I lost a great deal of respect for St. Louis' Tino Martinez Sunday.
In the fifth inning of Sunday's Cardinals-Diamondbacks game, Martinez was hit by a Miguel Batista 1-0 pitch, which was accompanied by a glare from the D-Back hurler. JD Drew followed with a ground ball forcing Martinez out at second base - a seemingly routine play.
The game quickly turned ugly when Martinez was jogging back to the Cardinals dugout and in mid-stride turned and charged Batista while his back was turned. Batista heard Marinez's footsteps, and at the very last second defended himself by throwing the baseball at him. The throw missed, but a brawl ensued, with Martinez becoming the bottom of a mugging.
Both Batista and Martinez were tossed, with Martinez getting the worst of the well-deserved beating. Known as one of baseball's "good guys," Martinez's attack was inexcusable and it should be he who is suspended and not the victim, Batista.
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Reach the reporter at damien.tippett@asu.edu.
