What's With Big Guys Trying To Fight Skinny Guys?

Tonight, as I changed the channel from the Dodgers' pounding of the Milwaukee Brewers 17-4 after a 5-run bottom of the 8th inning and made my way back to my current home on the pull-out bed downstairs in my living room, I flipped open my laptop to check the final numbers of the game. To my surprise, I found a rather interesting article about Milwaukee's 268-pound clean-up hitter Prince Fielder, after being hit by a pitch from the 6'6" bag-of-bones Dodger relief pitcher Guillermo Mota with 2 outs in the 9th inning of tonight's blowout, literally roaming the underground tunnels of Dodger Stadium looking to either snap Mota in half... or to eat him (see video HERE). The plunking of Cecil Fielder's son (a 240-pound behemoth himself) was in response to Milwaukee's Chris Smith hitting Dodger slugger Manny Ramirez with a pitch in the bottom of the 7th inning, an inning after the Dodgers had turned the game from a close 5-3 ballgame to a 12-3 massacre (at that point). After the game, the Prince (or perhaps a pauper now) was asked about his expletive-filled rant through the tunnels of Mannywood. He responded, “I don’t remember that.” Mota was ejected on the spot, but this got me thinking... hasn't this happened before? A fairly large man going after a skinny guy? Yes, yes it has...

During a 2003 spring training game, the then Mets catcher and former Dodger great Mike Piazza was hit by a pitch from none other than Guillermo Mota (who shall heretofore be referred to as "Mr. Skinny"). Piazza charged the mound and, as Mr. Skinny ran backwards and THREW HIS GLOVE at Piazza, the benches cleared. But wait, there's more! Apparently this wasn't the first altercation between the two. Mota hit Piazza in the left hip with a pitch on the last day of spring training in Vero Beach in 2002 also. Piazza did not charge the mound in this instance, but later in the game, as Mota walked down the right-field line to leave, Piazza left the bench to confront him. Piazza grabbed Mota by the jersey with both hands, and players from both benches swarmed the pair. You'd think a guy (Mota) who was suspended for 50 games by the Commissioner's Office to begin the 2007 season for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (aka a guy on 'roids) would 1.) NOT look like Jack Skellington in a baseball cap and 2.) NOT run away from a fight, but you'd think wrong.

Either way, it should make for a semi-interesting game tomorrow night at Chavez Ravine. Manny's slump seems to be over, the ever-injured Jason Schmidt will be going for his 2nd win in as many starts after missing most of 2007, all of 2008, and part of 2009 with what can be summed up simply as hurt feelings, and the Dodgers still have the best record in baseball. Maybe Dodger fans have something to celebrate...


If not, there's always the Angels.


NL West Standings (W-L, GB)
Los Angeles Dodgers - 66-41, --
Colorado Rockies - 59-47, 6.5
San Francisco Giants - 59-48, 7.0
Arizona Diamondbacks - 48-59, 18.0
San Diego Padres - 44-64, 22.5

AL West Standings (W-L, GB)
Los Angeles Angels - 63-41, --
Texas Rangers - 59-46, 4.5
Seattle Mariners - 55-51, 9.0
Oakland Athletics - 46-60, 18.0