On Sunday, Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista reached the base after Rangers pitcher Matt Bush hit him with a pitch in the eighth inning. Bautista slid at the legs of Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor. Players from both teams ran out to the field, and Odor shoved and punched Bautista in the face.
Players on Both Teams Punished
Odor received an eight-game suspension as punishment for punching Bautista. Odor was also punished with a $5,000 fine. Bautista received a one-game suspension for his actions and comments he made after the game. Both Odor and Bautista are appealing their punishments. Odor said he did not regret his actions but also said he respects Bautista because he plays hard.
A total of 14 players and staff from both teams were disciplined for taking part in the brawl. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was suspended for one game as punishment for aggressive actions. He sat out a game on May 17 in Oakland, California. Odor, Bautista, Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson, and Rangers bench coach Steve Buechele were all ejected after the brawl. Donaldson and Buechele were fined on Tuesday. Texas pitchers Bush, Sam Dyson, and A.J. Griffin; Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos; and Toronto outfielder Kevin Pillar also received fines. Rangers manager Jeff Banister said the rules are fair and that the team will abide by the punishments.
Bautista played against Tampa Bay on Tuesday and hit a two-run home run in the first inning, giving the Blue Jays their only runs of the night. He said he was confident that his appeal would be successful.
Punishments for Staff
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was suspended for three games because he returned to the field after being ejected from the game. First base coach Tim Leiper was suspended for one game because he returned to the dugout after being ejected. Both were also punished with undisclosed fines.
Gibbons said publicly that he thought the length of his suspension was excessive. He said he returned to the field to try to diffuse the situation and protect his players, even though he knew he would be punished. He would not comment when asked whether he thought Odor’s eight-game suspension was fair.
While Gibbons serves his suspension, bench coach DeMarlo Hale will manage the Blue Jays. Gibbons began serving his suspension on Tuesday when the Blue Jays lost 12-2 to Tampa Bay. Assistant hitting coach Eric Owens filled in for Leiper at first base.
Ongoing Feud
It took about 10 minutes for umpires to restore order following the melee. After the game resumed, Toronto reliever Jesse Chavez hit Prince Fielder with the next pitch. Both teams left their dugouts, but a fight did not break out at that time. Chavez and Hale, who was serving as acting manager after Gibbons had been ejected for arguing with umpires, were both ejected from the game. Chavez was suspended for three games for intentionally throwing a ball at Fielder. He is appealing his punishment. Hale was fined for Chavez’s actions after umpires had warned the teams.
The Sunday game was the last regular season matchup between the Blue Jays and Rangers. A feud had been going on since Bautista flipped a bat in the American League Division Series last year.
The players on the Rangers and Blue Jays are dealing with the consequences of their actions, but many other Major League Baseball teams are scheduled to play this spring and summer. You can see your favorite team compete by ordering tickets from Capital City Tickets. Reserve your seats today.
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