WTF?!?!

Fists flying ...
By Gordon Edes, Globe Staff

For the second straight day, the Red Sox were involved in a bench-clearing incident in a spring training game.

In the top of the eighth, Sox reliever Julian Tavarez threw a punch at Devil Rays outfielder Joey Gathright after he slid into home plate (with Tavarez covering). Tavarez connected with a right to Gathright's chin.

After having hit a batter, enduring an error behind him and committing another himself in the inning, Tavarez was already irritated at the time of the incident.

Here’s how it went down ...

After the two fielding mistakes by the Sox, Tavarez’s first pitch to Julio Lugo was high and tight. With Gathright already on second base, Lugo went on to get a hit, but got caught between first and second.

Recognizing they had Lugo in a pickle, Sox catcher Ken Huckaby ran out toward him while keeping an eye on Gathright, who had moved to third and was partway down the third base line.

Huckaby threw to infielder Zach Borowiak to try to nab Lugo. When he did, Gathright broke to the plate, forcing Tavarez to cover home. Borowiak threw to Tavarez, Gathright slid, and Tavarez tagged him (Tavarez might have gotten spiked).

Tavarez then connected with a punch, and players rushed the field. Jonathan Papelbon came running out from the bullpen, and he and Papa Jack pulled Gathright out of the scrum.

Devil Rays outfielder Carl Crawford and Gathright were gesturing toward the Sox dugout, but there were no other incidents (though we believe Tavarez was yelling from the dugout).

In the bottom of the eighth, newly acquired Red Sox first baseman Hee-Seop Choi was plunked by Rays pitcher Wayne Franklin, and the umps warned both sides.

The Red Sox and Devil Rays, of course, have a history of bench-clearing incidents.

More details and quotes to come ...

Isn't Tavarez known for being a hothead? I seem to remember some incident with him in the last couple of years.

tavarez is such a fuckhead.

Who the fuck punches like that? It looks like he's swinging a purse. Pitchers are such pussies.

Here's some bigger pics.

It'd be smarter if they kicked instead of punching with their throwing hand. Perfect opportunity to use the flying knee in that brawl.

Not all my friend...

I should have clarified. Human pitchers.

that is still the greatest moment in my sports memory.

wussy punch(first picture). Nolan Ryan rules though.

additionally,

im Thome (ST stats):
38 AB
.421 AVG
.542 OBP
.842 SLG
1.384 OPS
4 HR
9 RBI
9 BB
5 SO

Okay. Means absolutely nothing.

2005 Spring Training Stats for Luis Matos
67 AB
.373 AVG
.552 SLG
2 HR
11 RBI

I couldn't find OBP, BB, and SO numbers, but I think you get the idea. Everybody has hot streaks for 38 or 67 at-bats. But I agree, watching Nick Markakis tear it up this spring it's hard not to get excited (though for me it's about 2007 or 2008, not 2006).

Nice overbite.

Such an absurd moment.

when tavarez was on the giants he was known as a head hunter and a real idiot.

obey!!!

The Red Sox are the Oakland Raiders of baseball.

Yea, nice closed-hand slap, idiot. Might as well have opened the hand all the way if you were going to slap him like a bitch.

I think Tavarez has simply been type-cast as a hothead since his role as "Craterface" in Grease.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/thomeji01.shtml

Yep. His actual historical stats mean something. Why didn't you post those in the first place?

Why is Thome even being mentioned in this thread?

because he rules

Maybe he's gonna get punched out next?