Angry Fan Protests, Throws Beer Can Into Rays’ Dugout After Cuba Game

One angry man decided to protest the Tampa Bay Rays’ recent visit to Havana to play the Cuban National Team by making his way onto the field and throwing a full can of beer into the Rays’ dugout on Saturday night during a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Pirates’ own McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida.

Angry Fan Protests, Throws Beer Can Into Rays’ Dugout After Cuba Game

Nobody was hurt in the incident. The game was briefly delayed after a member of the Pirates’ grounds crew and Rays third base coach Charlie Montoyo restrained the protester until police arrived.

The man was arrested and will be charged with causing a fray, trespassing and assault, stated Bradenton police Lt. John Affolter. Police has not yet decided to identify the man.

“I’ve worked games here for 23 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Affolter said. “I’ve seen a streaker, I’ve seen a lot. I thought I’d seen it all.”

The protestor took to the field in the seventh inning after leaving his seat behind third base and jumping a short fence to eventually stand in front of the Rays’ dugout and angrily throw a beer can that smashed into the back wall of the dugout.

Players and Bradenton police claimed the man began shouting obscenities about the Castro regime in Cuba. However, some reports claim that the man was angry that the Rays defeated the Cuban national team.

Pittsburgh shortstop Jordy Mercer saw it all unfold from the Pirates’ dugout.

“I just heard a loud boom and I saw beer fly,” Mercer said. “You never know what’s going to happen. But law enforcement was on it, which was good. And the Rays players were too, so they helped out, too.”

Montoyo stated that he told the man to calm down.

“I realized he speaks Spanish, so I was telling him to relax,” the Rays coach said. “I didn’t hear what he was yelling. He looked old, so I kind of felt bad for him. I was holding him and not trying to tackle him.”

The Rays played an exhibition game against the Cuban national team at Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana on Tuesday. President Barack Obama attended the game along with his family, as did Cuban leader Raul Castro. Obama’s visit to the Communist island marked the first by a sitting American president in 88 years.

The Rays defeated the Pirates 3-1 on Saturday.

Caption: HAVANA, CUBA – MARCH 22: Tampa Bay Rays Steve Pearce dives safely into third base during the exposition game between the Cuban national team and the Tampa Bay Rays of the Major League Baseball at the Estado Latinoamericano March 22, 2016 in Havana, Cuba. U.S. President Barack Obama attended the game after becoming the first sittng president to visit Cuba in 88 years. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena