Much has been made of yesterday’s conflict between the Reds and the Pirates. This makes sense. It was exciting! While little actual fighting was done, some great images came out of it, especially since the Pirates were wearing the yellow jersey/black pants combo, and the Reds were wearing red, making the whole thing look like it had been orchestrated by two ten-year-olds playing a video game.
Fun stuff.
But things were left unsettled. As has been stated, little fighting was done, despite Yasiel Puig’s best efforts.
If you want to watch what happened, here are your links, but once you’ve watched these, we have more important things to attend to, such as when our next chance is to see these guys actually fight.
Here’s the Derek Dietrich home run and his subsequent admiration of said home run.
Here’s Chris Archer throwing behind Derek Dietrich and the subsequent escalation.
Now that we’re all on the same page (absent Pirates fans who are mad at Puig for some reason when the guy was just having some fun), let’s look ahead.
The early-season baseball schedule’s always a little funky, so unfortunately, two of the six Reds/Pirates series are already finished. The next one isn’t until late May, with a Memorial Day doubleheader kicking things off.
Clearly, Memorial Day would be a perfect time for a throwdown. Lots of kids will be there (especially for the day game). The rosters will be at 26 men each (if I understand that rule correctly). It’ll be hot. It’s a holiday centered around remembering fallen soldiers, and while this might be sacrilege, I think it’s safe to say a good number of fallen soldiers appreciated fighting.
Unfortunately, this is seven weeks away. That’s a lot of time for everyone to calm down. It’s also possible Chris Archer will be suspended this week, which would give the Reds the concrete punishment they’d like to see.
If Archer does go unsuspended (which should be our hope, because of what it could cause), the Reds may take matters into their own hands. If this comes to pass, here are the figures to watch:
Chris Archer
Archer is target number one for the Reds. He started it! He threw behind Dietrich, either in retaliation for what he perceived as disrespect, or in an attempt to keep Dietrich from hitting another one into the river by putting him on first base as efficiently as possible. He didn’t get ejected, he might not get suspended, and no one punched him.
However, Archer might not even pitch this series. Given that a spot starter’s often employed in half a doubleheader (the Pirates don’t have an off day for six days preceding the game, so presumably they’d go this route), and given that it’s never a safe bet to assume someone will be on a roster seven weeks from now (especially a pitcher in the days of the 10-day IL), Archer’s probably only 57% or so likely to pitch.
If Archer doesn’t pitch, the safe money is on no fight, but it’s possible the Reds will still want blood. Which brings us to…
Starling Marte
Arguably the Pirates best player, Marte is a convenient target because he isn’t a massive human being. He’s certainly big enough, at 6’2” and 180 lbs. I wouldn’t want to fight him. But he isn’t as big as, say, Josh Bell. You don’t want to throw at Josh Bell.
If the Reds do throw at Marte, you better keep an eye on…
Francisco Cervelli
If you watched the video of Dietrich’s home run (and admiration of that home run), you’re well aware that Cervelli was waiting at home plate for Dietrich, and followed him for a few steps towards the dugout. Dietrich didn’t acknowledge Cervelli, and it’s possible Cervelli wasn’t saying anything, but whether he was or wasn’t chirping, he was obviously engaged. If Marte (or Archer, or anyone else on the Pirates) gets drilled, keep an eye on how quickly Cervelli gets out there.
Cervelli has an added advantage, of course, because his position requires him to wear a suit of armor.
It’s possible, though, that the Reds won’t be the one to start this. Yes, it’s counterintuitive, but based on reactions out of Pittsburgh, the Pirates aren’t too happy with…
Yasiel Puig
Puig. Baseball’s Cuban, more emotional counterpoint to Zion Williamson. God bless him.
It’s very possible some Pirates pitcher will take a shot at Puig. I wouldn’t advise it, but I hope one does, because it would be hard for Cervelli to get in Puig’s way in time, and evolution dictates that the pitcher would choose “flight” over “fight” when faced with a charging Puig, meaning we could get an endearing chase scene.
Of course, Puig will be a factor whether he’s the recipient of a plunking or not. It’ll just take a couple fewer seconds for him to find the heart of the melee if he is, indeed, hit by a pitch.
Who will meet Puig in the middle? Keep an eye on…
Amir Garrett, Keone Kela, and Felipe Vazquez
All three were ejected yesterday, and while relievers are expendable, and predisposed to wild personalities, meaning these guys might not be any more fight-prone than their bullpenmates, they’ve at least demonstrated a willingness to throw hands.
And of course, don’t forget about…
Sean Rodriguez
The man who wanted Jake Arrieta’s head in the 2015 Wild Card Game is back in the Pirates system, currently sitting in AAA. Important to remember as someone who might be a factor. Or at least make a lot of noise and then productively channel his emotions into an attack on a defenseless dugout cooler.
