26-year-old Robin Ventura charges 46-year-old Nolan Ryan, a breakdown
What Happened
On August 4, 1993, 46-year-old Nolan Ryan plunked 26-year-old White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura with a fastball at Arlington Stadium. Ventura charged the mound, but Ryan grabbed him in a headlock and delivered a series of uppercuts to the top of his head before the benches cleared. The brawl became one of baseball's most replayed fights, with Bo Jackson notably pulling bodies off the pile and Rangers coach Mickey Hatcher coming out bloodied. Ryan stayed in the game while Ventura got ejected, and the Rangers won.
Why This Matters
This is the platonic ideal of a baseball fight gone wrong for the aggressor. There was real history here: the clubs had been throwing at each other for years, and Ventura had singled in a run off Ryan earlier that day before a White Sox pitcher drilled a Ranger. So the HBP read as retaliation, and Ventura's charge was almost expected. What nobody expected was a 46-year-old future Hall of Famer turning the moment into a clinic. The lasting irony is the ejection: Ventura, the man who got hit, got tossed, while Ryan stayed in and finished seven strong innings. It cemented Ryan's reputation in his final season and turned Ventura into a punchline he carried for the rest of his playing and managing career.
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Key Moments
Who / What Is Involved
Players: Nolan Ryan, Robin Ventura.
Full Transcript
okay this was easily our most requested breakdown from the past Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura and here you have it you've got 46 year-old hall-of-famer Nolan Ryan looks straight out of a sitcom actor that's too old but they don't want to get a new actor so he's just going back to play baseball versus 26 year-old Robin Ventura the old grizzled vet versus the young fun Ricky and this team they have a history these two teams last three years they had been throwing at each other hitting each other retaliating the white sox dove into outside pitches nolan ryan didn't like that he said that's my half of the plate so in this game in the first inning Robin Ventura singled off Nolan Ryan in the top of the first to start the scoring RBI and then in the bottom of the second inning we had a hit by pitch White Sox pitcher hit a Ranger so here you go now no one Ryan the guys or the guy who got the RBI off Nolan Ryan right after one of his players got hit steps into the box and it's just too easy let's just plunk that dude easy peasy lemon squeezy first pitch coming BAM right in the arm right at him when sure the young gun takes his hat off takes helmet off and then he has no plan he just kind I don't know what his plan was and Nolan Ryan he was shocked by it and he's just like okay sure thing why are you doing and look at this Pudge he's actually gonna block that first punch get out of here Pudge no one doesn't need any help BAM that one kind of skids off his head these next couple are pretty...