안전놀이터Jose Ramirez, 31, the franchise star of the Cleveland Indians, was ejected for the first time in his major league career. The model player, who had never been ejected in his 11-year, 1243-game career, was clearly upset and used his fists.
Ramirez was ejected for the first time in his major league career after batting third and being at the center of a bench-clearing brawl in the sixth inning of the 2023 World Series against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
With two outs in the sixth inning and Cleveland trailing 5-0, Ramirez doubled to left field. His head-first slide to second base went right into the crotch of White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, who was covering the base. An altercation ensued between the two players, with Ramirez getting up and shouting at Anderson.
Anderson shoved Ramirez, removed his glove, and assumed a boxing stance. In response, Gilcera Ramirez raised his guard, and the fight turned into a fistfight. Anderson threw the first punch, but Ramirez’s right hook caught him on the left jaw and sent him staggering to the ground. Meanwhile, players from both teams rushed to the sidelines and engaged in a group brawl.
Teammates tried to calm the situation down, but it escalated into a brawl as the managers of both teams got into an argument. In addition to Ramirez and Anderson, who exchanged punches, Cleveland manager Terry Francona and White Sox manager Pedro Griffol were also ejected. Cleveland pitcher Emmanuel Claasse, third base coach Mike Sabo, and six others were ejected in a 14-minute stoppage of play. The White Sox won the game 7-4.
According to local media, including MLB.com, it was an explosion of emotions that had been building up between the two teams all season, especially after Anderson yelled and taunted Cleveland rookie first baseman Gabriel Arias in a game the previous day. “He said some things he shouldn’t have said,” Francona said.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved)
[Photo] Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Griffol (left) and Cleveland Cavaliers third base coach Mike Sabo get into an argument. ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved)
Ramirez, Cleveland’s center fielder, also had his eye on Anderson. Ramirez took issue with Anderson’s “dirty play” of shoving runners off the base as soon as he tags them at second base. “He disrespects the game of baseball. He’s been doing that since before. I told him during the game, ‘Don’t do this. We all play baseball to feed our families, and you can’t tag me like this,'” he said.
“It was a reaction to him wanting to fight, and if he wanted to fight, I had to defend myself,” Ramirez said of the fist-pumping situation. Anderson did not speak to the media after the game, so his side of the story was not immediately available.
MLB.com reported, “Ramirez has never been ejected before. You can see how upset he was,” MLB.com reported. It was the first ejection in 1244 career games for Ramirez, who made his debut in 2013. “If I have a problem with an umpire, I try to keep it to myself in the dugout. I don’t want to disrespect baseball. I just want to play baseball,” he said. /waw@osen.co.kr
[Photo] Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez walks off the field to cheers from the home fans. ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved)
[Photo] Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez. ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved)