Loutishness in Cincinnati

National League President Bart Giamatti decribes last Saturday night’s incident at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati as “one of the worst in baseball’s recent memory.” It was that, and not just because Reds Manager Pete Rose twice shoved an umpire--an infraction that earned him a 30-day suspension and a reported $10,000 fine. What made the matter far uglier was the violent behavior of some of the fans, who showered the field during the ninth-inning ruckus with objects that included golf balls and marbles. So threatening did the crowd become that umpire Dave Pallone, who had been shoved by Rose, was forced to leave the game for his own safety.

What kind of person comes to a ballpark armed with golf balls and marbles? The evident answer has to be a person who is looking for an excuse to throw them. The dispute between Rose and Pallone provided the excuse. More to the point, Giamatti also believes that inciting remarks made by Reds radio broadcasters Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall, and heard on portable radios by many in the stadium, added fuel to the fire. It’s hard to disagree with that conclusion.

Radio announcers are employed by the ballclub whose games they broadcast. This connection inevitably encourages loyalty and even partisanship; it does not diminish the imperative of responsibility. During the fracas, Brennaman and Nuxhall repeatedly criticized Pallone’s professional competence--something that they had no business doing. Apologizing later after being called on the carpet by Giamatti, Nuxhall sought justification in the claim that his remarks were made “in the heat of battle.” But broadcasters aren’t hired to do battle, let alone to say things to provoke riotous spectators. Baseball has suffered in recent years from a growth of loutishness in the stands. It would be unconscionable if loutishness took hold in the broadcast booth as well.