Until last week, the Staten Island Yankees-Brooklyn Cyclones rivalry was purely PR-produced and media-magnified.
No one in uniform, particularly the players, gave a ferry about the hype surrounding this summer’s 12-game intra-city series.
But last week, a couple collisions and a few wayward fastballs made the rivalry real. And its most explosive sequence doubled as one of the ugliest incidents in the New York-Penn League’s 64-year history.
“We certainly don’t condone fighting,” Brooklyn general manager Steve Cohen said. “But if you watch TV, it does happen. It is part of the game.”
Cohen and Staten Island general manager Jeff Dumas should hear no later than tomorrow about any league-imposed suspensions for the six Cyclones and five Yankees ejected after Thursday night’s brutal brawl. Staten Island (11-21) hosted Hudson Valley, while Brooklyn played the fourth of an eight-game road trip in Williamsport (Pa.).
Dumas said league president Ben J. Hayes received a tape of the game yesterday, and Hayes will use that along with manager and umpire reports to render a decision. Calls to Hayes’ St. Petersburg, Fla., office have gone unreturned all week.
The teams fought in the sixth inning Thursday night after Yankees pitcher Matt DeSalvo threw a fastball off Brooklyn infielder Andy Wilson’s helmet.
The ensuing rumble, which caused a 28-minute delay, sent Staten Island pitcher Brad Blackwell to the hospital for stitches after a one-on-one tussle with Brooklyn’s Robert Paulk.
Although one beaning sparked the brawl, motivation for a fight stretches back to the season’s start. The Cyclones (24-9) own eight wins in nine games against the Yankees in 2003 and a lead them by 12½ games in the league’s McNamara Division.
There’s more, though. Twice in July, Staten Island runners trying to score plowed through Cyclones catcher Yunir Garcia.
The second collision ended last Tuesday’s 5-4 Brooklyn win in the opening of the team’s three-game series. A short argument between Garcia and Staten Island outfielder Alexander Santa followed, and players glared at each other from the benches.
“There have been a couple of plays that were hard but within the rules,” Dumas said. “I’m glad our guys are still fighting, even with the way the season has gone. But there’s no excuse for what happened.”
