On June 4, Clevelanders were not their best selves. At Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the Cleveland Indians took on the Texas Rangers. The two teams had brawled on the field during a game in Arlington, Texas, six days before. But with the Rangers coming to Tribe town, “all seems peaceful again for tonight’s rematch,” wrote The Plain Dealer’s Russell Schneider. He couldn’t have been more wrong.
As part of a promotion, beer was only 10 cents, and the crowd was heavy with tipplers. At points throughout the game, trash and firecrackers were tossed on the field. In the sixth inning a streaker dashed back and forth in the outfield, then hopped over the right-field fence, straight toward a waiting policeman.
In the ninth inning, the Indians tied the game 5-5. The bases were loaded with two outs, and the Tribe was poised for a walk-off victory. But that didn’t matter to the youngsters who ran onto the field and tried to grab the ball cap of Rangers right fielder Jeff Burroughs.
Reporters witnessed a scuffle between Burroughs and the fans, which flashed into a full-on riot. Fans swarmed the field as both benches cleared. The Rangers and Indians faced the crowd together. One relief pitcher was hit with a flying chair. Umpire Nestor Chylak was cut in the hand by it too. Another umpire, Joe Brinkman, grabbed a fan by the collar and led him, bleeding from his face, off the field.
After 10 minutes, the brawl died down. At least 11 people were arrested, The Plain Dealer reported. Four were fined and ordered to three days in the workhouse, according to The Cleveland Press. The Indians promised to do away with beer night promotions. The game was declared a forfeit.
“It was a bad day for baseball in Cleveland,” wrote Schneider.
1974: Cheap Beers Cause Mayhem
A promotion at a Cleveland Indians game went horribly wrong.
