The Terrific MLB Brawls in Baseball

strike zone | September 28, 2015 | Baseball, Breaking, General | No Comments

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Here are the top ten greatest brawls in Major League Baseball history.

Cubs vs. White Sox (May 20, 2006)
There is no doubt that the two Chicago rivals have a rich history, but it wasn’t a violent one on the field until this Saturday afternoon. On a sacrifice fly by Brian Anderson, White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski plowed through Cubs catcher Michael Barrett. Barrett got up and punched Pierzynski in the face starting a brawl that had, up until that moment, only been happening in the stands. It took umpires 15 minutes to figure out who should be ejected after the fight finally stopped. Barrett got a ten-game suspension for his actions and the Cubs lost 7-0 to the Sox on that day. The rivalry hasn’t been the same since that afternoon in the Windy City.

White Sox vs. Rangers (Aug. 4, 1993)
The White Sox make a second trip to the list during a night that current manager Robin Ventura would love to forget. Ventura was hit by a Nolan Ryan fastball and decided to charge the mound. Ryan, who was 20 years older than Ventura, stopped him in his tracks and put him into a headlock while punching him in the head. Ryan was 46 years old at the time but still had the power to take apart Ventura in the process. There aren’t very many fights that match up with a pitcher taking control of the situation right away like this one. The Ryan Express hit Ventura hard on that hot summer evening in Arlington.

Reds vs. Cardinals (Aug. 10, 2010)
With the Reds and Cardinals both fighting for first place in the NL Central, things can get heated. This brawl resulted from something that happened the night before. Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips said some things about the Cardinals before the series even began about how “All the Cardinals do is moan about everything.” When Phillips came to the plate for the first time, he tapped Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina on the shin guard. Molina wasn’t up for being friendly and a fight soon began that turned into a brawl with both teams up against the backstop pushing and shoving. The Cardinals’ Jason LaRue ended up with a concussion and other players were hurt during the incident. It wasn’t pretty but it set a tone for the next several years between the two rivals.

Yankees vs. Red Sox (Jul. 24, 2004)
There is a true dislike between the Yankees and Red Sox as their rivalry has been hot for years. The two teams had fought the year before in the playoffs, but this one ranked right up there with the others. Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo hit Alex Rodriguez with a pitch and as A-Rod headed for first, he began to yell at Arroyo and Boston catcher Jason Varitek. Soon enough, Varitek shoved Rodriguez in the face and the benches cleared. Several different fights developed around the main brawl and several players would be ejected after the fight was finally broke up. It showed once and for all why Boston and New York have had trouble getting along on the field. It was a fight that no fan of either team will forget.

Mets vs. Reds (Oct. 8, 1973)
Finding a postseason brawl isn’t the easiest thing to do, but the fight between Pete Rose and Bud Harrelson during Game 3 of the National League Championship Series is a classic. Rose tried to break up a double play and ran into Harrelson, who claimed that Rose went in high and elbowed him. Rose didn’t agree and the fight was on. Rose shoved Harrelson to the ground and soon the benches had cleared with other fights breaking out around them. The fans in New York didn’t take too kindly to Rose’s actions as they peppered him with garbage when he took his normal outfield position. Rose is one of the toughest players in baseball history, but on this day, Harrelson proved that he was not to be pushed around.