Blue Jays-Rangers brawl will likely trigger multiple suspensions

The fallout from the massive brawl between the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers will likely include plenty of suspensions and fines for players on both sides.

Author:
Jay Jaffe
Publish date:
May 16, 2016

Get all of Jay Jaffe’s columns as soon as they’re published. Download the new Sports Illustrated app (iOS or Android) and personalize your experience by following your favorite teams and SI writers.

Sometime this week, Major League Baseball is expected to hand out several fines and a few suspensions for Sunday's brawl between the Rangers and Blue Jays. Most of them are likely to be relatively minor, but Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor, who slugged Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista with a right cross, is in line for the most significant suspension handed to a position player in at least a few years.

Before digging into this, it’s worth noting: Nobody was in the right in this melee. While each of the major principals involved in the brawl will no doubt be lauded within his own clubhouse for sticking up for his teammates, none of them covered themselves in glory or did anything that was apart from the culture of retribution and toxic masculinity that pervades such displays. Fortunately, nobody got seriously injured, which makes it a bit easier to admit to appreciating the sheer spectacle of such idiocy and the grandly stupid tradition from which it hails, but that’s not to condone anyone’s actions here, because at just about every turn, the outcome could have been much worse.

In cased you missed it, here's the full sequence of the brouhaha:

Whether or not Sunday's brawl had any link to last October's Division Series finale, when Bautista emphatically flipped his bat after clubbing a decisive three-run homer, is secondary. The incident began when rookie Matt Bush—who had made his major league debut on Friday night, nearly 12 full years after being chosen as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft—plunked Bautista in the left elbow with the first pitch of the eighth inning, and a 96-mph fastball at that. To hit intentionally the leadoff batter in the late innings of a one-run game is pure foolishness, though it's telling that Bush—who wasn't even a member of the Rangers' organization during last year's postseason—spoke of "hoping that we could pull it off" in that series and said, "I don't have any comment on that" when asked afterward about hitting Bautista.

Quite conceivably, Joe Garagiola Jr., MLB's senior vice president for standards and on-field operations, will interpret Bush's actions and words as an intentional plunking and suspend him for multiple games. Last September, Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon drew a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for intentionally hitting Baltimore's Manny Machado, who had homered earlier in the game. (That's not to be confused with Papelbon's seven-game suspension for grabbing his crotch in September 2014, or his team-issued four-game suspension late last season for his dugout brawl with Bryce Harper.) On Friday, the Reds' Ross Ohlendorf was suspended three games for hitting the Pirates' David Freese after both benches had been warned due to a previous exchange of hit batsmen. That penalty is probably what Blue Jays reliever Jesse Chavez can expect after he retaliated against the Rangers in the bottom of the eighth inning by plunking Prince Fielder with his first pitch, which came after both benches had been warned by home plate ump Dan Iassogna following bush hitting Bautista.

As with Reds manager Bryan Price, Toronto coach DeMarlo Hale, who was the acting manager at the time, is in line for an automatic one-game suspension for Chavez's post-warning drilling. Hale was acting as manager because John Gibbons had been ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes. Gibbons is likely facing a suspension himself because he returned to the field of play during the brawl, a no-no after being ejected. Harper was rung up for such an action just last week, joining an on-field celebration after a walk-off home run and delivering some choice words to the umpire who tossed him; he served his one-game suspension on Saturday.

The Blue Jays' Kevin Pillar and Josh Donaldson could also be in line for fines and perhaps short suspensions, as both were clearly mixing it up with several Rangers. Here's a partial clip:

Donaldson was ejected, but Pillar, arguably the more animated of the two, was not. It would be a surprise if either got more than a game worth of forced vacation.

The real interest is how long Odor will be suspended for clocking Bautista. When Toronto's Justin Smoak hit a grounder to third, Bautista made a late slide into second base, which was eventually deemed to be illegal and resulted in Smoak being ruled out as part of a double play, even though Odor's throw to first was wild. Odor's punch wasn't your typical baseball brawl slap, either. MLB Network's Brian Kenny, who as an amateur boxer trained alongside Mike Tyson at the legendary Cus D'Amato's gym in the Catskills, said via Twitter, "Either Odor has boxed, or he is just world-class at everything." You can see a close-up of the blow—and the slide that instigated it—here:

In terms of recent precedents for on-field fighting, the Dallas Morning News' Gerry Fraley noted that since the start of the 2011 season, the longest penalties handed down to position players by MLB—as opposed to pitchers, whose suspensions are lengthened due to their between-appearance inactivity—have gone to the Padres' Carlos Quentin (eight games in 2013) and the Brewers' Martin Maldonado (five games in 2014). Quentin, after being hit by a Zack Greinke pitch, charged the mound and broke Greinke's collarbone; Greinke wound up missing a month. Maldonado left the bench and gave the Pirates' Travis Snider a black eye via a sucker punch in a 2014 donnybrook that stemmed from Carlos Gomez's overlong admiration of a fly ball that didn't even leave the yard. Gomez, who threw punches and swung his helmet in that fight, himself was suspended for three games.

• Subscribe to get the best of Sports Illustrated delivered right to your inbox

Odor's punch was not entirely unprovoked, given that slides such as Bautista's have caused serious injuries. While not as egregious as Chase Utley's leg-breaking slide into Ruben Tejada in last October's Dodgers-Mets Division Series, it was exactly the kind of slide that the so-called "Utley Rule" is designed to prevent. Meanwhile, Justin Verlander and former major leaguers Eric Byrnes (now an analyst at MLB Network), Torii Hunter and Eduardo Perez (now an ESPN analyst) all theorized that Odor's low throw carried the intent of hitting Bautista in the head, though Verlander noted via Twitter, "You know you're taught to throw low to prevent a guy from coming in high." It's worth pointing out that Odor received the throw from Beltre near his ankles and was in a crouch when he began his throw, though he elevated his arm and stood more upright as Bautista came in late.

It's possible that MLB could interpret Odor’s throw as having the intent to injure, which might push Odor's suspension toward that of Quentin's, but it's not as though Bautista actually got hurt (besides his pride and a sore jaw) or was blameless with his slide. After Odor shoved Bautista in the chest, Bautista drew his right arm back in preparation for a punch or at least some form of self-defense. Depending upon Garagiola's interpretation, that could lead to Bautista getting his own short suspension. Still, it's a stretch to imagine that it would be on the scale of what Odor will get.

Notorious Basebrawls

Marichal Brandishes Bat — Aug. 22, 1965

The Giants and the Dodgers were bitter rivals engaged in a pennant race when Juan Marichal came up to bat against Sandy Koufax. When Dodgers catcher Johnny Roseboro threw a ball back to Koufax that nicked Marichal's ear, the San Francisco ace struck the catcher with his bat, setting off a melee and opening a two-inch gash on Roseboro's head. Marichal was suspended nine days and fined $1,750.

Rose and Harrelson — Oct. 8, 1973

The Mets were routing the Reds 9-2 in Game 3 of the NLCS when Pete Rose slid hard into Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson at second base to try to break up a double play. Rose was upset about comments Harrelson had made in the press and shoved Harrelson, who swung his elbow. Fists started flying as both benches emptied. Pedro Borbon of the Reds and Buzz Capra of the Mets also went mano a mano, with Borbon ending up with the wrong cap — a Mets cap — on his head. When he realized what he had done, he bit a chunk out of it.

Brawl In The Bronx — May 20, 1976

When Lou Piniella collided with Carlton Fisk at home plate in an unsuccessful attempt to score, it set off a fracas that had its roots in a 1973 encounter between Fisk and Thurman Munson. Fisk tackled Piniella, while the Red Sox Bill Lee (right), who was backing up home plate, was punched by the Yankees' Mickey Rivers and then thrown to the ground by Graig Nettles, who apparently intended to keep him from joining the fray. Once Lee regained his feet, he went to throw a punch at Nettles, and when he realized he couldn't lift his left (throwing) arm, he continued jawing and was subsequently decked with a right hook that gave him a black eye.

Chaos at Camden Yards — June 6, 1993

By the time the Orioles' Mike Mussina hit Bill Hasselman in the shoulder with a high fastball in the seventh inning, tempers in this game were already running hot. Once plunked, Hasselman charged Mussina, and amid the ensuing 20-minute scuffle, Bosio re-fractured his left collarbone, an injury from which he had just returned after missing a month. He missed another 19 days and served a five-game suspension upon returning, while six other players drew suspensions of three to five games as well. Hasselman received only a three-gamer, but Mussina wasn't disciplined even though Piniella claimed that an Oriole told him that the plunking had been ordered.

The Ryan Express — Aug. 4, 1993

Robin Ventura had a decent career, but most people will remember him for getting a bunch of noogies from Nolan Ryan, who, at 46, was 20 years his elder. Ventura was ejected from the game and Ryan stayed in. The Rangers won 5-2.

Benitez Blows Up — May 19, 1998

After giving up an eighth-inning, three-run home run to Bernie Williams, O's reliever Armando Benitez drilled Tino Martinez in the back with a pitch, setting off a 10-minute brawl that included a wild sucker punch on Benitez by the Yanks' Darryl Stawberry. ''It was the worst brawl I've seen in 25 years,'' George Steinbrenner said. The Yankees ended up trading for Benitez in 2003.

Back For More — April 22, 2000

One brawl wasn't enough for the Tigers and White Sox, who fought in the seventh and ninth innings of a 14-6 Chicago victory. Final tally: five hit by pitches and 11 ejections. "Bottom line is, we won the game and we killed them," Chicago pitcher Jim Parque said. "I hope they have enough guys so we can beat them again."

Prelude to a Near No-No — Aug. 28, 2000

Pedro Martinez's bid for a no-hitter began with a brawl. Martinez began the game by hitting the leadoff hitter, Devil Rays outfielder Gerald Williams, who charged the mound and floored Martinez with a punch. Umpires ejected Williams but allowed Martinez to remain in the game. He ended up allowing a single in the ninth inning that broke up his no-hit bid.

Farnsworth's Slam — June 19, 2003

Reds starter Paul Wilson was trying to bunt when Cubs reliever Kyle Farnsworth threw a fastball high and tight. Wilson said something to Farnsworth, who charged toward home plate, flipped off his glove and slammed Wilson to the ground before landing a punch to the face. A pileup quickly ensued on top of the two pitchers.

Down Goes Zimmer — Oct. 11, 2003

During a Pedro Martinez-Roger Clemens showdown in Game 3 of the ALCS, Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer, 73, lunged toward the Red Sox right hander and ending up with a faceful of Fenway sod. Later in the game New York reliever Jeff Nelson and right fielder Karim Garcia got into a fight with a Fenway Park groundskeeper after he cheered for Boston in the Yankees' bullpen.

In Your Face — July 24, 2004

Red Sox captain Jason Varitek didn't appreciate Alex Rodriguez's staring down Red Sox starter Bronson Arroyo after getting hit by a pitch. Varitek and A-Rod squared off, with Varitek shoving the Yankees star in the face. Both dugouts and bullpens emptied, and both players were ejected. The inspired Red Sox rallied to win the game on Bill Mueller's ninth-inning homer off Mariano Rivera.

The Sucker Punch — May 20, 2006

Cubs catcher Michael Barrett didn't take too kindly to being run over at the plate by his counterpart, White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski. After Pierzynski slapped home plate and got up, Barrett grabbed him and puched him in the jaw. "He grabbed me and said, 'I didn't have the ball' and then he punched me," Pierzynski said. "I was trying to pick up my helmet."

Shields Up — June 5, 2008

The ongoing feud between the Rays and Red Sox continued at Fenway Park when Tampa Bay's James Shields hit Boston's Coco Crisp in retaliation for Crisp's rough slide into a Tampa Bay player the previous night. Crisp charged the mound, and both players threw roundhouse punches that failed to do any damage. A bench-clearing brawl, resulting in three ejections, followed.

Greinke Breaks Collarbone — April 11, 2013

This exhibit of vigilante justice was on display in San Diego, when a fastball from the Dodgers' Zack Greinke veered inside and hit the Padres' Carlos Quentin on the left arm. A moment later, Quentin charged the mound, and soon both benches emptied in a brawl. Greinke suffered a broken collarbone and was out over a month. After the game, Matt Kemp confronted Quentin in a tunnel under the stadium (inset) before Padres pitcher Clayton Richard separated them.

Mattingly Joins the Fray — June 11, 2013

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks were involved in a heated brawl that involved players and coaches, including Don Mattingly taking down Alan Trammell. There were six ejections, stemming from a night in which Arizona's Ian Kennedy hit rookie Yasiel Puig in the face with a pitch and hit starter Zack Greinke with another high pitch.

Non-Homer Celebration Incites Brawl — April 20, 2014

2014-pirates-travis-snider-brewers-carlos-gomez-rickie-weeks.jpg — Gene J. Puskar/AP

Carlos Gomez's penchant for admiring his home runs has been known to rub opponents the wrong way. The Pirates took umbrage at his reaction to a ball that the Brewers centerfielder thought he had hit out, but did not, and his response triggered a bench-clearing brawl. Gomez threw punches at Pittsburgh's Travis Snider, then sparred with Russell Martin; both Pirates had come off the bench to join the scrum. Gomez broke away and then Snider pushed him down before being tackled by Rickie Weeks and punched by Martin Maldonado. After a delay of several minutes, Gomez, Snider and Brewers bench coach Jerry Narron were all ejected, while Cole remained in the game.

Not Again Royals — April 23, 2015

Tempers flared when Yordano Ventura fielded a ground ball from Adam Eaton in the bottom of the seventh inning and appeared to mouth profanities at him as Eaton jogged down the first base line. Later on in the ensuing scrum, Lorenzo Cain and Jeff Samardzija fought. Both players were ejected, as were Ventura, the Royals' Edinson Volquez and White Sox pitcher Chris Sale, who was repeatedly restrained by both Royals staff members and his own teammates. The A's and Royals were involved in a benches-clearing altercation of their own on April 17 after Oakland's Brett Lawrie slid hard into Royals second baseman Alcides Escobar, which led to several plunkings and two more bench-clearings in the final two games of the weekend series.

Bautista Bat Flip Retaliation? — May 15, 2016

Richard W. Rodriguez/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS via Getty Images

Sunday afternoon was apparently alright for fighting in Texas, as the Rangers and Blue Jays got into a benches-clearing brawl in the eighth inning of their series finale, a 7–6 win for the Rangers. The donnybrook, triggered by a hard, overaggressive slide into second base by Jose Bautista, was a true scrap, featuring Texas second baseman Rougned Odor landing a solid right cross on Bautista’s face and ejections galore—and the promise of some serious suspensions in the aftermath. But the roots of Sunday’s dustup likely go back to last October, when Bautista bat flipped his way into the Rangers’ ire.

Thus, the best guess here is that Odor is in line for a suspension of five to eight games, with the initial punishment likely to be toward the longer end but with room left for a reduction via appeal. The two teams involved won’t face each other again during the regular season, though if they meet up again in October, you can expect more sparks—and maybe punches—to fly.