Sports

Ex-Peanuts manager Backman suspended 2 weeks into new gig

Danny Aller

JOLIET, Ill. —Stop reading if you’ve heard this one before: Wally Backman has been suspended — and only two weeks into his new job.

The former high profile manager of the South Georgia Peanuts — a member of the South Coast league, which suspended operations for 2008, though long after Backman left — was ejected 15 days into his managerial job with his new minor league team, the Joliet (Ill.) Jackhammers, after the team got involved in a brawl earlier this week in a game against theSchaumburg Flyers.

In the process, Backman — just as he did in an early-season game with the Peanuts last year — then proceeded to toss the team’s water cooler onto the field before storming off.

As a result, he was suspended two games.

With the Flyers leading, 7-1, in the bottom of the sixth, the JackHammers' Freddie Thon lined a hit to center field, allowing Juan Diaz score. Cory Harris attempted to come home.

Harris would be called out in a collision with Schaumburg catcher Ryan Luther. Luther took no fancy to Harris deciding to run him over and upon telling Harris such would receive a JackHammer helmet to the chest.

This emptied the bullpens and dugouts as an all-out battle royale erupted behind home plate as Jackhammers pitching coach Floyd Youmans was even seen dropping a Flyers player in the batter’s box.

When order was restored, Harris and Youmans — having to be carried off the field by Diaz — would both earn ejections, leaving Backman protesting the fact that no Flyers had been tossed, other than the one Youmans manhandled.

Joliet won the game, 13-10.

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