Jake Arrieta has never been involved in a basebrawl, but after watching Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland go at it in a bases-clearing brawl (and get suspended three and six games, respectively), Arrieta apparently really wants a piece of that action.
He tells 670 The Score that he is a fan of brawling in baseball and prefers it to trash talk.
“I don’t think anybody is right or wrong,” Arrieta said on Tuesday afternoon on the Bernstein and Goff Show on 670 The Score. “I thought it was awesome. Every once in a while, it’s refreshing to see two teams emotionally charged getting after it. And when something like that happens versus continuing to chirp and talk about it, why don’t you go out there and see somebody? That’s exactly what happened in the game yesterday.
…
“If it’s my catcher, I want him to wait and give me an opportunity to do a little damage,” said Arrieta, who added he’s never been charged at any level of baseball. “I don’t want it broken up right away. If it happens, I’ll let you know. I’ll be ready. You know, I like my chances toe to toe with just about anybody.
Arrieta also said he doesn’t want umpires to break up his dream fight right away, nor does he want his catcher to help him out.
“I know Willson (Contreras) would probably beat whoever charges the mound to the mound, but I’ll tell him and Miggy (Montero), ‘Hey, give me 10, 15 seconds to get some work in and then come out and see me.’”
Alternative take: Don’t throw baseballs at people and also don’t punch people. That shouldn’t really be a controversial philosophy.
Some people on the Cubs have different opinions. His manager, Joe Maddon, said he was “disappointed” to see the brawl, but not necessarily in Harper’s response.
“I was really disappointed in all that myself,” Maddon said on the Spiegel and Parkins Show on 670 The Score on Tuesday. “I don’t blame Bryce for what he did whatsoever. I always tell my hitters, ‘Either go to first or go to the mound if you’re challenged like that.’”
Those seem like the only two options, so I’m not sure what Maddon is trying to deter. That said, the only good option is to go to first. Starting a fight doesn’t do anything productive.
