Revisiting the Time Rougned Odor Punched Jose Bautista in the Face and Ignited Massive Rangers-Blue Jays Brawl

Tensions between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays were high after a contentious game in the 2015 playoffs. Game 5 included a controversial play where Rougned Odor took home on a strange, errant toss back to the mound, which led Toronto fans to begin throwing trash on the field. The bad blood culminated in Jose Bautista delivering one of the most aggressive and cathartic bat flips in Major League Baseball history when he hit a three-run go-ahead shot, sending the Jays to the ALCS. The stage was set for a bitter feud, but things wouldn't boil over again until May of 2016.

The teams met again, and it was clear that neither team had forgotten what happened a few months prior. In the top of the eighth, Matt Bush of the Rangers beaned Jose Bautista with a pitch to open the inning. Bautista chirped Bush following the possibly intentional shot. A few pitches later, Justin Smoak smacked what was sure to be an easy double play ball. But as Bautista came into second, he slid through Odor's legs, killing the play. Odor was furious, and after a push into Bautista's chest, he threw the greatest right cross in baseball history.

Both teams cleared the benches. It was chaos on the field, and after seven months of stewing over a playoff game turned ugly, there was finally some boiled-over action. The bat flip heard around the world was eclipsed by a punch that will forever be synonymous with Rougned Odor.

Odor was given a seven-game suspension for the swing, but for many fans, it's a play that's always going to be worth the cost.