Columbus Clippers outfielder George Valera won’t be forgetting Thursday night’s game against the Nashville Sounds anytime soon.
Valera, the top position player prospect in the Cleveland Guardians’ farm system, was involved in a brawl during the third inning of the Triple-A contest. The root cause of the entire ordeal appeared to stem from the 22-year-old taking issue with Sounds catcher Alex Jackson.
As Valera was setting up for his at-bat, he suddenly turned to confront Jackson, who then stood up to bark back at Valera. The home plate umpire tried to defuse the situation by shepherding the Clippers center fielder away from the batter’s box.
However, things got heated enough for Valera to shove the umpire away in order to get face-to-face with Jackson. The two exchanged blows as the benches cleared around them.