July 5, 1960
Star Hitter & Closer Suspended for Brawl
Amsterdam Valley Foxes Quentin Balk entered in the 9th inning of yesterday's game with a 4-1 lead on the Stockholm Bears. The Valley Foxes' closer allowed a home run to the first batter he faced, Cedric Ben. The Bears' shortstop seemed to stare down Balk as he rounded the bases and got tempers going on both sides.
The next batter was Stockholm star Noam Abdelouahed, fresh off winning
Player of the Month for June. Balk drilled him in the ribs, and Abdelouahed sprinted toward the mound, chucking his helmet at Balk. Benches on both sides cleared and a few punches were thrown, though none landed cleanly. Eventually, cooler heads prevailed.
The Alliance office handed out suspensions today: Balk will be out for nine games and Abdelouahed will miss three. The two teams continue their three-game series today, and umpires have been advised to take a zero-tolerance approach for the remainder of the series.