C'MON, RANDALL SIMON SWINGS AT EVERYTHING...

Simon contrite after hitting mascot with bat (ESPN.com, 7/10/03)

Pittsburgh first baseman Randall Simon was questioned by sheriff's officers after hitting one of the Milwaukee Brewers' sausage mascots with his bat during a game.

Deputy District Attorney Jon Reddin said he was reviewing tape of Wednesday night's sausage race and would decide later Thursday whether to file charges.

"Right now it's in the hands of the authorities," Major League Baseball spokesman Rich Levin said. "We'll wait and see what happens."

Simon was cited by the sheriff's department for disorderly conduct and fined $432. He can contest the citation at a Sept. 3 hearing, Sheriff David Clarke said.

Simon maintains he did not deliberately try to knock down the female mascot.

"That wasn't my intention in my heart for that to happen," he said before Thursday's Brewers-Pirates game. "I was just trying to get a tap at the costume and for her to finish the race." [...]

Four people in sausage costumes race around the infield warning track between the sixth and seventh innings at Brewers' games to entertain fans.

When the group went past the Pirates' dugout, Simon took a half swing at the Italian sausage character, hitting her from behind and causing her to tumble. When she fell, she knocked over the woman dressed as the hot dog.

Got the Wife to go to a Brewers game by promising she'd get to see the racing luncheon meat and Bernie Brewer slide into a frothy mug. But there was no race that day and no homeruns, so no Bernie. She says the sausage deserved a good beating and someone should take a whack at Bernie too. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 10, 2003 9:03 PM