Alfredo Aceves Took a Few Punches at the World Baseball Classic

Alfredo Aceves had an interesting Saturday night. The Red Sox reliever was one of dozens of players involved in the World Baseball Classic fight between Mexico and Canada. ESPN’s Jim Caple was there:

Here’s what happened: Canada held a 9-3 lead in the top of the ninth inning when catcher Chris Robinson, who had been involved in some earlier hard slides and a collision at home plate, led off by bunting for a hit down the third-base line for a single. Evidently forgetting—or not caring—about the run-differential tiebreaker, Mexico third baseman Luis Cruz was so disgusted that he pointed to his side, openly instructing [pitcher Arnold] Leon to drill the next batter in retaliation.

Leon did, though it took three pitches—and an umpire’s warning on both pitches—before he finally hit Rene Tosoni to set off the fight that cleared the benches and produced one-on-one fights around home plate.

Aceves was right in the middle of things. Starting at about 3:30 in the video, you can see him taking a few big punches—and Canada’s first-base coach Larry Walker trying to hold him back.

After the game, Walker spoke to reporters and unleashed one of the best quotes of the year: “I had a hold of him, and I think I saw Satan in his eyes. It was scary. I was just hoping he wasn’t going to throw punches at me, because that would’ve been trouble.”