Sausage attacked!

[moonstomper]

Pirates first baseman attacks giant sausage with bat!!!!!

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/sports/brew/img/jul03/saus709.jpg

heres the story http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0709/1578808.html

[Jeff O Rocks]

The picture alone made me hoot!! Sometimes that is the best part of sports....the MASCOTS!! :D

[talkingcanes]

I saw this all over TV this morning. the video is a scream. I hope no one got hurt, but the sausage gets hit with the bat and then the weiner is trying to help the sausage get up. It was hysterical.

The player may be in trouble over it though. I wonder why it didn't occur to him that there was an actual person in there who could be hurt with a bat :eek2:

[Guyute]

player was taken off the field in 'cuffs. as well he should've been. unbelievable.

[Shell]

unbelievable indeed.. I wonder how surprised he was to find out he just hit a female with a bat and not a piece of sausage? The jokes shall follow him for the rest of his career though about him beating the sausage, but I digress ;)

So, maybe something like this is the answer to boost Canes attendance ;)
"Greenberg said the racing sausages were scheduled to compete against racing pierogies (dumplings) at a series with the Pirates in Pittsburgh Aug. 15-17 and then again during a series between the teams Aug. 22-24 at Milwaukee."

[Jeff O Rocks]

This is kind of off-topic, but when all the mascots were at the RBC Center for Stormy's birthday, Snoopy was here too..........the person in the costume couldn't see very good and ran right into the net and fell down....it was so funny...I LMAO!!!!! :D Maybe I am mean, but I couldn't help it... :beatup:

[Alicia]

I'm sorry, but I would've LMAO...I can't believe there was any malicious intent here.

[crazy4canes]

Rick Schlessinger, Brewers' executive vice president for business operations, called Simon's conduct "one of the most outrageous things I've ever seen inside a ballpark or outside a ballpark. It sickened me to see it."

I'm sorry to make light of this but really....if that's one of the most outrageous things he's ever seen then he really needs to get out more. :eek2:

[Jeff O Rocks]

They showed it on the 6:00 news on Channel 5 and Tom Suiter and the whole gang was hootin'!! :laugh: I can't see that he could have hurt that person with that big head thingie on.....and he didn't seem to swing hard...somebody wants some payola!! $$

[nccanes]

The link that moonie posted has a another link where you can see the "incident". It looked to me that the Sausage was losing her balance just as she approached him and kind of leaned toward him. I think she would have fallen even without the plonk on the chef's hat. I'm not making excuses for him, but I think maybe he was as unlucky as he was stupid.

If the girls ended up with scraped knees, and no knot on the head, I hope he gets off with a nice donation to the Sausage Industry. ;)

[nccanes]

I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but I found this "police report" from ESPN quite humorous.


Date: July 9, 2003

The crime: Alleged misdemeanor battery (assault on a sausage with a baseball bat)


]http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/pg2/2002/0712/photo/sausage.jpg
In happier days: This file photo from the 2002 All-Star Game shows the sausage race in its purest form.


The victim: Italian Sausage

The alleged perpetrator: Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon

Scene of the crime: Third-base side of Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wis.

Witnesses: Polish Sausage, Bratwurst, Hot Dog, 25 Pittsburgh Pirates, 25 Milwaukee Brewers and at least 50 people in the stands.

The incident: As the four sausages were coming toward the finish line during their traditional race after the sixth inning, Simon allegedly whacked Italian Sausage over the head with a wood bat (presumably uncorked), causing the meat of the savory Italian variety to fall to the ground and also trip up the Hot Dog in the process. The Polish and the Brat somehow managed to escape harm.

The Italian Sausage was treated at the scene for scraped knees (sausages have knees?), and was last seen diving into a cab with a towel over its head and rushing to a local hospital with three members of its entourage. The Hot Dog also suffered scraped outer casing. The Bratwurst won the race and refused to cooperate with investigators on the scene. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig declared the race "a tie" -- as is tradition for all controversial events at Miller Park.

One TV reporter claimed he had known the Italian Sausage since he "came into baseball as just a small link" and that it would be totally "out of character" for the sausage to provoke anyone.

Physical evidence: Raw meat remnants along the third-base line indicate that a fall took place. Ketchup stains were spotted as far away as the second deck. Simon's bat (taken into custody) smelled like a Fourth of July barbeque.

One witness said the entire incident was a blur, but that it appeared the Italian Sausage was attacked by either a large blob of mustard or a large banana. Investigators noted that Simon was wearing the Pirates' all-yellow throwback uniform from head to toe.

Simon's alibi: Official baseball statistics show Simon has not had a hit in the month of July, so the chances of the .272-hitter being able to nail a speeding sausage are very slim. :laugh: Also, Simon claims to be a vegetarian and says he would never "harm a sausage or any other meat product."

Simon also claimed the sausage was "going down anyway" and said "it's impossible to run with a head that big because it makes you top heavy." He also claimed that he never actually made contact with the sausage's head because "that freakin' chef hat is a foot and a half tall."

Possible motive(s): Witnesses near the Pirates dugout claim they heard Simon declare that he felt the Italian Sausage was "a real brat." One anonymous teammate claimed Simon had "bet Wednesday's meal money" on the race and made a panicked attempt to try to fix the race at the last minute.

Character assessment: It should also be noted that Simon is a notorious free-swinger who hacks at just about anything. Weighing in at 242 pounds for his booking, the 6-foot Simon also doesn't appear to be a man who is truly abstaining from meat.

The suspect entered the interview room with mustard smudges on his shirt and a glob of relish on his bottom lip. Interrogating officers, shocked by his casual disregard for the gravity of the situation, and troubled by his cruel, steely gaze, wiped his face clean and pushed him into a chair. The suspect responded only with a belch and a sick, satisfied chuckle.
Exclusive crime scene photo! Here is what remains of the sausage racer.


Possible accomplice: After the hot dog tripped over the fallen Italian Sausage, the Polish Sausage turned to help its injured racers The Bratwurst, however, kept on going and crossed the finish line in first place. After the race, the Brat claimed innocence. "Somebody had to (win), I guess," it said. However, the Brat does trail the season race standings.

Possible conspirator: Last September, officials from PETA faxed the Brewers asking that the Veggie Dog (aka "Soysage") be added to the sausage race. "If given a sporting chance, our lean, mean veggie dog might run rings around those fatty 'brats' in the sausage race," PETA's Dan Shannon said at the time. "The Veggie Dog would be a big hit, especially with hip, young baseball fans." The request was turned down by the Brewers, however.

Considering PETA's history of violent protest, we advise an interview with Mr. Shannon and place a trace on phone calls from Mr. Shannon's office or house to the Pirates' clubhouse.

[talkingcanes]

That is very funny :D

I know my sense of humor is quite warped, but I find the whole thing, including all the outrage, to be hysterical. Even the sausage says she finds it funny and that she was falling because she'd lost her balance as she reached the players. I am glad she wasn't hurt.

[nccanes]

I'm giggling too TC!

And am I the only one that wouldn't have "recognized" them as sausages? I mean they could be toilet paper rolls (sans paper) too!

Glad to hear Ms. Sausage is fine and kept her sense of humor. :D

[nccanes]

Okay I'll give this up, but I found this in another article about today's:

On Thursday, four new people were inside the costumes, and Pirates players moved into the dugout and away from the field during the race.

"They're rounding the Pirates dugout -- they've made it safely," said Robb Edwards, the Brewers announcer, to the wild cheers of fans on their feet.

Fittingly, the Italian sausage won.



:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Oh and obviously Simon feels really bad about the whole thing:

Simon, who had said he hoped to apologize to Block before leaving Milwaukee, gave the Brewers two autographed bats for both women who fell.

[Shell]

hahhaa thanks for posting that Eileen! Hilarious!

[Jeff O Rocks]

And am I the only one that wouldn't have "recognized" them as sausages? I mean they could be toilet paper rolls (sans paper) too!



Me too Eileen....they don't look like any sausages I ever saw before! :D All I know is if I had been there, they would to have had to carry me out cause I would have laughed myself into a stupor!! To see that big head running down the field past the players and then stumbling and taking a bat to the head........that would have been too much for me!! :laugh:

Where is Aaryn?? I know with his sense of humor, he will LHAO when he hears about this! :spin:

[Alicia]

And am I the only one that wouldn't have "recognized" them as sausages? I mean they could be toilet paper rolls (sans paper) too!



Me too Eileen....they don't look like any sausages I ever saw before! :D All I know is if I had been there, they would to have had to carry me out cause I would have laughed myself into a stupor!! To see that big head running down the field past the players and then stumbling and taking a bat to the head........that would have been too much for me!! :laugh:

Where is Aaryn?? I know with his sense of humor, he will LHAO when he hears about this! :spin:

I know I'd have laughed until tears were streaming down my face! http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/c0/rofl.gif

[Stormbringer]

And am I the only one that wouldn't have "recognized" them as sausages? I mean they could be toilet paper rolls (sans paper) too!



Me too Eileen....they don't look like any sausages I ever saw before! :D All I know is if I had been there, they would to have had to carry me out cause I would have laughed myself into a stupor!! To see that big head running down the field past the players and then stumbling and taking a bat to the head........that would have been too much for me!! :laugh:

The only reason I knew about the "sausages" being sausages was through seeing them in clips on the news and various sports networks before the infamous incident. If it weren't for those clips, I would have thought the "sausages" were an idea for a new Nickelodeon cartoon...I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they came out with a show called "The Sausageheads" or something similar. Heck, that bratwurst even looks kind of like Spongebob Squarepants... :eek2: :crazy:

[JaroFan]

Ok here's what gets me, i'm watching CBS this morning (whatever their morning show is called), first they were showing an interview with Simon and he said "I've apologized to both girls", then they later were interviewing the girl in the sausage costume, live, and she said "I haven't talked to him yet". Did he mean that he just apologized on tv in general? She was in very good spirits, saying she knows it was an accident, so good for her!

[nccanes]

I saw the girls on Good Morning America and they were very nice, but I also sensed they were being advised not to say anything that would let him off the hook completely.

I was floored when the 2nd girl (not the one that got bonked on the head) that fell had this exchange with Terry Moran:

The girl that got bonked said she was fine.

Moran: So what about you, were you hurt at all?
Hot Dog Girl: Well, I've had surgery on my left knee and I have a volleyball scholarship to think about.

Later when he asked them both about "is this over now?" the 2nd girl said "we're keeping our options open".

I was so pissed. If she was worried about the possibility of tripping and putting her volleyball scholarship in jeopardy, perhaps she shouldn't have donned an oversized hot dog and raced to begin with. BTW, she was the one that got up immediately and continued along in the race, while another sausage-person stopped to help the Italian Sausage.

I also heard them say they had not rec'd an apology, but were expecting to get a phone call from him today. I was thinking - I've read where he apologized, I read where he wanted to STAY and apologize, and I understand there was a press conference. Why not just say "we haven't spoken with him directly, but we know he feels terrible and has apologized in the press".

[Shell]

All Sausage Wants Is Autographed Bat

POSTED: 10:10 a.m. EDT July 11, 2003
UPDATED: 11:29 a.m. EDT July 11, 2003

MILWAUKEE -- Mandy Block says an apology is fine, but all she really wants from Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon is a bat -- and his autograph.

Simon caused an uproar when he swung a bat at the 19-year-old Block (pictured, right) at a game in Milwaukee against the Brewers this week. She was dressed as a sausage and running around the field with other similarly suited mascots between innings.

Block said the bat hit the top of her costume, and she fell because of the weight of the outfit. A fellow mascot dressed as a hot dog also fell.

"I ran past him and I saw him kinda go like this, and I didn't think anything of it until I felt a blow, and I was like, 'I think that was the bat.' And I wasn't sure, but I fell down and I couldn't get up and I was fine. I was just embarrassed because I couldn't get up out of my costume," Block said.

They scraped their knees but otherwise were unhurt. She said she thinks he did it as a joke and not to hurt her.

A Pirates spokeswoman apologized and offered Block free tickets whenever she's in Pittsburgh, and Block says she was told that bats autographed by Simon (pictured, left) would be waiting at Miller Park -- and that hers would be the same bat Simon swung at her Wednesday night.

Simon said he was just playing around.

"I just wanted to tap the mascot you know at the time, right on the head, so it can keep going and finish up the race, you know. I didn't have no plan to hurt her," Simon said.

Block said she's amazed at the huge media reaction.

"It's crazy. That's all I can think of. It's just crazy. I'm just a sausage running a race. So, I never expected all this hoopla," Block said.

[nccanes]

Mandy Block was definitely the one that seemed to be willing to laugh at the whole situation on GMA this morning. The other girl was the one that caught me off guard with her refusal to let the whole situation go - and she was merely bumped by Block, not hit with the bat.

I did laugh when I read that it was going to be "the bat" that she gets autographed.

[Jeff O Rocks]

I'm just a sausage running a race. So, I never expected all this hoopla," Block said.

What a freakin' hoot.... :laugh:

I hope the "hot dog" stays out of this and doesn't see $$$ in her eyes!! :mad:

[nccanes]

Simon was also fined $2000 by MLB and suspended for three games. He said while he's disappointed, he's not going to appeal.

Here's more on the Hot Dog:

But Piech, a Franklin resident who plays volleyball at Harding University in Searcy, Ark, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she was ``disgusted'' with Simon.

``From the moment this has happened, I've had utter disgust with the situation,'' said Piech, 21, who has a rod in her leg from a prior injury. ``I did not think it was a funny practical joke. He could have ended my career just like somebody could end his.''

[talkingcanes]

I can almost hear the Hot Dog filing a lawsuit from here :roll:

[Canesluver]

Okay-- just heard this on the t.v. show, The View.

The saga continues:

The Mayor of the City of Milwaukee has awarded The Sausage a "Certificate of Bravery!!!"

:D

[Stormbringer]

Okay-- just heard this on the t.v. show, The View.

The saga continues:

The Mayor of the City of Milwaukee has awarded The Sausage a "Certificate of Bravery!!!"

:D

Remember the Harvey the Dog incident in Calgary (http://espn.go.com/page2/s/garber/030312.html)? Why didn't Harvey get a "Certificate of Bravery"? Never thought I'd see the day when a sausage got more respect than something much higher up on the food chain...now that's evolution, baby. :D

[talkingcanes]

Okay-- just heard this on the t.v. show, The View.

The saga continues:

The Mayor of the City of Milwaukee has awarded The Sausage a "Certificate of Bravery!!!"

:D

I thought that honor came from the National Hot Dog Council. Did Hot Dog get 2 awards :eek2:

What do you think are the requirements to be on the National Hot Dog Council :D

[Jeff O Rocks]

I never "sausage" a story... (my attempt at humor courtesy of a South of the Border billboard) :D ...glad it was resolved peacefully!

Simon Settles Sausage Saga, Pays $432

POSTED: 2:43 p.m. EDT September 5, 2003
UPDATED: 2:54 p.m. EDT September 5, 2003

MILWAUKEE -- The sausage-swatting incident is now closed for then-Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon.

Simon paid $432, ending the case.

He had swatted his bat at a woman who was dressed as a sausage for a race at a Milwaukee Brewers game in July. Simon now plays for the Chicago Cubs.

The woman fell and scraped herself. Simon said he did not mean to knock her down. The race featured four people dressed as an oversized bratwurst, a hot dog and Italian and Polish sausages.