Danny Valencia Punched Billy Butler For Tattling About Shoes

Not backing down, Butler responded, “I can say whatever I want and your b- ass isn’t going to do anything about it”. Valencia was being questioned about off-brand cleats in his locker when Butler reportedly ratted him out and said Valencia should be dropped from his endorsement deal.

Butler missed Oakland’s three-game series against the Chicago White Sox over the weekend, while Valencia played Friday and Saturday before sitting out Sunday.

Slusser’s information comes from two unnamed players who watched it all go down.

“No comment”, Valencia said Sunday. Slusser, who is regularly around the players, makes a point to say that Butler and Valencia “have a longstanding loud, joking, back-and-forth bantering relationship”.

There are some questions still lingering about intent.

Angry that Butler could have cost him tens of thousands of dollars, Valencia confronted Butler when the rep left the clubhouse.

Although Valencia wasn’t hurt, he took a beating on social media.

Valencia has had the better season of the two, batting.302 with 15 homers in 97 games, while Butler in 79 games is batting.284 with four home runs. Teammates Coco Crisp and Yonder Alonso sent supportive tweets his way, as did former Royals teammate Eric Hosmer, who also played with Butler for a number of years. Butler chimed in and said that Valencia was lying.

It should also be noted that players in Major League Baseball clubhouses don’t always get along and have certainly got into fights before.

Melvin said Saturday only that Butler was out with nausea and vomiting, but he specifically ruled out the flu when asked if that was Butler’s ailment. As The Chronicle pointed out, both symptoms are consistent with a concussion.

Valencia then threw a punch, hitting Butler upside the head before the fight was broken up my teammates.