Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael Griffin
In baseball, as in life, there are the good guys—the players who play the game the ‘right way.’ And then there are the others: the players who will do whatever it takes to win, even if it means bending or breaking the rules. These are the ones that fans love to boo when they come to their stadium. Here are 12 players who might, just might, sell their grandmother to get an extra W on their team’s record.
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Ty Cobb: The Spike-Kicking King of Chaos
Ty Cobb played ball like everyone on the opposing team owed him money. Infielders hated seeing him on the basepaths, since they knew he was going to come in with sharpened spikes high. Their trainers had to stock up on bandages on the days Detroit came to town.
Pete Rose: Charlie Hustle or Charlie Hostile?
There are those who see Pete Rose as someone who played the game hard and aggressively. Ray Fosse and Buddy Harrelson would have disagreed with that. The Hit King also liked to make some hits, like a football player would. The line between hard-nosed and dirty was never more blurry than with Rose.
Manny Machado: Spikes Up, Tempers High
What we’re seeing here is a close-up of Manny Machado going out of his way to spike Jesus Aguilar. It’s just one of many plays that have led to bench-clearing incidents and invitations to meet the slugger in the parking lot “to talk.” With their fists.
Juan Marichal: The Bat Heard ’Round the World
This is one of baseball’s most infamous images. Juan Marichal brandishing a bat after hitting catcher John Roseboro on the head with it — it resulted in 14 stitches for the Dodgers backstop. The 1965 incident happened because Marichal took exception to Roseboro’s throw back to the pitcher being too close to his head. The “Dominican Dandy” brought mayhem to the mound and a permanent blot on his Hall of Fame legacy.
Roger Clemens: Beanballs and Broken Bats
Here’s another time when the line between intimidation and dirty play blurred, or was even just plain old crossed. Roger Clemens had beaned Mike Piazza in a 2000 regular season game, an incident that led to the catcher refusing the Yankee hurler’s apology phone call. They met again in the World Series, and the infamous incident of the broken bat and hurled shard became immortalized. Hard to believe that October 2025 will mark 25 years since that happened.
Albert Belle: Corked Bats and Corked-Up Rage
Albert Belle was another one who danced between intense and dirty. He used a corked bat, but there was no cork in the elbow that connected with Fernando Vina’s face. Opponents gave him both sideye and a LOT of leeway.
Norm Cash: Corked Bat, Crooked Smile
Norm Cash was a prankster’s prankster. He tried to go up to the plate with a table leg when Nolan Ryan was no-hitting the Tigers. He later admitted that his incredible 1961 season, where he hit .361, was aided by a corked bat. While he was never caught during his career, he fell back to Earth after that season, never again reaching those same offensive heights.
Gaylord Perry: Spitballs and Sly Grins
Gaylord Perry turned the art of the spitball into a Hall of Fame career. He turned umpire inspections into game shows, telling the ump “hot” or “cold” when they checked his body. Amazingly, he’d already pitched for 20 years before finally being caught in 1982. It was the only time, and he was able to laugh about it all the way to the Hall of Fame.
A.J. Pierzynski: The Most Punchable Face in Baseball
A.J. Pierzynski was an unusual catcher — he annoyed opponents AND teammates alike. Michael Barrett probably still feels the impact on his fist on Pierzynski’s face. He was productive, so teams kept him. Now he has his own podcast.
Chase Utley: Slide Hard, Make Enemies Harder
Look at this picture. Does it look like Chase Utley’s going for the bag? This Met fan is STILL mad about what the former Phillies and Dodgers second baseman did. Utley might not be in Cooperstown, but he’s a shoo-in for the Hall of Dirty Players.
Hal McRae: Spikes High and No Apologies
Hal McRae was an old-school baserunner when it came to breaking up double plays. His goal was to see how far he could send a second baseman or shortstop flying when he came barrelling in. The result was something like this Willie Randolph incident during the 1977 ALCS.
Alex Rodriguez: Baseball’s Lightning Rod
A-Rod’s talent was matched only by his knack for ticking off opponents. He did everything from slap the ball out of an opponent’s glove to yelling in their ear so they’d drop a fly ball. Then he’d have the nerve to stand on the base looking all innocent. Please.