It wasn’t quite an international incident, but a benches-clearing brawl broke out between Mexico and Canada during Saturday’s World Baseball Classic.
In a chippy game that had previously involved a late takeout slide and a collision at home plate, Canadian Chris Robinson bunted to lead off the ninth inning with Canada holding a 9-3 lead. Mexico pitcher Arnold Leon responded by throwing at Rene Tosoni and missing as both teams were warned by the umpire. Then, Leon hit Tosoni on the next pitch and the benches emptied.
Red Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves was heavily involved in the fray, seen wrestling with Tyson Gillies and appearing to suffer a blow to the head. The right-hander was ejected from the game and could face further discipline. Aceves’ Red Sox teammates were reported to have cheered at the sight of their pitcher fighting.
The brawl also spilled into the stands, and Canada pitching coach Denis Boucher was struck in the face with a bottle of some sort thrown from the crowd.
Check out a fan’s view of the mayhem in the video below.
Update: Check out the video below for a longer look at the events leading up to the brawl.
Click here to read Larry Walker’s comments about Alfredo Aceves >>
Click here to read Larry Walker’s comment to Adrian Gonzalez >>
Click here to read an opinion about Alfredo Aceves >>
Click here to read Mexico manager Rick Renteria’s comments about the brawl >>
Click here to see Canada pitching coach Denis Boucher get hit by a bottle >>
Click here to read about a possible suspension for Alfredo Aceves and others >>
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@beisbolpuro
