Although I’ve always hated most of the ridiculous unwritten rules in the sport of baseball, there are definitely certain plays that just feel unprofessional and amateurish – in other words, Bush League. For me, if it’s a standard baseball play like a bunt or stolen base, I don’t care what the score is, I don’t consider it bush league. But there are times when players cross a line from real baseball plays to straight up bush league by breaking the rules, intentionally hitting batters for ridiculous reasons, or just playing dirty and dangerously in a way the game is not designed. You don’t see bush league plays too often in the big leagues, but they do happen and in today’s video, we’ll look back at 10 of the most bush league and dirty moments that were caught on video in MLB history. These are moments that had major implications in the game and went beyond breaking unwritten rules in my opinion. Before jumping into the top 10, here’s a hilarious clip of a college player pretending to be hit by a pitch when the ball wasn’t even close to him – true next level bush league.

I also have one super dishonorable mention and I didn’t even know where to rank this one because I don’t know whether to call it bush league or pyscho league, but I had to at least mention Roger Clemens firing a bat at Mike Piazza during the 2000 World Series. Piazza had homered in three consecutive at bats against Clemens until their 4th meeting, earlier that season, when Clemens hit Piazza in the head with a fastball, causing him to miss the All Star Game. Every one was eager to see this match-up. What if Clemens hits him again? Would Piazza charge the mound? Or maybe it would be settled on the field. With all the speculation, no one, and I mean no one, could have predicted what actually went down.

Throwing that weapon of a broken bat towards Piazza goes beyond Bush League but I had to at least mention it as it was one of the most bizarre and insane moments in MLB history.

Now let’s get into the Top 10, and let me know in the comments, which of these do you think are dirty or bush league and which of them are completely legit.

10. Strickland Beans Harper

Pitchers throwing at hitters intentionally has always been a part of the game and it has created a debate among fans on whether it’s a good or bad thing. Some fans like it and think it’s a natural part of the game, but even those fans have to agree, a pitcher has to have a good reason to throw at a batter – usually as retaliation for a recent event or to send a message. But to retaliate nearly 3 years after the fact is unheard of and that’s what Hunter Strickland of the San Francisco Giants decided to do back in 2017, when he faced Bryce Harper for the first time since the 2014 playoffs, when Harper hit a couple of huge home runs off him.

Even as a Giants fan, I can’t defend this and even Buster Posey stood at the plate confused. There was no expectation he was going to do that and it caused a massive brawl, which ended the career of Giants 1st baseman Michael Morse after he ended up with a concussion. This intentional hit by pitch is especially bush league, because back in 2014, the Giants went on to win that series against the Nationals despite the Harper home runs, and in fact, they won the World Series as well.

9. A-Rod Distracts Fielder

This is the first, but certainly not last appearance of Alex Rodriguez on today’s list. I’m generally against unwritten rules and believe players should always try their best to win, even if it means bunting to break up a no-hitter, stealing with a decent lead, or swinging with a 3-0 count regardless of the score. But all those examples are real baseball plays. When it comes to a play like this – Alex Rodriguez yelling “Ha I got it!” as a baserunner to make the infielder think some one else is calling for the ball, that’s where I draw the line.

It could be argued that fielders try to decoy runners all the time with their motions, which is true, but screaming “I got it” as a baserunner to confuse an infielder looking up in the air and listening for his teammate to call him off seems a lot more bush league to me, but let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

8. Machado Kicks Aguilar

Manny Machado is no stranger to being called a bush leaguer. Here’s an example of his dropping the bat right by a catcher’s feet to cause him to miss a pop fly.

A notoriously dirty player, at least earlier in his career, Machado also created controversy against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2018 NLCS. First, there was the way he slide into second base in Game 3, reaching out with his hand to stop a double play.

Then, he appeared to intentionally kick first baseman Jesus Aguilar’s foot while running to first base on a groundout.

This caused benches to empty and tempers to flare. Luckily, Aguilar wasn’t seriously injured, but Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich called the play “a dirty play by a dirty player.”

7. Dempster Throwing at A-Rod

Next up is another incident involving A-Rod, but this time he was on the receiving end of the bush league antics. In 2013, just as Rodriguez was returning from a long stint on the D.L., it was announced he would be suspended for taking PED’s as part of the Biogenesis Scandal, but because he was appealing, he would still get to play. A couple weeks later, Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster, who had no known previous beef with A-Rod, decided he was going to drill him no matter what. He threw the first pitch behind him, and kept going inside on him until the 4th pitch nailed A-Rod in the elbow.

It was obviously intentional, but when umpire Brian O’Nora failed to eject Dempster and gave out warnings to both teams, Yankees manager Joe Giardi flipped out and ended up getting ejected himself. Dempster eventually was suspended 5 games and fined an undisclosed amount. He admitted to hitting Rodriguez on purpose in 2016.

Although lots of fans loved to see A-Rod getting drilled, I find plays like this bush league for a number of reasons, but in this case, he sent a message with the first pitch and missed him, so there was no need to throw at him again, especially when the only reason he was throwing at him was because he didn’t like him – there was no on-field incident; Dempster just decided he was going to drill A-Rod.

6. Jose Tabata Leans Into Scherzer’s Pitch

This one is a little tough to include because I hate most of the unwritten rules and one of the stupidest is the ridiculous ‘no bunting during a no-hitter’ rule. If a pitcher is working on a no-hitter or perfect game, I want to break it up as a hitter and get something started for my team – but only within the rules. Leaning into a pitch to intentionally get hit in order to break up a perfect game with 2 outs in the ninth of a 6-0 game has to be considered bush league. First of all, it’s against the rules, as not only can you not lean into a pitch, you have to make an effort to avoid getting hit in order to be awarded first base. But Jose Tabata made no such effort when he was facing Max Scherzer, who was working on a perfect game with 2 outs in the 9th inning.

So, yes, I always say, try your best to win and help your team within the rules. If Tabata bunted for a hit or even if Scherzer threw one right at Tabata and it hit him, I’d have no issue with this. But to lean into one and let it hit you in a situation like that is completely bush league, and the umpires probably should’ve called him out. Instead, Scherzer’s perfect game was ruined, but fortunately he got the next one for the no-hitter.

5. Mota Beans Piazza

Next up is one of the most insane moments I’ve seen on a baseball field. I’ve never seen a player more maniacally pissed off than Mike Piazza was during a game when he was hit by a pitch by Guillermo Mota. The story goes back farther than the hit by pitch. During 2002 Spring Training at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Mike Piazza was the target of several hit by pitches and he finally had enough after Guillermo Mota beaned him in the back with a 3-0 pitch. Piazza gave Mota an angry look but took his base then was replaced by a pinch runner.

Later in the game, as Mota was walking by the Mets dugout, Piazza confronted him and things quickly got heated with Piazza grabbing him by the shirt. Some shoving occurred, but no punches where thrown.

Fast forward to Spring Training 2003, and Piazza was facing Mota once again. Mota threw the first pitch uncomfortably inside. Then on the next, he intentionally drilled Piazza with an up and in pitch and shit completely hit the fan.

I’ve never seen an entire team go after a pitcher like that, never seen a pitcher that terrified and never saw this look before in my life – I fear what Mike Piazza would have done to Mota if he got his hands on him. But ultimately, it was an absolute bush league move to drill Piazza like that in a Spring Training game a year later, although I can’t blame him for back-peddling and running away, just look at Mike Piazza’s face.

4. Utley Breaks Tejada’s Leg

There’s been so many examples of the reckless “slide” into second base trying to take out the fielder going for the double play, you can include them all here. For most of baseball history, it was expected the runner would make an aggressive slide to break up a double play at second base, but sometimes, the runner takes it way too far, such as Chase Utley here taking out Ruben Tejada, which resulted in a broken leg.

Utley wasn’t even trying to hide the fact he was taking out the fielder and not at all trying to slide into second base. Another example happened in a Giants Cardinals playoff game when Matt Holliday takes out and Marco Scutaro. In the play, which I watched live, I initially thought Scutaro had to be seriously injured.

MLB made some rule changes in 2016 to prevent these types of dangerous plays in which fielders can get seriously injured. A runner now has to make a bonafide slide into second base, otherwise both runners will be called out, but it should be noted even before the rule changes, these types of slides should never have been legal. Under the old rules, umpires could call out a runner if he “willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder with the obvious intent to break up a double play.” I would say both the Utley and Holliday slides qualify.

3. Albert Belle Levels Vina

But coming in at #3 is one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen in an MLB game, a break up of a double play that somehow didn’t cause an all-out brawl. Albert Belle didn’t even make it to second base before absolutely leveling Fernando Vina, who made an attempt to tag Belle before throwing to first. He obviously never got the throw off.

Somehow, Vina held on to the ball and had some words for Belle, who took him out earlier in the game as well.

2. A-Rod’s Glove Swat

Up next is a play we’ve seen a few times and I find it completely bush league. In this case, it was a playoff game - Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series with the Red Sox needing a win to force a Game 7. They had a 4-2 lead in the 8th with one out and Derek Jeter on first base. Up stepped Alex Rodriguez with a chance to tie the game. Instead, here’s what happened.

A-Rod appeared to actually swat the ball right out of pitcher Bronson Arroyo’s glove. This doesn’t feel fair at all, but is it actually against the rules? Well, per section 6.,1 of the MLB Umpire Manual, “While contact may occur between a fielder and runner during a tag attempts, a runner is not allowed to use his hands or arms to commit an obviously malicious or unsportsmanlike act.”

After Red Sox manager Terry Francona argued the call, the 6 umpires got together and changed the call from safe to out. The Yankee fans flipped out and began to throw trash on to the field, but most agree the call turned out correct as replay shows A-Rod intentionally slapping Arroyo’s hand to free the ball. The Red Sox went on to win the game, the series and then the World Series.

1. Kent Hrbek Takes Down Gant

But coming in at #1 was a classic moment I remember watching live to do this day - it was Game 2 of one of the greatest World Series in the history of the Game as the Twins and Braves, two last place teams from 1990 went toe to toe in the 1991 Fall Classic. The Twins were up 2-1 in the 3rd when Ron Gant picked up a two-out base hit, sending Lonnie Smith to third. After Gant rounded first and the ball briefly got away, pitcher Kevin Tapani tried to throw him out as he retreated back to first base. Gant was back in time until first baseman Kent Hrbek decided to go full WWF Wrestling, remove him from the base and tag him out.

Power-hitter Dave Justice would’ve been up with two men on but instead, the inning was over as the umpire ruled Gant out, saying his momentum pulled him off the bag.

The Braves ended up losing the game in 3-2 and the Twins eventually won the 1991 World Series in 7 games. I find it hard to believe Ron Gant was going to fall over off the back during a simple retreat. I find it pretty clear Hrbek helped him off that base, but let me know – bush league or fair play?