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Mets and Nationals Brawl Over Hitting Players

 

New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard was ejected from Wednesday’s game against the Washington Nationals after hitting the Nationals shortstop, Trea Turner, with the fourth pitch of the game. Turner had been hit by Mets pitchers twice in the last five games and was standing near home plate when Syndergaard’s pitch came in, causing the benches to clear and resulting in multiple ejections on both sides of the field. According to 8Xbet  this latest instance was just one of several high-profile cases involving pitchers hitting batters this season, including three others earlier this week alone.   What has been happening lately

 

The number of incidents involving players getting hit by a pitch seems to be escalating in Major League Baseball, as of late. If a player is hit with a ball while standing in their batter’s box, there will often be some blowback from other players on their team. But if a pitcher throws at another player outside of his batter’s box? Expect fireworks. You can follow along with our list of MLB fights so far in 2018 . . . it keeps growing. This recent brawl between the Mets and Nationals seemed to be sparked by Francisco Lindor, who was hit on his hand during an at-bat. After that happened, he got into a heated discussion with Mets pitcher Jason Vargas before taking off for first base—but he never made it there. Instead, he was greeted by teammate Brandon Kintzler, who had been waiting for him near home plate. And then things really got out of hand

 

Why does it happen?

 

When a player gets hit by a pitch, it's normal for his teammates to confront their opponents. But why do things escalate? Recent studies point to retaliation theory, which suggests that when an individual or group feels provoked or threatened, they may respond aggressively, especially if they think that person has done something wrong. In baseball, retaliating for getting hit seems like an appropriate reaction for players who feel as though their safety is at risk.

 

Who should be blamed?

 

In order to understand why both teams acted in such a manner, we must look at some historical precedents. Brawls similar to last night’s have occurred in past years as well. At first, it may seem like it was all Mets players involved in throwing punches, but looking deeper into it, you can see that most of them were just protecting themselves from being hit by pitchers. Let’s take a look at some major incidents over recent years

 

How can the fight be avoided?

 

There are a few things players can do to keep themselves safe. Since pitchers have trouble controlling where exactly they throw, staying close to first base might be your best bet. You can also try jumping out of the way of balls or ducking your head when you know a pitch is coming at you.

 

What kind of penalties should be applied? No one wants to see a game get called because someone gets hit by a pitch. While there’s no need for players to go completely crazy when one of their teammates is hit, something needs to be done about how aggressive teams are going after pitchers. No one wants to see stars getting hurt (see: Bryce Harper) or regular players getting injured (see: Hunter Strickland). It also doesn’t do much for player safety.

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