At the World Baseball Classic this Saturday, Mexico and Canada exchanged more than just runs. Punches were exchanged in the ninth inning after Canada's Chris Robinson bunted with his team leading 9-3, and Mexico's pitcher, Arnold Leon, took offense.
The World Baseball Classic is a round-robin tournament in which every run scored is significant, run differential is the first tiebreaker when two teams have the same record, and with only two of the four countries in each pool advancing to the next round, number of runs scored is vital for advancement to the next round.
Therefore, running up the score is advised in this tournament, whereas under normal circumstances, Robinson's bunt would be considered a serious breach of etiquette.
But the World Baseball Classic is different.
"In this tournament, you play baseball like it's 0-0,"said Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt. "You play it like a 0-0 game the whole time."
Saturday's match was a physical game even before the ninth inning, but Mexico took Robinson's bunt for a single as disrespectful, and decided to go after Canada's next batter, Rene Tosoni. Replays showed Mexico's third baseman Luis Cruz motioning to Leon and pointing to his ribs.
Leon's first two pitches narrowly missed Tosoni's knee, then both benches were warned by home plate umpire Brian Gorman. The warning did little to discourage Leon from hitting Tosoni, and he drilled him in the back with the next pitch.
Both benches cleared immediately, and a huge brawl broke out. Many players for both teams began throwing punches and tackling each other to the ground.
"It's part of the game that you don't see all the time," Canada first baseman Justin Morneau said. "Usually it's just words being said. There's not always punches being thrown. But there's a point you've got to stand up for yourself."
The scene was so outrageously chaotic that the turmoil spilled over into the stands, a bottle was thrown from behind Canada's dugout that struck their pitching coach Denis Boucher in the face. And after it seemed as though order had been restored, a fan threw a ball onto the field that nearly hit Larry Walker, Canada's first-base coach.
Seven players were ejected Tosoni, Pete Orr and Jay Johnson for Canada, and Leon, Alfredo Aceves, Oliver Perez and Eduardo Arredondo for Mexico.
It seems as though the brawl occurred due to the tie-breaking rule that uses run differential to determine what team moves on to the next round.
"It was just simply a misunderstanding," Mexico manager Rick Renteria said. "In a normal setting, a normal professional setting I should say, a 9-3 bunt in that particular fashion would be kind of out of the ordinary."
Canada ended up winning the game 10-3 but many believed that the drama would not stop there, expecting disciplinary actions for the seven players ejected from the game. Although, The World Baseball Classic decided no players will be suspended in the aftermath of Saturday's nasty brawl between the teams.
The WBC released a statement saying "because at least one club -- and potentially both -- will not advance to the second round, WBCI has determined that disciplinary measures would not have a meaningful corrective impact."
The organization said it spoke with representatives of the Canadian and Mexican federations Saturday night.
"We are aware of the perspectives held by both sides in a competitive environment," the WBC said. "Nevertheless, we relayed to both teams that such an altercation is inappropriate under any circumstances and has no place in baseball."
The WBC did not yet comment on looking into changing the tiebreaker rule that seems to be to blame for the melee.
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