Jesse Winker had a parting message for Halos fans after the Mariners and the Angels brawled Sunday afternoon.
Winker was partly responsible for the American League West teams clearing their benches and going at it at Angel Stadium. The Seattle outfielder was on the painful end of a seemingly intentional beaning, which came after players on both teams nearly were struck in the head on high-and-inside pitches dating back to Friday.
The 2021 All-Star effectively threw gasoline on the tense moment when he sauntered over to the Los Angeles dugout. After finally removing himself from the sea of bodies, Winker said goodbye to Angels fans in attendance in the form of double middle fingers.
That gesture was the only thing Winker regretted from the sequence that lasted for nearly 20 minutes.
"The only thing I'm gonna apologize for is flipping the fans off. That's it," Winker told reporters, per The Associated Press. " … 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."
Baseball fans might want to circle Aug. 15 on their calendars. That's when Winker and the Mariners will return to Angel Stadium for a three-game series.
