Thursday Afternoon is Alright for a Bench-Clearing Brawl

(photo credit: Duane Burleson - AP)

Things got ugly in the later innings of yesterday's series finale against the Tigers. For some reason, perhaps because he didn't appreciate the Tigers stealing bases while trailing by six runs or perhaps he was encouraged to do it by a teammate, Jose Mijares thought it was a good idea to plunk Adam Everett. Yes, Adam Everett. Except he failed miserably (*facepalm*) and ended up walking the wispy shortstop (he of the .288 on-base percentage. *double facepalm*). Jim Leyland took umbrage when home plate umpire Angel Hernandez warned both benches and was subsequently ejected. I don't blame him. Why issue warnings to both benches when nobody actually got hit? He should have just tossed Mijares, which would probably have prevented the ugliness that was to come. Jeremy Bonderman then beaned Delmon Young in the knees with a fastball in retaliation (I don't think that part was intentional. Bonderman was probably aiming for the middle of his body, but being Jeremy Bonderman, missed and got him in the knees instead). Young was understandably upset, but not at Bonderman. He was angry at Mijares, who started the whole thing by throwing at Everett for whatever reason. The benches cleared but there wasn't much actual fighting, since Young really wanted to punch his own teammate and not the man who nearly took out his kneecaps. Mijares apparently feels bad about the whole thing, and I don't think it's fair that his manager and his teammates were so eager to throw him under a bus afterwards (he is a rookie, after all). Especially, as Patrick Reusse speculated on his show this morning, if he was encouraged by someone in the dugout to retaliate for Marcus Thames' questionable takeout slide (it does seem odd that Mijares, who isn't known as a headhunter, would suddenly get upset because the Tigers were running on him).

Leave it to the Twins to win just enough games in the series to keep their faint playoff hopes alive but not enough to actually control their own destiny. Twins Geek has a great preview of both the Twins/Royals and Tigers/White Sox series, which will settle the Central division once and for all. Probably. I don't know, I just have this feeling that, because such a big deal was made over the potential conflict with the Vikings/Packers MNF game should there be a need for a one-game playoff, there will in fact be a need for a one-game playoff. It would be a fitting end to a season in which the Tigers have tried their best to give the division away, while the Twins stubbornly refused to take it.