From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Russell Paul Springer (born in Alexandria, LA, on November 7, 1968) is a baseball pitcher who is currently on the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2005, he was 4-4 with an Earned Run Average of 4.73. Career-wise, he is 24-38 with an ERA of 5.08 and has recorded 8 saves. He attended LSU. Russ Springer has been a journeyman MLB pitcher, pitching primarily out of the bullpen since his Major League debut on April 17, 1992 with the New York Yankees. Springer has also pitched for the California Angels, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Atlanta Braves, and the Houston Astros.

Russ Springer is probably most well known for his pitching on May 16, 2006 in a game between the Houston Astros and the San Francisco Giants when he entered the game to relieve the Astros' starting pitcher, Wandy Rodriguez, who lasted only 3 and 2/3 innings. When Barry Bonds came to the plate in the fourth inning, his career home run total stood at 713 and the Giants were already ahead in the game 11-3. Springer plunked Barry Bonds in the shoulder on the fifth of five straight inside pitches to Bonds and was immediately ejected from the game by home plate umpire Joe West along with Astros manager Phil Garner after he and both benches were issued a warning by West after Springer's first pitch sailed behind Bonds.

Russ Springer received a standing ovation from the Houston crowd as he walked back to the dugout after his ejection, as fans apparently showed their disdain for Bonds and his alleged steroid use as Bonds stood poised to match Babe Ruth's career home run total of 714 and closing in on all-time career home run leader Hank Aaron (755). The ovation received mass criticism from both San Francisco Giants manager Felipe Alou and famed Giants broadcaster Jon Miller, who claim the ovation was in bad taste and will undoubtedly scar the reputation of Houston Astros fans. [1]

Springer was suspended for four games and his manager Phil Garner one game for the incident [2], and was fined $50,000 [3].

This wasn't the first time Springer had deliberately pitched at Bonds. Back on September 21, 2004 Springer had a similar at-bat with Bonds in San Francisco and pitched all inside to Bonds eventually hitting him. Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper (play-by-play announcers for the Giants) during the play kept questioning "Why?" as no one really knew what Springers intentions were for hitting Bonds when he was clearly pitching to hit Bonds.

To this day Springer has never explained why he intentionally hit Bonds twice, although it has been rumored that back in 1998, Springer allowed a home run to Bonds and that he was upset that Bonds showed him up (he spun in a circle before rounding the bases) and he's been targeting him ever since.

• Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis