Friends Don't Let Friends Act Dumber
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Steve Finley listens in as Luis Gonzalez has a few words for best friend Tino Martinez. Gonzalez and Martinez have been buddies since they were kids growing up in Tampa. |
Batista hit Martinez in the right shoulder blade to start the fifth and the two jawed at each other while Martinez slowly made his way to first, finally deciding not to charge the mound. Martinez was forced out at second on J.D. Drew's groundout and was trotting off the field before he suddenly made a right turn to attack Batista. Both Batista and Martinez were ejected. - AP
Got home from Easter dinner with friends and flipped on the tv. To my amazement, the very first thing I saw (on Baseball Tonight) was my very own much-adored Tino Martinez starting a brawl by punching out Diamondbacks pitcher Miguel Batista. Whoa! This is not the sort of thing Tino does on a regular basis.
Batista had hit Tino with a pitch before this and words had been exchanged. Of course the tv broadcast didn't pick up what the arguing was about—probably just as well!—but Batista must have been rather rude since Tino, on his way back to the dugout after he was out at 2nd, made a sudden detour over to the pitcher's mound. Benches cleared as teammates pulled the combatants apart.
Since this was a Cardinals/Diamondbacks matchup, the one thing I did expect to see in all of this mess was Luis Gonzalez taking charge of getting Tino calmed down. Sure enough. When I got online to find out more about what had happened, I came across the photo you see above. Exactly what I'd known I'd see.
 
1:48:33 AM 
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