7 Most Violent Brawls in Baseball History

In baseball, some rivalries tend to cross the line between sportsmanlike and just plain bush league. I'm talking about players running out onto the field and fighting one another. While not at all a good part of the game, they just happen every so often and the rabid fans eat it all up.

In going through the annals, I discovered that some of baseball's nastiest fights occurred between teams that historically hate each other. In other cases, be it because of a batter getting hit or just two players who didn't like each other, the brawls just kind of happened.

Seeing as how even negative points in any history need some coverage, it's time to look at seven of the most intense brawls in baseball history.

No. 7: Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers, 2000

When two divisional rivals get into an on-field fight, chances are that the adrenaline's going to be pumping both on the field and in the stands. This particular fight occurred early in the 2000 season and all started when Tigers pitcher Jeff Weaver hit Chicago slugger Carlos Lee with a pitch.

Sure enough, White Sox starter Jim Parque drilled Detroit's Dean Palmer, who charged the mound as he threw his helmet at Parque. The punches flew, choke holds were broken out and animosity was beyond its boiling point. When the dust settled, Keith Foulke (then of the White Sox) had a cut on his face that required five stitches.

But wait..there's more! Beanings again occurred in the ninth inning, starting another fight. In the end, a total of 11 people had been ejected from the game. After the commissioner's office took a look, 16 were suspended and nine were fined.

And all because someone got hit by a pitch!

No. 6: Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres, 1984

This brawl needs to be taken with a grain of salt because the Braves pitcher involved, Pascual Perez, was just a weird guy in general. From his cocaine use to his getting lost on the way to a home game, you just didn't know what to expect from him.

Such was the case on an August day in 1984, in a game that has come to be known as the "bean brawl."

It all started when Perez drilled Padres second baseman Alan Wiggins with the first pitch of the game.  All was then quiet until the second inning, when Padres hurler Ed Whitson threw at Perez and freaked him out a bit to the point where Perez danced around with his bat (using it as a weapon) before the benches cleared and the first fight began.

Constant beanings/throwing far inside led to fights in the fifth, eighth and ninth innings as well. At game's end, 14 people had been ejected. Even five fans who got involved ended up arrested. That just takes crazy to a whole new level, if you ask me.

No. 5: Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 2000

Pedro Martinez has always been a headhunter, and he didn't pull any punches in this game against the then-Devil Rays. On just the fourth pitch of the game, he plunked outfielder Gerald Williams and the first of four altercations. Oddly enough, Martinez then retired the next 24 batters he faced, as he finished with an 8-0 one-hitter.

Still, the game was not without controversy, as Tampa Bay chose to intentionally throw at Boston's hitters throughout the game. In the end, a total of eight (five players, manager Larry Rothschild and two coaches) Devil Rays were tossed.

No. 4: Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees, 1998

If Pedro Martinez is the biggest headhunter in baseball history, former Orioles closer Armando Benitez isn't far behind. 

In a game against the Yankees on May 19, 1998, the hard-throwing righty entered the game in the eighth inning with his team up 5-3 and two men on for New York. On a 2-1 count, he gave up a three-run shot to Bernie Williams, putting the Yankees up 6-5.

Tino Martinez then came to bat, and on the first pitch, Benitez hit him in the back. Both benches and bullpens cleared. Yankees relief pitcher Graeme Lloyd took a swing at Benitez, and Darryl Strawberry tried sucker-punching the guilty party, only to fall into the Baltimore dugout and be at the mercy of the opposition there.

Even after suspensions were doled out, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner went on to call Benitez "classless."

No. 3: Nolan Ryan vs. Robin Ventura, 1993

I'll only say this much regarding this fight. If you're a pitcher, hit a batter and he charges the mound, putting him in a headlock and repeatedly punching him in the face is just a little bit much.

No. 2: Juan Marichal vs. John Roseboro, 1965

The Giants and Dodgers have a rivalry going back over a century, but it came to a boil in 1965. The game was at Candlestick Park in San Francisco and pitted each team's pitching ace (Juan Marichal for the Giants and Sandy Koufax for the Dodgers) against each other.

Ever the type to pitch inside, Marichal made two Dodgers hitters fall down as they tried to escape being hit. Koufax didn't retaliate, but catcher John Roseboro had other ideas. When Marichal came to bat in the third inning, Roseboro intentionally threw the ball close to Marichal's face when throwing it back to Koufax.

Sure enough, Marichal freaked, knocked Roseboro to the ground and hit him on the head with his bat.  Roseboro received a large gash that required stitches, and both benches cleared in a 14-minute fight.  Marichal was ultimately suspended for eight games and fined $1,750.

Ironically, the two later became friends years later.

No. 1: Alex Rodriguez vs. Jason Varitek, 2004

For as long as I can remember, the Yankees and Red Sox have hated each other. In this particular case, the rivalry stew boiled over as Boston pitcher Bronson Arroyo drilled third baseman Alex Rodriguez with a pitch.

Naturally, Rodriguez didn't take kindly to it and started jawing at Arroyo. Catcher Jason Varitek tried to break up the fight, but then ended up throwing the first punch as the benches cleared.

As a Yankees fan, I have one request: Keep the fights coming and keep the rivalry intense!