Last week, former major league outfielder Álex Romero attacked catcher Gabriel Lino with his bat during a Venezuelan winter league game. Things were already tense prior to the attack as the benches of both Caribes de Anzoátegui and Águilas del Zulia emptied, resulting in several ejections. In the eighth inning, pitcher Angel Nesbitt threw a fastball behind Romero, which prompted Romero to swing his bat several times at Lino before their teammates spilled out into the field.
Here’s a video of the incident, via Daniel Álvarez Montes of El Extrabase:
Insólito. pic.twitter.com/Y5OWQwEtgr
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) January 9, 2020
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League has suspended Romero 20 games as a result of his actions. Nesbitt has been suspended for the remainder of the Venezuelan winter league postseason. Both players have the opportunity to appeal their punishments.
Hopefully that’s the end of the bad blood between the two teams.
