CARACAS (Venezuela) — After two incidents on Sunday, the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League condemned violence and unsportsmanlike conduct. This included one in which a former two-time MLB all star was involved. Asdrubal Cabrera A rival player was attacked while celebrating a home run.
Carlos Castro was leading the 8th innings for the Tiburones de La Guaira against the Caribes de Anzoategui in a Venezuelan Winter League contest when he hit his third homerun of the night. As he celebrated the victory, Castro flipped his bat in front of the opposing bench.
Cabrera, an infield player for seven Major League teams from 2007 to 2021, charged Castro, hitting him in the face and knocking him to the floor. This sparked a huge brawl.
The Tiburones de La Guaira went on to beat the Caribes de Anzoátegui 6-4 victory in Saturday’s game in the port city of Puerto Las Cruz, Venezuela.
In the second incident in the central city of Valencia, the players of the Leones de Caracas and Navegantes del Magallanes exchanged shoves and insults for several minutes on the field after reliever Bruce Rondón got the third out of that inning.
Yadier Mlina from Puerto Rico, a former Major League Baseball player who was a success story over 19 years, was expelled.
Venezuela’s baseball league released a statement saying that it was considering punishing the players involved in these incidents. Cabrera may be suspended for the remainder of this season.
He stated that “Venezuelan pro baseball is a spectacle which encourages family enjoyment, and its discipline is an integral part of our cultural heritage.”