Chicago Cubs: Top five memorable bench-clearing incidents

Chicago Cubs: In Chicago, they say that Anthony Rizzo became captain of the team that day.

In the hot July sun at Great American Ballpark, the Cubs and Reds got into it back on 7/10/14. It was around the time the team started showing signs of promise for the future with their young guys, including Anthony Rizzo. This conflict would begin with Rizzo and future Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman, who was still on the Reds at the time.

It was a 4-4 tie in the ninth inning with Nate Schierholtz facing Chapman. The first two pitches flew right up and over Schierholtz’s head at 100+ MPH. Rizzo and the Cubs dugout began to jaw a little at Chapman. The at-bat eventually ended in a strikeout with Chapman staring down the Cubs dugout, which made Rizzo mad as he leaned over the railing and began shouting again at him. As Junior Lake made the final out on a groundout, Champan waived his glove at the Cubs dugout.

In between innings, Rizzo at first and the Reds dugout exchanged words, and it all went down from there. Rizzo dropped his hat and glove and walked towards the dugout, ready to take them on. Benches cleared, and the shoving match began. It did not get too physical, but there was plenty of shouting and shoving. Looking back at the replay, Rizzo mainly wanted Champan and Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon tried holding him back.

This was not much of a brawl, but this helped give Rizzo the reputation of team leader. Ironic how Rizzo and Chapman would become teammates later and win a World Series.