What is the protocol for a baseball player when something like this happens, via Morgan Ensberg's blog:

I was in right field shagging balls during BP in 2007. I loved talking to the fans in the bleachers. In fact, I felt so comfortable with them that a guy asked to see my glove so I tossed it to him. He looked at it and threw it back down, no problem. Back to the story…

I was talking to a group of 7 and they started ragging me, but I got them to laugh and the conversation quickly turned into a Q & A session. After 15 min I told them I had to hit. When I turned my back I heard a guy spit and felt phlegm hit my left temple.

As I jogged into the dugout my eyes were watering up. I took 3 or 4 deep breaths and regained my composure. It took me over an hour to stop feeling humiliated. Someone just spit on me because he thought it would be funny and instead it burned a memory into my heart that I will never forget.

(click "read more" for full article)

So when Milton says that he was called a “derogatory comment”. I believe him. When he says his family was threatened, I believe him. Every fan isn’t a racist, just like every fan doesn’t spit on players. But based on my experience at Wrigley, I believe him.

Ensberg obviously handled it correctly, both professionally and as a person. Walk away.

That said, who among us would?

(Point of order: I would, but that's only because I'm not very strong, tire quite easily and haven't beaten anybody up since middle school.)

But why should Morgan Ensberg, Ron Artest or Chad Kreuter simply grin and bear it? Why should anyone - no matter how much they make or what they do - be forced to endure battery (and that's what each of these were) at their workplace?

Actions have consequences, especially when you assault someone who is much bigger than you - even if you're convinced you have immunity (and you're bulletproof) because you spent $59 on a ticket, $99 on a replica Ryan Theriot Road Jersey and $43 on Old Style.

Perhaps allowing, say, Marlon Byrd to go into the stands early in the year and beat up 17 people would have a deterrent effect on the jackassery that goes on out there. I, for one, would think twice about heckling someone if I knew baseball would let them come up and beat the crap out of me between innings.

Back to Wrigley-centric reactions, the knee-jerk defense by Cubs fans - and parochial columnists - would be:

1. I've never seen anything like this so it must not be true.

2. It happens everywhere.

3. It's an isolated incident.

4. Morgan Ensburg sucks!!!!1!!eleven!

Feel free to react that way. Feel free to dismiss these as isolated incidents. But there have been enough visible events (the Dodgers fight, the dumping of beer on Shane Victorino, the threatening of Steve Bartman and so on) and alleged incidents (Jacque Jones, Bradley, LaTroy Hawkins, Dusty Baker) that perception will soon become reality. If it hasn't already.

P.S. The strangest thing about the Kreuter game wasn't that Cubs fans and the Dodgers bullpen got into a brawl. It was that Todd Hundley hit a game-winning home run. And Gary Sheffield was trying to play peacemaker. And that just three fans were fined $100 and cited for disorderly conduct. And no security showed up.

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