I was googling Mario Soto and found this 5 minute video clip of a fight between him and Claudell Washington.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt0ftk6kFoA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt0ftk6kFoA
Does anybody remember this fight?? June 16, 1984
- Thread starter Beachbum
- Start date
I do not remember that fight but fights were quite commonplace back then in all the major sports. I do remember that Dave Winfield always seemed to be charging the mound. Not exactly the guy you want coming after you with ill intentions!
I always find it odd that whenever there is a fight in any sports these days (except for hockey), the combatants are immediately tagged as "Thugs". And yet many of the same "analysts" will turn around and glorify the same actions of players in the past. So in the past players who got into fights during games..........and that was a commonplace occurence......were considered "hard nosed" and "no nonsense" while today's athletes get called "thugs" for the exact same actions.
BTW, I am almost certain that is long time radio voice of the Yankees John Sterling who is doing the announcing on this broadcast.
I always find it odd that whenever there is a fight in any sports these days (except for hockey), the combatants are immediately tagged as "Thugs". And yet many of the same "analysts" will turn around and glorify the same actions of players in the past. So in the past players who got into fights during games..........and that was a commonplace occurence......were considered "hard nosed" and "no nonsense" while today's athletes get called "thugs" for the exact same actions.
BTW, I am almost certain that is long time radio voice of the Yankees John Sterling who is doing the announcing on this broadcast.
Well I am actually old enough to remember this fight and the thing that got me was how bad it seems now.
I can't imagine what would happen to a guy today that would shove an Ump to the ground to get to another player.
I can't tell if things really were bad then or if we have been wearing kid gloves in our society for too long.
I can't imagine what would happen to a guy today that would shove an Ump to the ground to get to another player.
I can't tell if things really were bad then or if we have been wearing kid gloves in our society for too long.
To me that was pretty much a typical fight for those growing up in my generation. The worst offense was Soto recklessly throwing the ball into the pile of humanity and hitting a coach of all people! My guess is that neither the umpire nor the coach gave the incident much thought after it was over. It was just part of the game back then. So many of our revered heroes of yesteryear would throwdown at the drop of a hat and no one would think anything of it. I mean it is a who's-who of legendary sports figures who thought nothing of fighting during a game. And these guys were not thugs by any means but rather classy, well educated members of society off the field. I could make an impressive list of these guys and no one would ever question their character off the field.
I actually think that fighting in pro sports should not be taboo like it is today. I would MUCH rather see two evenly matched guys trade punches on the field of play then read about them beating up a woman or kicking the crap out of some mismatched guy who was unlucky enough to cross their path at the wrong time. I have no illusions that many of the heroes of yesteryear did some bad things off the field but nothing like the players of today do. Nowadays leagues like the NFL wear their pink ribbons in support of "women's issues" while at the same time gladly signing players that have abused women simply because they can help the team. Or in the case of colleges, sweeping these allegations under the rug. The hypocrocy is amazing when it comes to modern day sports.
I say let the players contain their violence to the field and eliminate their violence off the field.
I actually think that fighting in pro sports should not be taboo like it is today. I would MUCH rather see two evenly matched guys trade punches on the field of play then read about them beating up a woman or kicking the crap out of some mismatched guy who was unlucky enough to cross their path at the wrong time. I have no illusions that many of the heroes of yesteryear did some bad things off the field but nothing like the players of today do. Nowadays leagues like the NFL wear their pink ribbons in support of "women's issues" while at the same time gladly signing players that have abused women simply because they can help the team. Or in the case of colleges, sweeping these allegations under the rug. The hypocrocy is amazing when it comes to modern day sports.
I say let the players contain their violence to the field and eliminate their violence off the field.
Here are two examples of well known players getting into some big fights. Starting with Willis Reed vs the entire Lakers team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOvUc3FGMk
And this next one takes the cake. The Miami Dolphins purposely throw an interception to get revenge on Fred "The Hammer" Williamson. I have never seen anything like this in my life! Watch from 6:15 to 7:25 for this incredible incident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxaIHvOxrew
And none of the parties involved in these fights was thought of as bad, criminal or thuggish. Heck, Fred Williamson was an engineering graduate from Northwestern who actually used his degree in the off season. He later went on to pretty good success in Hollywood as an actor and is now seen on commercials for Wounded Warriors.
For the most part these guys kept their extracurricular activities to the field where it belonged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOvUc3FGMk
And this next one takes the cake. The Miami Dolphins purposely throw an interception to get revenge on Fred "The Hammer" Williamson. I have never seen anything like this in my life! Watch from 6:15 to 7:25 for this incredible incident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxaIHvOxrew
And none of the parties involved in these fights was thought of as bad, criminal or thuggish. Heck, Fred Williamson was an engineering graduate from Northwestern who actually used his degree in the off season. He later went on to pretty good success in Hollywood as an actor and is now seen on commercials for Wounded Warriors.
For the most part these guys kept their extracurricular activities to the field where it belonged.
Brian, I dont remember this particular fight, I was only 3! I do however, have a GREAT article, very funny to follow up on this "basebrawl" and another famous one from more recently (Mike Sweeney-Jeff Weaver) that has some comments on baseball fights and tactics! Worth the read. This one was BRUTAL! Washington jumped on the ump, that would be a BIG no-no now!!
http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=1239718
Thats a funny article, especially describing Alomar acting all bad with Pedro after his teammates arrived to hold him back.
Alomar was not known to be a belligerent, but I do think that people get a lot braver when they have 30 other guys on the field to back them up!!
After seeing 2 former NFL players and 1 former NBA player get convicted, get accused or plead guilty to murder and/or manslaughter charges in the past two weeks I think that being involved in a fight during a game hardly seems "thuggish" any more, Just like the Bill Simmons article stated very few players ever get seriously hurt in these fights. Rudy Tomjonovich was the major exception to that when he got hit with an unfortunately perfect punch by Kermit Washington 30 years ago.
Here is an absolutely hilarious clip of Shaq, Barkley and Kenny Smith talking abouit hard fouls and in a few cases the fights that occurred after them. They really give Shaq the business for throwing punches that never seemed to land.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUGqnDVqBH4
I will say that the first hard foul never would have happened had fighting not been so demonized. Up until about 10-12 years ago someone on Dallas would have seriously gone after Bynum with ill intentions. Players used to police each other, but not any longer.
Here is an absolutely hilarious clip of Shaq, Barkley and Kenny Smith talking abouit hard fouls and in a few cases the fights that occurred after them. They really give Shaq the business for throwing punches that never seemed to land.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUGqnDVqBH4
I will say that the first hard foul never would have happened had fighting not been so demonized. Up until about 10-12 years ago someone on Dallas would have seriously gone after Bynum with ill intentions. Players used to police each other, but not any longer.
I agree, players now seem to be held to lower standards, and it is a shame since so many people see them as role models. So many young people dont get what a platform for positive social change they have as a professional athlete, and how many other people are looking to see what they do and how they act. Sad.
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