Minor Leaguer Reportedly Tried To Climb Into Stands To Fight Fan

Details are still scarce and even a bit contradictory, but according to reports, fans in Toledo angered one or more Indianapolis Indians players last night by throwing things at them, and that at one point former major leaguer Félix Pié attempted to climb over a railing to go after people before being restrained by teammate Brandon Inge.

The Indians, the Pittsburgh Pirates' Triple-A affiliate, were in Toledo to play the Mud Hens, the Detroit Tigers' International League club. A brief story in the Toledo Blade, citing eyewitnesses, said that just one fan had been throwing peanuts at Inge—a former Tiger and Mud Hen—early in the game, but that things later escalated:

Before the fifth inning began, the fan came to railing on the far side of the Indianapolis dugout and exchanged words with Inge. A number of Inge’s teammates came to his defense, with several attempting to jump the railing that separated them from the fan. The fan was escorted out of the ballpark but attempted to throw beer on the Indians before leaving.

Will Flemming, an Indians broadcaster, tweeted out a few more specifics based on what he actually saw. Rather than mention that "a number" of Indians players were involved, Flemming says it was Pié who tried to get into the stands, and that Pié even had "a foot over the wall" before being pulled back. Flemming also makes mention of "fans" as opposed to just one fan:

Pié, an outfielder, previously played parts of five seasons with the Cubs and Orioles. He spent most of 2012 as a minor leaguer in the Braves' system before signing a minor-league deal with the Pirates back in November. This would not be the first time he's let his anger get the best of him out on the field. We've emailed the Indianapolis Indians for additional comment. If you were there and saw what happened, do drop us a line.

Update: The announcers on the BCSN broadcast out of Toledo mentioned an incident near the Indians' dugout. They provided no details except to say No. 50—Jerry Sands—was involved, though they did crack wise about soccer hooligans.

See Also: Félix Pié Was "Covered In Beer" After Near-Fight With Fans

[ Toledo Blade]

Photo: Getty