There are few moments in a baseball game more intense than a hard-throwing relief pitcher looking for a punch-out. Dennis Santana of the Pittsburgh Pirates just happened to go for his before even entering the game.
Santana, 29, was caught on video appearing to take a swing at a fan behind the Pirates bullpen during the team’s 8-4 loss to the Tigers in Detroit on Thursday, June 19. The video does not show what the fan said or did to spark Santana’s ire.
“You guys know me and I’m a calm-demeanor type of person,” Santana said, via interpreter and coach Stephen Morales. “I’ve never had any issues with any of the teams that I’ve played for and I guess the guy crossed the line a few times. I would not like to go into it.”
One video shows Santana arguing with a fan wearing a yellow shirt in the front row behind the bullpen. With security by his side, Santana swung at the fan before his teammates and coaches stepped in to pull him away.
Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is wanted for attempted murder after allegedly stealing a security guard’s gun and using it to try and kill a man outside a celebrity boxing match in Miami last month. The warrant shows a charge of attempted murder with a firearm, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, June 12. […]
“Like I said, they crossed the line too many times,” Santana continued. “It doesn’t justify the actions, but it was too much.”
It was the second game of a doubleheader between the Pirates and Tigers, and Santana even came into the game after the incident. He retired the only batter he faced before a rain delay forced him from the game.
After the game, Pirates manager Don Kelly was hesitant to address what happened, as he didn’t have a full view of the incident from his spot in the dugout.
“I’m still gathering facts,” he said. “I don’t have enough information to really comment on that at all.”
Mike Coppola/Getty Images Phil Pines, a former assistant for Sean “Diddy” Combs, is speaking out about his time working for the rapper — and alleging that he witnessed some damning incidents during his two years of employment. Pines detailed his time with Diddy, 55, in the finale of Investigation Discovery’s The Fall of Diddy docuseries, […]
That wasn’t the only incident at Comerica Park on Thursday. In the 10th inning, Pirates outfielder Tommy Pham got into an argument with a fan as he stood in the on-deck circle. Kelly, home plate umpire Dexter Kelley and Pirate Oneil Cruz, who was at bat at the time, all stepped between the two parties. The fan was ejected from the stadium.
“I didn’t see it,” Kelly said. “I guess fans were saying something to him, and he didn’t take kindly to it. Security did a great job of de-escalating that situation pretty quick.”
Tigers catcher Jake Rogers later told reporters he “heard it all” but declined to reveal what was said. Pham left the stadium without speaking to reporters.
Major League Baseball has not announced any fines or suspensions resulting from the game as of this writing. The Tigers and Pirates are scheduled to meet again July 21 to 23 in Pittsburgh.