Five Memorable Benches-Clearing Scenes In Red Sox History

The Boston Red Sox are one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball history, gathering a boatload of all-time great playoff moments plus nine World Series titles since being founded back in 1901.

They’ve also partaken in some unforgettable brawls. In 2011, David Ortiz threw a few haymakers at then-Orioles pitcher Kevin Gregg. In 2009, Kevin Youkilis (surprisingly) tackled then-Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello. But neither of those still-notable fights made the cut, falling short to five others that bested them in the thrill department.

Here are those five, in no particular order:

Coco Crisp charges James Shields at Fenway Park (2008)
The Rays didn’t know what hit them when then-Tampa Bay pitcher James Shields drilled Coco Crisp during a June matchup with the Red Sox 15 years ago.

The bad blood boiled over the night prior when Crisp attempted to steal a base, but was blocked by the leg of Akinori Iwamura at second base, prompting the speedy outfielder to show the Rays how he felt — which he did. Crisp was hit on the very first pitch in the second inning, prompting him to charge Shields and deliver a right-handed blow before being taken down by nearly the entire Tampa Bay team.

Crisp, the son of a former amateur boxer Loyce “Sugar” Crisp, definitely takes the cake in the technical department, delivering on his promise and refusing to back down to the Rays. He was all smiles when walking back to Boston’s dugout afterward.

“I told (Iwamura). … I’d get back on base and then I’m going to show him how I felt about it,” Crisp said postgame, according to ESPN.

Joe Kelly takes down Tyler Austin (2018)
The last fisticuffs between the Red Sox and Yankees went down after then-New York first baseman Tyler Austin met the wrong end of Joe Kelly’s temper — and fastball.

Austin was the lead cause of two bench-clearing encounters after first spiking Brock Holt at second base in the third inning to break up a double-play attempt. Holt wasn’t a fan of Austin’s physicality, and it was evident a few innings later, neither was Kelly.

Kelly struck Austin with a 98 mph fastball and then welcomed him to the mound by waving the 6-foot-2, 220-pound infielder over, making both benches clear once again, this time resulting in a much more physical battle. Kelly tackled Austin to the ground and threw several punches before the two were separated.

“I was ready to defend myself,” Kelly told reporters, per NESN video. “Someone comes in my property and in my backyard, I have two dogs and ready to come in my property and I feel like I’m getting attacked, I’m gonna have to defend myself.”

Jason Varitek doesn’t back down from Alex Rodriguez (2004)
Perhaps the most iconic on the list, Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez went head-to-head to mark yet another all-time classic Red Sox-Yankees scuffle.

Before the Red Sox came back from a 3-0 series deficit to defeat the Yankees in October during the American League Championship Series, Boston first needed to defend its home turf against New York.

Bronson Arroyo drilled Rodriguez, sparking an outpour of expletives toward both Arroyo and Varitek, who stood in defense of his pitcher. Yet, Rodriguez wasn’t hearing it, challenging Varitek, which the then-Red Sox captain gladly accepted.

Both dugouts cleared and several side fights broke out, resulting in New York pitcher Tanyon Sturtze — who started for the Yankees that game — to bleed with a deep cut on the left side of his face.

Pedro Martínez tosses Don Zimmer to the ground during ALCS (2003)
Obviously recognized as one of the greatest starting pitchers to ever sport a Red Sox uniform, Pedro Martínez wrote his chapter in the Boston-New York rivalry during Game 3 of the 2003 ALCS at Fenway Park.

In the fourth inning, Martínez nailed Karim García with a pitch that would’ve struck the then-Yankees outfielder in the head had he not ducked out of the way. Both benches were warned before García took first base while Martínez grilled New York’s dugout.

Then in the bottom half of the inning, Manny Ramirez sparked the brawl after barking at pitcher Roger Clemens for a pitch that wasn’t exactly close to drilling him. Nevertheless, amid the madness, Martínez was approached by then-72-year-old Yankees coach Don Zimmer, prompting Boston’s ace to throw him down to the ground.

“That’s the only blemish I would love to erase from my career,” Martínez told Bleacher Report 18 years later. “There hasn’t been any other moment where I felt worse in my life — I will tell you, in my life — than that moment.”

Carlton Fisk takes exception to collision with Lou Piniella (1976)
If there was any Red Sox player that invested deeply in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, it was Carlton Fisk and he proved it during a May matchup with New York in 1976.

Most known for his iconic home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, Fisk is also widely remembered for his longtime beef with the Yankees, especially with Thurman Munson. Fisk was ready to throw down whenever the opportunity presented itself with just about anyone in pinstripes, and that wasn’t limited to just Munson.

During a play at the plate, Lou Piniella collided with Fisk and the Yankees outfielder attempted to barrel through and knock the ball out of Fisk’s glove. Taking exception to the physicality, Fisk sparked a brawl with the Yankees, leading to pandemonium at Yankee Stadium.

The chaos escalated to a high level that Boston pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee suffered a dislocated left shoulder, which hampered the final six years of his pitching career.