McClain said (I’m paraphrasing here), “No way, Jose.”
Now, after some Zapruder-like footage of the incident emerged, McClain admits that some spit may have accidentally flown from his mouth onto Crowder’s face.
Just your standard “whoops I accidentally just spit in that crazy guy’s face” moments, right?
While this particular incident has been fun to watch, it’s not the first time that saliva has played a prominent role in sports. Here’s a rundown of some of the more famous spit showdowns, but be sure to leave any that we forgot in the comments section.
The Spitter: Orioles infielder Roberto Alomar
The Victim: Umpire John Hirschbeck
The Date: Sept. 27, 1996
The Set-Up: On the second-to-last day of the regular season, Roberto Alomar was angry. Coming to bat with one out in the top of the first inning, Alomar worked the count full before taking a Paul Quantrill pitch that he believed to be ball four. Instead, home plate ump John Hirschbeck rung him up. The two got in each other’s faces, Hirschbeck ejected Alomar, and Alomar launched some spit in Hirschbeck’s direction. It was pretty gross.
The Aftermath: Alomar accused Hirschbeck of uttering an ethnic slur and then said that the umpire was rather upset that his son had been diagnosed with a disease that had taken the life of his other son. After learning that Alomar had publicly discussed his sons’ conditions, Hirschbeck went after Alomar the following day in the Orioles’ clubhouse. They worked out their differences, though, and they claim to be good friends.
The Spitter: Randy Orton
The Victim: Triple H
The Date: Aug. 23, 2004
The Set-Up: Just two dudes wearing spandex underwear spitting on each other. Pretty much a standard Monday night.
The Aftermath: Some wrestling storyline probably developed, but who cares? That was a monster spit!
The Spitter: Bill Romanowski
The Victim: J.J. Stokes
The Date: Dec. 14, 1997
The Set-Up: Bill Romanowksi, possibly the dirtiest player to ever play football, was pulling on J.J. Stokes’ groin in a pile-up. The receiver confronted the linebacker, who promptly hawked a loogie at Stokes. It was a 4-out-of-5 on the gross scale. Maybe even a 4.5.
The Aftermath: Romanowski was fined $7,500 and apologized publicly, then tried to capitalize on his dirty tactics by writing a book in 2005. Fortunately, that book costs $4 now.
The Spitter: Ted Williams
The Victim(s): Red Sox Fans
The Date: Aug. 7, 1956
The Set-Up: The greatest left-handed hitter to ever live was getting booed by Red Sox fans for misplaying a Mickey Mantle flyball in the 11th inning. Williams sent a nice, hearty wad of spit in the direction of the fans on his way to the dugout, just moments before his bases-loaded walk won the game for the home team. Must have been an awkward celebration at Fenway.
The Aftermath: Williams was fined $5,000, which in today’s money is roughly $40,000.
The Spitter: Unknown Soccer Player
The Victim: Unknown Soccer Referee
The Date: Unknown
The Set-Up: Apparently, this guy made a bad call.
The Aftermath: Thousands of young men and women decide to pursue careers that don’t involve being a referee.
Got any more spitting incidents that deserve mention? Share them below.
