Before there was Rougned Odor and Jose Bautista, there was Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura.
The baseball world was abuzz Sunday afternoon after the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays squared off in a baseball rarity — a brawl that actually featured a landed punch.
Odor took exception to hard a slide from Bautista in the seventh inning, and the Texas Rangers second baseman responded by slugging the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder right in the jaw.
The benches cleared and it was on from there. Actual fisticuffs in baseball are rare, but it’s not unprecedented. Just ask the top of Ventura’s head.
In a 1993 game in Texas, Rangers ace and all-time great Nolan Ryan plunked Ventura in the arm. The Chicago White Sox third baseman wasn’t thrilled with that development and responded by charging the mound.
Bad idea.
Ryan was ready and willing to throw down, and the 46-year-old (46!) responded by grabbing the 26-year-old, putting him in a headlock and repeatedly punching him on the top of his head.
All of that begs the question: Who wore it better, Ventura or Bautista?
We’d be remiss to talk baseball punches and not mention Michael Barrett’s right cross to the mug of A.J. Pierzynski back in 2006, a blow that led to a pretty solid cross-town, benches-clearing throwdown.
Good times!
