Yasiel Puig is back at it again. The former Dodgers star is making his presence felt in the Mexican League in more ways than one, with his antics on the diamond overshadowing his strong performance with the bat. Friday was yet another moment in the life of the mercurial Puig, as he once again became the story for a negative reason.
This time, he was hit on the elbow with a pitch. As he removed his various pads and batting gloves, Puig continued to speak his mind, mouthing off to the opposing bench, eventually touching off a benches clearing brawl.
Golpe a Yasiel Puig, discusión y se vaciaron las bancas entre Pericos de Puebla y El Águila de Veracruz. pic.twitter.com/cBL1kzqv8v
— Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (@LigaMexBeis) July 23, 2021
Former Dodgers star Yasiel Puig will not learn
This was not the typical baseball “brawl” which is essentially a glorified shovefest. Punches were thrown, including a couple by Puig, players were tackled, and chaos ruled for a couple of minutes before tempers cooled.
While no one wants to be hit by a pitch, it is difficult to understand why Puig would have had such a visceral reaction. He was hit on the elbow during a 1-2 count, where it was clear that the intent was to just throw a pitch on the inner part of the plate. However, the obvious intent did not matter.
Puig has been playing well in Veracruz. He has posted a .300/.389/.517 batting line in his 211 plate appearances, hitting ten homers and nine doubles while stealing seven bases. That type of performance could, in theory, lead to Puig getting another chance at the major league level.
But there is a reason why he had not played in the majors since 2019. His attitude and erratic behavior have made his presence a distraction. He needed to show that he could actually behave himself during the course of a season, something that he has been unable to do. Puig just will not learn from his previous mistakes.
Former Dodgers star Yasiel Puig touched off a brawl in the Mexican League on Friday. Some things just will never change.