The bad news? Per a report out of the bay area, Valencia and teammate Billy Butler (pictured during happier times earlier this month) got into some sort of altercation recently that caused Butler to miss playing time.
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The Athletics fined Billy Butler and Danny Valencia on Monday after they were involved in a clubhouse fight last week that led to Butler being placed on the seven-day concussion list.
Butler played for the Kansas City Royals for eight years and by all accounts was considered a good guy to have on the team. Valencia has been fined (via Slusser), and so has Butler (via Jane Lee).
On Friday, an equipment representative was at the ballpark before batting practice and quizzed Valencia about a pair of off-brand spikes found in his locker. Valencia said that he only uses those spikes during pre-game workouts.
Slusser noted Butler “has an equipment endorsement with a different company”.
Endorsement deals are typically worth between $10,000 and $20,000, sometimes more.
It all started over Butler interrupting Valencia’s conversation with a rep about baseball cleats, with Butler telling the rep that Valencia wasn’t wearing the cleats he agreed to use. “That was wrong”, and walked aggressively toward Butler.
“I can say whatever I want, and your bitch ass isn’t going to do anything about it”, Butler reportedly replied.
Valencia eventually took a swing and punched Butler in the temple before teammates broke it up.
Valencia was held out because manager Bob Melvin thought he needed a day after the disciplinary hearing and Butler went on the seven-day concussion disabled list as a result of his mano-a-mano with Valencia. “No comment”, Valencia said Sunday after the team’s 4-2 loss to the White Sox.
It’s unclear what discipline Valencia might face, although it is possible he could be suspended or even released.
Butler and Valencia were teammates with the Royals in 2014 and with the A’s since midseason 2015. After his departure, Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun wrote that “Valencia wasn’t exactly Mr. Congeniality with the Jays players or clubhouse workers”.
“You’d like to handle things differently, but we’re handling it in here, ” Valencia said.
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Players don’t get much privacy when they’re out in public, so they expect some in the clubhouse; they consider the clubhouse their home. It’s no fun writing critical stuff about people who never did anything to you, but Danny punching Billy is forcing some clubhouse issues out in the open. But he kind of kept egging him on.
