Prince Fielder tries to force his way into Dodgers clubhouse

Prince Fielder apparently wanted to deliver a message late Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium in the wake of the Dodgers' 17-4 thrashing of the Milwaukee Brewers.

With a number of his teammates in pursuit, Fielder the Brewers' first baseman stormed into a tunnel leading to the Dodgers' clubhouse following the final out of a ninth inning in which he had been plunked on the right thigh with a pitch by reliever Guillermo Mota.

Fielder was apparently incensed because he felt the pitch was in retaliation for Brewers reliever Chris Smith hitting Manny Ramirez with a pitch in the seventh inning after the Dodgers slugger had homered and driven in three runs.

Fielder was stopped outside the Dodgers' main clubhouse entrance by security guards and his own teammates, who forced him to retreat to the Brewers' clubhouse.

"He was trying to throw a cutter and it just missed," Fielder said sarcastically of Mota's pitch that left a large welt and led to the reliever's ejection.

Mota did not immediately appear at his locker after the game, leaving catcher Russell Martin to speak for him.

"It's protection," Martin said of the payback pitch. "It's just about keeping the team unified and pulling the wagons together."

Martin said the Dodgers didn't want to repeat the same scenario they had in the National League championship series last year against Philadelphia, when they were intimidated by Phillies pitchers and refused to retaliate.

The Dodgers hitters struck plenty of blows during a seven-run sixth inning and a five-run eighth on the way to setting a season high for runs and amassing their biggest outburst at home since they scored 17 runs on May 25, 1979, against Cincinnati.

-- Ben Bolch

Photo: Milwaukee's Prince Fielder talks with home plate umpire Lance Barksdale after being hit by a pitch from Dodger reliever Guillermo Mota during the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 17-4 victory Tuesday. Credit: Gus Ruelas / Associated Press

Comments

[Princewasright]

One of the dumbest things I've ever seen. You can say its part of the game,but to have a reliever warming up in the ninth with two outs and your up by 14, tells you it comes straight from the top. Joe Torre should be ashamed.

[Garrett]

This is just old-school baseball. Martin's right. You hit Manny after a home run, you should expect your bopper to get hit. Keeps accounts straight.

Fielder's acting like it was personal and career-threatening. It wasn't. It was a ball that hit his leg.

Glad Mota stepped up and played it the old way. I was incensed at Beginningsley's lack of heart, lack of stature, and lack of guts last year in the playoffs against the Phillies. I haven't liked him since. What would Don Drysdale think? Johnny Roseboro? Newcombe? Fernando? C'mon.

Martin's a mensch to say it out loud. "It's protection."

[joneric]

Right on Garrett, I completely agree!

Good on Mota for doing it the old fashioned way and Martin for telling it like it is.

And no matter how you look at it, it all comes back on Billingsley for his gutless meltdown at last year's NLCS.

Glad the 'pen got back to basics!

[UnderstandAlthough....]

...but Guierrmo and Prince were friends (and I assume they still are). So why 96 mph? Also - you guys know that the additional security and ambulance were for a member of the crowd who'd gotten sick, right?
*I did see you guys and the Phils - I remember when Billinglsey did not retaliate for Manny. (Brett Meyers pitching?) It's good that Kuroda got Victorino the next game. I totally cheered for you guys.
So I understand, but I can tell you the Brewers are not the Phillies. I'm hoping Chris didn't come that high inside on purpose. Pitchers have tried to get inside on Manny a lot because hit seems to have been working. Say he did do it on purpose? O.k. Then just hit the next batter, or wait until the next game. It was out of place, and the bullpen thing coupled with the power-arm of Mota just seemed overboard. And for Russel - I remember you got hit twice in the NLCS last year, and totally understand what you mean. This incident did leave a sour taste after the game and, uh...maybe you guys overdid it a bit (?)

[UnderstandAlthough....]

p.s. Manny is my favorite hitter in the world, and I'd want to protect him, too. I wish Chris Smith (a dead weight in our bullpen) had not attempted the pitch. The slump had gone on so long, but I was hoping it could wait a bit longer - like after Game #2!
Oyyyy. Prince is a good guy though, trust me ; ) He really looks up to Manny, and I think that's why his plate discipline has improved for us this year.

[UnderstandAlthough....]

Hmm..where did my other post go?

[BeimelsShotGlass]

Retaliation FTW!

[H_Aaron44]

Whether you're up by 14 doesn't matter. What does matter is that Manny was not hit on purpose in my opinion, therefore DONT THROW A FASTBALL at Prince in retaliation. I can see Mota (who by the way played for the Brewers last year) throwing at Fielder if Manny was hit on purpose, but this is just plain stupid. I have a feeling this will brew up quite a stir at tomorrow's game.

[Harry Reed]

The thing I am having trouble believing is Russell Martin actually admitting that the Dodgers threw at Fielder. "It's protection" and "we did'nt want a repeat of the same scenario for the playoffs. O K now that admission was less than bright because it leaves the door open for suspensions

[SGVBaseball]

I so knew that was coming right before it happened. Was watching the game with my boys and paused it right as Fielder stepped up with 2 outs to explain what was about to happen. It was the right thing to do and I respect Martin more than ever for saying it like it is. Anyone that does not understand why that throw was needed does not understand the sport. Have tix for tonight's game so wondering if it will carry over. I never want to see that kind of thing, but it is part of the game and I hope it never changes.

[Real Fake Sports]

What did he think he was going to do if he got into the Dodgers clubhouse?

[UnderstandTheGame]

I so knew that Prince was going to go to the Dodger clubhouse after the game. Was watching the game with my little girls (aka Dodger fans) and paused it right as Fielder went to the Dodgers after the game. It was the right thing to do and I respect Prince more than ever for saying it like it is. Anyone that does not understand why Prince retaliated like a MAN after he was provoked into a street fight, does not understand LIFE.

[sofia garcia]

i think it just old school baseball and that it was nessary you just cant let them getting away with hitting your star player after hitting a home run and double as long as it's not toward the head then it will end up stirring some maddness just got to make your point though mota had to stick up for manny