Why? Because he chose to go watch his favorite team play. Yes, he was at the opponent’s stadium. Sure, he was wearing his team’s attire in “enemy” territory. It’s possible he had been taunting Dodgers fans with chants about his Giants being World Series champs, though that’s pure speculation on my part.

What I know as surely as I know anything is that he did not deserve this. There is absolutely no justification for this type of action. None. Ever. This was vicious, animalistic behavior by the worst sort of “fan.”

My hope is that there are eyewitnesses bold enough to step forward and identify the attackers. My hope is that those attackers are found, tried and punished in a manner befitting their actions. My hope is that this is the last time anything like this occurs at a baseball game.

It’s a game, folks. It’s two groups of men throwing and hitting a ball around. It was started as a recreational pursuit a long time ago. Let’s not allow it to devolve into something like this ever again.


Greg has been a writer and editor for The Hardball Times since 2010. In his dreams, he's the second coming of Ozzie Smith. Please don't wake him up.
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Steve Treder
12 years ago

Entirely agreed, Greg.  And though obviously the perpetrators of this crime deserve all of the accountability, it’s still the case that nearly-nonexistent parking lot security provided by the Dodgers is something long overdue to be addressed.

Frank Bernstein
12 years ago

Greg, I agree on all counts.

eric arvidson
12 years ago

You have to assume that alcohol was involved – which opens up a whole “can of worms” about alcohol sales at sporting events.
I’m with you, Greg. I hope these idiots are found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
It’s a GAME folks!!!!

Jim C
12 years ago

The fact that it was L.A. is completely irrelevant. I’ve seen fights at games in many cities, including a 20-person brawl in a concourse at Wrigley after a White Sox-Cub game. I’ve seen fights at Camden Yards during a Yankee-Oriole playoff game. The location is meaningless. There are idiots everywhere, and when they get drunk they get violent. More stadium and parking lot security is needed, but that would mean the teams would have to spend more money, and none of them like to do that.
Nice article Greg, well-written.

Greg Simons
12 years ago

Thanks, Jim.  Other than to give the particulars of this incident, I intentionally stayed away from any reference to a particular team or its fans because this could have happened anywhere, unfortunately.

David V.
12 years ago

Everyone remember what Jim C. and Greg Simons said the next time folks trash Philliy fans.
That being said, the atmosphere at Dodger games has really declined…from “Sunheads” who left in the 7th minning to go to the beach to gang-banging thugs.

Jim C
12 years ago

I’ve seen at least a few games in every major league city, and in my experience fans are more intense, and potentially angry, in the east than the midwest or west, generally. Boston, New York, and Philly fans are the most intense, though the most savage, clever, and profane insults to visiting players I ever heard were in San Francisco. The most polite fans are in St. Louis, though the city of Toronto in general takes politeness to a whole new level.

JoeC
12 years ago

It’s LA. What’d you expect?

Patrick S
12 years ago

Now if they would just sell pot at the games…..

Steven Booth
12 years ago

These cretins refer to themselves as Dodger fans, I’m sure. It is sad that nowadays going to a Dodger game is fraught with stabblings, beatings, etc. It hasn’t always been this way. I’ve been going to games since the late 60’s, and although I’ve seen a few fistfights, etc, nothing ever happened to the degree it does now. My dad thought it totally cool to bring the whole family to a game three or four times a year. Now I question it with my own.

I’ve written about why Southern California minor league teams are doing so well……it’s not too far-fetched to think BS like this is why many don’t want to bother going to games anymore.

Dan in Philly
12 years ago

Not to make this all about us, but if this had happened here, ESPN would have shown the highlights over and over and over and over…. We boo-ed santa clause about 3,000 years ago, so we no doubt deserve it.