OLD GUY FIGHT! OLD GUY FIGHT!

((HT: Winnipeg Free Press/Falloon))

Winnipeg Goldeyes slugger Kevin West said it was just poor pitching that triggered a series of events that ended in fisticuffs Monday night. Fargo-Moorhead starter Garry Bakker threw behind West once in the second inning before plunking him in the head in the third.

"I don't think Bakker would throw at me," said West a day after Monday's 13-4 loss. "I think it was an accident.

"(After the second-inning pitch), he just looked at me and tapped his jersey like 'my fault' or whatever."

But West went on to say that the Fish had to send a message, lest the Fargo-Moorhead staff start to think it could take some liberties with the Goldeyes' stars.

Winnipeg starter Ace Walker whipped the first pitch of the fourth inning behind RedHawks centre-fielder Nic Jackson, after which home plate umpire Harry Fredenburgh warned both dugouts. After West appeared to yell at the RedHawks dugout, both benches cleared and Fargo manager Doug Simunic landed punches on Goldeyes coach Tom Vaeth ((pictured, thanks Winnipeg Free Press/Phil Hossack)).

"I know that it was a breaking ball, but it still hit me in the face. So our pitching staff was just making a statement in a professional way.

"(Ace) went and threw a ball at Nic Jackson's hip. That's all he was doing, just making a statement saying, 'Hey, we're gonna protect our guys.' It may not have been on purpose, but we still gotta protect our players, and we're going to do it in a professional manner.

"The unprofessional part about it was when people in their dugout started yelling at us, yelling at our pitcher. I thought that was garbage. That's how the whole thing started."

Simunic, meanwhile, maintained that he was trying to calm West down when Vaeth came between them. Simunic said after the game Monday that Vaeth came too close to him and alleged that the Vaeth "head-butted" him.

"I was waiting to talk to the umpire, I was waiting my turn to talk to Harry (Fredenburgh) about what the warning was about," said Simunic in a follow-up on Tuesday.

"I said, 'Let's play, come on, settle down, everything's cool,' and I guess someone else perceived that I was calling him something else.

"I'm here to police my people and keep the game under control."

Northern League director of baseball operations Harry Stavrenos confirmed that both Vaeth and Simunic were fined, but not suspended.

Here's your swinging, thanks to the Free Press...