Several weeks ago, the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds got into a bit of a scuffle. Reds' ace Johnny Cueto was aggravated by Cubs center fielder David Dejesus stepping out of the batter's box during his at bat, and wanted to send him a message. Upon Dejesus reentering the box, a 91 MPH fastball sailed over his head.
Make no mistake; if Cueto wanted to do real damage to Dejesus, he would have. Cueto can throw a fastball a lot harder than 91 MPH, and he has excellent control. Still, though, Dejesus' actions did not warrant the message from Cueto. Post game, Matt Garza had some choice words for Cueto, saying that he should grow up. Garza did not say anything directly to Cueto (that we know of), though maybe he should have.
Instead of letting the situation die, the infamous former Cubs' manager, and current Reds' manager, Dusty Baker decided to throw in his two cents. Somehow, through his ramble, the toothpick loving manager stumbled upon an interesting point. He suggested that players be given an opportunity to solve their differences in something like a boxing match. An idea so crazy, that it might actually make some sense.
Frequently throughout baseball games, players are beaned for retaliatory purposes. If, for example, Jeff Samardzija drills Jay Bruce, there is a good chance that Bronson Arroyo is going to seek payback on Anthony Rizzo. If a pitch hits Rizzo hard enough, and in the right spot, it can mean a stint on the disabled list. Rizzo did nothing wrong, but that is just how the game has worked throughout history.
An injury in that situation could be devastating, possibly knocking the Cubs playoff hopes into limbo (this is all hypothetical). What if injuries like this could be eliminated?
Baker suggested a box where players could settle their differences. Where it would go is insignificant, but we can assume that there would be nothing in the box, aside from the two players. No manager in their right mind would allow their star pitchers to fight in the box, so there would need to be a system of choosing alternatives. Instead of Garza and Cueto, lets each pitcher could have someone to fight for them. Like in hockey, as soon as one player is down, the fight is over. The means of each player being chosen is a work in progress.
Seeing a brawl between say, Jay Bruce and Alfonso Soriano, could do wonders for the game. What fan wouldn't want to see their favorite player physically dominate their enemy? What fan wouldn't want to see their least favorite player, who just happens to be ridiculously overpaid and as lazy as the day is long, get knocked into tomorrow? The idea has huge potential as a fan attraction.
Having a cage match could drastically increase the value of certain players, such as "country strong" Adam Dunn. Currently with the White Sox, Dunn has been hitting around .150 for most of the season, and is really a useless player aside from his power. Throw Dunn in the box, though, and watch him knock someone's block off. I would be willing to bet that few players would want to head to the box with Dunn, which is why his value rises.
Recently on KBBM 100.1, two radio hosts and their guest were discussing ways to make the game more "exciting". They all agreed that strikeouts were getting "boring" and that fans would rather see exciting hits and fielding. One of them even suggested that steroids become permitted, so that hitters slug more big flies, and fans have more to cheer about. Anyone that thinks that fans wouldn't get riled up about players going to the box is dead wrong.
One potential problem that could arise is how players would be disciplined for going to the box. In hockey, players are out of the game for five minutes. Baseball obviously doesn't work on a time clock basis, so an innings penalty could be incurred. Make a player sit out an inning, sub a player in for those six outs, and let the player return.
This is a completely hypothetical situation, and Bud Selig will probably never even consider it during his reign of terror power. Zack Greinke probably would've preferred this approach, instead of having a broken collarbone. Who knows, though, he is a bit of a head case.
"A rolling stone gathers no moss"-Publius
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