baseball beatdown

The Tigers are playing the Boston Red Sox right now and they had a brawl last night. It made me smile. Fights in baseball aren't the best. There are maybe a hand full of punches (mostly off kilter) before everyone on both teams pile up in the middle of the field. Unless the pitcher is Nolan Ryan beating down Robin Ventura or Kyle Farnsworth spearing a batter, which are the two greatest pitcher/batter fights I have ever ever ever seen, this is how the fights go.

The reason I loved this fight is because the Tigers pitcher, Rick Porcello is only twenty years old and he handled Kevin Youkilis like a man. He backed up, dodged the helmet throw (bush league by the way), and wrapped up his arms before any punches could connect. Then, the best part, he rolled his shoulder and threw him down on the ground and landed on top of him. If Porcello had gotten his arms free, I'm sure he would have gotten some great shots in. And he was piiiiiiiiiised about being charged by Youkilis too.

In his defense, he was protecting his own batter, Miguel Cabrera, who got plunked. The beaning code is 'you hit one of ours, we hit one of yours'. If the pitch gets away from the pitcher and is an accident, there is no retaliation, but if it is thrown at a hitter to intimidate them, then it is go time. I love the fact that he didn't wait for a veteran pitcher to take the mound to retaliate, he did it himself. It showed great poise for the situation.