Tuesday marked the 22nd anniversary of perhaps the most memorable fight ever in the major leagues, when Nolan Ryan nearly noogied Robin Ventura into submission.
Ryan, 46, was pitching for the Texas Rangers in the 27th and final season of his Hall of Fame career. Ventura, 26, was a Gold Glove third baseman for the Chicago White Sox.
The teams had developed a dislike for each over the course of several seasons, resulting in a few beanballs and several heated exchanges. It all boiled over Aug. 4, 1993, when Ryan plunked Ventura on the right arm with the first pitch of the third inning. Ventura took a few steps toward first base, then charged the mound.
Before Ventura could land a punch, Ryan grabbed him in a headlock and proceeded to land at least four punches to the top of Ventura's head before a fifth appeared to land squarely on his face. By then, the emptying benches reached the mound and a scrum ensued.
"I didn't expect that to happen," Ryan, who was making his 801st career appearance, said after the game. "I was just trying to pitch him inside. You don't have time to think, you just react. I'm not a big believer in fights, but we'll do what it takes to win."
Of course, Ventura, now the manager of the White Sox, said Ryan deliberately tried to hit him.
"If you don't think he did it on purpose, you don't know the game," Ventura said at the time. "I'm all right. He gave me a couple of noogies, but that was about it."
Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez was a 21-year-old in his third major league season. He had undergone facial surgery for a fractured cheekbone just 40 hours earlier and tried to pull Ventura off Ryan.
"Ventura charged to the mound but he didn't do a good job, and Nolan Ryan grabbed him and hit him pretty good," Rodriguez said. "I was trying to hold [Ventura] off, but they were two big guys. I tried to cover myself because I have a scar on my face, and so I just grabbed [Ventura] from the back but that didn't do much."
Rangers shortstop Jeff Huson couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"All I could think about when it was happening was, 'What's Robin thinking?' " Huson said later. "You don't charge the highest authority. That's just the way it is."
While members of both teams wrestled on the mound, Ryan remained trapped under the pile and nearly passed out before he received help from an unexpected source.
"All I remember is that I couldn't breathe," Ryan said years later. "I thought I was going to black out and die, when all of a sudden I see two big arms tossing bodies off of me. It was [Chicago's] Bo Jackson. He had come to my rescue, and I'm awful glad he did, because I was about to pass out. I called him that night and thanked him."
He said it
From Brad Dickson of the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald:
• Dennis Rodman has endorsed Donald Trump for president. Jeez, I hate it when stories with zero comedic potential dominate the news.
• The "World Series" of video gaming is underway. Haha, this is so dumb. This year competitors are vying for $18 million. ... OK, who wants to teach me League of Legends?
• After seeing that $18 million figure, dads around the nation are going, "Son, put down that stupid algebra homework and go practice some video games."
Sports quiz
When was Nolan Ryan drafted and by which team?
Answer
Ryan was drafted in the 12th round with the 295th overall pick of the 1965 draft by the New York Mets out of Alvin (Texas) High School.
Sports on 08/06/2015