Saturday, March 9, 2013

Video - WBC Mexico vs Canada Fight (Luis Cruz is wrong)

Canada beats Mexico 10-3.

I saw this live but didn't understand why Arnold Leon of Mexico wanted to hit Chris Robinson of Canada since I was in the backyard.

From Hardball Talk {linked here}

Tensions began to flare in the top of the ninth. Leading off the inning, Canada’s Chris Robinson bunted for a hit with his team up by six runs. Reliever Arnold Leon, none too pleased, hit the next batter Rene Tosoni with a fastball, causing both benches to clear. 

Oh? But it was Luis Cruz that told Leon "Hit him in the ribs". Cruz is upset because they want to bunt.

Gif from SB Nation - 

Here's the complete video of the fight. Watch it now before YouTube takes it down.

Embarrassing. Mexico, you got your ass kicked. Accept it. Seriously, fighting over a bunt? I don't think Luis Cruz understands WBC rules. Canada is not trying to show off or embarrass Mexico. You need all the runs you can get because there can be a tie-breaker if you are tied with another team to advance to the next round. Plus there is a mercy rule. If you're getting your butt kicked, it will be over. Just like the early morning game between Cuba and Chinese Taipei. Cuba wins 14-0. It was over in the 7th inning.

Learn about the tiebreak rules. Forget about the unspoken rules. This is not the regular season.

Sorry Luis, you're wrong.

Video -


Bryan said...

Thank you Roberto for this post. We appreciate the passion they play for their countries but like you said it's different because of the rules.

Also, fans should NEVER get involved with on the field. Throwing something at an unsuspecting person is just as cowardly as jumping someone. I just hope they weren't Dodger fans.

jonathan said...

they were gna throw at robinson for the two dirty slides the bunt just added to it and canada should have just took the hit and kept playing thats baseball either take a hard slide at second or steal base dont charge the mound, and dont jump players, they fought like cowards especially gillies tackling a player from behind and running. and the Canada player throwing the bottle back at the crowd was dirty, he could have hit a girl

Stealing Home said...

I'm with you Orlando, and I gotta disagree with you this time, Roberto.

Because he understands the rules, doesn't mean he has to like 'em.

Sure he was mad bcuz Canada bunted in a play you would probably never see in the bigs, and he got caught flat-footed.
He can say anything he wants to his pitcher. Them's the rules too. The pitcher wasn't obligated by the suggestion to do it.

Michael said...

Luis Cruz was out of line. Idiot. Canada is still in it but if they lose and have a tiebreaker with USA, they go with who has the most runs! Who cares if he bunted, he's trying to get on base. I blame the manager of Mexico for not explaining the WBC rules to his players. This is sad.

And to those idiots throwing stuff on the field should be arrested!!

Stealing Home said...

I'm not sure who you're calling idiot, Michael, but I'll say this...

In this blogging community we debate without calling each other names and resorting to fighting-language ourselves, so chill out, respect Roberto's blog and save the simplistic name-calling for your own blog.

That said, I do disagree with so many people just assuming - and bloviating the assumption Cruz didn't know the rules. Now the manager of Mexico's team is accused of "not explaining the rules" to his team. Really - you folks were in the team meeting? You know what was explained and what wasn't?

Cruz got hot - as an athlete will do in a game situation from time to time. He expressed an opinion. He didn;t throw at anyone or attempt to charge the mound.
Furthermore, the batter also stepped out of the box and walked TOWARD the mound on the pitch prior to being hit.

(...Joe) said...

I'm 100% with you Roberto, I think Mexico was wrong. The only thing I'm not agreeing with Canada on is arguing with the fans afterwards. Not saying the fans were right either though, but still.

Thanks for the post.

Michael said...

I'm calling Luis Cruz a idiot. Not to you. Really? Telling the pitcher to hit the next guy? Also Rick Renteria the manager for Mexico said this after the game "Maybe I should have explained the rules to my players, my fault". This post-game press conference was shown on ESPN. I'm sure it will be available online soon. Look for it. I wasn't at the press conference but saw it on tv. I do think the tiebreaker rule has to be changed for the next WBC so these type of things won't happen again.

Stealing Home said...

Explanation understood, Michael.
Well, there goes Renteria's reputation. lol.
Still, I gotta wonder if it's a mangers job to explain the minutia of how the tie-breaking process works, or even if it's explained, would players remember that minutia in the heat of the moment?

Yeh, it's wrong to tell his pitcher to drill the guy, but again, the batter stepped to the mound prior. Also, he talked loud smack to the pitcher after the first legitimate inside pitch in the at-bat, and all of that will get you a ball in the ribs in many a heated game.

Greg Zakwin said...

If anyone is a coward it's Cruz for telling his pitcher to hit a guy and then sucker-punching one of Canada's players.

Ch1charo said...

Watch the whole game. The tension had been brewing for a while. It wasn't just the bunt. Two hard borderline dirty take out slides at second base. I liked the passion that both the Mexican and Canadians showed. What I don't agree with was the throwing of objects on the field. Viva Cochito y Viva Mexico!!!

jonathan said...

its not a sucker punch if they're face to face. sucker punch is what Johnston did to aceves. And cowardly is what gillies did to aceves, y do u think he was running away? cuz he pulled aceves down from behind, and then the Canadians kicked him while he was down

BruinPirateAnteater said...

So much being said here. So I might as well throw my 2cents:

1. Cruz knows the rules, he doesn't have to like em', but he has to follow em nevertheless.

2. Ok, Cruz didnt hit Robinson, Cruz didn't charge the mound. The pitcher didnt have to listen to him, but Luis Cruz should not have egged his pitcher on to hit the guy.

3. On the other hand, Robinson did do two hard slides so he was asking for it. The bunt really didn't have anything to do with it, other than the pitcher didnt get a chance to hit Robinson, Tosoni was the sacrificial lamb.

4. Both teams are retarded for throwing haymakers. They weren't just pushing and shoving, they were straight up brawling! What a bad showing for international baseball.

5. What a bad showing for Team Mexico fans who began throwing shit at the Canadian players, they ended up hitting the Canadian pitching coach! WTF!

6. An extra bad showing on the Canadian players who kept egging on the Team Mexico fans. (and is it true that one player even threw something back!?).

All in all, an ugly showing for International Baseball!

MarcoS. said...

I'm a hockey fan so I don't have the least bit of a problem that sometimes a brwal breaks out if one player insults a team. In hockey that's like if a player on the winning team scores on you with less than 10 seconds left after being up by 5 goals, and after you let them run out the clock. Regaurdless of the rules, that's a automatic scrap once the puck drops at center ice.

This is the baseball equivalent of that. Whether Cruz knew the rule or not, I think most players would not take that bunt nicely. It's only what happen afterwards that makes Cruz look real bad.

Now as for the fans who threw stuff at the Canadian players, that is always uncalled for. There's the famous stand up by Chris Rock where he talks about a civil war between blacks and the N word, and N words got to go; well I say the same basic thing about Mexican Americans and chusmas. The chusmas got to go back to Mexico and stay there because they always ruin everything for all the other hard working good Mexican Americans. Especially in a state like Arizona where they are only adding more fuel to the racists fire.

We can't have a free autograph session without some chusma trying to cut in line, we can't have discounted beer or tailgating at sporting events without some chusma ruining it for the rest of us, and we can't jeer another team's players or fans without a chusma taking it one step too far. I love Mexicans, but I hate chusmas, and the chusmas got to go.

Unknown said...

I agree with BruinPirateAnteater. Cruz plays the game by the unwritten rules that quickly got dismissed by the WBC runs tiebreaker arguement. If they want to score more runs then they should do it without bunting.If they want to score more runs, then do it in the manner that the canadians had been doing it all game. There is no need for bunting when you are winning by 6. However i dont agree with the fan throwing a bottle at the canadian coach's face. And big Shout out to Larry Walker who kept AGon out of harms way.