Pirates/Brewers Brawl----- Who's at fault?

[Jumper_Dad]

Coles fault in my opinion...He should

1) throw a better pitch and this entire episode doesn't happen

2) suck it up when someone drives you to the fence and go after the next guy.

[spindoc]

It is interesting...When Puig and Gomez do this stuff, it's bad attitude and lack of respect for the game in the media...When Bryce Harper acts up, it's "youthful exuberance"...Hmm...

Who in the world said that? And his manager sat his arse for his antics the other day to first. Not true at all.

[Clyde]

It was Gomez who left the bag and started after the pitcher. While he had something to say, Gomez was the one to make it a physical thing. Agree?

 

From what I heard it was Cole came over and dropped some F bombs on Gomez. Cole denied it but audio is supposedly very clear. So clear that it was heard on the broadcast and an announcer apologized to the viewers.

 

I thought Cole overreacted.

[jpa2825]

Baseball would rather suspend someone than put meaningful rules in place to stop this kind of crap.

 

What I would do:

Leave dugout/bullpen and run onto the field during an altercation 3 games out

Leave defensive position to double team batter/baserunner 3 games (only stipulation would be for catcher, if catcher wants to get between batter and pitcher but doesn't instigate anything that would be allowed)

Swing at another player if it connects or not 7 games out

 

I'm sick and tired of catchers or pitchers getting their panties in a wad over "bat flips" or the speed at which someone runs the bases after a homerun...if you don't like it get them out!

 

It's not like they don't know how to do it. These rules (or very similar) are in place in the minor leagues which MLB basically runs. About 1 or 2 times per year you'll hear a story about a bench clearing brawl in minor league baseball and how the suspensions have to be staggered to make sure each team has enough players to play.

[spindoc]

From what I heard it was Cole came over and dropped some F bombs on Gomez. Cole denied it but audio is supposedly very clear. So clear that it was heard on the broadcast and an announcer apologized to the viewers.

 

I thought Cole overreacted.

Probably. Still didn't make it a physical altercation. Gomez could have easily jawed right back without acting like he was gonna choke him. From the looks of it Cole would have had a puncher's chance. I didn't say Cole was a choir boy. But he wasn't the one who made the confrontation physical.

[Voice of Reason]

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but has anyone else noticed that the Pirates ALWAYS seem to be in the middle of this kinda stuff? They had a problem with the Reds last year. The Cardinals. The Brewers. etc. etc.

 

Little man syndrome...

 

Pirates have a lot of run ins and Gomez has a lot of run ins. This battle was inevitable.

 

I call this one Gomez's fault. Not because of the antics at home plate, but because he went off when Cole said something to him. I don't care what was said, when he started top go after Cole, then that is what started everything.

[woodsrider]

A few thoughts...

 

Baseball should be like the NHL. 2 guys want to fight, then it's just those 2. Let them duke it out, toss them both and move on. No one should be allowed to leave the dug out except the current lineup. This would be just to protect their batter from 9 on 1.

 

Baseball players in general need to quite being cry babies. So freaking what someone flips a bat. I'd toss the dang 20 foot in the air if I jacked a 95mph fastball 400 foot.

 

In this incident I have to put it on Gomez for leaving the bag and going after Cole.

[Clyde]

Probably. Still didn't make it a physical altercation. Gomez could have easily jawed right back without acting like he was gonna choke him. From the looks of it Cole would have had a puncher's chance. I didn't say Cole was a choir boy. But he wasn't the one who made the confrontation physical.

 

He also looked like he wanted no part of anyone by walking away after stirring it up.

[Voice of Reason]

Wouldn't it be awesome if the unwritten rules translated to football? Jimmy Graham goes up to dunk over a goal post and a defensive player plows him while he is mid-air. Kaepernick flexes and then gets slammed to the ground. It would be a lot of fun.

[ESPNdeux]

Pirates have a lot of run ins and Gomez has a lot of run ins. This battle was inevitable.

 

I call this one Gomez's fault. Not because of the antics at home plate, but because he went off when Cole said something to him. I don't care what was said, when he started top go after Cole, then that is what started everything.

 

The bold basically explains your stance. You're dismissing the fact that Cole was in the wrong in the first place to ever say anything.

[ESPNdeux]

A few thoughts...

 

Baseball should be like the NHL. 2 guys want to fight, then it's just those 2. Let them duke it out, toss them both and move on. No one should be allowed to leave the dug out except the current lineup. This would be just to protect their batter from 9 on 1.

 

Baseball players in general need to quite being cry babies. So freaking what someone flips a bat. I'd toss the dang 20 foot in the air if I jacked a 95mph fastball 400 foot.

 

In this incident I have to put it on Gomez for leaving the bag and going after Cole.

 

This

[gchs_uk9]

Wouldn't it be awesome if the unwritten rules translated to football? Jimmy Graham goes up to dunk over a goal post...

 

That's the difference in the NFL and MLB. The NFL writes everything down, including this coming season's ban on dunking over a goal post.

[Clyde]

Gomez got 3 games.

 

Cole got zero. I think MLB screwed up.

[spindoc]

He also looked like he wanted no part of anyone by walking away after stirring it up.

 

I'm sure he didn't. Like most MLB brawls, mostly profanity laden square dances.

[JokersWild24]

See, I don't think you're getting it. No respect for the game. When you don't run balls out to first base. That's lack of respect for the game. When you stand and pose it's not flair. That's showing up your opponent. Please tell me that you don't think Puig's antics are good for the game and that whitey is squelching it.

 

 

Two forms responses I have here:

 

1. For someone who grows up in the situations that some of the international players do, it's understandable why they'd be as happy as a lark to get paid to play the game they love. Consider the article below:

 

Le Batard: Let's cut Yasiel Puig some slack for his young-man antics - ESPN

 

 

2. Baseball is not like baseball is golf, and I think more fans would be upset with the cheering, emotion, etc. being taken out of the game. I'd rather see a guy like Puig celebrate than someone like Edwin Encarnacion just going out and collecting paychecks.

 

People loved seeing Ozzie Smith do his flips, and no one was ever talking about him showing up the other team. What about someone who does a Sammy Sosa sprint to his position or a John Rocker spring out of the bullpen? Are rally caps, everyone in the dugout doing weird things, etc. showing up the other team? Coming out of the dugout to high five and fist bump after a homer? The batter on deck celebrating with a guy who just beat a throw and slid into home safely? Obviously, there's somewhere you have to draw a line of course, but I think there's more acceptable grey area than a traditionalist might see.

 

I do agree that showing up the other team is poor sportsmanship and in bad form, but I don't think flipping a bat and watching a homer is doing that, and it only makes the person who did it erroneously look bad.

 

I don't have problem with the Dodgers going swimming in the Diamondbacks' pool because it's "disrespecting the game". I think that the Diamondbacks' having a pool in their outfield is almost as disrespectful to the game as anyone jumping in it.

 

Regardless of whether or not you are a traditionalist, at the end of the day, everyone can agree that the best celebration in baseball, and the only one that really matters, is the one when your clubhouse is covered in plastic, you have a World Series hat on, and teammates are shaking up and spraying champagne everywhere.

Edited April 22, 2014 by JokersWild24