TROY – Tri-City ValleyCats manager Pete Incaviglia said he’s sick of opposing pitchers cheating and hurting his players’ chances of getting back to affiliated baseball.
The Empire State Greys staff said they’re doing nothing wrong and accused Incaviglia of gamesmanship.
The ValleyCats and Greys, the Frontier League’s second-year travel team, spiced up their brief rivalry on Saturday night with a benches-clearing incident in Tri-City’s 12-1 victory at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
Incaviglia twice asked the umpiring crew to check an Empire State pitcher for an illegal foreign substance. It worked the first time when Grays starter Ryan Sandberg was ejected in the top of the fifth inning with the Grays holding a 1-0 lead.
Incaviglia tried it again unsuccessfully in the seventh inning with Greys reliever Carson Ferry, who was not thrown out. That’s when tempers flared with talking coming from both dugouts and Incaviglia flipping a baseball underhanded toward the Empire State dugout.
The benches cleared and both Incaviglia and Tri-City infielder Trey Hair, who had just been retired by Ferry, had to be restrained. Incaviglia and Hair were ejected.
The Frontier League suspended Incaviglia one game and Hair two games, starting with Sunday’s series finale. The ValleyCats prevailed 7-2 as Jaxon Hallmark hit two homers and starter Dwayne Marshall pitched five innings in front of 1,801 fans at Bruno Stadium.
“It’s just unfortunate that (the Greys) got upset when I checked (their pitcher) again, but I had the umpires check the baseballs in my hands, and they went, ‘Oh God,'” Incaviglia said after Saturday’s contest.. “I mean, it was just sticky, all of them. But for me, my job is to protect my players and their numbers is how they get out of here (to affiliated ball). If you’re trying to cheat my players or cheat any players, that’s not why we’re here. I’m disappointed in their coaching…
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