That same video Axtell refers to shows the guy on deck, Richie Sexson, being — as Geoff Baker refers to in his blog — stunned at the goings-on and not reacting as instantly or as vociferously as Ellison.

Baker asks “can we just please get off Richie Sexson’s back” about all that. I suppose there’s been some blather on KJR criticizing Sexson.

For those who might still complain, hey, the video shows Richie with the bat still in his hand. I think it was probably a wise thing for him to stay out of the Ellison/Blanton mix-it-up the way he did. It wouldn’t have been good if someone perceived him as a greater threat.

haha that’s funny stuff. Perhaps they should have seen the video where Blanton wasn’t even looking at the ball, as it was a couple feet away from Ichiro at that point.

As far as Ellison goes, he set off the incident? A guy defending his teammate? Yeah, that’s right.

Morons.

“Joe Blanton was ejected from Sunday’s game in the seventh inning for his role in a bench-clearing incident against the Mariners.
He was going to be taken out anyway. Raul Ibanez had a three-run double in the seventh to give the Mariners a 5-3 lead. On the play, the ball got past the catcher, and Ichiro Suzuki, who had scored, happened to be standing near where it landed. Blanton, backing up the play, shoved Ichiro rather harmlessly to get to the ball, and that’s where it should have ended. However, Jason Ellison, who had also scored, decided to push Blanton, setting off the incident that led to both benches clearing. We understand Ellison getting feisty when he’s only in the lineup once a month, but he should have minded his own business this time.” Jul. 8 – 6:07 pm et

“Miguel Batista was so irate because he didn’t know why he got thrown out. He was trying to go after the umpires, not Blanton, when restrained. It turns out the umpires had seen somebody jump a barrier between the visiting clubhouse tunnel and the field to enter the fray. They didn’t know who it was and told manager John McLaren they were going to throw Ichiro out of the game unless he gave them a name of another player.
McLaren gave them Batista’s name, knowing he wasn’t going to be used in any event during the game. Didn’t have time to fill Batista in on his little plan. “

“The fact that the person who got pushed was not as excited as everybody else was funny to me,” he said through an interpreter. “I didn’t feel like I was pushed; it was more like getting out of the way. I understood why he did what he did and at the same time I was happy to see Ellison do what he did. The way we’re playing it feels like this team is bonding.”

Yay, maybe he is starting to like the Mariners!

“I was just going after the ball.”

I thought that guy standing there with the name ‘Ichiro’ on the back was the ball…my bad.

“They had a lot of guys standing around who had scored and were on deck.”

And I was peeved because I’m a tubby, mediocre pitcher who just got lit up for a three run double, and these guys are way, way faster than me!

“I hit somebody and I’m not even sure what happened after that.”

From my many years of martial arts training, I go into a trance like state when threatened…and by threatened I mean by having the bases loaded, then unloaded by a bases-clearing triple. I went for the smallest guy and gave him a shove because, in the end, I’m a sissy.

“I didn’t think I did anything wrong.”

Really, I don’t. Pushing a guy who’s just standing there is what we call ‘Oakland Justice’.

“[Ellison] was trying to get his teammate’s back and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Not that any of these scrubs in Oakland would have mine…I’m a self-absorbed SOB who hates everyone. I’d be a perfect fit in NY. Giambi got a big deal from them, why can’t I be a yankee too?

“There’s other stuff he did that bothers me, but I’m not going to say.”

Namely, lighting me up for 3 hits and effectively doubling his hit total for the YEAR in one day against me. Many I *hate* that guy.