Baseball is supposed to be a non-contact sport, but after an ill-advised taunt after a series sweep, things got physical and ugly for two California high school baseball teams.
After Norwalk High School completed a two-game sweep over Mayfair, taking the season series from the rival school, a Norwalk player brought a broom to the postgame handshakes and swept home plate at the front of the line. Funny in theory, not-so-much in reality.
While numerous spectators advised the player to stop taunting the losing squad, he declined, and words were exchanged, as well as fists, after the handshake line dissipated. The ensuing melee involved players, spectators, parents, and even coaches. Fox News reported:
Fred Robledo, sports editor of the Southern California Newspaper Group, told KCAL News a Mayfair coach was “swinging at some players.”
Coaches and other staff tried to break up the fight while other spectators came onto the field.
Adults off the field can be heard blaming the Norwalk coach for the brawl. A man in a button-down shirt was also seen holding a bat in his hands arguing with somebody, which Robledo says was a parent.
It was an ugly scene and one that should never be tolerated or allowed to happen in youth sports at any level. Unsportsmanlike conduct is usually investigated and punished harshly, with offenders sometimes being disqualified individually and occasionally teams forfeiting the rest of their season. The Norwalk- La Miranda School District issued this statement: “The NHS and Mayfair administrations, in conjunction with the California Interscholastic Federation, are currently conducting an investigation and will decide on the direction of any unsportsmanlike acts. An update will be released once the investigation is complete,”
On-field brawls like this can be dangerous situations for players, coaches, and umpires. What prompted the player to bring the broom on the field, besides a lack of class and sportsmanship, is unknown, and the coaching staff’s involvement is also unknown. What is known is this sort of thing should never happen.
Mayfair vs. Norwalk gets fiesty. pic.twitter.com/AtaZe0HWWJ
— Mateo de $eal Beach (@MattmoneyM) April 27, 2023
Norwalk’s Principal issues a statement: Norwalk Principal Dr. David Olea said his school is “currently conducting an investigation and working with our parents to address yesterday’s actions and the consequences that will follow.”
And it’s not just high school baseball players that were willing to clear the benches and brawl recently. An injury in the MLB also turned into an on-field encounter, though it was more of a shoving match than brawl, as the UK Express reported, saying:
MLB star Oneil Cruz suffered a gruesome ankle injury which sparked a brawl between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox at PNC Park on Sunday. Cruz – a burgeoning star in Pittsburgh – fractured his left ankle as he collided with Chicago catcher Selby Zavala.
[…]As Cruz’s ankle was being examined by White Sox trainers, Zavala reacted badly to the late slide which led to a heated confrontation between the Chicago star and Pittsburgh designated hitter Carlos Santana. The benches and bullpens cleared but no punches were thrown as players jostled on the field.
Additionally, there was a fight between the Single-A Affiliates of the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies, as was captured on video that can be seen below. That brawl was started when the Tampa Tarpons pitcher, Alex Bustamante, hit Clearwater Threshers’ infielder Erick Brito and both benches cleared, leading to an on-field fight.
Woah. Massive brawl break out between Yankees and Phillies Single-A clubs. https://t.co/6jPVyf1PS4
— 7️⃣7️⃣ WABC Sports (@77wabcsports) April 24, 2023
Featured image credit: screengrab from embedded video
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