It hasn’t even been a week since the MLB world witnessed an intense, volatile situation that unfolded during the Nationals-Pirates matchup. And now, here we are; once again, something similar has taken place way across the Pacific. First things first, how did things go so wrong in the major league game of Nationals vs. Pirates that it lines up so well with Nippon Professional Baseball?
It all stems from when Nationals’ pitcher Jorge López was suspended after almost throwing a 92 mph pitch too close to Andrew McCutchen’s head. Ultimately, he fell to the ground, and that’s where things started going downhill. As a result, the benches started to clear. The speculations started to rise if he intended to do so in the first place or if it was just a slip. After MLB, such an incident took place in NPB as well.
Benches clear in the Hiroshima-Hanshin game after Seishiro Sakamoto gets drilled in the head by rookie Shun Okamoto.
Tigers manager Kyuji Fujikawa not pleased.
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) April 20, 2025
But you see, Nippon Professional Baseball just had its share of such brawls. During the April 20th game of Hiroshima vs Hanshin, Seishiro Sakamoto, the catcher of the Hanshin Tigers, was hit directly on his head by Hiroshima’s rookie, Shun Okamoto. And just like that, it resulted in another bench-clearing instance. You know what makes it a bit different from MLB? Japanese Baseball is usually renowned for its disciplined culture. So, it’s a bit surprising that such a tense incident took place in NPB.
On the other hand, Kyuji Fujikawa, the Hanshin tigers’ manager, was visibly frustrated by this instance and wasn’t pleased at all. Fujikawa has a blazing reputation from his playing days as a pitcher in both the NPB and MLB.
Meanwhile, just when this brutal bench-clearing chaos was out, there were several speculations raised on X that it seemed intentional. It’s a claim by the NPB nation that is backed by the evident fierce rivalry between these two teams. The longtime data showcased that such hit-by-pitch instances only occur in such heated rivalries like Hiroshima and Hanshin.
Similarly, a study was conducted back in 2023 by the Japan Society for Baseball Science. It came to light that there has been a 15% increase in hit-by-pitches in Hiroshima-Hanshin matchups. This incident sent a clear message to both the MLB and NPB worlds. It doesn’t matter how disciplined the league is; when the temper flares up, it can spiral a routine game into a war in no time. However, don’t you think there should be a way to control it?
Why are such volatile situations not controlled in MLB?
Such bench-clearing chaos tops the headlines naturally. But what’s even wilder? The fact that players are actually allowed to be part of it. Like, how is this even a thing?
It might take you by surprise that, unlike MLB, other sports like the NBA, NFL, and NHL, follow harsh rules that forbid bench players from participating in on-field brawls. Not just that, the NBA and NHL strictly issue suspensions to make sure that rules are followed with all discipline. Their reasoning is pretty simple. For damage control, they just limit numbers.
In MLB? Oh, it’s a different story altogether. There are virtually no limits. Of course, apart from the barred players on the injured list. The bullpen players who are placed behind the outfield come running like they’re in a sprint. And the result? They simply add to the chaos.
This issue is being raised for the first time, though. A New York Times piece from 20 years ago asked why such a sport that has all the rules doesn’t include one that has a limit on the players that come running to the field. Eventually, there were just discussions and negotiations over this piece. And no official agreement was out.
Until there’s a rule that helps control these incidents, we might witness such instances again.
The post After MLB, NPB Becomes Victim of Bench-Clearing Chaos as Japanese Star Takes Brutal Blow to the Head appeared first on EssentiallySports.
