Bench clearing brawls - should players be punished for leaving the bench?

[Solair Wright]

You know, bench-clearing brawls have been commonplace in baseball, but lately, I feel like it's been disruptive and there should be a fine or a suspension if you leave the vicinity of the dugout, except to go to the clubhouse or locker room. There have been a handful of brawls in the past few years, but something needs to be done.

So, should there be a fine and/or suspension if any player(s) leaves to participate in a brawl? I'm not complaining at all, but I'm afraid one day, someone gets hurt for leaving the dugout to participate in a bench-clearing brawl.

Edit: Could a mod change the poll questions 3 and 4, please? I meant to type "Yes, he should be fined" and "No, he should not be fined."

[Williamsburg2599]

I'm going to say no, because in most of the fights I've seen, the players coming off the bench help stop the situation rather then escalate it. If you don't let people intervene, then it will turn into hockey-style fights, with the pitcher and batter going at it and everyone standing around watching. I think the reason punches are rarely landed in baseball fights is because of all the players trying to stop it. There are cameras everywhere, and if a player comes out of the and then goes and starts attacking players, then he should be fined and suspended.

[G.Costanza]

No:twocents: :twocents: :twocents: :twocents:

[DodgerBlue8188]

Like mentioned before. Sometimes they go out there to stop a player from doing something stupid. If you don't allow them to break it up you'll be watching fights like in hockey.

[G.Costanza]

Like mentioned before. Sometimes they go out there to stop a player from doing something stupid. If you don't allow them to break it up you'll be watching fights like in hockey.

ummmm, NOT REALLY IN THE SPORT OF HOCKEY THE SKATES PRESENSE LIMITS THE FIGHTING TO ONLY UPPER BODY ARMS, WERE AS IN BASEBALL IF YOU ALLOWED FIGHTING THERE WOULD EVENTUALLY BE BRUCE LEE TYPE ISH.......WORD

[Williamsburg2599]

ummmm, NOT REALLY IN THE SPORT OF HOCKEY THE SKATES PRESENSE LIMITS THE FIGHTING TO ONLY UPPER BODY ARMS, WERE AS IN BASEBALL IF YOU ALLOWED FIGHTING THERE WOULD EVENTUALLY BE BRUCE LEE TYPE ISH.......WORD

I believe he was saying that they would be like hockey fights in the sense that only two people are fighting and everyone else is standing around. No reason to shout.

[philipthegreat]

Leaving the bench like what a few before me said is simply players trying restrain the angry players. However I don't think it neccesary for everybody including people from the dugout to go on the field.

I don't think it takes 35 people to restrain mayber five or six unruly people plus a few umpires.

[Ontarioguy]

Edit: Could a mod change the poll questions 3 and 4, please? I meant to type "Yes, he should be fined" and "No, he should not be fined."

Is this how you wanted it?

[Solair Wright]

Is this how you wanted it?

Yep, that is how I wanted it. Thank you for changing it.

[TonyStarks]

No players should not be fined or suspended for leaving the bench during a brawl.

Players go out there to protect their teammates.
Very rarely does anything but shoving happen anyways.

[DodgerBlue8188]

I believe he was saying that they would be like hockey fights in the sense that only two people are fighting and everyone else is standing around. No reason to shout.

My thoughts exactly.

[DodgerBlue8188]

I think it's good to have other players run out on the field. I remember awhile ago a star player was almost in the middle of a fight but one of his teammates held him back. It's easy to get caught up in things and make stupid mistakes and sometimes you need your friends or teammates to hold you back for support.

If you are alone with nobody around you that you trust you may react differently and make costly mistakes.

[Williamsburg2599]

I think it's good to have other players run out on the field. I remember awhile ago a star player was almost in the middle of a fight but one of his teammates held him back. It's easy to get caught up in things and make stupid mistakes and sometimes you need your friends or teammates to hold you back for support.

If you are alone with nobody around you that you trust you may react differently and make costly mistakes.

Agreed. Not to mention if one team says, screw it, and they all run out, what can the other team do? Watch as a whole team beats up one of thier players? And if the whole team does it, can you suspend them all?

[2Chance]

I'm the one (so far) who said "Other."

I like the way it's done now, with a meeting in the Commissioner's office (for the biggies) to discuss what happened and intent. I hate cookie-cutter rules because most of the time all they do is fly in the face of common sense. Good leadership will take care of the problem.

(I realize that may be giving the current commissioner too much credit, but if he is a poor, ineffective leader you need a new one.)

A guy coming off the bench to restrain somebody physically or talk some sense into someone is different from an enforcer who comes out so he can hit somebody, and should be treated differently.

If brawls are minor, and kept to a minimum, with a meeting with the higher-ups and probable punishment for doing wrong, I say that's the way it ought to be.

[tigers527]

The other sports (NHL, NBA, and NFL) have pretty strict rules regarding people not on the field/playing surface coming on to it during a fight. In all of those sports the sides are evenly matched in terms of offensive v defensive man power (during a game). In baseball you can plainly see that the numbers are pretty skewed toward the defensive side. The offenses best match up would be bases loaded, but that still would be 9 v 6 (1 batter, 3 baserunners, 2 base coaches). If you try and regulate the benches clearing the pitchers would take even more liberties then they already do.

To those folks that mention a pitcher v batter brawl like a hockey fight......The reason hockey fights are mano v mano, is cause the players not involved are paired up with other players, at least holding and making sure there is no piling on. Where if a pitcher knew no backup was coming he could plunk a guy and let teamates intervine.

Needless to say I voted no

[natsnsoxfan]

No, they're out there to protect their player/s. What do you expect them to do? Sit in the dugout while one of "their guys" gets in a fight? Its human instinct to go out there.

[Mattingly]

I don't quite remember the year, but one of the worst I've seen was actually in an NBA playoff game about 10 years ago, not baseball. In that, the NY Knicks and Miami Heat got into a scuffle. Some Knicks, like center Patrick Ewing came off the bench to see what was going on. Some others tried calming the situation down. As it turned out, anyone who left the bench was suspended during that playoff season, and their suspensions were done alphabetically by last name. So Ewing got a 2-game suspension.

To me, I think that discretion should be used. After viewing footage of the incident, the Commissioner's office should decide if someone was the peacemaker, and if others were brutally hitting guys who are being held down. I think there's one heck of a difference. If you come between two guys to stop them from fighting or hold back one of your teammates, I believe that shouldn't warrant a suspension.

[downstairs]

Nah.

For one, they're quite rare in baseball. Heck... in baseball, 75% of the time the players don't even fight when the benches do clear.

Secondly, the NBA-style rule is a huge mistake. It has hurt more that its done good. I agree they need something in the NBA to stop fighting... but that rule was a poor idea.

[BuccoFanInBawlmer]

If I'm the manager of the team, and you don't get off your butt and get out there with the rest of your teammates, then I'M going to fine you!

Right or wrong, up or down, you are a member of a team. If you ain't out there, you ain't part of the team.

Don't fix what clearly is not broken.

[Brooklyn]

As someone stated earlier, if you don't let the players come off the bench, then you could have a 9:1 fight scenario, which is ludicrous. You have to at least let the 9 players in the lineup come on the field to make it even. not for 9 separate fights, but to try and break it up.

I don't think there is any reason for managers or coaches to come on the field. The Zimmer thing a few years back with Pedro was embarrassing

[uberpsycho]

There's nothing more pointless and pathetic than a "brawl" in baseball, where those good teammates lightly jog from the bullpen just too have nothing happen and promptly walk back.

If anything players should be fined for not fighting.

[uberpsycho]

The Zimmer thing a few years back with Pedro was hysterical

Fixed

:D

[G.Costanza]

I believe he was saying that they would be like hockey fights in the sense that only two people are fighting and everyone else is standing around. No reason to shout.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME, HOCKEY HAS SUCH NOTORIOUS BRAWLS THAT EVEN THE GOALIES FIGHT EACH OTHER !!!!!

[Captain Cold Nose]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME, HOCKEY HAS SUCH NOTORIOUS BRAWLS THAT EVEN THE GOALIES FIGHT EACH OTHER !!!!!

Turn the caps off, Mr. Costanza. We don't shout on this site.

[redlegsfan21]

Unless someone tries to hurt someone else, no.

[bluezebra]

I'm going to say no, because in most of the fights I've seen, the players coming off the bench help stop the situation rather then escalate it. If you don't let people intervene, then it will turn into hockey-style fights, with the pitcher and batter going at it and everyone standing around watching. I think the reason punches are rarely landed in baseball fights is because of all the players trying to stop it. There are cameras everywhere, and if a player comes out of the and then goes and starts attacking players, then he should be fined and suspended.

Actually, hockey has the right procedure. Let the two fools fight. If anyone else intervenes, take numbers, eject, and let the league fine and/or suspend the participants.

Bob

[YankeeDJW]

Actually, hockey has the right procedure. Let the two fools fight. If anyone else intervenes, take numbers, eject, and let the league fine and/or suspend the participants.

Bob

Except 9 out of 10 times, the hitter will beat the pitcher to a bloody pulp. Imagine A-rod vs Towers or Sheffield vs Santana or something. Heck, even a kick to Schillings ankle could make another bloody sock the last sock of his career. Then again, it might make pitchers think twice about who they bean.

[redlegsfan21]

Who remembers Kyle Farnsworth vs. Paul Wilson. (I think that was the matchup)

[rockin500]

Who remembers Kyle Farnsworth vs. Paul Wilson. (I think that was the matchup)
yep, now that was a good one. of course that was two pitchers. and wilson had to be beyond dumb to mess with someone as agressive as farnsworth.