Shooting Spree Upsets Fragile Clubhouse Chemistry

SACRAMENTO--A horrific shooting spree in the clubhouse of the Triple A Sacramento Rivercats has damaged the team’s chemistry, sources reported. The team had been playing great baseball and getting along well when disgruntled catcher Chad Mohler entered the clubhouse and opened fire, killing three teammates and injuring seven. The shooting spree did a lot of damage, but the biggest casualty may have been the team’s fragile chemistry.

“Boy, we were going along great, and then all of a sudden Mohler had to come in here and disrupt things,” said first baseman Rich Reitzell, who escaped injury by hiding in the trainer’s room. “I’ve never really been on a team with good chemistry, but this one was different. We all liked and respected each other so much. But now, I don’t know, there’s a certain malaise hanging over us. I can’t put my finger on it, but that massacre certainly didn’t help.”

Manager Joe Lyden agreed with Reitzell.

“The timing of the shooting spree couldn’t have been worse,” said Lyden. “Had it happened early in the year it would’ve been one thing. We had a lot of new guys and we were still trying to find ourselves. But to do it now while we’re just hitting our stride really hurts. Sure, we lost a few players, but more importantly, there is zero chemistry right now in this clubhouse.”

According to sources, the shooting spree was the result of a gripe that Mohler had with Lyden. Lyden benched Mohler after Rafael Diaz, a young, highly-touted phenom, was sent up from Double A to be the team’s number one catcher. Diaz was instantly liked and accepted by his teammates, leaving Mohler on the outside looking in. After three months, he finally snapped, opening fire on anything that moved.

“I know Chad was upset about being benched, but that kind of thing is out of my power,” said Lyden. “We had orders from the big club to get this guy Diaz some playing time. And when we did, he showed that he was the best catcher on the team. Obviously, this can bruise a guy’s ego pretty bad, but that’s no reason to come in here and start shooting people, especially since we’re battling for first place here. “

Since the June 20th massacre, the Rivercats are laboring through a 3-11 stretch that has seen them drop to third place in the Pacific League standings. Members of the team blame Mohler’s “quick temper” for ruining the fragile atmosphere in the clubhouse.

“There are so many different personalities in a clubhouse, it's sometimes hard to find the right mix of players,” said pitcher Felipe Mota. “But with this team, we really had everyone on the same page. After games, we would all go out together and eat dinner then hit the nightclubs. There were no cliques or anything. We were all friends. Now, it just seems like the wind has been let out of our sails. We’re starting to get on each other’s nerves, we’re not enthusiastic, and the good feelings are basically gone. If I could go back in time, I would prevent that shooting spree from happening at such a crucial time in the season.”

Faced with the daunting task of regrouping his club after the tragic shooting, Lyden is at his wit's end.

“This is the hardest task I’ve ever had,” said Lyden. “This team has taken an emotional beating, that’s for sure. On top of losing some of our key players to the shooting, we also had to go out on a long west coast road trip that sapped all of our energy away. And all that good will, excitement, and energy is gone. If I had to put my finger on something, I’d say it was the massacre that started all this trouble. I always say that winning breeds good chemistry and losing breeds bad chemistry, but I’ll have to modify that. Nothing fucks up good chemistry like killing your teammates.”

The team says it is still extremely bitter towards Mohler for his disruptive shooting spree. Some are even calling him “a clubhouse cancer.”

“I don’t like to use that phrase lightly, but let’s face it: Chad is a clubhouse cancer if there ever was one,” said Reitzell. “If it wasn’t for him, we’d still be chasing first place. If it wasn’t for him, we’d still have great chemistry. I’m sorry, but as mean as it sounds, the guy is a cancer. I wouldn’t recommend him to any team looking to pick him up.”

As of press time, only three teams in the Pacific Coast League have shown interest in Mohler, but none are pursuing him too seriously.

“He’s got some ability behind the plate, but from what I hear he’s a bit of a head case,” said one GM. “The last thing you want to do is bring someone in who’s gonna shake things up or upset the whole chemistry thing. He may not have realized it at the time, but that mass murder really changed the way a lot of people look at him. Let’s face it, anyone who goes on a shooting spree in the clubhouse isn’t just selfish, he’s fucking insane.”