Report: Danny Valencia Punched Billy Butler For Tattling About Shoes

The San Francisco Chronicle has gotten the full story behind the fight between Oakland A’s teammates Billy Butler and Danny Valencia, which apparently started because Butler ratted out Valencia for wearing the wrong cleats.

According to the Chronicle, at some point on Friday a representative from a sports equipment company that has a sponsorship deal with Valencia asked the slugger why he had a pair of off-brand cleats in his locker despite having previously been instructed to not wear those cleats. When Valencia explained that he only used those spikes during pregame warmups, Butler reportedly interjected and told the rep that Valencia was lying.

Once the rep left, things apparently got heated. From the Chronicle:

After the rep departed, the players said, Valencia confronted Butler and told him, “Don’t you ever loud talk me in front of a rep. That was wrong,” and walked aggressively toward Butler. Butler turned around, took a couple steps toward Valencia, and according to both witnesses, said, “I can say whatever I want and your b— ass isn’t going to do anything about it.”

One player said that the men leaned in, bumped heads and then started pushing each other, Valencia started swinging and hit Butler in the temple. After the players broke things up, Butler told the players he was OK.

One player told the Chronicle that Valencia and Butler “go at it every day.”

[ SF Chronicle]