Tim Anderson and Jose Ramirez are likely facing suspension for their roles in a bench-clearing brawl during a game between the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox. After Ramirez made his slide into second base, Anderson kept his tag on Ramirez’s back. This appeared to annoy Ramirez, he got up and put his finger in Anderson’s face, and shortly after the pair squared up to fight. The Associated Press reported that after the pair started to fight, players from both teams rushed onto the field, escalating it to a brawl instead of a boxing match. Ramirez caught Anderson on the jaw with a wide right hand and he dropped to the ground but quickly got back to his feet but by that time, players had surrounded the pair. Anderson dropped his glove first and made the first attempt at contact but missed on two punches that opened him up to Ramirez’s ducking hook that connected.
The best part of the Tim Anderson-Jose Ramirez fight is both the second base umpire and Cleveland radio broadcaster going from baseball mode to boxing mode in the snap of a finger. pic.twitter.com/89uEX4aCN4
— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) August 6, 2023
Recent Cleveland acquisition Noah Syndergaard spoke to the tensions between the teams, telling the Associated Press “From the second I set foot in the clubhouse, I could tell these teams don’t like each other. And I don’t think it’s going to be resolved anytime soon.” The White Sox and the Guardians have been engaged in a growing rivalry since 2021, according to reports from Sports Illustrated. The brawl is just the most visible indication that these two teams just flat-out do not like each other. The Dominican third baseman Ramirez said after the game through a translator, “He’s been disrespecting the game for a while,” Ramírez explained. “When he does something like that on the bases, he can get somebody out of the game. So I was telling him to stop doing that. After he tapped me really hard, more than needed, he said he wanted to fight and I had to defend myself.”
Several players and coaches ended up being ejected from the game, including the managers of both teams. Speaking to the press after the game, Chicago manager Pedro Grifol indicated that Major League Baseball had a lot to sift through when doling out punishment. Even though baseball isn’t a very physical game, it has had its share of brawls and fights over the years. It has, however, seemed to calm down in recent years. Most fights stem from players feeling disrespected or from them taking exception to a pitcher hitting them with a baseball, be it intentional or accidental. The MLB has not announced its punishment for the players and coaches involved in the conflict between the teams, but most are expecting that Anderson and Ramirez will both receive multiple-game suspensions.
