CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL BRAWL
In the picture of the baseball brawl, more than a team's worth of players are shown in various stages of beating each other up. It is possible that some of the players are trying to break up the fight, Number 35, for example, but it is not immediately clear whether they are effective, or even whether that is their goal. So-called bench-clearing fights are not common occurrences at baseball games, but they happen occasionally, and at nearly every level of play. Even professional teams, who ostensibly have the most to lose from suspensions and other punishments, can be involved in these melees. In this analysis, possible causes and effects of this fight are considered.
The immediate cause of this particular brawl might be that a pitch came too close to the batter, and the batter--as well as his team--felt that the pitcher threw the brushback ball on purpose. A baseball pitch is thrown at significant speed, and can cause significant injury, particularly when thrown at a player's head--the so-called beanball. Such a pitch is considered by players to be an attack on all of them, and so players will often charge the field in order to defend their batter. At the same time, players from the opposing team come into the infield to defend their pitcher, and the general brawl begins. Coaches and managers typically do not get involved in the fight itself, but may not move to break it up immediately, either, as it allows both teams to release some tension. In other instances, however, particularly in hotly contested games, coaches and managers are involved in the middle of the fight (Haberman B1).
If significant team rivalry exists between the two teams, such as between the Dodgers and Giants, the emotional level of the game may be heightened compared to other games. This can be brought into even sharper focus if the teams are engaged in a close pennant race. Winning becomes an ov...