After sleeping on it, David Ortiz talked to reporters about his skirmish with Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kevin Gregg. Late in Friday’s game, Gregg brushed Ortiz back, throwing far enough inside to make the Red Sox designated hitter take a step back. Gregg induced a pop-up later in the at bat and the fight was on.
David Ortiz Apologizes For Fight, Says Kevin Gregg Pushed Him Too Far
Ortiz told the Boston Herald he wasn’t proud of his actions, but also didn’t feel like the fight was his fault. Gregg pitched inside to Ortiz, and the Red Sox slugger thought he was being thrown at. The two exchanged words at the end of the at-bat, resulting in a minor, bench-clearing shoving match.
“That’s my first time doing something like that,” he said. “I don’t feel proud with a situation like that. I’m the kind of person, I don’t like being (that) person, you know what I’m saying? I feel like I was pushed last night to do something like that. This is a guy that I always face, and he never pitches in. He throws a whole bunch of pitches inside, and I’m pretty sure he was trying to hit me. No question about that. After I hit the fly ball he started screaming at me. I’m not going to take that like a little (expletive). You are going to act like you are my daddy or something like that, I ain’t going to take that. Everybody is a grown man here, and if you want to have respect, you got to respect.
Ortiz added he hadn’t been in a fight since kindergarten. Though he understands the MLB will likely slap him with a suspension, Ortiz told reporters he wasn’t the instigator and blamed Gregg for the dust-up.
Punishments for Gregg, Ortiz or any others will likely come after the All-Star break, giving the MLB time to evaluate the situation without interrupting next week’s exhibition.
For more on the fight and any punishments the two may receive, stay with this StoryStream.
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