Awesome brawl at Texas

[gunnarthor]

http://screengrabber.deadspin.com/blue-jays-and-rangers-brawl-completely-ignore-game-1776771655

 

Started when relief pitcher Matt Bush "accidentally" hit Jose Bautista with a fastball in the ribs.  Both sides were hot.  Two batters later, Smoak grounds into a sure double play but Bautista goes in Utley-like (interference is called) and the second baseman - Roughed Odor - did not like it.  A little shoving and then a real punch and Bautista was nearly TKO'd!  For baseball, it was amazing.  Sadly, it's the last time these two teams play each other this year, unless they meet in the playoffs.

 

The next inning, the Blue Jays immediately hit Prince Fielder and the benches emptied again but nothing happened.  Fielder went to first base.  He probably knew he was going to get hit.

[jimmer]

Odor also tried to throw a ball right at Bautista's face/head. 

[formerly33]

I want to say "immature" but will refrain from doing so as such a comparison could only serve to vilify young people like myself.

[FunnyPenguin]

 

I want to say "immature" but will refrain from doing so as such a comparison could only serve to vilify young people like myself.

My thoughts exactly.  I wanted to say immature but since that usually is a reference to young people, i thought it would be an insult to compare young people to these goof balls.  These are grown men and they are doing cute little pushing and shoving and yelling.  If I did that every time someone made me mad at my job, I'd be fired in an instant!  And they are being paid a fortune!  Unbelievable.

[David HK]

Jeepers-  Joey Bats is lucky Odor kept his glove on, and just gave him a followup swat, or it might have been lights out.  That was good form on the overhand right cross-  from the years toiling in the Gold Gloves back when, that was not some lucky roundhouse, that was a cat who's had some background. Good target, good balance, hip turn, contact-  ouch.

 

Too bad that all went off, it's not like it's any good for the game, but still, I gotta appreciate Odor's homage to the Sweet Science in that moment.  

[David HK]

 

My thoughts exactly.  I wanted to say immature but since that usually is a reference to young people, i thought it would be an insult to compare young people to these goof balls.  These are grown men and they are doing cute little pushing and shoving and yelling.  If I did that every time someone made me mad at my job, I'd be fired in an instant!  And they are being paid a fortune!  Unbelievable.

Heh... reminded me of a favorite New Yorker cartoon of long ago--

 

Guy in office, getting yelled at by boss.  Thought balloon:  "I could take this guy."

[Old Twins Cap]

Kind of a cheap shot by Odor.  Who's expecting to get punched out of the blue in a baseball game?

 

Most brawls are about two-hand shoves and a few round-house swings that miss.

 

But, that was a punch.  Should be at least a week suspension, I would guess.

[biggentleben]

Bautista would have easily got a shot in if it weren't for Adrian Beltre grabbing him almost immediately after Odor hit him and restraining him the entire scene thereafter.

 

The worst part of all this was the freaking Texas crowd. Cheering as loud as the stadium had been all day when Bautista was hit initially. Then even louder and a STANDING OVATION when Bush was taken out of the game. Chanting Odor's name after he's removed from the game. What the hell?

[spinowner]

 

Jeepers-  Joey Bats is lucky Odor kept his glove on, and just gave him a followup swat, or it might have been lights out.  That was good form on the overhand right cross-  from the years toiling in the Gold Gloves back when, that was not some lucky roundhouse, that was a cat who's had some background. Good target, good balance, hip turn, contact-  ouch.

 

Too bad that all went off, it's not like it's any good for the game, but still, I gotta appreciate Odor's homage to the Sweet Science in that moment.  

I have a lot of appreciation for how difficult boxing is. You have to be strong, you have to have endurance, you have to have quickness and you have to use strategy. Top flight boxers are incredible athletes.

But boxing is the only sport in which the goal is to purposely inflict a severe brain injury on your opponent. The world would be better off if it was illegal. Sweet science my @$$.

[gunnarthor]

 

The worst part of all this was the freaking Texas crowd. Cheering as loud as the stadium had been all day when Bautista was hit initially. Then even louder and a STANDING OVATION when Bush was taken out of the game. Chanting Odor's name after he's removed from the game. What the hell?

I remember when the Metrodome sounded similar when Gant was muscled off of first base (I mean, fell.  Because he lost his balance).

 

I have no problem with the crowd.  They supported their team - we'd have done it too.  I actually wish these two teams played each other more.  Maybe in the playoffs again.

[Han Joelo]

I imagine Beltre was reminding Bautista that a broken fist (or worse, broken eye socket) could cost him tens of millions of dollars.

[biggentleben]

 

I have no problem with the crowd.  They supported their team - we'd have done it too.  I actually wish these two teams played each other more.  Maybe in the playoffs again.

 

Yeah, that makes one of us. The shots of young children yelling at Bautista and gesturing toward the field in ways that caused the camera to have to pan away immediately certainly helped me to debate humanity's future.

[jimbo92107]

Reminds me of the night I went to a boxing match, and suddenly a hockey game broke out!

 

I always love that one...

[dgwills]

 

Bautista would have easily got a shot in if it weren't for Adrian Beltre grabbing him almost immediately after Odor hit him and restraining him the entire scene thereafter.

 

The worst part of all this was the freaking Texas crowd. Cheering as loud as the stadium had been all day when Bautista was hit initially. Then even louder and a STANDING OVATION when Bush was taken out of the game. Chanting Odor's name after he's removed from the game. What the hell?

Bautista wasn't going to do anything but get his ass kicked. Flailing your hands around isn't to effective in a fight. 

[Squirrel]

I'm still trying to get past the title of this thread ... how is any brawl in any sport 'awesome?'

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

Jeepers-  Joey Bats is lucky Odor kept his glove on, and just gave him a followup swat, or it might have been lights out.  That was good form on the overhand right cross-  from the years toiling in the Gold Gloves back when, that was not some lucky roundhouse, that was a cat who's had some background. Good target, good balance, hip turn, contact-  ouch.

 

Too bad that all went off, it's not like it's any good for the game, but still, I gotta appreciate Odor's homage to the Sweet Science in that moment.  

Good analysis of boxing (though I know nothing about it). However, in this instance, a slug in the face was the last thing Bautista expected. So ... I could do the same thing to someone I meet walking down the sidewalk.

 

Hope Odor gets a 30-game suspension.

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

 

Yeah, that makes one of us. The shots of young children yelling at Bautista and gesturing toward the field in ways that caused the camera to have to pan away immediately certainly helped me to debate humanity's future.

Probably similar to humanity's past ... only there are 7 billion of us now.

[TheLeviathan]

Baseball players were out fighting in the middle of the stadium because one guy got really excited about a huge hit 6 months ago.

 

Ridiculously childish.

[Thrylos]

 

 

Hope Odor gets a 30-game suspension.

 

Over-reacting a bit?

 

Remember this?  Not even sure that Ryan missed a start.

 

What I don't get is how Jesse Chavez who hit Fielder after all this still remained in the game.  That second brawl was on the umps.

 

 

 

 

[Thrylos]

 

Baseball players were out fighting in the middle of the stadium because one guy got really excited about a huge hit 6 months ago.

 

Ridiculously childish.

 

No I think that when one guy tried to break the other's leg with a dirty slide, he got punched on the face by his intended victim.

[clutterheart]

Stupid play

Odor is an exciting young player, Bautista is an exciting player.  Getting suckerpunched could lead to a concussion and/or a broken hand.

 

Plug a guy in the ribs next time up - stay away from the head - and move on with life.

 

This aint hockey.

 

 

[Squirrel]

Brawling is just plain stupid. Hitting people with baseballs on purpose is just stupid. Sucker punching people, whether you think they deserve it or not, is just stupid.

[biggentleben]

 

What I don't get is how Jesse Chavez who hit Fielder after all this still remained in the game.  That second brawl was on the umps.

 

What are you talking about? Chavez was immediately ejected and didn't pitch to another batter.

[biggentleben]

 

Brawling is just plain stupid. Hitting people with baseballs on purpose is just stupid. Sucker punching people, whether you think they deserve it or not, is just stupid.

 

That's what the crazy part of it is. Bush throws triple digit heat. That pitch was headed toward Bautista's upper shoulder until he deflected it off his elbow pad into his side, and it certainly wasn't a change up.

 

Not saying it's acceptable, but at least Chavez threw an off speed pitch to Fielder's "ample" lower half.

[gocgo]

I only wish the Twins had this much fire.

[Squirrel]

 

That's what the crazy part of it is. Bush throws triple digit heat. That pitch was headed toward Bautista's upper shoulder until he deflected it off his elbow pad into his side, and it certainly wasn't a change up.

 

Not saying it's acceptable, but at least Chavez threw an off speed pitch to Fielder's "ample" lower half.

I guess, but for me the 'at least he threw it there' rationale still doesn't cut it. All it does is create an environment of 'I'll get you next time.' Focus on the game, play the game. Yeah, things get emotional and heated and sometimes passions dictate over reason, but sheesh ... fans reveling and relishing this crap is just wrong to me.

[wavedog]

I thing Rangers were out of line here for a couple of reasons.   (1) To respond to a bat flip from 6 months ago - and the bat flip was really in celebration of a big home run in the playoffs and was not directed at the Rangers in the first place.   Part of those unwritten rules of baseball  (2) wait until the last game and last at bat to hit Bautista in the ribs with a fastball (3)  Odor has been involved in many altercations - he has slid into 2nd dirty many times himself and was involved in a similar brawl in the minor leagues when he slid into 2nd - so you can see he had a quick trigger and I expect him to be suspended for around a week.  He does know how to throw a nice punch and Bautista is not very well liked around baseball so not a lot of sympathy for him   (4) Rangers are not owning that they threw purposely at Bautista - they are saying the pitch "got away" which no one believes.   If you are going to be so strong in passion for upholding the game - why not be man enough to admit what you did? 

 

The brawl sure does get everyone excited and talking about it though.  Does baseball want more of this publicity?    

[Squirrel]

 

I only wish the Twins had this much fire.

I don't. Not like that.

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

 

No I think that when one guy tried to break the other's leg with a dirty slide, he got punched on the face by his intended victim.

This is true. Comparing the ethics of baseball to office behavior is ridiculous. Yes, there are behaviors that will get ballplayers suspended or fired either by internal or external controls (Internal: your team/the organization you work for--or external: Umpires, the MLB League Office, or even State or Federal law). There are internal and external controls in the office space too, but the two arenas are vastly different. When was the last time a bunch of fans cheered an office employee's performance review?

 

What Bautista did violated the ethics of Odor's workplace. He deserved everything he got. Some might call that vigilantism. Some might call it justice. It will be interesting to see if baseball's external control--the league office, rules on this one, and how they rule. Whatever message the league office sends will not likely be as loud as Odor's right cross.

 

As far as the fans in the stands, there's a reason to get excited, or even outraged, when something like this happens. If I was a father to a son at that game, I would explain what happened, and why the ethics of baseball were violated when Bautista slid past the bag into Odor's kitchen. That's a teachable moment.

[ashbury]

Good analysis of boxing (though I know nothing about it). However, in this instance, a slug in the face was the last thing Bautista expected. So ... I could do the same thing to someone I meet walking down the sidewalk.

 

Hope Odor gets a 30-game suspension.

Over-reacting a bit?

30 seems on the low side, frankly. 90 would suit me better. Lesser suspensions (on the order of 2 to 5 games) and fines for the others involved, but that one punch is far far beyond the stupid "unwritten rules" about bat flipping and retaliation and dirty slides that the fight had been operating under until that point.

 

For that matter, and I'm sure the CBA doesn't allow it, but a drug test on Odor might prove illuminating. 'Roid Rage? Nah, just Idiocy Rage, probably.