Former MLB player Raudy Read charged into the stands to confront an apparent heckler at an independent league game on Wednesday night.
Read, 29, appeared in games as a catcher for the Nationals in 2017 and 2019.
Now playing for the Spire City Ghost Hounds in the Atlantic League, he caught the final leg of a 6-4-3 double play at first base in the top of the 10th inning on Wednesday and jogged back toward the dugout.
Raudy Read headed for the stands after the final out of the inning. Twitter
It is unknown what set Read off. TwitterHowever Read, who hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, quickly changed his course, flipped his glove toward the dugout, made a beeline into the stands and proceeded to run up the stairs to confront a fan in the concourse.
“Something is happening up on the concourse!” the stunned play-by-play announcer said.
As the broadcast cut to an advertisement in audio, there was video of a security guard between Read and a fan, as Read’s teammates led him back down towards the field.
Read made his way back to the field after confronting a fan on the concourse. Twitter
Read appeared in games as a catcher for the Nationals in 2017 and 2019. Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesOne user on X, formerly known as Twitter, who claimed to be at the game, tweeted, “Can I just say I was at this game and the names this dude and daughter were calling Raudy that whole inning were [asinine] and barbaric.”
Read wasn’t ejected, as he came to bat in the bottom of the inning, striking out to seal the 11-9 loss to the Long Island Ducks.
It’s fortunate that the situation de-escalated, and there wasn’t an altercation reminiscent of the infamous Malice at the Palace, in which Indiana Pacers’ Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal got physical with fans during their game against the rival Pistons in Detroit in 2004.
