Brandon Inge spent 11-plus seasons as a utility infielder for the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Oakland A’s last season. He played in 74 games for the A’s last year and struggled at the plate with a .226 average, and as a result Inge has begun the 2013 season in Triple-A with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
As someone who spent a large portion of his career in Detroit, Inge is likely no stranger to unruly fans. On Tuesday, he learned that minor league fans can be just as ruthless when a brawl nearly broke out after a Toledo Mud Hens fan was chucking peanuts at him. The Toledo Blade described the incident:
According to eyewitness reports, in the early innings of the contest the unidentified fan was throwing peanuts at the (Indianapolis) Indians’ Brandon Inge, who spent significant time with both the Detroit Tigers and Hens.
Before the fifth inning began, the fan came to railing on the far side of the Indianapolis dugout and exchanged words with Inge. A number of Inge’s teammates came to his defense, with several attempting to jump the railing that separated them from the fan. The fan was escorted out of the ballpark but attempted to throw beer on the Indians before leaving.
It seems safe to say that Inge is a popular player and his teammates have his back, but it’s unfortunate to see an interaction with fans get to that point. I don’t know what type of security staffing they have in Toledo, but you have to wonder if the fan should have been removed from the park before it nearly got out of hand.
If Chris Perez was there he would have let the fan know exactly how he felt.
H/T The Big Lead
