Mayhem at MLB Game in America

Mayhem at MLB Game in America

Mayhem at MLB Game in America

Mayhem at MLB Game in America

Benches clear after Carlos Gomez homers, argues with Braves and Brian McCann blocks him from going home

 

Here we go again. The Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers spilled onto the field in the first inning of Wednesday's game after Carlos Gomez admired a home run he hit off Braves pitcher Paul Maholm.
That led to Gomez jawing with Braves players — including Maholm and first baseman Freddie Freeman — as he rounded the bases. By the time Gomez reached home plate, Braves catcher Brian McCann was waiting for him, angrily blocking the plate and ready to get in Gomez's face, possiblity to give him a lecture on the unwritten rules of baseball. Have you seen such home run plate-block before? Gomez didn't even cross the plate before the benches cleared and both teams turned into a mob behind home plate.
Gomez, Atlanta's Gerald Laird and Freeman, the usually huggy first basemen, were ejected from the game once things calmed down. McCann was not. Neither was the Braves' Reed Johnson who appears to have taken a swing at Gomez. And, for what it's worth, Gomez never did cross the plate.

UPDATE: After the game, McCann left without talking to reporters. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez called Gomez's actions "embarrassing." Gomez explained himself to reporters and apologized on Twitter. Here's what Gomez said to reporters, via David O'Brien at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"I’ve been seven years in the league and I know when I get hit on purpose and when not,” Gomez said. “And I get hit many times and I put my head down. (McCann) was screaming at me but you expect that because I hit a home run and pimp it up. If I’m from the other side I’d be doing that too. But I’m not afraid to do this. If I’m the catcher, I do the same thing. His (job) is to protect his pitchers, protect your teammates and it is what it is. I respect McCann. All his players, I’m apologizing to his manager, the organization ... I don’t expect to hit a home run and (be) talking all around the bases. The reason that I was talking is because they talked to me back and I responded.”