Sutter reminded me about this earlier today, so I looked it up.
This current batch of bad blood started last year on June 8th, when Alfonso Soriano hit 3 homers against the Braves in Atlanta and the Cubs beat the snot out of them 9-1.
Next day, Tim Hudson drilled Soriano on the first pitch of the game.
The first pitch.
After that game, Lou's quote wasn't obvious about Hudson's intent - he just said, "Hudson has pretty good control, let's put it that way."
But you know and I know what he meant.
The next day was the famous e.s.p. call by home plate ump Jim Wolff, when he tossed Lilly in the first inning for hitting Edgar Renteria and saying later that he knew Lilly hit Renteria on purpose.
Huh?
Then Edgar stole second and in the process (and on camera) punched a stunned Mike Fontenot in the face.
NOBODY could believe he wasn't tossed for it, or that a real fight didn't break out at that one.
So... cut to 2008.
The Braves are about 10 games under .500 in 4th place.
They're a shell of their former selves and the Cubs come to town at the top of their game.
Soriano hits what he thinks is a homer when the Cubs are way up in game 1 of a doubleheader, does the premature jack-elation and ends up with a single.
So now when I think about it, maybe Fonsie was thinking back to June 8, 2007.
But it backfired when the ball stayed in the park.
Next time up, some minor league Brave pitcher comes in for only one purpose, to throw at Soriano's head.
He gets tossed.
I'm sure Bobby Cox will pay his fine.
Tonight Ted Lilly hits Brave shortstop Yunel Escobar.
In the shoulder or elbow - I didn't see.
Benches clear, but there are no punches thrown.
I guess that's just baseball, and it's all even now.
But I think Bobby Cox is actually what sounds like the non-plural pronunciation of his name.
So step aside Bobby, your team doesn't matter.
The Cubs win tonight 11-7 and sweep the Braves 6 games to nothin' for 2008 by a combined score of 49 to 18.
That's about what Ohio State's gonna do to Youngstown State when college football starts in a couple weeks, Bobby.
Now, the bad news.
I was listening to the radio so I didn't see it, but Aramis Ramirez executed what must have been a pretty hard slide into home plate and left the game.
Later, Pat Hughes said it was a contusion of his left hip, or a "hip pointer".
We'll see what that means eventually, but when it happened I thought I might upchuck in my office.
Don't be hurt, Aramis.
Okay?
