MLB Investigating Incident Between Fan, Anthony Rendon

That’s why the police said “investigating a battery that occurred on March 30, 2023, following an event in the 7000 block of Joe Morgan Way (the address of RingCentral Coliseum).”

It’s battery due to him grabbing the guy, it’s one of the textbook, if unorthodox definitions of battery. Compared to assault, which can be a bit wonky depending what you subscribe too.

Easy way I’ve remembered assault vs battery, in the most basic bare bones sense is the knife analogy.

Say someone is throwing a knife at you. In 1 scenario, you’re turned and faced towards the wall, the person completely misses you and the knife hits the wall, but you didn’t see him throw it, or know he was going too. This is neither assault, nor battery (this does depend on jurisdiction and state statues) as you were not aware of the potential physical harm, (hence no fear, terror or apprehension) nor were you hurt by it.

In scenario 2, you’re still facing the wall, but this time the knife hits you. That would be battery, but not assault, as you were struck by an object that caused physical harm by the deliberate direction of another person intending to cause harm. But since you weren’t initially aware of the knife being thrown at you, (again no fear or terror due to the perceived violent act) it’s not technically not assault, only battery. (Again depends on your definition of pure assault, assault can under some legal stipulations and definitions include physical violence, this is just a simple analogy)

Now let’s flip flop it: you’re now facing the person throwing the knife. Scenario 3, you see the knife being thrown, but it misses you, but since you were aware of the knife it would be assault, due to the direct awareness and fear of physical harm inflicted by the thrown knife in your direction, but not battery due to the lack of physical harm, but it’s still a crime to throw that knife due to the perceived assault/threat. And in the final scenario, you have had reflexes of a dying squirrel and see the knife and get hit by it, that would be both, assault, and battery under the most classic sense; a will to instill a fear, apprehension or terror of harm, while also causing deliberate physical violence.

That’s why I think they labeled it as a battery for sure, as one’s clothes are generally considered an extension of one’s person. But what they’ll also be investigating I guess would he if it’s assault and battery which I (totally not qualified to be a lawyer see my stupid analogy above) see the swipe as being assault, but due to the lack of contact it wouldn’t be assault and battery specifically from that, but it’s for sure battery due to the shirt grab. So maybe he’ll catch an assault charge too?