re: What's the best brawl in MLB history?

I found the book that described the fight- it is a half dozen pages long, really good read.

Tale of the Tape:
6 brushback pitches
3 hit batters
4 bench-clearing incidents
2 full on brawls
19 ejections
5 arrests
both benches were cleared by the umpires so the game could continue.

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"It took baseball down 50 years," said umpiring crew chief John McSherry, who came close to awarding the game to San Diego via forfeit in the 9th inning. "It was the worse thing I have ever seen in my life. It was pathetic, absolutely pathetic."

It all started before the game began, said Padres pitcher Ed Whitson, when Atlanta starter Perez looked toward San Diego's leadoff hitter, Alan Wiggins, standing in the on deck circle & promised to hit him with his 1st pitch.

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a few pages later

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The highlight came when Braves 3rd basebam Bob Horner, watching the game with the broadcast crew while on the disable list, sensed more trouble, predicted the fracas on the air, race to the clubhouse to pull on his uniform, and rushed out- cast on his arm- to intercept Summers near the top of the dugout.(He was later suspened for fighting on the DL)

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quote:

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"Whitson wss icing his elbow in the clubhouse without his shirt on, watching it on TV," Said Flanney. "Later, Dick (Williams Padres manager who had been ejected) says, The next thing I see, Whitson's on TV, no shirt, he's got a bat and screaming and chasing season ticket holders, and Bevacqua was in the stands beating on them."

He and Bevacqua went into the stands and duked it out with some hecklers. Stadium officials had to send out for the riot squad to settle things down.

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