No one would argue that Major League Baseball took too long to integrate, as African-Americans were kept out of the organization until Jackie Robinson suited up for the Dodgers in 1949. Since then, thankfully, racial differences seem to have little effect on the game.

The best indication of this lack of tension between members of the ethnic groups on the diamond can best be supported by an examination of the ten most memorable fights in Major League Baseball history. This list has been published on the popular sports website, blanqueadorrreport.com.

Most of the ones discussed on the site are fights between a white pitcher and a white batter, the latter objecting to a delivery that hit him or got too close. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan in 1993 was involved in perhaps the longest running fight, when he dropped All-Star third baseman Robin Ventura after he became convinced Ryan’s fastball was deliberately intended to hit him.

Twenty years earlier, baseball’s all-time hits leader Pete Rose was the subject of another of the fights. His white counterpart in the incident was New York Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson. The altercation stemmed from a slide the three-time Cincinnati batting champion took on the second base pocket, which was being covered by Harrelson before the two men began shoving each other.

Conflicts between players of the same nationality appear to be the rule rather than the exception, perhaps an indication that participants are less likely to attack an opponent from a different ethnic group. The most recent case, which occurred back in 2015, serves to reinforce this idea.

In a game between the Blue Jays and Rangers, Toronto outfielder José Bautista slid hard into second base causing Texas second baseman Roughned Odor to take offense. After a push, Odor punched Bautista in the face, causing both benches to clear.

Both participants were of Latin American ethnicity, just as the aforementioned skirmishes involved only white players. One has to wonder if the suspensions or consequences on the field could have been more severe if the fighters had come from different ethnic groups.

Perhaps the players themselves know that even in the most intense moments of a ball game, chasing down an opponent of a different ethnicity can have very negative effects on their sport. With all the racial controversy surrounding the NFL and NBA today, let’s hope baseball avoids drastic ethnic riots.