Benches Clear Twice During Minor League Game

Things got a little out of hand Friday night between the Double-A affiliates of the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins.

Up 5-1 in the ninth inning, Birmingham Barons infielder Jeremy Farrell crossed homeplate and bumped into Jacksonville Suns pitcher Matt Ramsey, who was backing up the play.  According to Suns manager Andy Barkett, it was Farrell that ignited the brawl by jawing at Ramsey.

Then, approximately eight minutes after the initial scrum (and after it appeared as though everything had been settled)…the benches cleared again, leading to five players and Barkett being sent to the showers.

“I thought it was very unprofessional by Farrell to run into our pitcher,” Suns manager Andy Barkett said following the game.  “What I don’t understand, and the umpires wouldn’t tell me, is why Ramsey gets ejected when he’s the one run into. They wouldn’t give me a reason other than to say, ‘This is a messed-up situation.’ That’s all I got from them.  And then I get sucker-punched as I’m going in to try and break up guys.”

But it would be Birmingham’s backup catcher Martin Medina who would get the worst of it.  During the second altercation, he was hit in the face and subsequently taken to the hospital after blood began collecting in his eye.