Revisiting Michael Barrett Decking AJ Pierzynski in the Face to Start Cubs-White Sox Brawl

Brawls in MLB are a dime a dozen, given the emotional nature of some parts of the game, but a select few have managed to stand the test of time and continue to provoke interest and discussion decades after the initial impact. Due to its uncommon brutality, the 2006 fight between Chicago Cubs catcher Michael Barrett and Chicago White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski is one of those legendary fights. After Pierzynski ran Barrett over at the plate and slammed his hand on the base, Barrett slugged Pierzynski with a right hook that caused mass chaos to erupt.

Barrett was handed a 10-game suspension, while Pierzynski, White Sox outfielder Brian Anderson, and Cubs outfielder John Mabry were all ejected from this game. The White Sox ended up winning 7-0.

After winning a Silver Slugger in 2005 and hitting over .300 in 2006, Barrett's career started to take a dive after this game, as the former Expos star played in just 138 games from 2007-2009 before retiring. Pierzynski would play eight years with the White Sox, winning a World Series in what would be the best stretch of his 19-year career.

Luckily, the two made amends for this brawl when the two teams met at Wrigley Field in June of that season.

Rougned Odor might have come close, but Barrett's right hook might be the cleanest punch ever landed in an MLB game. There has never been a more perfect encapsulation of the White Sox-Cubs rivalry than this famous bit of fisticuffs.