MLB's most memorable teammate fights
With at least 162 games in each MLB season, it's only a matter of time before tempers flare, arguments occur, and egos run wild. At times, confrontations even boil over into the unwanted territory of fisticuffs between players on the same squad.
On the heels of the clubhouse scuffle between Danny Valencia and Billy Butler of the Oakland Athletics - which landed Butler on the seven-day concussion disabled list after Valencia punched him in the temple - let's take a look at some of the more memorable fights between teammates in MLB history.
Billy Martin vs. Reggie Jackson
On June 18, 1977, New York Yankees skipper Billy Martin had enough of Reggie Jackson after the $3-million star outfielder failed to hustle, allowing Boston's Jim Rice to turn a single into a double. Martin immediately lost his temper, and during a pitching change, sent Paul Blair out to right field to replace Jackson, who was apparently caught off guard by the surprising move. Upon returning to the dugout, the two had words, with Jackson calling the manager a "SOB," which eventually led to a scuffle, although punches were never thrown. The altercation led to the following memorable quote from Martin: "If you don’t hustle, I don’t accept it. If a player shows up the club, I show up the player.”
Carlos Zambrano vs. Michael Barrett
Carlos Zambrano was never known for a calm demeanor during his 12 years in "The Show," as the hulking right-hander was often involved in hot-headed incidents. On June 1, 2007, however, he took things too far with batterymate Michael Barrett. In the midst of a terrible losing streak, Zambrano was not pleased after the catcher committed an error during a poor inning against the Atlanta Braves. After a heated exchange of words, Zambrano made the first move and took a swipe at Barrett in the team's dugout. The altercation between the pair supposedly continued in the clubhouse.
Darryl Strawberry vs. Keith Hernandez
During spring training of 1989, Darryl Strawberry let his true feelings about teammate Keith Hernandez bubble to the surface during a team photo shoot. When Strawberry, wearing No. 18, was asked to sit next to Hernandez, wearing No. 17, he said he'd rather sit next to his real friends. After Hernandez called Strawberry a baby, the two came to blows, during which Strawberry revealed he'd been tired of Hernandez for years. After the two were broken up by teammates, Strawberry would unsuccessfully charge at Hernandez and even threatened Gary Carter. Of course, this all happened in front of television cameras and surrounding media.
Rob Dibble vs. Lou Pinella
Rob Dibble didn't earn the title as one of the Cincinnati Reds "Nasty Boys" while gardening with aunt Ruth. The reliever, whose hot-headed ways included purposely throwing at opposing hitters on many occasions, let his reputation precede him on Sept. 17, 1992. After he wasn't used in an important late-inning situation against the Atlanta Braves, Dibble suggested to reporters that his manager Lou Pinella had lied to them about the reason. When Pinella found out what Dibble had said, he lost his cool, called Dibble a liar, and scrapped with the pitcher, screaming at him to act like a man.
Warning: Video includes NSFW language
Barry Bonds vs. Jeff Kent
The San Francisco Giants were graced with back-to-back MVPs in 2000 and 2001, thanks to Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds, despite the pair having mixed feelings about one another. Those feelings were front and center during a contest on June 25, 2002 - after Kent gave it to third baseman David Bell for a poor play in the field, Bonds came to Bell's rescue. An argument between Kent and Bonds eventually led to a shoving match, which had to be broken up by manager Dusty Baker. Although Kent would later claim the fight was "no big deal," he did admit he'd had more than one run-in with Bonds since they became teammates in 1997.
Jonathan Papelbon vs. Bryce Harper
Jonathan Papelbon's tenure with the Washington Nationals ended on Aug. 13 amid two sub-par half seasons, but he'll always be remembered in Washington as the man who had the gall to choke the eventual NL MVP. On Sept. 27, 2015, Papelbon wasn't pleased with Harper after he didn't run out a fly ball, and made sure to let the young superstar know it as Harper returned to the dugout. Harper didn't like what Papelbon had to say and retaliated with some angry words of his own. Papelbon would then lunge toward and choke Harper in one of the most heated incidents of 2015. Papelbon earned a four-game suspension for his actions, which came days after his three-game suspension for purposely throwing at Baltimore Orioles infielder Manny Machado.