Knight’s Night

Ray Knight ran afoul of the police:

Former Major Leaguer and current television analyst Ray Knight has been charged with assault following an incident in his northern Virginia home.

Fairfax County Police said they were called to Knight’s home in the Alexandria area at about 4 a.m. Sunday for reports of a fight. Police say Knight got into a fight with a 33-year-old male acquaintance and that both had visible injuries.

The 33-year-old went to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Knight was also treated at the hospital and then taken to the county jail for booking on an assault and battery charge. He was released and has a court date in January.

I worked with Knight on Baseball Tonight in the 1990s. Early in that decade there was a SportsCenter researcher named Vinnie. Vinnie was a great guy, but he was a Red Sox fan and was still upset at the 1986 World Series loss. Whenever he saw Knight, Vinnie would say, “I hate you Ray Knight.” Vinnie also liked to play a game where he made believe he was throwing a punch at your face, if you flinched, he punched you in the shoulder. If you didn’t flinch, you got to punch Vinnie. One Sunday morning, Knight walks into the research office to ask a question. He is standing by the door on Vinnie’s right, and I was sitting to Vinnie’s left.

For some reason, Vinnie tried to fake punch Knight. Ray Knight, professional athlete, does not flinch, and says to Vinnie, “I didn’t flinch, I get to hit you in the shoulder.”

POW!

Knight hit Vinnie hard. Vinnie is now in pain, holding his shoulder, semi laughing and semi crying. I’m am in full out laughter. Knight then throws a fake punch at Vinnie’s face, and Vinnie flinches. “Oh you flinched,” Knight says, “I get to hit you again.”

POW!

Another hard punch in the same spot. I’m laughing harder, but thinking back on it, that second punch was pretty mean. I don’t think Vinnie played that game after that.

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