Relief Pitcher Norm Charlton crushes Mike Scioscia at the plate, a breakdown
What Happened
In the bottom of the 9th inning, with the game on the line, Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Norm Charlton steps up to the plate, looking to exact some revenge on Los Angeles Angels catcher Mike Scioscia. The day before, Scioscia had made a controversial play at the plate, causing Reds outfielder Eric Davis to awkwardly slide and injure his ankle. Charlton, one of the Reds' "Nasty Boys" bullpen crew, is determined to send a message to Scioscia. On the first pitch, Charlton fouls off a fastball, then swings over a curveball on the next offering. Clearly frustrated, Charlton glares at the pitcher, upset at being fooled by the off-speed pitch. The next pitch hits him in the leg and Charlton angrily tosses his bat, staring down the Angels' dugout as he takes his base. Charlton's twin brother, Reds catcher Joe Oliver, steps in next and laces a ball down the line. The third base coach puts up the stop sign, but Charlton ignores it, barreling home at full speed. Scioscia sets up to make the play at the plate, but Charlton lowers his shoulder and delivers a thunderous collision, knocking the catcher off his feet. Scioscia's helmet goes flying and he lands on his head as Charlton completes the play. "That's his mom!" shouts a fan in the stands, though it's unclear if the woman is actually Charlton's mother. Regardless, Charlton celebrates emphatically, high-fiving his teammates and looking every bit the "Nasty Boy" as he heads back to the dugout, still wearing his batting jacket. The umpire briefly checks on Scioscia, who appears shaken but not seriously injured. This on-field confrontation caps off a tense, back-and-forth game between these two division rivals, the Reds and Angels. Charlton's aggressive play at the plate was clearly motivated by the previous day's incident and he makes sure Scioscia and the Angels know he won't back down from a challenge.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentwe've got some pitcher on catcher crime
here get the neck ready norm norm
Charlton steps to the plate he's a
reliever for the 1990 Reds one of the
nasty boys out of the pen and he has
this on his mind the game before there
was a play at the plate and he said that
so this is what he said he said Scioscia
deked the runner Eric Davis and made
Eric Davis slide awkwardly and hurt Eric
Davis hurt his ankle and he was mad at
Scioscia for doing that and said if he
got the chance he was gonna light him up
to me it just seems like he was sick of
Scioscia blocking the plate really well
so here he is the next day he has a bat
in his hand hoping he can get on base
and he get his chance to light so shot
and the first pitch comes and it's a
fastball and he gets a piece of it he
fouls it off feeling good
next comes it's a curve ball and he just
swings way over the top of it and I love
this look that he gives the pitcher
right here where he's like are you
[ __ ] kidding me dude you know what
you can drop a curveball and throw me a
fastball and let me strike out admirably
no reason to make a fool out of me so
he's a little mad the next pitch is
another curve that hits him in the leg
and now he's just stewing and he's got
he's building up this anger so he tosses
his bat really good pinwheels on the bat
and stares down the pitcher because he's
just so angry all the time gets on first
base you know he didn't at least she
didn't make you look like a fool and
then gets the jacket on and a helmet on
just to make sure everyone knows that
he's a pitcher and not an everyday
player anyway his twin brother steps up
Joe Oliver and Joe's about to send one
into the corner I believe and we're off
to the races the third-base coach holds
up the stop sign we can't see it in this
video he holds up the stop sign norm
says no way and just lights Scioscia up
a couple replays here look how early he
buckles down and gets his shoulder ready
and the glove the ball so she may have
heard footsteps of the ball like so she
didn't catch it he just misses the glove
and then he just lays into him and I
love how afflicts a full flip and kind
of lands on top of his head
good for Sochi for letting his legs just
go with the momentum BAM we go back um
good job by the UMP helmet goes flying
BAM play your dumb computer safe and
then the flip little dick on the head to
end it and then he's gonna high-five his
friends just so excited still got the
jacket on looking like a badass except
the opposite with the jacket on but I
like it looks like a bully from nine or
two and oh that's his mom I made that up
it is a lady though that could be his
mom's age dirt all there's painted dirt
on the back of so she's Jersey and then
this guy shut the [ __ ] up go home you
[ __ ] [ __ ] job duh
suck on that he was mad