It began as an exchange of hostilities and very nearly resulted in an ugly incident.
Last week, on the wrong end of a one-sided blow out against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Milwaukee Brewers' Chris Smith hit Manny Ramirez with a pitch in the seventh inning.
Predictably, the Dodgers retaliated in the top of the ninth by plunking the Brewers' slugger Prince Fielder.
The pitch hit Fielder on the leg, and while there was some requisite jawing back and forth between the involved parties, it seemed like nothing more than a few hot words.
The real trouble began when the game ended. Fielder left the Brewers' clubhouse in a rage and headed down the hall in an effort to exact some up-close and personal revenge against Mota. Trailed by teammates intent on intercepting him and blocked by security guards outside the Dodgers' clubhouse, Fielder reluctantly abandoned his mission.
Days later, Mota and Fielder were fined but not suspended.
Ordinarily, players find a way to settle differences on the field. Throwing at hitters has been an undeniable part of baseball for decades, a way for players to gain a bit of frontier justice. Spend too much time admiring a home run? Expect a fastball in the rib cage in your next trip to the plate. Score a bunch of runs in a lopsided game, as the Dodgers did? Then get ready for one of your big hitters to get dusted in retaliation - as happened with Fielder.
It used to happen with greater frequency when players policed themselves and was an accepted - if not exactly encouraged - part of the game. But the ready availability of video highlights turned each beanball war into part of the 24-hour news cycle and in turn, led to a stern response by baseball authorities, with tougher disciplinary penalties.
Occasionally, the confrontations have led to off-field incidents. An exchange of hit batsman in a game between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2000 almost got out of hand when some Tampa Bay players waited in the parking lot to even the score with some members of the Red Sox.
And, ironically, Mota was the target of another furious victim of a hit-by-pitch in a spring training (!) exhibition game several seasons ago.
It's difficult to say why these confrontations have become more commonplace. Perhaps in an era when the average salary tops US$2 million (Dh7.34m), players feel like they have more of a financial stake, and thus, more to lose in the event of a debilitating injury from a "stray" pitch.
It should be noted that while his intent was obvious, Mota dutifully followed baseball's code. The pitch was not up near Fielder's head, eliminating the potential for serious injury. But Fielder still took great offence.
"I don't feel I overreacted, but I feel like my actions probably weren't the best," Fielder said. "I know there are better ways of handling it. I've learned from it. If I had it to do over again, I would have acted differently."
From the players' perspective, hitters and pitchers are only too happy to assign blame to the other party.
Pitchers think hitters are too sensitive and are standing close to the plate to ensure pitchers can't throw inside. Hitters counter that pitchers are too willing to hit them, knowing that, in the American League at least, they won't have to come to the plate and face possible retribution - thanks to the presence of the designated hitter.
If baseball really wants to cut down on the number of beanballs and bench-clearing (or, Fielder's case, clubhouse-charging) brawls, perhaps MLB should ignore them altogether. Often, they're more tedious exercises than they're worth. And when players patrolled themselves, they seemed to happen with less frequency.
smcadam@thenational.ae
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FORSPOKEN
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Assassin's%20Creed%20Mirage
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Starfield
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If%20you%20go
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
SPECS
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'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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New schools in Dubai
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
'Nope'
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