“If you’re walking or jogging, that’s not a good look. You’ve gotta sprint at full speed.” emmabaccellieri takes you inside the obligatory, yet often futile, trek for relievers during a baseball brawl
They realize from the start that all their effort is probably for naught: They often run all the way out there only to turn around for the walk back. While all their other teammates are either fighting or trying to stop each other from fighting, the relievers are stuck crossing the entire field. They realize their run is likely pointless. They know it’s a lot of ground to cover and, frankly, they would sometimes rather just not do it.
If a baseball team is a brotherhood, the bullpen can sometimes feel a bit like a set of step-brothers. Relievers are physically distant from their teammates in the dugout and bound by a different set of routines. But a bench-clearing can feel like a chance to demonstrate their commitment to the larger group: They know they’re far away, and they know they’ll probably be too late, but they’re still making the journey, distance be damned.