Sports

Baseball Brawls Rarely Break out Between Players of Different Ethnic Groups.

No one would guess that Major League Baseball’s integration took too long, as African Americans were kept out of the organization until Jackie Robinson ran for the Dodgers in 1949. Since then, fortunately, racial differences seem to have little impact on gameplay. The best indication of this lack of tension between members of the ethnic groups on the Diamond can best be substantiated by examining the ten most memorable fights in the history of the Majors.

Most of the fights discussed on the site are between a white pitcher and a white batter, with the latter objecting to a delivery that hit him or got too close. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan was involved in perhaps the longest-running fight in 1993 when he knocked down All-Star third baseman Robin Ventura after being convinced Ryan’s fastball was intended to hit him. Rose was the subject of another brawl.

His white counterpart in the incident was New York Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson. The altercation stemmed from a slip the three-time Cincinnati batting champion took in the second base bag, which Harrelson covered before the two men began jostling. Conflicts between players of the same nationality seem to be the norm than the exception, perhaps an indication that participants were less likely to attack an opponent from a different ethnic group.

A game between the Blue Jays and  Rangers, Toronto outfielder Jose Bautista slid hard toward second base and put Texas second baseman Roughed Odor on offense. Both Brawl stars elmas hilesi contestants were of Hispanic descent, just as only white players were involved in the above bouts. One has to wonder if the suspensions or consequences on the field might have been more severe if the fighters were from different ethnic groups.