Today’s random baseball history bit
I do a crazy amount of baseball reading. So I figure it’s the off-season, I might as well toss some of these tidbits out to amuse you as we wait for spring training.
June 4, 1974, Texas Rangers at Cleveland Indians. It’s 10c beer night (which today would be like having 50c beer night), no limit on consumption. Tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, the Indians have two runners on. Two “youths” run out on the field intent on stealing Texas outfielder Jeff Burroughs’ hat. They get into a fight with Burroughs, and then other fans pour onto the field as the Rangers and Indians run into the outfield, sparking a brawl involving about 50 people from the stands. Finally it’s broken up, but as the teams return to their positions, another fight breaks out and the ump calls the game. 9-0 Rangers.
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25 Responses to “Today’s random baseball history bit”
Is the Mike Hargrove in the boxscore the same?
Yes! Gold star for you.
Yes, THE Mike Hargrove … the answer to the trivia question: “Who won the American League Rookie of the Year award in George Brett’s first major-league season?”
Wonder if the fans who ran on the field were naked? Because the No. 1 pop song at the time was the novelty pre-disco hit, “The Streak.”
(Other top-ten tuneage: “Band On The Run,” Paul McCartney & Wings; “Sundown,” Gordon Lightfoot; and “Billy, Don’t Be A Hero” by the immortal Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods.)
Also, on that same day, future Mariners DH Richie Zisk went 4-for-6 with a home run and 6 RBIs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants, 17-1.
wow.. pretty good baseball minds in that game apparently, with hargrove and jim fregosi playing together.
that makes me wonder, DMZ– any idea what the record is for most future managers playing together in one game? on one team? on both sides?
and on that note, what group of future managers that played together has the top combined winning percentage?
Bill James once noted that the 1959 Kansas City A’s had, at one point in the season, Dick Williams, Whitey Herzog and Dick Howser on the roster together.
Here’s a little interesting baseball trivia item from USS Mariner about a brawl between Cleveland fans and the Rangers in 1974. The following is the part that got me all weepy:
10c beer night
The next time someone tells you that violence at sporting events is at an all-time high, send them over to this post at USS Mariner.
The book you want to read about this is “Seasons In Hell” by Mike Shropshire. It has coverage of the brief managerial reigns of Whitey Herzog & Billy Martin in Texas, 10 cent beer night, the rapid rise and decline of David Clyde, why Jim Bibby was the real big unit, Lenny Randle punching out Frank Lucchesi and a funny account on the real reason Billy Martin was canned by the Tigers (and ended up with the Rangers). (It wasn’t that he ordered the Tigers pitchers to throw spitters.)
#8–Went to Amazon and found that book cheap. Looking forward to reading it.
Couldn’t agree more, Tede. “Seasons in Hell” is one of my favorite for-fun-only baseball books. A joy to read strictly for the entertainment value – much like the somewhat recent Motley Crue book entitled “The Dirt”, which has everything you need in terms of tales of rock ‘n’ roll excess (whether you like the band or not).
Surely someone remembers “disco demolition” night. (I don’t remember it well enough to describe it.)
Sure, albeit because I was reading about it yesterday in “Slouching Toward Fargo”.
Chicago, 1979: In an attempt to create a “Rock and Roll” night at Comiskey, Mike Veeck gave $0.98 entry to any White Sox fan carrying a disco record, which were to be blown up between the games of a twinight double header.
60,000+ turn up, drink copious amount of beer. During Game 1, said records are thrown at outfielders, causing numerous suspensions of play. Between the games, large sections of the crowd run onto the field, and generally cause mayhem, despite Mike’s dad’s pleadings. A full scale riot breaks out. Game 2 is forfeited. Mike Veeck is unceremoniously kicked out of Organized Baseball.
Since he was hired I have not heard anyone bring up Mike Hargrove’s old nickname as a player — “the human rain delay” — because of the length of time he spent between pitches stepping out and adjusting his gloves, etc.
#13 — Actually, all that paled in relation to the amount of time Hargrove spent adjusting his cup.
(Bill James mentioned this one, too.) The 1918 Pirates had Bill McKechnie, Billy Southworth and Casey Stengel on the roster. In 1919 McKenchnie left, but Charlie Grimm showed up.
And, of course, there’s the 1894 Baltimore Orioles, with John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson, and Hughie Jennings, plus Joe Kelley (3 1/2 years in the 1900s) and Kid Gleason (5 years, including the Black Sox).
My friend’s mom babysat Jeff Burroughs when he was a kid.
Which, I guess, wouldn’t be as strange as if she had babysat him when he WASN’T a kid.
Two “youths†run out on the field intent on stealing Texas outfielder Jeff Burroughs’ hat.
Add that to the list of “stupide things we’ve all tried to steal while drunk” and include my attempt to burgle two massive glass beer pitchers from a bar which shall rename unnamed.
Errr… “stupid,” not “stupide” (damned Olde English spell-checkers!).
Yeah, I remember Disco Demolition Night. I couldn’t believe commentators were saying that the Pistons-Pacers-fans brawl was the worst in sports history. That debacle had to be at least as bad. I think the incident was mentioned in passing. And don’t call me Shirley.
Disco Demolition Night was not caused by the players. I remember watching the game on WFLD (32) and both Harry Carey and Jimmy Piersall were amazed at the amount of churning going on in the stands.
Also, the game was scheduled as a single game, and the Demolition part was originally supposed to take place after the game. as a kind of fireworks display. (Unless my memory is causing the years to overlap, it was a few weeks later that the White Sox almost forfeited another game because, after a Yes concert coupled with several inches of rain, the outfield got so torn up that the field was deemed unplayable. The grounds crew made things worse because they spread so much sand that it looked like a beach.)
Those crazy Yes concerts, with their syncopated rhythms and atonal keyboards. They’d make anyone forfeit.
Crazy amounts of reading are my forte. But the problem is to find the money to buy the books. I could pull a Karl Marx and spend days and days at Elliott Bay Bookstore reading their bountiful and current supply but that would not be fair. A USS Mariner lending library would be a fine thing to keep the crew here happy. I would contribute a few books to start.
A USS Mariner lending library would be a fine thing to keep the crew here happy. I would contribute a few books to start.
I just got a spankin’ new copy of “The Complete Armchair Book of Baseball” as a gift. I already have that book. Rather than risk a regifting faux pas, I’d be happy to trade or contribute it to the cause!
#19: There’s a nice page on Disco Demolition Night at baseballlibrary.com. They confirm that the destruction of the records (and ensuing riot) occured between the games of a twi-night double header (the second game of which was then forfeited).
Re # 12: MIKE VEECK may have been unceremoniously kicked out of organized ball, but he resurfaced.
He’s now president of the Charleston (SC)RIVERDOGS. (BILLY-BALL)
[Reportedly, his plans to reenact the bombardment of Fort McHenry have been put on hold.]
Disco Demolition Night and MIKE VEECK. (Re: #s 11, 12, 18, 19, 23, 24.)
Not only has Mike–not that Mike–resurfaced, but he’s now in demand.
This, from BILLY-BALL.
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The Hudson Valley Renegades will be hosting a Hot Stove Dinner and Benefit Auction this Friday, February 4th at the Holiday Inn in Fishkill, NY, with proceeds benefiting the Pitch for Kids Foundation. Headlining the guest list will be Yankees Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Cashman, Mike Veeck, and Billy-Ball, his ownself. See you there at 7 p.m
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(Mike still has his hand in the game.)