The Pirate is fined $432 for disorderly conduct after hitting a mascot with his bat.
By Associated Press
Published July 11, 2003
MILWAUKEE - Prosecutors grilled Pirates first baseman Randall Simon, then let up with the heat after he hit one of the Brewers' sausage mascots with his bat.
Still, he was cited by the sheriff's department for disorderly conduct and fined $432 for a swing that got more attention than any other around the majors Wednesday night.
Simon said he didn't mean to knock down the sausage-clad woman, who tumbled to the ground and got a few scrapes but wasn't seriously hurt during the costume race, popular at Brewers games.
"I thought at the moment they were trying to play with us," Simon said Thursday. "They were running right next to the players. I'm a fun player, and I've never hurt anyone in my life."
The 19-year-old woman, Mandy Block, was among four people dressed as an oversized bratwurst, a hot dog and Italian and Polish sausages racing past the Pirates dugout between the sixth and seventh innings at Miller Park.
Simon took a half swing at the Italian sausage character, hitting her from behind. As Block fell she knocked over the hot dog woman.
"It just seems ridiculous - it's like a big sausage getting hit by a bat causes all this controversy. It just seems kind of funny to me," Block told WTMJ-TV. "It wasn't that big of a blow."
After the game Simon was arrested and booked for misdemeanor battery. He was told to appear at the district attorney's office the next day.
Simon and one of the women met with prosecutors, but Deputy District Attorney Jon Reddin said the two women didn't think Simon meant to hurt them. Simon gave the Brewers two autographed bats for the women.
"It's a lesson," he said. "As a player you don't want those types of things that might change your career. This might change not only me, but every other player. ... From now on I'm going to be checking before doing those types of things."
Simon drew boos from many of the fans when he pinch-hit in the seventh. He grounded out in the only playing time he saw, and the Brewers won 2-1 in 12 innings. Simon did not start Thursday. The Pirates said they do not condone Simon's behavior and will address the issue internally.
Rick Schlesinger, Brewers executive vice president for business operations, said he was "sickened" by Simon's actions.
"This is one of the most outrageous things I've ever seen inside a ballpark or outside a ballpark," he said.
The sausage races will continue. They will compete against pierogies (dumplings) at a series with the Pirates on Aug. 15-17 in Pittsburgh and again Aug. 22-24 in Milwaukee.
Josee Meehan of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council was pleased by all the attention.
"I think it probably raised awareness that there are all types of sausages out there," Meehan said. "We were talking about ... which one would win. We thought it probably would be the hot dog, because it's leaner than the other ones."
On Thursday, four new people were inside the costumes, and Pirates players moved into the dugout and away from the field during the race.
"They're rounding the Pirates dugout - they've made it safely," Brewers announcer Robb Edwards said to the wild cheers of fans.
