On July 30, 1999 — Paul Byrd of the Phillies plunks Braves catcher Eddie Perez on the back, precipitating a bench-clearing brawl between the two already unfriendly ball clubs. As the battle rages on, the two instigators are discovered praying together when the pitcher’s prayer for forgiveness is overheard by the angry batter.
Curt Schilling was the first to arrive on the scene after trouble started. “What Byrdie did is hard to do because your adrenaline gets so high,”, he said. “But he settled down. We needed that. He knew we needed it and he clutched up. “It should have been over (after Smoltz hit Arias). Some people need to take a class in how to play this game. They had every right to do what they did. But it should have ended right there.”
Byrd didn’t hit another batter, but continued to throw inside. “God blessed me with a short right arm that throws 85,” he explained. “I have to throw inside.” Said Francona: “It was about 100 degrees out there and they got aggravated. That’s a shame. But it happens.” Byrd picks up the win giving up just 3 hits and one run over seven innings.
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