I’ve been watching the A’s for like six years and I don’t remember any bench-clearing brawls. They have always been a pretty laid-back team, very few episodes of intentional beaning that I recall, not a lot of hotheads on the roster* — now that Bradley has been traded to the Padres. I am watching them play against my hometown team, the Mariners, and looked up when I heard the broadcaster say, “and everybody’s on the field…”

The A’s and Mariners in a fight! Wow.

Apparently pitcher Joe Blanton was going for a live ball that had rolled into the on-deck circle, where a few Mariners were standing, and trying to find the ball he pushed Ichiro Suzuki out of the way. Ichiro stepped away, hands in the air (and avoided the whole mess), but his teammate Jason Ellison (former SF Giant, 5′ 10″, 180lbs) took offense and went after Blanton (6′ 3″, 250lbs) from behind. Kind of a bad idea.

After the knot of players was pulled apart, I was entertained by two things: 1) the camera staying on Joe Blanton as he yelled “Fuck you! Fuck you bitch!” at the Mariners’ dugout, and 2) the camera continually cutting to Ichiro safely down on the bench, laughing his ass off and talking to his teammates (he is now fluent in English, clearly). I love him.

I wonder how many players will get beaned in the remaining innings of this game.

* Edit: How could I forget Jason Kendall?? I don’t know.