The entire baseball world is talking about Manny Machado charging the mound against Yordano Ventura in last night’s Royals-Orioles game, but I doubt anyone has watched the highlight video as much as I have.
I’ve watched the video of the brawl more times than I can count. I watched it live on MLB.tv, saw the Vines on Twitter quickly after the fight, watched it on the MLB At Bat app and even clicked through frame by frame of the six minute video. After all this research, here are my ten favorite moments.
1. The Initial Charge
We’re sort of spoiled by how well Rougned Odor recently landed a punch of Jose Bautista‘s face. Machado and Ventura were throwing punches like most baseball players throw them. Terribly.
It looks like Machado landed a solid, but ugly, one, but I was more impressed by how he dragged Ventura to the ground after the bad jabs were exchanged.
2. First Into the Mayhem
Benches empty quick and sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s in the mix first. Poor Wayne Kirby went face first into the dirt on the pitcher’s mound while Chris Davis sprinted in from the dugout on this brouhaha. Crush was amped up.
Just wait til screenshot number seven.
3. Protecting Your Assets
“Easy there, Hyun-Soo Kim. I’m not about to let my best hitter get injured in this brawl.”
That’s along the lines of what I imagine Buck Showalter told Kim while holding him back there.
Also of note, Kirby is back up off the ground and he is pissed.
4. Buck: The Lion Tamer
If you’re ever wondering how much respect the Orioles have for their skipper, please refer to the image above. Showalter jumps right in and separates his guys from their guys. And they all seem to be following orders.
5. The Late Arrivals
Adam Jones had some of the most fiery postgame comments, but it turns out he and Ryan Flaherty were some of the last to join this fracus. What were they doing?
6. Still Angry
You know after a baseball brawl when the guys say “the adrenaline was flowing”? I think they’re talking about this.
7. Chris Davis: Also Still Angry
Even after things cooled a bit, Davis was still looking for a face to punch. I think that’s Zach Britton piggy backing him. I think. It looks like him at least.
I don’t know.
Buck is also trying to cool down the Orioles $161 million man.
Davis would end up hitting a 397 foot dinger a few minutes later.
8. Starting To Separate
One of my favorite parts of any baseball brawl is when the two teams decide they’ve had enough and begin to walk away. That’s this point.
How does this happen? It’s one of life’s great mysteries.
9. “One Got Away”
“My plan was to pitch inside and one got away. And things happened.”
Yeah, that’s what that guy said after this game. Seriously.
10. All Smiles From Schoop
I just love Jonathan Schoop‘s smile here. It’s like he knows the Orioles are about to hit back-to-back home runs and win 9-1.
That’s how I was smiling the rest of the night.
https://t.co/oX0qmovf3Q
Buck pushing Trumbo out of the way to get in the fray.
I think a guy like Ventura has no place in baseball. Someone who deliberately tries to hurt another player. Manny should have grabbed his pitching arm and wrenched it until something gave! Then maybe he’d think about what he’s done. Manny, we love ya. Keep up the good work. That Pappelbaum a-hole is cut out of the same mold too. Manny / Chris, come down to John Rallo’s and do some Ju-jitsu. Ventura is lucky Davis didn’t get a shot on him.