Well, it wasn't really a brawl, since only three players were involved and everybody else tried to break it up, but it was a classic mound charge. Gaby Sanchez made sure of that with his out-of-nowhere clothesline of Nyjer Morgan as he came at Chris Volstad.
For the record, I like Tommy Hutton and Rich Waltz. Sure they get a little homerish, but not over the top, and that's fine. They're professional and put on a decent game. But I think Hutton's one-sided upbraiding of Morgan in this situation was off-key.
Morgan was going to get hit last night. That was for sure. But twice?
You remember the night before he took out out Marlins catcher Brett Hayes in one of the most vicious homeplate collisions you'll ever see. I actually think that was basically a clean play, if gratuitous and ultimately unwise (he was probably safe if he slid). Morgan needed to feel the ball last night, especially since he put Hayes out for the year with a separated shoulder.
And Morgan took his first plunking by Volstad earlier in the game like a professional. Yes, Morgan showed up Volstad a little by stealing two bases, but the team was down big and they needed runs, so you can't really fault him for that.
Volstad took umbrage and threw at him again (and missed by a couple of feet behind him). I think any old-school baseball guy will tell you that if you get thrown at twice in one game by one guy, you go after that guy.
That said, Morgan's had other problems. He's hyperaggressive and needs to calm down for the sake of his own team. But he sure livened up made what by all rights should have been a forgettable series. And Gaby Sanchez got the most righteous shot of the night. Dude's well on his way to becoming not only Rookie of the Year but a real fan favorite.