Reds/Cardinals Brawl

[Punch]

The Cincinnati Reds' Brandon Phillips made some remarks regarding how much he despises the Cardinals yesterday night. Today, this happened.

My question is: Does this story interest you at all? Does it bring back memories of great bench-clearing brawls that involved your team? Vent your feelings here....

In your post, indicate your perspective if you would like. Are you a Reds fan or Cardinals fan? Or are you neither?

[Mings]

Should Phillips had said what he did? No.

Was Yadier Molina the bitch that started this? Absolutely. He was classless in doing what he did.

[aci]

Meh, they're divisional rivals. Doesn't matter what Phillips says, Molina definitely bitched out here.

[Shmee]

Fans never like to hear it when players say that they think of all the other teams evenly, and that a game against the Red Sox (from a Yankees player) or against the Vikings (from a Packers player) is the same as any other. We act like division rivalries are a big deal, why shouldn't the players?

[kbaker19]

Division rivals shouldn't like each other. I'm glad that some teams still care about divisional rivalries. This should make for a great playoff push.

[Punch]

Fans never like to hear it when players say that they think of all the other teams evenly, and that a game against the Red Sox (from a Yankees player) or against the Vikings (from a Packers player) is the same as any other. We act like division rivalries are a big deal, why shouldn't the players?

I agree. When the Twins play the White Sox, it is more interesting to me than a game against Seattle. When the Vikings play the Packers, it's better than a Vikings-Buccaneers matchup. My point is that Phillips probably has Cincinnati on his side now more than ever, because fans love to hear it when players agree with their feelings on division rivals.

[Mings]

Would have been even better if Phillips clocked Molina.

[TopCat]

Phillips bashed the Cards, the tried to make nice with Molina when he tapped him with his bat. Damn straight Molina better get up in his face. Good scuffle, I like to see fire in players.

[Kess]

As a Cardinals fan this obviously interests me, and I see it differently than mings and aci. You're gonna say those things in the media one night, then tap my shinguard like nothing happened? No way. Yadi stuck up for his teammates, then backed it up with a home run, and his team won. That's a good night.

The Cardinals didn't try to bean anyone - which LaRussa will do - they handled it face-to-face. I don't see how that's b-wording out.

Unless you're a Reds fan, then I can see why you'd be cheesed off.

[Shmee]

Would have been even better if Phillips clocked Molina.

Would have been even better if Molina clocked Phillips. If I was the catcher there, I wouldn't want the guy who just trashed my team giving me love taps.

[Mings]

All I'm going to say since we aren't going to get anywhere in an argument considering I'm a Reds fan....

Brandon Phillips does the tap as a greeting. He does it for every at-bat.

[Punch]

I didn't even notice the "love-tap" Phillips gave Yadier. Now that I know he did that, I have to say Molina did the right thing. And in the end, who came out on top? Yadier Molina and the Cardinals. I think we all know who won that battle. Hopefully, the war is far from over.

[TopCat]

If anyone gets plunked, I prefer they go this route.

[Punch]

If anyone gets plunked, I prefer they go this route.

I'm surprised Phillips/Molina didn't plunked right off the bat after the brawl. If you have the ability to watch tomorrow's game, do it. It'll be interesting, I assume.

[Shmee]

If anyone gets plunked, I prefer they go this route.

What a great moment in the history of sports.

[NJTank]

Meh that was a mere pillow fight to the baseball brawls from the 80s.

http://www.nctimes.com/sports/baseball/professional/mlb/padres/article_e308dd18-6149-5a9f-beb7-1d02fe053267.html

[droozer]

Should Phillips had said what he did? No.

Was Yadier Molina the bitch that started this? Absolutely. He was classless in doing what he did.

Well Molina was protecting his team so I could see it from both ways

[illwauk]

As a Cardinals fan this obviously interests me, and I see it differently than mings and aci. You're gonna say those things in the media one night, then tap my shinguard like nothing happened? No way. Yadi stuck up for his teammates, then backed it up with a home run, and his team won. That's a good night.

The Cardinals didn't try to bean anyone - which LaRussa will do - they handled it face-to-face. I don't see how that's b-wording out.

Unless you're a Reds fan, then I can see why you'd be cheesed off.

I'm sot sure how well-known Phillips' habits were before this, but if so, I'm sure Cards fans would've been saying he was an arrogant ass for not doing it.

Anyway, to answer the original question, the first time I saw a brawl at a baseball game (that didn't involve drunks in the parking lot) was a Brewers-Rangers game in 1992. Chris Bosio was pitching for the Crew and Kevin Reimer apparently took offense to Bosio brushing him off the plate and charged the mound resulting in a few fans throwing drinks at Reimer as he left the field. I remember it mainly because, Bosio was traded to Seattle in the off-season where he ended up tossing a no-hitter and the Brewers new DH that year was none other than Kevin Reimer.

[pcgd]

I just love that Phillips is 0fer in this series. Warms my heart....

Its men being competitive. Rarely does anything make any sense when it comes to this stuff. Phillips shouldn't have tried to make nice...Molina could have let it go. But they are guys. I've seen this crap go down in wednesday night E League softball games...

After watching some video...I feel bad for you Reds fans. Those TV guys are just as bad as anyone in the league (Including the Cardinals who's TV guys suck)

[STL FANATIC]

Phillips isn't 0-fer. He managed a meaningless single in the 7th. He's still just 1-10 tho (albeit with an RBI).

I don't think I need to state my perspective, but I will. I don't have a problem with the friendly tap before a game. I know Phillips does it all the time, and I know Albert does it, and I'm sure others do it to. But I respect and agree with Yadi's point of view. Don't one day express your absolute hatred for him and his team, and the next day go up to him and play nice. It's not like Phillips said his quotes were out of context or backed off them. He chose not to re-state them, but stood by them the next day.

As Yadi put it, "if you talk bad about my team, don't say hi, that's stupid."

The brawl was fun, if scary. Carpenter up against the net scarred the hell out of me. I'd feel bad about Cueto being shoved up against the net too except the dillhole started kicking people with his spikes. Carp's back is all cut up and Jason La Rue sustained a minor concussion and cuts to the face.

That's the only sure suspension that will come out of this, along with plenty of fines. There may be other players who deserve suspension, too. I don't think Phillips and Molina are those players since they were having it out with words originally. We'll see what MLB thinks, though.