Billy Butler Reportedly Injured in Clubhouse Fight with Danny Valencia
By Kyle Koster
Billy Butler was injured in a clubhouse altercation with Danny Valencia on Friday night, according to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle. The Oakland A’s designated hitter did not play on Saturday or Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.
"[A’s manager Bob] Melvin said Saturday only that Butler was out with nausea and vomiting, but he specifically ruled out the flu when asked if that was Butler’s ailment. Nausea and vomiting typically are among the symptoms of concussions. According to two sources, the dispute in the clubhouse began when Butler informed an equipment representative that Valencia had not, in fact, been wearing the spikes that Valencia had told the representative that he was using."
The Chronicle report includes the note that both players like to
“engage in a great deal of loud banter in the clubhouse and on the field,” so perhaps an incident like has been brewing for awhile. Valencia and Butler were previously teammates on the Kansas City Royals in 2014.
Oakland’s Coco Crisp, Yadier Alonso, and Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer tweeted in support of Valencia, which is telling.
The dog days of August can be exacerbated by a 53-71 record. The A’s clubhouse likely isn’t the most uplifting place to be every day. That’s the type of environment that can lead to a physical altercation over something as trivial as branded footwear (if any environment can explain such behavior).