Two reasons that the Yankees-Red Sox playoff brawl of 2003 may have been the best baseball fight of all time: 1. Don Zimmer body-slam goodness, and how often do you see that? And 2., we continue to reap fantastic quotes, even five years later. In an interview with Michael Kay for the YES Network program Center Stage on Monday, Jorge Posada criticized Pedro Martinez — who was with the Red Sox then — for his actions in the fight. Martinez then fired back with an angry tirade on Tuesday. Let's watch the fun. Said Posada:
"I thought he was going to hit me in the head with a bat after we had the fight and he pushed Don Zimmer," Posada said. "It was ridiculous. I mean, he throws at Karim Garcia because he's losing the game. I mean, there's no class."
Martinez responds:
"When I pointed to the head, it wasn't precisely to tell him that I wanted to hit him in the head," Martinez said. "Nah. He's a human being, he has a family, and I'm a professional. [The pointing to the head] was because he cursed my mom. I was telling him, 'I'll remember that.' " "He knows — he's Latin, as much as he pretends to be American, he's Latin — that cursing your mom in Latin America will get you into a fight," Martinez said. "That's something I would never do to his mom, because she doesn't play. She's not on the field. She's someone you admire and respect, and I didn't like that."
Martinez was the losing pitcher in the Mets' 7-2 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday, a result which allowed the Phillies to regain first place in the East. But perhaps this is the spark that's going to carry Pedro and the Mets back into first. Just kidding; they're doomed, as you know. Pedro Livid Over Posada Diss [New York Post]