...hey what do you expect from Canada??...you can bet they ALL played hockey as kids!

...the decidedly pro-Mexico crowd of 19,581.

All you need to know. Don´t even THINK about attending a USA-Mexico soccer match played anywhere south of Idaho.

Losing a baseball game to AND picking a fight against a country whose national sport is hockey equals double fail by Mexico.

If Canada and Mexico go to war, who will win? The USA obviously!

Bunting for a hit while leading 9-3 in the ninth -- in a tournament where run differentials matter?

Don Drysdale would´ve thrown that rock at the canadian batter´s knob.

You play to win. I remember back when Mgr. Brenly whined to the press about how a bunt in the 9th broke up a no-hitter for Curt Schilling during a Diamondbacks game. Like Schilling was entitled to get a no-hitter. You play to win, by whatever means you can, within the rules. If runs matter in a tie-breaker, then you score all the runs you can. The Mexicans were just being babies because the Canadians had cleaned their clocks from the top of the first inning in yesterday´s game.

The brawl didn´t mar the win for Canada. It marred the reputation of the Mexican team.

Agreed, if it was a normal game, bunting would be like trying to run up the score. But it´s a tournament, run differential matters. Explain that to the mexican pitcher who obviously was trying to hit the canadian batter.

I saw a film clip of the brawl last night while watching Hockey Night in Canada.

I attended the game that triggered Brenly´s little hissy-fit, #6. The circumstances were different from last night; it was a close MLB game between division rivals, and as such, nobody should expect an opposing team to serve up kid-glove treatment in order to protect a potential enemy no-hitter. Nuts to that.

Last night was different. The game was most likely over, it´s tournament play, and yes, having said what I just said, it remains true that there is such a thing as unwritten baseball etiquette -- in international tourneys more than anywhere else.

The Canadian bunt was a tacky move -- not exactly classless, but close -- and I would expect a little retaliation in the form of a beanball.

I support that, just as I support the occasional hockey fight. Fights and beaners are also a part of the unwritten etiquette in sporting events.

Re: the fracas in the bleachers, I´m no Carrie Nation by any means, but even Otis Campbell would agree that free-flowing booze in the stands is creating an untenable situation that will only become worse if left ignored and unbridled. I´ll never attend an NFL game ever again, in any city. A drunken mob is a drunken mob; no place I ever wish to be, ever.

Excellent points from every poster. Never pick a fight with a gang of hockey players, unless you´re already missing all your teeth.

That´s not brawling. That´s dancing compared to a Yankees Red Sox brawl.

I am tired of hearing about "etiquette" when a pro team is ahead by a bunch. The same people probably like to give out participation trophies. Everybody at this level is a big boy. I think it was Bobby Knight who said if you don´t want the other team to score any more on you than forfeit the rest of the game.

Does that sound harsh? Actually there´s a good reason - especially at very high levels of play, once you start "coasting" or quit playing as hard, you lose your focus and someone gets hurt.

The Mexican pitcher intentionally tried to hit the batter - he tried 2 previous times. I hope he gets remembered by the other team at every game that he´s involved in. The 3rd baseman that directed the pitcher to throw at the batter, too. He should have been ready for anything from the previous batter - including a bunt. They only message they sent was that they were a team of wusses.

Mexico really knows how to lose with class! It´s all machismo with them no sportsmanship!

What a bunch of PC idiots! It is ´not professional to run up the score´??? what an idiot!!
It is ALL ABOUT running up the score! It´s called WINNING. Why do you think they keep score in the first place?

Spot on, #11.
See also: Nolan Ryan v. Robin "Dude, Where´s my Head?" Ventura.

Adrian Gonzalez born in San Diego and playing for Mexico.. Jerk.

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