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Around Baseball: ALCS Preview — Red Sox And Rays… A History Of Bad Blood
By Administrator | October 8, 2008
Everyone remembers the fisticuffs that occurred on the mound at Fenway Park on June 5th, but the history of bad blood betwen these two teams dates back to the beginning of the decade.
On August 29, 2000, Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez hit the first batter of the game, Gerald “Ice” Williams, with a fastball. Martinez, a reputed head-hunter, peered in at Williams as if to say “Oh yeah, wutcha gonna do about it?” Williams charged the mound and fists flew. Williams was ejected from the game. Martinez remained in the game and carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning (Petey finished the game with a one-hitter… former Sox catcher John Flaherty broke up the no-no). He struck out thirteen hitters. Former Rays DH/OF Greg Vaughn challenged martinez to meet him in the parking lot after the game.
On September 29, 2000, the Rays ended the Red Sox playoff hopes with an 8-6 win in Tampa. Rays closer Roberto Hernandez heckled the Red Sox from the dugout… Sox outfielder Trot Nixon responded in kind. The bad blood boiled.
On May 5, 2002, pitcher Ryan Rupe hit Nomar Garciaparra and Shea Hillenbrand with pitches, prompting Trot Nixon to flip his bat towards the pitcher. The Red Sox right fielder claimed the flip was an accident. Red Sox starter Frank Castillo retaliated by hitting Rays OF Randy Winn.
On September 9th and 10th, 2002, the teams exchanged hit batsmen… on the 9th, Sox pitcher Derek Lowe was ejected for hitting a batter… the next night, Rays rookie Lee gardner (and manager Hal McRae) were ejected after the pitcher hit pinch-hitter Lou Merloni in the eighth inning.
On September 27, 2004, the Red Sox clinched a playoff berth in a game filled with hit-batsman. With the Sox trailing 2-0 in the third inning, Red Sox starter Bronson Arroyo hit Aubrey Huff and Tino Martinez with pitches… in the next inning, Devil Rays southpaw Scott Kazmir hit Manny Ramirez and Kevin Millar — in a span of four pitches. The benches cleared. Kazmir was ejected from the game, as was manager Lou Piniella. The Red Sox rallied to win.
The next time the two teams met was at the end of April the following season. During the final game of that series, on April 24, 2005, multiple batters were hit by pitches on both sides, and the rivalry got dialed up. Red Sox starter Bronson Arroyo hit Aubrey Huff in the sixth inning (in a redux of the ecents of the prior September). In the seventh inning, Rays reliever Lance Carter threw a fastball behind Manny Ramirez… he then whistled a fastball that just missed the head of Sox DH David Ortiz. The benches cleared. Fists flew. Trot Nixon and Dewon Brazelton got into it, and were ejected.
On March 27, 2006, in a spring training game, after a close play at the plate in which he thought he had been intentionally spiked, Sox reliever Julian Tavarez took a swing at Rays OF Joey Gathright. The benches cleared and punches were thrown (surprise, surprise).
Coco Crisp takes a swipe at Rays starter James Shields during the June 5th game at Fenway Park… AP photo
On June 5, 2008, Sox outfielder Coco Crisp was hit by Rays ace James Shields and subsequently charged the mound. Shields took a wild swing at the Sox outfielder… Coco ducked and then responded with a couple of punches of his own. Crisp was tackled and thrown to the ground by catcher Dioner Navarro. The benches cleared. Eight players were suspended as a result.
Topics: Around Baseball, Sox Players |
