10 Cent Beer Night Remembered...

Today, June 4th, 2008 marks the 34th anniversary of the ill-conceived but entirely entertaining debacle that was '10 Cent Beer Night' at Cleveland Municipal Stadium (and Whitney's birthday of course!). There's an extremely entertaining article from ESPN.com linked here, replete with your run of the mill Cleveland bashing, Cleveland weather bashing, Indians bashing, and finally, and thankfully, some head bashing. For instance, in this gem, Joe Tait (then a Tribe broadcaster with Herb Score), reports on the utter chaos that is breaking out in the midst of the ninth inning:

The fact that Hargrove would later come back to play and manage the Indians, and in fact now make his home in Northern Ohio, says something about our collective ability to take a punch. Here's three interesting things I didn't know before I read the article:

1. They ran out of beer quite early in the game, so they encouraged fans to head to the area beyond the outfield wall and fill up directly from the Stroh's trucks that were pulling up. Brilliant...
2. Apparently it was totally acceptable (at least to some degree) to bring fireworks and pot to a Tribe game in the seventies.
3. The umpiring Crew Chief, in an interview after the game said, and I quote; "When uncontrolled beasts are out there, you gotta do something. I saw two guys with knives, and I got hit with a chair!"

That's the spirit, Cleveland...