Top 20 MLB brawls of all time

3. Cardinals vs. Reds, August 10, 2010

The Cardinals and Reds have a long-standing rivalry and disdain for each other. This brawl actually did not start in the typical fashion with a hit by pitch or hard slide. Reds All-Star second baseman Brandon Phillips had made some disparaging comments about the Cardinals in his postgame remarks the night before. When he stepped to the plate in the first inning, Yadier Molina got in his face, which brought the dugouts streaming onto the field.

It initially appears as though this would end without punches being thrown, but it’s hard to get 60 amped up men in a giant scrum without something breaking out. Managers Dusty Baker and Tony La Russa were screaming insults at each other and Scott Rolen, who had previously played for the Cardinals, attempted to make peace. Something snapped, however, and Rolen was one of the first Reds players to get physical.

An ugly and unfortunate brawl followed. Fights around home plate and the dugouts are very rare, and this one ended up against the backstop. The close quarters for the fight made it more dangerous. Johnny Cueto of the Reds was caught on camera kicking Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue in the head when he was down. LaRue suffered a concussion and was eventually forced to retire after the season ended.

This was an ugly brawl that really could have been avoided. Other teams may have been able to let the trash talk slide, but the Reds and Cardinals teams of the early 2010s hated each other. Either way, a player’s career was ended because cooler heads would not prevail.