BLS Roundtable: Which player would you least like to face in a brawl?
It’s still April, but we’ve already seen a number of brawls, or near-brawls, this season. Yordano Ventura and Brett Lawrie were a feud, Ventura and Mike Trout were a thing and Ventura and Adam Eaton nearly came to blows. Ventura has been pretty active thus far, basically.
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In that final brawl, it wasn’t Ventura and Eaton who eventually went at it, it was Jeff Samardzija and Lorenzo Cain. Those guys are probably the most intimidating players on each team, and definitely players you wouldn’t want to go up against in a fight.
With that in mind, we’re turning to our experts. Which active player would you least like to face in a brawl?
GIANCARLO STANTON, OF, MIAMI MARLINS
Did you see what Giancarlo Stanton did to that baseball last week? Or all of those baseballs last season? Or that helpless scoreboard at Marlins Park back in 2012? Obviously, I’m not going anywhere near him if he’s wielding a bat, but the pure power and malice it takes to commit those violent acts is quite scary. If he’s willing to dent baseballs like that, imagine what he’d do to my forehead. He’s the MLB player I’d like to fight least. Everyone else is tied for second, even Jose Altuve. (Mark Townsend)
JONNY GOMES, OF, ATLANTA BRAVES
With that beard and the tattoos, Gomes wouldn’t look out of place on the cast of ‘Sons of Anarchy.’ The journeyman outfielder has an intimidating look, and at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds the beef to back it up. He suffered a heart attack in 2002 but that – along with his other near-death experiences– is just a testament to his toughness. And Gomes knows his way around a baseball brawl, too. He has been suspended twice, both times in 2008, for his role in brawls. Gomes just looks like the kind of guy you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley, or have charging at you on the mound. (Ian Denomme)
MIKE TROUT, OF, LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Yep, the best player in the game is also the guy you want on your side when the benches clear and a basebrawl is about to go down. Mike Trout, listed at six-foot-two, 235 pounds, is going to give all comers all they can handle. We also know he’s a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, so he shouldn’t have any issue summoning the aggression needed when challenged to a fight. The Angels already know they’re fortunate to have Trout on their team because of his amazing abilities in the field and at the plate. They should have the same confidence in their MVP if a brawl breaks out because Trout is always ready to go and he’s proven to be pretty good at whatever he decides to do. (Israel Fehr)
BARTOLO COLON, SP, NEW YORK METS
Who don’t I want to fight in MLB? Well, you could argue that a guy like Bryce Harper, who is “as big as a house,” might kick my butt. Or, as my colleagues note, both Stanton and Trout are impressive physical specimens and thus, are also intimidating. But I’d be most scared of the cagey guy who will do anything to win. The man who doesn’t let him age or odd hitting techniques slow him down. I’m talking, of course, about Bartolo Colon. Bartolo the Bruiser. Dude, his name rhymes with YOLO. Does Bryce Harper know how to fight? I dunno. Maybe, maybe not. But I’m pretty damn sure that if he’s a pinch, Bartolo Colon could pull a crowbar out of his underwear, pro wrestling style and knock me out. I don’t want none of that. (Mike Oz)
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ALEX RODRIGUEZ, DH, NEW YORK YANKEES
I know what you’re thinking, “you’re taking the guy who slapped the ball that one time?” Hear me out, though. A-Rod has hit 659 home runs, so he clearly has power. On top of that, he probably has a lot of pent up rage stemming from his recent suspension. Combine that with the fact that pretty much every fan hates him, and you have a recipe for a lot of rage. That makes him pretty unpredictable in my book, and that’s a scary thing to face off against in a brawl. (Chris Cwik)
As usual, we turn the decision over to you. Let us know which player you would least like to face in a brawl on Twitter, Facebook or in the comments.
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