BY NICO VAN THYN, Designated Contributor
Never seen anything good happen in a melee on a baseball field — a basebrawl.
Mostly what usually happens is (1) players/managers/coaches ejected from the game; (2) subsequently, suspensions and fines handed out; and (3) injuries.
Fortunately, on Wednesday when two major-league basebrawls happened in a few hours’ time, no one was injured (at least, not that we’ve seen).
Later that night, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was hit by a pitch and … fractured right elbow. Maybe that was a brushback or “retaliation” pitch; Angels’ star Mike Trout had been hit by a Rangers’ pitch in the top of the inning. But the Rangers were not sure of that — might have been an accidental pitch — so no “retaliation” yet (it was the bottom of the ninth).
Of course, the teams don’t play again until June 1. Stay tuned.
We could give you a whole history of disabled-list-causing injuries from baseball fights. We don’t have enough space or time.
Back to Wednesday’s two fights:
*** San Diego Padres pitcher Luis Perdomo fired a fastball behind Colorado Rockies’ star third baseman Nolan Arenado, who promptly charged toward Perdomo. Having already thrown the baseball, Perdomo then chose to throw his glove. Like the pitch itself, he again was wild and high. (But not a good idea, as Mr. Teddy of Designated Writers pointed out: “Remind pitchers that when they throw their gloves, it’s like Al Capone throwing his gun. Ain’t gonna do much good.”) Anyway, Arenado on the run swung and missed Perdomo. After a couple of minutes of subsequent faceoffs all over the field, peace was settled … sort of. The game resumed without Perdomo and Arenado.
*** Surprise — the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees got into it. We’ve seen that a few dozen times. Those teams often don’t like each other. This one started only with words, although benches emptied, after the Yankees’ Tyler Austin slid into second base, late (he was a forceout) and veered left with his left cleats extended. He cleated Red Sox shortstop Brock Holt’s right calf. Holt told him he didn’t like it. Four innings later, Austin was batting. Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly’s pitch hit Austin in the back between the 2 and 6 on his uniform. Austin slammed down his bat, and raced for the mound, Kelly having motioned for him to “come on.” Some good punches thrown, a few landed. Five ejections (starting with Austin and Kelly). Fines and suspension announced Thursday.
Yankees-Red Sox: Thurman Munson vs. Carlton Fisk, two catchers fighting at home plate, 1973; Fisk vs. Lou Piniella fighting at home plate after a collision, 1976; Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek getting in the face of Yankees’ supermodel/PEDer Alex Rodriguez, 2004; and one more …
Most infamously, 2003 American League Championship Series, Game 3: Red Sox ace (Hall of Fame) pitcher Pedro “The Punk” Martinez throwing irate Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer, then 72 years young, to the ground. That was after a brushback pitch by the Yankees’ bulked-up Roger Clemens to Maniac Manny Ramirez, who objected and started to the mound. When Pedro — who started it with a pitch that hit Karim Garcia in the back moments after a three-run home run by Bernie Williams — ran out to help PED mogul Manny, Zimmer ran out, too. The young man picked on the old fart.
But let’s say this: Don’t like brushback pitches, or beanballs, don’t like hard, wild slides; don’t like intentional collisions.
They are part of the game, and always will be. But they are not good for the game, and never will be.
Maybe some fans like it, those fans who relish violence. Probably the same Joe Average Fan who doesn’t mind booing Millionaire Ballplayer (we have covered that subject in other places this week).
Anger, of course, is behind it, and it’s human nature. When someone throws an object — in this case a baseball flying at 90-98 mph — at someone else’s head or back or legs, person being thrown at might not like it.
But anger, fits, fights happen in all sports at all levels — even slowpitch softball — can happen anywhere: home, office, workplace, stores. Maybe not church and hospitals?
When we see basebrawls — occasionally punches land, but mostly it is pushing and shoving, or running around looking for someone to hit — it brings to mind a phrase longtime sports editor/writer Bill McIntyre used occasionally in his 45-year career at The Shreveport Times:
Pitches fired in anger. Sometimes, he wrote shots fired in anger.
Well, fortunately, it is not shots on a baseball field. Unfortunately, we have experienced — in our world — far, far too many actual gunshots in anger.
But pitches fired in anger definitely was the case Wednesday. Ugly.
For a review of some of the most memorable injuries from baseball fights:
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