Infantile behavior on the baseball field

In the sports news today we learned that the Washington Nationals have suspended closer Jonathan Papelbon for four games without pay for his role in a dugout incident in which he choked his teammate Bryce Harper.

According to ESPN:

“After getting out of the batter’s box slowly on a pop fly to left field, Harper returned to the dugout and was approached by Papelbon …  The two appeared to have a brief but heated exchange that resulted in Papelbon putting his hands on the 22-year-old Harper’s throat and shoving him into the back wall of the Washington dugout.” This is not the first time Pabelbon has been suspended for acting like a two-year-old during a game.

I guessed that in his birth chart he must have an afflicted Mars to account for such impulsive aggressive behavior, so I looked up his birth information: 23 Nov 1980 in Baton Rouge, LA, time unknown.  Here is a Noon chart with Solar Sign houses:

Noon birth chart, time unknown.

Mars, the planet of aggression, is quite strong being exalted in Capricorn.  However, Mars is afflicted by a square from Jupiter (expansion, excess) and Saturn (hardship, restriction).

Jupiter rules his Sagittarius Sun which is already in a stressful semi-sextile with Mars. The square from Jupiter to Mars increases the tendency to impulsive behavior of the red planet. The square from Saturn to Mars has a push/pull effect on Mars, causing the Mars energy to express itself in fits and starts.

Cafe Astrology offers the following delineations:

Mars square Jupiter: “This aspect brings great impulsiveness, insatiable desires, playfulness, and daring. You might be frequently trying to prove yourself, to others and/or yourself …”

Mars square Saturn: “You can pick at yourself and others unmercifully, trying to get circumstances in your life to match some unspecified standard.”

The Sagittarius Sun conjunct Uranus in fixed and intense Scorpio increases the native’s willfulness, arrogance and rebellious streak.  It is interesting to see how public figures act out their charts in a public arena.

Jupiter and Saturn both put pressure on hot-headed Mars through a challenging square aspect, which causes a lot of friction.  Jupiter steps on the accelerator while Saturn steps on the brakes.  Help is available from Venus in Libra which applies from Libra to an out of sign sextile to Mars in Capricorn. If he could learn to call upon his natural grace, charm and sense of balance, he could avoid situations like the one he just created.