Even if it’s frowned upon during the game, players’ blood can boil, leading to bench-clearing brawls. Let’s look at the most vicious baseball brawls in history and the context behind them that makes us realize how silly baseball players can be.
Juan Marichal vs. John Roseboro
In 1965, the Dodgers and Giants were in the middle of a pennant race in late August. San Francisco’s ace, Juan Marichal, felt like the Dodgers’ catcher, John Roseboro, had it in for him when he threw the ball back to Sandy Koufax, trying to hit him in the head.
Marichal decided to bring more than his two fists to the brawl that ensued, clubbing Roseboro several times in the head with his bat. The melee was short-lived, but not before Roseboro got busted open.
Yankees vs. Red Sox
Breaking news: the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox hate each other! The rivalry was at a boiling point in the early-2000s. In the 2003 ALCS, Pedro Martinez drilled Karim Garcia in the back, igniting the spark.
Baseball’s unwritten rules state that if a brother-in-arms gets a fastball near the head, you have every right to retaliate. Roger Clemens threw an up-and-in fastball to Manny Ramirez, causing the benches to empty. The lowlight of this kerfuffle occurred when 72-year-old Don Zimmer came after Pedro, and Martinez grabbed his melon and tossed him to the ground.
A year later, with high tensions, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Varitek got into it. Fortunately, the two teams waited until the games were on national television so we could enjoy them in real-time.
Robin Ventura vs. Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan is a legendary pitcher whose career spanned four decades. At the ripe age of 46, the Rangers Hall of Fame flamethrower was wrapping his illustrious career while the 26-year-old White Sox third baseman was getting started.
Ryan plunked Ventura in the arm, causing Ventura to pause for a moment before he decided, “Yeah, I’m going to charge at a 46-year-old man.” However, Ryan was ready, putting Ventura in a headlock and landing a few haymakers before the rest of the benches cleared. It’s certainly one of baseball’s most replayed brouhahas, deservingly so. Bottom line: you don’t mess with Nolan Ryan.
Padres vs. Braves
In a 1984 contest between the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves, public enemy number one was Atlanta’s starting pitcher Pascual Perez. The action began when Perez hit Alan Wiggins in the back. While the two exchanged words, nothing escalated further.
In Perez’s first plate appearance, San Diego’s starter threw at him, triggering Perez to run around the field with a bat in hand, ready to defend himself. No one threw any punches, and things simmered down.
In his next at-bat, Perez got chin music again, leading to two ejections on San Diego’s side. In the sixth inning, you guessed it, the Braves tried to hit Perez and failed again, leading to another ejection.
Finally, in the eighth frame, the Padres were successful in beaning Perez, and the donnybrook was on. Fists were flying, fans interjected themselves in the fracas, and more ejections happened. Surprisingly, the game continued in the ninth, as did the hit-by-pitches and fights. Perez and his Braves got the win 5-3 once the dust finally settled.
Although we should never glorify violence, it’s okay to appreciate the most vicious baseball brawls in history. Luckily, now, everyone feels a little friendlier, keeping the altercations to a minimum.
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