The Rockies Hit Bryant & Rizzo, Cubs hit Arenado, Javy Goes Deep, A breakdown

Jun 12, 2019 1.5M views 2:29

What Happened

Jomboy breaks down a two-game beanball feud between the Rockies and Cubs in June 2019, rooted in a 2018 incident where a pitch spun Kris Bryant's helmet. In the analyzed games, Rockies pitching plunked Bryant twice (a changeup, then a fastball) plus hit Anthony Rizzo, prompting frustration in the Cubs dugout. Cole Hamels then drilled Nolan Arenado, who reacted theatrically and barked back that a follow-up pitch was 'too high.' Colorado answered by hitting Hamels, and the Cubs took their revenge on the scoreboard, with Javier Baez homering and staring down the mound while Rizzo ran wild on the bases.

Why This Matters

This is unwritten-rules theater at its messiest. Hit-by-pitch retaliation has no place in the actual rulebook, so umpires lean on warnings and ejections to police it, and intent is always the judgment call. Jomboy's framing is the fun part: he tallies the body count and points out the lopsided reactions. Four Cubs got plunked and one got knocked down without a peep, while a single Rockies hitter, Arenado, made a scene. The Cubs' chosen reply, scoring runs and showboating after a Baez bomb, fits Chicago's swagger during a 2019 season where they hung around contention before missing the playoffs. Beanball wars rarely settle anything and usually just risk injuries and suspensions, but they reveal team personalities. Bryant and Rizzo absorbing pitches quietly while Baez flexed says plenty about the clubhouse pecking order.

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Key Moments

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Báez, Nolan Arenado. Teams: Cubs, Rockies.

Key Terms Mentioned

Full Transcript

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the Iraqis and the Cubs have bad blood

now I guess and it stems actually back

to last year when Chris Bryant got his

helmet spun pretty scary pretty cool

this one's brought to you by affordable