Three links for a Thursday

The Great Dayton Brawl story comes to an end.

A judge has waived a 30-day jail sentence for a minor league pitcher convicted of throwing a baseball into the stands that injured a fan during an on-field brawl at Fifth Third Field in Dayton two years ago.

Julio Castillo was released from probation Wednesday on the condition that he leave the United States and not return for a minimum of three years.

Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Connie Price also ordered Castillo, who is from the Dominican Republic, to pay court costs.

That ends the criminal side of the story. I haven't seen anything about the civil pursuits that have been going on as part of the story.

Stadium news from a Brewers affiliate:

Stars opt to extend lease with Huntsville for five years

Despite dwindling attendance and playing in the oldest stadium in the Southern League, the ownership of the Huntsville Stars has exercised the option to extend its lease with the city of Huntsville for five years, through the 2015 season

Miles Prentice, the team's majority owner, made the announcement prior to the Stars' home season opener Wednesday night.

Prentice said that in reassuring the city he would not move the club he hoped for "a recognition that baseball is important (to Huntsville) and they want to keep it."

Ex-Star Jimmy Jones wants team to stay

Jones was a Huntsville Stars catcher in 1987 and 1988 before his career was ended by a near-crippling ankle injury.

Lured by love and geography, he stayed in town.

Now, Jimmy Jones wants to keep the Stars in town.

"I want 'em to stay," Jones says. "Me and other people have a real passion for the game. Some of the citizens of Huntsville and Madison and other towns close by don't realize what they're missing."

Bringing it up now

The trial of Julio Castillo has been going on in Dayton for awhile. The latest AP report is here.

Testifying in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, Castillo said he had been having pitching control problems earlier in the game, became frightened as the brawl began, and did not throw at an opposing player or with the intention of hitting anyone.

"I saw that the players with the Dragons were coming," the Spanish-speaking Castillo said, testifying through a translator. "I was nervous and frightened. I threw the ball in front of the dugout to see if they would go back. I didn't throw it to hit anyone."

Under cross-examination by assistant Montgomery County prosecutor Tracey Ballard Tangeman, Castillo acknowledged that he threw the ball hard and that it went into the stands.

Here is testimony from the fan from earlier this week.

Chris McCarthy, 45, of Middletown, testified for the prosecution in the trial of Julio Castillo, who is charged with felonious assault. Castillo, a 22-year-old pitcher from the Dominican Republic, has pleaded not guilty.

Castillo was pitching for the Peoria Chiefs against the Dayton Dragons when a bench-clearing brawl broke out last July.

McCarthy says the swelling in his head got so bad that he couldn't wear a hard hat for the part of his job in which he goes into a paper mill.

McCarthy said Castillo, who appeared angry, hurled the ball toward the Dragons' dugout and that the ball came into the stands, striking him in the temple area.

"It came and struck me in the head here, knocking my hat off and leaving a mark where the seams hit me," said McCarthy, who was sittinng with his wife, his 7-year-old son and 7-year-old nephew at the time. "I didn't remember all the details after that. I did not lose consciousness, but I was not thinking clearly."

Back to the Brawl

The other shoe has dropped in that brawl between the Peoria Chiefs and the Dayton Dragons. Remember that? The brawl that led to this from the Dayton Daily News.

Click for a really good view.

That other shoe was not another diagram. It was an indictment for #4 of that diagram.

A Montgomery County grand jury has indicted former Peoria Chiefs baseball pitcher Julio Castillo on two felony counts of felonious assault for his actions during a widely publicized brawl this past summer between the Chiefs and the Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Field.

The charges are second-degree felonies, each punishable by up to 8 years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

The July 24 brawl started when Chiefs interim manager Carmelo Martinez left his dugout to argue with former Dragons manager Donnie Scott. When Martinez pushed Scott, the benches emptied.

Video of the fight showed Castillo throwing a baseball toward the Dragons' dugout. The ball sailed, however, and struck a fan from Middletown in the head.

No further comment from me.

More

Dragons president speaks to team

The first serious on-field brawl in nearly nine years of baseball at Fifth Third Field prompted Dragons president Bob Murphy to hold an impromptu staff meeting in the hallway behind the upper-deck suites today, July 25.

"We have a job to do, and we have to be on it," Murphy said. "We want to put on wholesome, safe events for our fans."

Fans not bothered by Thursday's brawl

Don Campbell was first in line at the Fifth Third Field gates on Friday, July 25, waiting for 6 p.m. so he could enter the stadium and find his seat. The 60-year-old could be called the city's biggest Dragons fan, as he has an unofficial museum dedicated to the team in the second floor of his Dayton home.

He, like many fans interviewed before and during the Dragons' Friday game against the Peoria Chiefs, said a bench-clearing brawl on Thursday that resulted in an injured fan and an arrested Peoria pitcher wouldn't dull their enthusiasm about the team.

"My opinion is that the media blows it way out of proportion," Campbell said. "We've had a clean record for nine years. Actually, in my opinion, Peoria started it. Their manager pushed our manager."

Brawl aftermath: Mood cools off a day later

It wasn't going to be a usual night of baseball, so the Dayton Dragons didn't even try to make it that way Friday, July 25.

Muzzled by the parent Reds from talking about Thursday night's brawl with Peoria players, Dayton manager Donnie Scott made another decision. Batting practice would take place indoors instead of on the field, again reducing media opportunities.

The Chiefs are hoping that this event coming up on Tuesday gets attention turned back on them in a more positive light:

Cougars, Chiefs excited to play at Wrigley
Historic ballpark will host its first Minor League game Tuesday

The Peoria Chiefs and the Kane County Cougars will play the first Minor League game in the ballpark's 94-year history in the "Road to Wrigley" matchup on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. CT.

The game represents an opportunity for entry-level players -- Peoria's Cubs prospects and Kane County's A's prospects -- to experience a Major League atmosphere. It puts an image in their minds of the ultimate goal.

Here's hoping.

Yes, Here is the video

Beanings, hard slide came before brawl
How did it start?

Maybe the Peoria Chiefs were angry they had three batters hit with pitches Wednesday night in a 4-3 loss, which ended with Angel Cabrera's walk-off homer.

Maybe their anger escalated when Nate Samson, their second batter Thursday, July 24, was hit by a Kyle Lotzkar pitch.

Certainly the Dayton Dragons and Chiefs realized this wasn't going to be an ordinary game when Dayton shortstop Zack Cozart — the second batter in the bottom of the first — was drilled in the helmet by Chiefs pitcher Julio Castillo.

Then, when the Dragons scored four times on three straight hits, Cabrera walked to the plate. He was hit with Castillo's second pitch. What happened next will be remembered by fans long after the 6-5 victory is forgotten.

That is a Marc Katz article and he tracks down some quotes from the Dragons. Marc just got some ESPN air time, too.

Other Dayton Daily News stories since last night:

Dayton Dragons, Peoria Chiefs fight it out

Fight erupts at Dayton Dragons game, fan struck by ball

Peoria pitcher in Montgomery County jail

Brawl at Dayton Dragons game, fan struck by ball

Brawl breaks out at Dragons game

More as it develops.

What the...?

Interesting night in Dayton.

A first-inning four-run rally quickly escalated into a bench-clearing brawl between the Dayton Dragons and Peoria Chiefs tonight at Fifth Third Field that halted play for an hour and 9 minutes.

The game was resumed at 8:51 p.m. after the league office in Beloit, Wis., reversed 17 ejections that were handed down following the brawl, which lasted about 10 minutes.

Dayton shortstop Zack Cozart had to leave the game after being hit in the head with a pitch and Peoria second baseman Gian Guzman went out with a broken left leg.

Holy....

Trouble may have started in the top of the first when Dayton pitcher Kyle Lotzkar hit the second batter, Nate Samson.

That half-inning ended without further incident, but when Cozart came to bat as Dayton's second batter — with a runner on first — he was drilled in the left side of the helmet by a Julio Castillo pitch.

Cozart fell to the ground immediately and eventually was helped to the dugout, finished for the evening.

Following an out, Brandon Waring then hit a slow roller toward second that Castillo tried to field. Guzman ran up behind him and fell over Castillo, breaking his leg. He had to be removed by stretcher.

What the...

That loaded the bases and Denis Phipps hit a pop fly half way down the right field line that bounced sideways into the stands for a ground rule double, scoring two runs. Catcher Devin Mesoraco then singled home two more runs.

Dayton's next batter, Angel Cabrera, was hit with a pitch, reacting angrily by throwing his bat and batting gloves toward his dugout. When Keltavious Jones, Dayton's next batter, hit a grounder to second, Cabrera slid into second, legs high, to break up the double play.

Now Peoria shortstop Nate Samson reacted angrily, gesturing it was too rough a slide.

Oh, there's more...

Castillo then threw a pitch close to Brandon Menchaca's head, prompting Dayton manager Donnie Scott to leave the third base coaching box and complain to home plate umpire Tyler Wilson.

That prompted interim Peoria manager Carmelo Martinez to join the conversation, which quickly became heated, and when Martinez pushed Scott, the benches emptied.

Several fights broke out behind home plate, and Castillo threw a ball that sailed into the stands behind the Dragons' dugout, hitting a fan who had to be taken to a hospital.

There is video right there in the sidebar. It's about :45 and it is not pretty. Also, read the story and find out how the ejections were overturned and who stressed the importance of overturning them.

Here is a release from Gary Mayse, GM of the Dayton Dragons, that was waiting in my inbox when I got back to the hotel tonight.

Statement from Gary Mayse, General Manager of the Dayton Dragons

Tonight’s on-field incident between the field staffs of the Dayton Dragons and Peoria Chiefs was unfortunate and we sincerely wish that it would have not happened.

We are confident that the footage of tonight’s incident will be reviewed by Midwest League President George Spelius and appropriate actions will be taken.