Ten Cent Beer Night
| Time | Evening |
|---|---|
| Date | June 4, 1974 |
| Location |
Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Cause | Fan animosity from previous game combined with low-point beer being sold cheaply and liberally during the game ($.10 per cup, up to 6 at a time) |
| Outcome | Rangers/Indians game forfeited to Texas |
| Non-fatal injuries | Assorted players, officials, and fans (exact count unknown) injured by thrown objects |
| Property damage | Damage to the field of Cleveland Stadium; Bases stolen, never returned |
| Suspect(s) | 9 fans arrested |
| Charges | Disorderly conduct |
Ten Cent Beer Night was a promotion held by Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians during a game against the Texas Rangers at Cleveland Stadium on Tuesday, June 4, 1974.
The idea behind the promotion was to attract more fans to the game by offering 12 US fluid ounces (350 ml) cups of 3.2% beer for just 10 cents each (equivalent to $0.49 in 2016), a substantial discount on the regular price of 65 cents (equivalent to $3.16 in 2016), with a limit of six beers per purchase, but with no limit on the number of purchases made during the game. During the game, fans became heavily intoxicated, culminating in a riot in the ninth inning which caused the game to be forfeited due to the crowd's uncontrollable rowdiness and because the game could not be resumed in a timely manner.
The Indians had previously held such promotions without incident, beginning with Nickel Beer Day in 1971. However, a bench-clearing brawl in the teams' last meeting one week earlier at Arlington Stadium in Texas left some Indians fans harboring a grudge against the Rangers.
In Texas, the trouble had started in the bottom of the fourth inning with a walk to the Rangers' Tom Grieve, followed by a Lenny Randle single. The next batter hit a double play ball to Indians third baseman John Lowenstein; he stepped on the third base bag to retire Grieve and threw the ball to second base, but Randle disrupted the play with a hard slide into second baseman Jack Brohamer.
The Indians retaliated in the bottom of the eighth when pitcher Milt Wilcox threw behind Randle's legs. Randle eventually laid down a bunt. When Wilcox attempted to field it and tag Randle out (which he did successfully), Randle hit him with his forearm. Indians first baseman John Ellis responded by punching Randle, and both benches emptied for a brawl. After the brawl was broken up, as Indians players and coaches returned to the dugout, they were struck by food and beer hurled by Rangers fans; catcher Dave Duncan had to be restrained from going into the stands to brawl with fans.
...
Wikipedia