Jesse Winker apologizes to fans, but only the fans, after brawl vs. Angels

Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker apologized for flipping off fans after the big brawl with the Angels but that’s all he was apologizing for.

The Mariners and Angels got into an all-out brawl on Sunday after LA’s Andrew Wantz hit Jesse Winker in the hip in the second inning.

Winker was irate, especially because the pitcher had gone high on Julio Rodriguez in the first inning. It was all viewed as retaliation after Mike Trout had a fastball zoom by his head on Saturday night.

So of course, this being baseball, the benches cleared, punches were thrown and a total of six players and both managers were ejected. Winker added something extra by flipping the bird to Angels fans on his way out. It wasn’t a scene anyone in MLB was thrilled to see.

After the smoke cleared, Winker got his chance to address his actions.

Jesse Winker apologized for flipping off Angels fans after brawl

“The only thing I’m gonna apologize for is flipping the fans off. That’s it,” Winkler said per Greg Beacham. “They pay their hard-earned money to come and see a game, and they didn’t deserve that, so I apologize to the fans, especially the women and children.”

The “women and children” thing was a bit odd but the gist is that Winker got that flipping off the fans was a step too far. That’s obvious.

He may not want to apologize for charging the Angels bench, effectively sparking the brawl, but it won’t really matter what he says on that one. He’s likely going to face an MLB suspension either way. It’s only a question of how long the league decides to sit him down.

The Angels went on to win 2-1, mercifully ending the series so that both sides can move on.