Abhorrent as the recent Jose Offerman incident may have been, it still takes a backseat to the infamous Izzy Alcantara spectacle from a few years back.
During the Dan Duquette era, Izzy was the pride of the farm system. And while his few major league apperances with the Sox weren’t exactly flush with brilliance, he established himself as the King of Don’t F@#k With Me Mountain during a Paw Sox-Red Barons game. After getting brushed back a couple times, the Izzer decided he’d had enough, and, in a move that is as brilliant as it was reprehensible, he deftly kicked the catcher in the mask, knocking him backward, and then charged the mound. It was a spectacle for the ages — replayed on ESPN so much you could have sworn Izzy landed his own sitcom deal there. It was also pretty shrewd; eliminate the catcher, and there’s no one to tackle you from behind en route to the mound.
An ingenious tactic that, to my knowledge, has never been replicated. Oh, and the next time you’re shopping at “Benny’s” in Cranston, RI, say hello to Izzy.
