When David Ortiz got involved in a bench-clearing brawl with Kevin Gregg

World Baseball Classic Semifinals: Mexico v Japan
World Baseball Classic Semifinals: Mexico v Japan. David Ortiz speaks prior to the World Baseball Classic Semifinals between Team Japan and Team Mexico at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

In the 2011 season, Ortiz was provoked by Kevin Gregg and the situation soon devolved into an all-out brawl.

The incident took place in July 2011, when the Red Sox were playing against the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox were winning since the first innings with 8-0 in their favor. Coming into the eighth innings, a brawl started between the two teams.

Kevin Gregg, who was a Baltimore Orioles pitcher at the time, threw a pitch that was a little too inside in the eighth innings. However, this did not start the brawl, and Ortiz started to go back to the plate.

However, Gregg said something taunting to Ortiz that ended up making the designated hitter really angry. He then charged towards the pitcher of the Baltimore Orioles and threw punches. Thus, the brawl started.

In an interview with Mass Live that was released one day after the brawl. David Ortiz talked about the brawl and how ashamed he felt about it. Ortiz said:

"I don't feel proud of a situation like that. I don't like being pushed, I feel like I was pushed last night to do something like that."

The former Red Sox player elaborated on the fight by revealing how Gregg invoked the fight with his words in the interview.

"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 take that like a little (punk). This is a grown ... man here."

The Baltimore Orioles lost that game and ended 10-3 in the Red Sox's favor.

When David Ortiz expressed his dismay at being involved in the brawl and disappointing his children

Cleveland Guardians v Boston Red Sox
Cleveland Guardians v Boston Red Sox

The 2011 brawl between the Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles will forever be remembered by David Ortiz.

Ortiz revealed in the 2011 Mass Live interview that he hasn't been part of a fight since kindergarten and was disappointed with himself because of it. He cited what he thought would happen if his children saw the fight, what questions they would have of him and how disappointed they would be:

"You saw the argument, and then after that you're going to act like my daddy after that? I'm not going to take that."

David Ortiz has three children, two boys, and one girl, their names are D'Angelo, Jessica, and Alexander.

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