Fight! Fight!

I do wish I had pics or video on this, but Major League Baseball is tighter with images than a Submarine is with water.

On August 9, the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals faced off in an important three game series for leadership in the National League's Central Division. Before the game, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips shared some "unflattering remarks" about the Cardinals. Quickly, Phillips words incited the Cards to think bad thoughts.

So when Phillips came to the plate to take his first at-bat in the first inning, he tapped the Cardinal's catcher Yadier Molina on the shin guards. It was sort of his way of saying, "Hey, just busting your chops, no hard feelings." Molina said, "Au contraire."

This is when the best brawl in the MLB this year broke out.

I have enjoyed watching the Sport Caster's comments on this. The conventional wisdom is that Phillips should have stood in the batter's box in the first inning, taken the long expected 88 mph ball in the numbers, and taken his base. Then it would have been over. Instead, he gives off the "just kidding" vibe and all hell breaks loose.

The commentators also noted that it didn't appear that the Reds were in such a hurry to defend Brandon's honor. "Let him take a couple of punches from a guy who is wearing pads and a mask and then go out to break it up."

One of the things I love about baseball is that there is a zen to busting chops, taking breaking balls to the back, fights, and even when to let the umpire take one off the mask, but that's a story for another blog. Ah, the unwritten laws that are enforced unlike any written law can.