Well this is odd: Dallas Braden, the Oakland Athletics pitcher currently in possession of the arm responsible for the 19th perfect game in MLB history, got in to a spat with the Stockton, California police chief earlier this week. During an anti-crime rally in the bankrupt town that Braden currently calls home, he reportedly flipped out because his grandmother got robbed.
Stockton declared bankruptcy back in June and homicides have shot up ever since, the AP reports. Braden, who has attended court-mandated anger management classes in the past, was apparently upset because he was recently attacked in his car and his grandmother was robbed. The police chief even threatened to toss him out at one point, if he didn't wait his turn to speak.
According to the Chronicle, the attack on Braden was more like a case of road rage. After the incident, which happened back in July, Braden admitted he actually spit and threw coffee on a woman's car after she changed lanes in front of him. For that, he got a jerk tax in the form of a $1,000 fine and 10 anger management classes. After the classes, Braden wrote that he learned to "take time out prior to reacting or acting on my emotions" and then also added, "Yankees suck Joe!”
During Wednesday's rally, however, Braden accused Chief Jones of lying about the Stockton PD's efforts to stop the recent crime wave. He also threatened to sell his "modest" home in Stockton before telling the group: "Arm yourself or get out. It’s the wild west. The boys in blue, they’re outgunned.” CBS13 has the video report:
Anyway, Braden's attorney and childhood friend (of course) called it "a misunderstanding," telling the Chronicle that he's just a guy who is passionate about everything he does. Either way, will someone please option the rights to his life so we can get a movie about a former baseball star-turned-vigilante type character?
