Though the game featured two teams well below .500, the Thursday night matchup between Texas and Seattle had no shortage of entertainment. Felix Hernandez had already hit two Rangers in the game, including catcher Gerald Laird, so Richie Sexson came up to the plate in the 4th anticipating he would be thrown at. After shaking off Laird twice, Kason Gabbard finally semi-succumbed to Laird’s request by throwing high — not inside — on Sexson. An entertaining fight broke out, and to completely enjoy it, make sure your volume is turned up (a full transcription is after the jump in case you can’t listen). A complete replay of the incident begins at the 3:07 mark, also when analyst Tom Grieve just goes off on Sexson:
UPDATE: Video has been removed, read the transcription below
I get where the Mariners and Sexson are coming from. The team’s struggling, they’re losing 3 of 4 to the Rangers, might as well try and get something going. And I also loved Milton Bradley of all people holding Gerald Laird back. How many people caught that? But the absolute best part was what Rangers TV analyst Tom Grieve said about the incident. He just hammered Sexson:
“If Kason Gabbard’s going to hit anybody, he’s going to hit one of their good hitters — he’s not going to Richie Sexson. You got a chance to hit Ibanez, you got a chance to hit Beltre — two good hitters. You got a guy coming up there who can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. You’re going to throw at him?
…
That pitch wasn’t even close! That pitch is a foot away from him! Boy that is a gutless, 6’7″, .200-hitting, formerly good player. What a joke.”
Now that … was awesome.
