WBC, Inc., said in a statement it was "extremely disappointed" in the teams' conduct. "We relayed to both teams that such an altercation is inappropriate under any circumstances and has no place in baseball," the statement said.
Mexico was eliminated when they lost to Canada and Canada can be eliminated Sunday afternoon if it loses to Team USA. Because one club and perhaps both will not advance, WBC, Inc. "determined that disciplinary measures would not have a meaningful corrective impact."
"I think they did the right thing," Canada's manager, Ernie Whitt, said. Still, some may wonder if the inaction will make players feel there is little deterrent for indulging their emotions.
Seven players were ejected after the brawl, which took place in the ninth inning. It raised questions of whether the runs differential tie-breaker should be eliminated from the tournament because the fight started after a hit batter that followed a Canada hitter bunting for a hit in a lopsided game.
That's against baseball's unwritten code, but every run is vital in the WBC because a better run differential can be enough to push a team into the next round.
"They need to make some changes to this format," Whitt said. "If they do that, then I don't think you'll have that type of incident."
Posts
