Tuesday night’s benches-clearing brawl between the Pirates and Reds was not the first time this year that the two clubs had a disagreement. In April, the Pirates didn’t like that Derek Dietrich admired his home run, so Chris Archer threw behind Dietrich the next time he came to the plate. The benches emptied, leading to one of the best baseball pictures ever taken:
Hang this in the Louvre. pic.twitter.com/2ArAXSEOqf
— Cut4 (@Cut4) April 7, 2019
The two incidents are actually part of a longer trend for the Pirates in which their thirst for revenge has escalated into benches-clearing incidents. Here’s a likely incomplete list of benches-clearing incidents involving the Pirates dating back to 2015. Each date links to a post we wrote about the incident so you can read the whole story.
I searched the posts we’ve made here since the start of the 2015 regular season, using the phrases “benches clear,” “benches empty,” and “tempers flare,” which are common phrases used for such incidents. With the usual disclaimer that this is very likely an incomplete list based on an incomplete methodology, I was able to find 45 benches-clearing incidents over the last five years. The Pirates were involved in nine of them -- 20 percent. The Rangers have been involved in eight such incidents, followed by the Cubs and Giants at 7, and the Royals at six. If you set the cutoff arbitrarily to May 30, 2018, the Pirates have been involved in five of 14 incidents (~36 percent).
Here’s my data set, sorted from most recent to oldest, for those of you who are curious:
| Date | Home | Away | Note |
| July 30, 2019 | Reds | Pirates | |
| July 28, 2019 | Athletics | Rangers | |
| June 29, 2019 | Reds | Cubs | |
| June 25, 2019 | Cubs | Braves | |
| June 10, 2019 | Braves | Pirates | |
| April 27, 2019 | Pirates | Reds | |
| April 17, 2019 | White Sox | Royals | |
| October 17, 2018 | Dodgers | Brewers | NLCS Game 4 |
| September 9, 2018 | Brewers | Giants | |
| August 15, 2018 | Braves | Marlins | |
| August 15, 2018 | Dodgers | Giants | |
| June 26, 2018 | Mets | Pirates | |
| June 2, 2018 | Angels | Rangers | |
| May 30, 2018 | Pirates | Cubs | |
| May 19, 2018 | Reds | Cubs | |
| April 29, 2018 | Royals | White Sox | |
| April 11, 2018 | Red Sox | Yankees | Benches emptied twice |
| April 11, 2018 | Rockies | Padres | |
| April 8, 2018 | Cardinals | Diamondbacks | |
| August 24, 2017 | Tigers | Yankees | |
| June 14, 2017 | Pirates | Rockies | |
| May 29, 2017 | Giants | Nationals | |
| May 17, 2017 | Giants | Dodgers | |
| May 1, 2017 | Astros | Rangers | |
| April 22, 2017 | Twins | Tigers | |
| September 26, 2016 | Blue Jays | Yankees | |
| September 25, 2016 | Pirates | Nationals | |
| September 15, 2016 | Braves | Marlins | |
| August 3, 2016 | Yankees | Mets | |
| July 7, 2016 | Cubs | Braves | |
| May 15, 2016 | Rangers | Blue Jays | |
| April 21, 2016 | Diamondbacks | Giants | |
| October 9, 2015 | Blue Jays | Rangers | |
| October 7, 2015 | Pirates | Cubs | NL Wild Card Game |
| August 25, 2015 | Yankees | Astros | |
| August 2, 2015 | Reds | Pirates | |
| August 2, 2015 | Blue Jays | Royals | |
| July 31, 2015 | Rangers | Giants | |
| July 22, 2015 | Padres | Giants | |
| July 19, 2015 | Astros | Rangers | |
| June 3, 2015 | Marlins | Cubs | |
| May 9, 2015 | Rays | Rangers | |
| April 23, 2015 | White Sox | Royals | |
| April 19, 2015 | Royals | Athletics | |
| April 12, 2015 | Angels | Royals |
Speaking to the media, including The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans, Reds manager David Bell said of the Pirates’ revenge-seeking ways, “It’s a shame that is allowed, and they’re able to get away with it. They celebrate it. They support. They clearly allow it. I don’t know if they teach, but they allow it. It’s dangerous.” Asked if his comment included Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle, Bell said, “He’s the manager. That has been going on all year. It’s bigger than baseball at this point. People you care about, their health is put jeopardy and nothing is done about it. We suffer for it.”
Pointing out the Pirates’ frequent involvement is not to excuse the behavior of any of their opponents, including Amir Garrett. Garrett, who took responsibility for his actions after Tuesday’s game, should be fined and suspended by Major League Baseball, as should Kela, Hughes, and Puig at minimum. Though other players may be guilty of their own immoral actions, the Pirates have a clear history of instigating and exacerbating conflicts with other teams. It’s worth keeping an eye on going forward, holding Hurdle and his players responsible.