Nolan Ryan famously pummeled Robin Ventura 27 years ago

Astros President of Business Operations Reid Ryan and his father and Astros Executive Advisor Nolan Ryan share a laugh at the newly revitalized youth baseball fields at Denver Harbor Park Saturday, April 5, 2014, in Houston. The new fields were brought back to life with the help of The Astros Foundation with support from the Occidental Petroleum Corporation. The Astros Community Leaders program is investing $18 million in city-owned public youth baseball and softball fields in disadvantaged areas of Houston over the course of five years. ( Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle )Johnny Hanson/HC staff

Rougned Odor vs. Jose Bautista In 2016, tempers between the Blue Jays and Rangers were high because of Bautista's epic bat flip from Game 5 of the previous year's ALDS against the Rangers. In this game, Bautista was drilled with a pitch, then slid hard into Odor at second base on a ground ball. The two got in each other's face before Odor connected with a clean right hand right to Bautista's face. — **Rougned Odor vs. Jose Bautista**

In 2016, tempers between the Blue Jays and Rangers were high because of Bautista's epic bat flip from Game 5 of the previous year's ALDS against the Rangers. In this game, Bautista was drilled with a pitch, then slid hard into Odor at second base on a ground ball. The two got in each other's face before Odor connected with a clean right hand right to Bautista's face.
Richard W. Rodriguez/MBI

Braves vs. Padres In a 1984 game, there were three separate brawls throughout the game, 13 players and coaches ejected and five fans arrested. It all started when Braves pitcher Pascual Perez hit the first batter of the game. Then, the Padres threw at Perez every time he came to bat the rest of the game, and benches cleared each time. In the first incident, Perez wielded his bat as a weapon, but never swung it at anyone. In the ninth inning, Braves reliever Donnie Moore hit Graig Nettles, sparking the final brouhaha. — **Braves vs. Padres**

In a 1984 game, there were three separate brawls throughout the game, 13 players and coaches ejected and five fans arrested. It all started when Braves pitcher Pascual Perez hit the first batter of the game. Then, the Padres threw at Perez every time he came to bat the rest of the game, and benches cleared each time. In the first incident, Perez wielded his bat as a weapon, but never swung it at anyone. In the ninth inning, Braves reliever Donnie Moore hit Graig Nettles, sparking the final brouhaha.
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Juan Marichal vs. John Roseboro This is probably the ugliest fight in baseball history. In a heated August 1965 Dodgers-Giants matchup, starting pitchers Juan Marichal and Sandy Koufax traded beanballs at each team's best players. After umpires warned both pitchers to cut it out, Dodgers catcher John Roseboro intentionally buzzed Marichal when he threw a ball back to Koufax with Marichal at the plate. Both players exchanged words, then Marichal hit Roseboro over the top of the head with his bat. Roseboro left the game to get 14 stitches, and Marichal was ejected and suspended for 10 games. — **Juan Marichal vs. John Roseboro**

This is probably the ugliest fight in baseball history. In a heated August 1965 Dodgers-Giants matchup, starting pitchers Juan Marichal and Sandy Koufax traded beanballs at each team's best players. After umpires warned both pitchers to cut it out, Dodgers catcher John Roseboro intentionally buzzed Marichal when he threw a ball back to Koufax with Marichal at the plate. Both players exchanged words, then Marichal hit Roseboro over the top of the head with his bat. Roseboro left the game to get 14 stitches, and Marichal was ejected and suspended for 10 games.
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Armando Benitez vs. All of the Yankees This might have been one of the wildest baseball fights. In a 1998 game, Baltimore's Armando Benitez blew a save by giving up a home run to Bernie Williams. That's when Benitez drilled the next batter - Tino Martinez - square in the back. Both benches and bullpens emptied and it was on. There were lots of punches thrown and connected and some of the brawl even spilled back into the dugouts. — **Armando Benitez vs. All of the Yankees**

This might have been one of the wildest baseball fights. In a 1998 game, Baltimore's Armando Benitez blew a save by giving up a home run to Bernie Williams. That's when Benitez drilled the next batter - Tino Martinez - square in the back. Both benches and bullpens emptied and it was on. There were lots of punches thrown and connected and some of the brawl even spilled back into the dugouts.
LOU REQUENA/AP

Reds vs. PiratesIn 2019, Yasiel Puig and Amir Garrett nearly tried to fight all of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The teams bickered earlier in the game after a Pirates reliever hit a Reds batter. In the ninth inning, Reds reliever Garrett, in the middle of a visit from his coach, heard the Pirates talking in their dugout and sprinted over there to fight, throwing a punch at Trevor Williams. Puig ended up in the middle of it all. At one point, Reds manager David Bell, who already had been ejected, rushed onto the field and shoved Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. — Reds vs. Pirates
In 2019, Yasiel Puig and Amir Garrett nearly tried to fight all of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The teams bickered earlier in the game after a Pirates reliever hit a Reds batter. In the ninth inning, Reds reliever Garrett, in the middle of a visit from his coach, heard the Pirates talking in their dugout and sprinted over there to fight, throwing a punch at Trevor Williams. Puig ended up in the middle of it all. At one point, Reds manager David Bell, who already had been ejected, rushed onto the field and shoved Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Jeff Van Gundy vs. Alonzo Mourning's leg This fight was more humorous than anything else. In a 2003 playoff game, the Knicks' Larry Johnson got into it with Miami's Alonzo Mourning. Jeff Van Gundy, the 5-foot-9 Knicks coach, came off the bench and grabbed Mourning by the leg. He ended up getting swung around like a 2-year-old clutching to his parents' legs, begging them not to leave the house. — **Jeff Van Gundy vs. Alonzo Mourning's leg**

This fight was more humorous than anything else. In a 2003 playoff game, the Knicks' Larry Johnson got into it with Miami's Alonzo Mourning. Jeff Van Gundy, the 5-foot-9 Knicks coach, came off the bench and grabbed Mourning by the leg. He ended up getting swung around like a 2-year-old clutching to his parents' legs, begging them not to leave the house.
AFP/Getty Images

Alex Rodriguez vs. Jason Varitek This wasn't exactly a brawl, but it was an iconic moment in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. In a 2004 regular season game, Alex Rodriguez began yelling at Boston starter Bronson Arroyo after getting hit with a pitch. When Jason Varitek yelled at Rodriguez to hurry up and get to first base, Rodriguez turned his anger towards Varitek and got mushed in the face by the Boston catcher. Both benches cleared, but the excitement was finished with Varitek's face shove. — **Alex Rodriguez vs. Jason Varitek**

This wasn't exactly a brawl, but it was an iconic moment in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. In a 2004 regular season game, Alex Rodriguez began yelling at Boston starter Bronson Arroyo after getting hit with a pitch. When Jason Varitek yelled at Rodriguez to hurry up and get to first base, Rodriguez turned his anger towards Varitek and got mushed in the face by the Boston catcher. Both benches cleared, but the excitement was finished with Varitek's face shove.
BARRY CHIN/AP

Cardinals vs. RedsIn 2010, the Cardinals and Reds got into a fight so big it spilled up against the netting behind home plate. A day after Brandon Phillips told the media he hated the Cardinals, catcher Yadier Molina had some words for him when he stepped into the box in the first inning. The two squared off and both benches emptied. Reds manager Dusty Baker and Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa got into it and that’s when things got turned up a notch. The Reds’ Johnny Cueto and Cardinals Chris Carpenter ended up pinned against the backstop screen and Cueto started kicking people to defend himself. The Cardinals’ Jason LaRue ended up with a mild concussion from the incident. — **Cardinals vs. Reds**
In 2010, the Cardinals and Reds got into a fight so big it spilled up against the netting behind home plate. A day after Brandon Phillips told the media he hated the Cardinals, catcher Yadier Molina had some words for him when he stepped into the box in the first inning. The two squared off and both benches emptied. Reds manager Dusty Baker and Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa got into it and that’s when things got turned up a notch. The Reds’ Johnny Cueto and Cardinals Chris Carpenter ended up pinned against the backstop screen and Cueto started kicking people to defend himself. The Cardinals’ Jason LaRue ended up with a mild concussion from the incident.
Tom Uhlman/AP

Carlos Gomez vs. The Braves Gomez, with the Brewers at the time, had beef with Braves pitcher Paul Maholm, who had bit Gomez earlier in the season. When Gomez launched a homer off him later in 2013, he stood and watched, then talked trash to Maholm and several other Braves players as he rounded the bases. When he got near home, Braves catcher Brian McCann was waiting for him and both benches emptied as an irate Gomez had to be held back. — **Carlos Gomez vs. The Braves**

Gomez, with the Brewers at the time, had beef with Braves pitcher Paul Maholm, who had bit Gomez earlier in the season. When Gomez launched a homer off him later in 2013, he stood and watched, then talked trash to Maholm and several other Braves players as he rounded the bases. When he got near home, Braves catcher Brian McCann was waiting for him and both benches emptied as an irate Gomez had to be held back.
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It was the face-pounding beatdown heard ’round the baseball world, echoing through Texas and forever cemented in Lone Star sports legend, and it involved the greatest pitcher in baseball history.

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ALVIN'S PRIDE: Celebrating 70 years of the Nolan Ryan Express

Twenty-seven years ago, on Aug. 4, 1993, the Texas Rangers met the Chicago White Sox at Arlington Stadium. In the top of the third inning, 26-year-old Robin Ventura gets plunked by Nolan Ryan in the ribs.

The slap of the ball to flesh is audible. Ventura hesitates for a split-second, throws down his bat, takes off his batting helmet and charges straight at the 46-year-old Ryan on the pitching mound.

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Ryan immediately grabs the young Ventura, dishing out tough love in the form of a head lock and fist gumbo. The Arlington crowd is an orgy of boos and whistles. People are eating it up, as our elder statesman dishes out six or so punches to Ventura’s then-cocky cranium.

The sixth one seems to be the most clear.

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Both benches are cleared. Men with ridiculous mustaches and mullet combos fight in slow motion. Ryan and Ventura seethed at each other from across the melee, gaining their composure. Something angers Ryan and the brawl begins anew. The dog pile stews a bit longer, and then both teams begin filtering back into the dugouts to continue the game. Compared to a hockey fight, it’s a playground shoving match.

Ryan was just months from retirement. He didn’t care. His place in baseball history was long secured.

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It was this fight that would make Ryan even cooler in many of our eyes, grizzled even. People all tell the story differently. This was before social media, YouTube and the like. Now, the video would have been viral in seconds. Back then, the clip surfaced only here and there on baseball highlight reels.

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When fans relayed the tale to friends who hadn’t seen it, sometimes they would add that Ryan literally ripped Ventura’s ears off in the fight. Sometimes, Ventura, in the telling, wept like a baby and it was evident afterward that he wet his pants.

For some reason many people get this incident mixed up with the September 1990 game in which the Kansas City Royals’ Bo Jackson smashed a line drive into Ryan’s lip, creating a bloody jersey and face for Ryan. For his part, Ryan still threw the nimble Jackson out at first base. He continued to play covered in blood, which was frickin‘ awesome.

Jackson was also a part of that Ventura-inspired brawl in Arlington three years later, but as a supporting player.

In 2012, Ryan and Ventura met on more friendly terms before a White Sox-Rangers game at the Rangers Ballpark and shook hands after years of not speaking on the matter.

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“It’s something that happened in the heat of the moment. I’m surprised that a mere baseball fight, and I’d had a few others over the years, could have this kind of life,” Ryan told USA Today around the time of the 2012 meeting.

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Ventura told the sports blog that it was more of an outgrowth of what kind of turmoil the two teams were embroiled in at the time. He wasn’t going after Ryan as a person.

“It wasn’t a me-against-him thing,” Ventura said.

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You can now buy framed and signed prints of the Ventura/Ryan fight, with both slinging their signatures onto it, at sports memorabilia shows and on eBay. Some even have Rodriguez in the picture, too.

A graphic artist, Jon Smith, has turned the incident into a poster and a T-shirt which should be in every man's man-cave or closet in Texas and beyond. Don’t mess with Texas, indeed.