20 Photos from 10-Cent Beer Night: When a Baseball Game Became a Brawl

Daniel Bonfiglio Published Yesterday in wow

On June 4, 1974, the Cleveland Indians asked the question, "What happens when you give an entire stadium of sports fans 10-cent beer?" The answer was one of the worst nights in baseball history.

Cleveland had previously hosted discounted beer nights without incident, but this time things were set up for failure from the beginning.

Just six days prior, the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians took part in a bench-clearing brawl, which finished with a quote from Rangers' manager Billy Martin on the upcoming series in Cleveland; "They won't have enough fans there to worry about." Well, they did.

10-cent beer night drew 25,134 people, more than twice the anticipated crowd, and they were ready to take revenge.

As tensions rose on the field, they did so in the stands as well, and numerous streakers culminated in a mob storming the field with the game tied after the 9th inning.

Texas Rangers players defended themselves while armed with bats, and no party escaped the affair un-injured. Not even the umpires.

After a 20-minute riot, Cleveland was made to forfeit the game, and Cleveland players escorted Rangers players to their bus.

Just over one month later, Cleveland hosted a second 10-cent beer night, which went off without incident.

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1.
2.
A streaker in one single sock runs across the field.
3.
Fans on top of the Cleveland dugout.
4.
5.
Rangers manager Billy Martin blowing kisses to drunk fans. This was before the first pitch was thrown. He would later say, “It's the closest I've ever seen anybody come to getting killed in my more than 25 years in baseball.”
6.
Texas Rangers players try to stop a fan from running onto the field.
7.
8.
Cleveland pitcher Tom Hilgendorf was hit in the head and left bleeding during the riot.
9.
Fans pouring out of the stands to harass Rangers right fielder, Jeff Burroughs, after Cleveland tied the game with a two run comeback in the 9th inning.
10.
Rangers players running out with baseball bats to face an angry mob.
11.
Burroughs returns to the dugout with armed guards.
12.
Umpire Nestor Chylak was injured and stated, "The last time I saw animals like that was in the zoo."
13.
A bleeding fan runs from security.
14.
One woman entered the field giving out “free kisses.”
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

1.
2.
A streaker in one single sock runs across the field.
3.
Fans on top of the Cleveland dugout.
4.
5.
Rangers manager Billy Martin blowing kisses to drunk fans. This was before the first pitch was thrown. He would later say, “It's the closest I've ever seen anybody come to getting killed in my more than 25 years in baseball.”
6.
Texas Rangers players try to stop a fan from running onto the field.
7.
8.
Cleveland pitcher Tom Hilgendorf was hit in the head and left bleeding during the riot.
9.
Fans pouring out of the stands to harass Rangers right fielder, Jeff Burroughs, after Cleveland tied the game with a two run comeback in the 9th inning.
10.
Rangers players running out with baseball bats to face an angry mob.
11.
Burroughs returns to the dugout with armed guards.
12.
Umpire Nestor Chylak was injured and stated, "The last time I saw animals like that was in the zoo."
13.
A bleeding fan runs from security.
14.
One woman entered the field giving out “free kisses.”
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.