Top 20 MLB brawls of all time

May 29, 2017; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland (60) and Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) in a fight after Harper was hit by the pitch of Strickland during the eighth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 8, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Slade Heathcott (71) at bat against the Miami Marlins during a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

12. Greenville Drive vs. Charleston River Dogs, 2011

Do not sleep on minor-league brawls. Some of the best baseball fights have taken place in the tiny ballparks of small-town America where mostly unheard of players toil away for a shot at the big leagues that is probably never coming. One of my earliest memories of seeing a baseball game in person involves the bullpen for the Double-A Montreal Expos sprinting into the infield to get involved in a fight. They all looked rather excited to get in on the action.

Slade Heathcott was a young outfielder in the Yankees system with an 80-grade name and minimal power in 2011. He had his tower buzzed by the Red Sox prospect on the mound, and in an unexpected turn of events, immediately turned around and began to fight the catcher. That’s a big-time move that you have to respect. Before any help arrived from his teammates, Heathcott was taking on several members of the Drive.

One of the first men into the fray on the Charleston side was manager Billy McMillon. That’s what you expect from a minor-league manager. As they attempt to mold young players into major leaguers, skippers in the minors act as father figures, life coaches, and heroes. It’s a difficult existence managing in the minor leagues, with little reward and months of long, hard bus rides away from your family.

The Yankees knew they might be in for some trouble when they drafted Heathcott in the first round. He was a heavy drinker who had reportedly pointed a shotgun at his father early in his life. Heathcott also blacked out and lost his passport the night before the Yankees intended to send him to the Dominican Republic with a few other prospects. He eventually turned it around and reached the big leagues in 2015.

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