The second game of the Cubs at Reds doubleheader turned out to be chock full of protocol violations are the mangers argued with umpires and both benches cleared in reaction to pitches near the heads of batters. Tejay Antone buzzed Anthony Rizzo after Rizzo hit two home runs in game one. Then, Cubs pitcher Adbert Alzolay buzzed Shogo Akiyama. There should be a number of suspensions coming down from the commissioner’s office.

What fascinated my, however, was one of the reasons for the unrest:

Antone said things actually began to escalate after the Cubs chirped at him for grunting after striking a couple of players out.

“After the [second] inning, I gave them another grunt,” Antone said. “Just part of the game. They were chirping at me, so I gave them a grunt back and let them know I’m here to strike them out.”

The Cubs tend to make more noise in their dugout than most teams, and without fans in the stands, not much goes unheard. Antone was asked if they “chirp” the most.

“One hundred percent,” he responded. “They chirp the most, for sure. When they’re down, they get quieter.”

ESPN.com

We usually don’t get a window to the psychological warfare aspect of the game. If you can get under someone’s skin, you might throw off their game. I wonder if there will soon be a no chirping rule?