Anybody see the Pittsburgh Pirate hit the sausage yesterday? Very stupid but also pretty funny.
Pirates' Simon Booked for Battery After Hitting Sausage
.c The Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (July 10) -- The Italian sausage apparently brought out the wurst in Pittsburgh Pirates' Randall Simon.
It happened during Wednesday's human sausage races, a fan favorite at Milwaukee Brewers' games. Four people dressed as an oversized bratwurst, hot dog and Italian and Polish sausages were racing past the Pirates' dugout when the first baseman took a bat and swatted the Italian sausage.
The sausage mascot fell, taking down the giant hot dog.
Simon was booked for misdemeanor battery but was released and permitted to play. He drew boos from the fans when he was used as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, and Milwaukee won the game 2-1.
Deputy Inspector Sherry Warichak said both women were treated at the scene for scraped knees.
Pirates outfielder Reggie Sanders said he thought the weight of the sausage costume contributed to the fall. "It maybe made it look worse than it was,'' Sanders said. "It was an unfortunate situation and, hopefully, it gets resolved.''
Rick Schlessinger, the Brewers' executive vice president for business operations, said he felt Simon's "conduct is just unjustified.''
It is up to prosecutors to determine whether formal charges will be filed. A meeting between Simon and district attorney officials was set for Thursday.
07/10/03 10:47 EDT