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Bullpen not sure if it’s worth running all the way in for bench-clearing brawl
The Boston Red Sox bullpen wasn’t sure whether it was worth running all the way in from Fenway Park’s outfield bullpen on Saturday for a benches-clearing brawl during a game against the Yankees.
“I wasn’t going to run 300-some feet just to get my head mashed in by some huge Yankee position player,” said Boston reliever Keith Foulke. “So we all just kind of slowly filed out of the bullpen and made our way very gingerly towards the infield.”
“It’s a bad idea to sprint in from the bullpen for a brawl,” said Boston reliever Mike Timlin. “By the time you get there the whole thing is over and you’re out of breath and feel really stupid for wasting your energy. I had to learn that the hard way when I was a rookie. Now I just walk out about 20 yards and then turn around and walk back when the fight is over. It’s a good way to stretch in the middle of a game.”
Several New York relievers said they are unclear on the proper protocol for fighting an opposing team’s bullpen during a bench-clearing brawl. “I’m never sure if you’re supposed to start fighting them in the bullpen or run all the way into the infield and then start fighting there,” said Yankees reliever Paul Quantrill. “It’s all kind of retarded, in my opinion.”
“All of us and the Red Sox guys just walked or jogged in from the bullpen, not saying anything to each other – I guess that’s how you’re supposed to do it,” said Yankees reliever Tom Gordon. “The most important thing is to not get injured. We sit out there the whole game and you can easily get tight. Jumping up all of a sudden to run in for a brawl is a perfect recipe for a pulled muscle, and neither team wants to have a fight result in an injured reliever, I can promise you that.”
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