Tampa Bay Rays reliever Al Reyes was tased and arrested after a bar fight at the Hyde Park Cafe, a popular Tampa-area nightspot. Reyes had been celebrating his 37th birthday.
The headline reminded me of another baseball birthday party gone awry, this one for New York Yankees second baseman Billy Martin, at the Copacabana club on May 16, 1957. Martin celebrated with teammates Hank Bauer, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Johnny Kucks, and Mickey Mantle that night, when a brawl broke out. New York headlines the next day broadcast news of the melee, noting that a 200-lb. bowler engaged in battle with a 190-lb. Yankee (Bauer). Weight didn't matter, as Bauer came out on top and the bowler ended up with a broken jaw and concussion. Although it was Bauer who threw the first punch (he was arraigned a week later, but charges were later dropped), Martin was blamed for the skirmish and he was promptly banished to the Kansas City A's. In addition to Martin's banishment to baseball purgatory, all but Kucks were fined $1,000 for their participation. Kucks was lucky enough to escape with a $500 penalty.
Reyes will likely be fined, and like Bauer, probably won't face legal penalties, but he needn't worry about getting the Kansas City treatment for his brawl. Anywhere the Rays could send him would be a step up!
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