Rusty Torres Was At Three Baseball Riots
February 9, 2011 9:56 AM Subscribe
In 1972, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning in the last game the Washington Senators played before moving to Texas, the crowd flooded onto the field, ruining a thrilling late-game comeback over the Yankees. In 1974, the Cleveland Indians tripled attendance by offering Ten Cent Beer Night, but ended up wielding bats against their own fans to protect the visiting Rangers. In 1979, the plan to blow up disco records on the field between the two games of a double-header in Chicago led to riots and fires. And Rusty Torres was on the field all three times.
Once is coincidence, twice is happenstance, three times is Rusty Torres.
posted by spicynuts at 10:03 AM on February 9, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by spicynuts at 10:03 AM on February 9, 2011 [4 favorites]
Disco Night and Ten Cent Beer Night have come up before.
posted by zamboni at 10:10 AM on February 9, 2011
posted by zamboni at 10:10 AM on February 9, 2011
Baseball must have been much rowdier in the seventies than it is now because I can't imagine the crowds that I've been at games rioting. Or maybe it's just that I support a team that no one cares about. To me and most people I know, a baseball game is a chance to relax in the sun, admire the skyline of the city, drink a few beers, eat a dog or two, sing take me out to the ballgame and when you're not doing all that, maybe pay attention to the action on the field a bit. </piratefan>
posted by octothorpe at 10:13 AM on February 9, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by octothorpe at 10:13 AM on February 9, 2011 [4 favorites]
maybe pay attention to the action on the field a bit.
Or to notice how empty your wallet has become since passing through the gate.
Seriously though, this stuff is great. It's almost like baseball had a 60s hangover and had to catch up a decade later.
And a hat tip to the Pirates, I went to a game at PNC Park in '05, they were playing my Cards, and it was a great experience. Great stadium and staff. The usher who sat us in our right field box seats actually wiped my seat down with a warm cloth before I sat. Then he offered to watch all of my stuff while my friends and I wandered down further behind home plate, drank beers and got autographs. I love Pittsburgh, it's a fine city. Amazing actually.
posted by IvoShandor at 10:20 AM on February 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
Or to notice how empty your wallet has become since passing through the gate.
Seriously though, this stuff is great. It's almost like baseball had a 60s hangover and had to catch up a decade later.
And a hat tip to the Pirates, I went to a game at PNC Park in '05, they were playing my Cards, and it was a great experience. Great stadium and staff. The usher who sat us in our right field box seats actually wiped my seat down with a warm cloth before I sat. Then he offered to watch all of my stuff while my friends and I wandered down further behind home plate, drank beers and got autographs. I love Pittsburgh, it's a fine city. Amazing actually.
posted by IvoShandor at 10:20 AM on February 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
Rusty Torres is the Riot dog of the MLB
posted by The Violet Cypher at 10:21 AM on February 9, 2011
posted by The Violet Cypher at 10:21 AM on February 9, 2011
Baseball must have been much rowdier in the seventies
Three things have changed:
1) two beer limit per customer per trip to the food 'court'
2) no beer after the sixth inning
3) no beer/alcohol allowed in the bleachers (read, the cheap seats where the riff raff hang)
That makes for much calmer crowds.
posted by spicynuts at 10:29 AM on February 9, 2011
Tiger manager Sparky Anderson told the Chicago Tribune, "Beer and baseball go together, they have for years. But I think those kids were doing things other than beer."
Perhaps Sparky they just really hated disco.
posted by Sailormom at 10:52 AM on February 9, 2011
Perhaps Sparky they just really hated disco.
posted by Sailormom at 10:52 AM on February 9, 2011
octothorpe: "Baseball must have been much rowdier in the seventies than it is now because I can't imagine the crowds that I've been at games rioting."
I can see a riot happening at a Mets / Phillies game. Fights between fans break out regularly at those matchups.
posted by zarq at 10:55 AM on February 9, 2011
I can see a riot happening at a Mets / Phillies game. Fights between fans break out regularly at those matchups.
posted by zarq at 10:55 AM on February 9, 2011
I can see a riot happening at a Mets / Phillies game. Fights between fans break out regularly at those matchups.
Heh. Then there's this.
posted by IvoShandor at 10:58 AM on February 9, 2011
Heh. Then there's this.
posted by IvoShandor at 10:58 AM on February 9, 2011
My first big league ball game was a Mets/Phillies game at the now disappeared Veterans Stadium back in the 1980s. The Mets destroyed the Phillies, and the Mets fans destroyed the upper levels of The Vet. By the time we left the score was something like 22-7, and Mets fans were ripping off seat bottoms to bang on seat backs. Somehow this failed to endear baseball to me and my impressionable young mind. It's only been in the last decade that the trauma has faded and I've started appreciating it. When does Spring Training start? It's been a long winter.
posted by mollweide at 11:50 AM on February 9, 2011
posted by mollweide at 11:50 AM on February 9, 2011
IvoShandor: " Heh. Then there's this."
LOL.
When I got married a few years back, I lost a box in the move containing some 10+ balls I'd caught at games at Shea, a shirt signed by Carter, Hernandez and Gooden in mid-'86 and a "Johnny Rocker Battery Night" flyer passed out by fans at the Willets Point Station platform (7 train) before his first game against the Mets after the SI interview was published.
The game was uneventful. Some booing. An apology from Rocker to Mets fans on the Jumbotron. But I don't think anyone actually threw batteries at him.
posted by zarq at 11:57 AM on February 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
LOL.
When I got married a few years back, I lost a box in the move containing some 10+ balls I'd caught at games at Shea, a shirt signed by Carter, Hernandez and Gooden in mid-'86 and a "Johnny Rocker Battery Night" flyer passed out by fans at the Willets Point Station platform (7 train) before his first game against the Mets after the SI interview was published.
The game was uneventful. Some booing. An apology from Rocker to Mets fans on the Jumbotron. But I don't think anyone actually threw batteries at him.
posted by zarq at 11:57 AM on February 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Rusty Torres was no Rusty Staub. Staub, AKA "Le Grand Orange", of course played for another defunct team, the Montreal Expos, who became the Washington Nationals.
posted by tommasz at 12:05 PM on February 9, 2011
posted by tommasz at 12:05 PM on February 9, 2011
And can we ever forget the infamous turkey drop? http://radio.about.com/od/thanksgivingradio/a/WKRP-In-Cincinnati-Turkey-Drop-Episode.htm And then there's the money drop...
posted by Gungho at 1:13 PM on February 9, 2011
posted by Gungho at 1:13 PM on February 9, 2011
Pony request: Can I favorite this post twice?
posted by IvoShandor at 1:21 PM on February 9, 2011
posted by IvoShandor at 1:21 PM on February 9, 2011
> a shirt signed by Carter, Hernandez and Gooden in mid-'86
Damn you, zarq! Damn you to hell! The only reason I don't seek you out and destroy you is that you lost it.
Ever try to watch a game from the subway platform because you couldn't get into the stadium? Man, I miss NYC.
posted by languagehat at 4:28 PM on February 9, 2011
Damn you, zarq! Damn you to hell! The only reason I don't seek you out and destroy you is that you lost it.
Ever try to watch a game from the subway platform because you couldn't get into the stadium? Man, I miss NYC.
posted by languagehat at 4:28 PM on February 9, 2011
Three things have changed:
1) two beer limit per customer per trip to the food 'court'
2) no beer after the sixth inning
3) no beer/alcohol allowed in the bleachers (read, the cheap seats where the riff raff hang)
Same thing happened in Australia. Crowds were getting too ugly, especially the cricket which can involve 6+ hours getting pissed in the blazing sun. We switched to low strength beer at stadiums, which I believe is the alcohol equivalent of full strength beer in the USA. ;)
A few years ago some lads paid for a girl to come to the cricket with them and do stuff for them like buy them beer and food. Somehow, someone, found a way to ban this. But now they're back. Or are they?
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:15 PM on February 9, 2011
1) two beer limit per customer per trip to the food 'court'
2) no beer after the sixth inning
3) no beer/alcohol allowed in the bleachers (read, the cheap seats where the riff raff hang)
Same thing happened in Australia. Crowds were getting too ugly, especially the cricket which can involve 6+ hours getting pissed in the blazing sun. We switched to low strength beer at stadiums, which I believe is the alcohol equivalent of full strength beer in the USA. ;)
A few years ago some lads paid for a girl to come to the cricket with them and do stuff for them like buy them beer and food. Somehow, someone, found a way to ban this. But now they're back. Or are they?
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:15 PM on February 9, 2011
I regret being born too late for a 10¢ beer night. Shoot, I would have ponied up 25¢ for the premium microbrews.
posted by Rarebit Fiend at 10:12 AM on February 17, 2011
posted by Rarebit Fiend at 10:12 AM on February 17, 2011
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See, a one-case induction would be post-hoc, but three cases makes it awesome!
posted by el_lupino at 10:01 AM on February 9, 2011