Happy 31st Anniversary: Padres-Braves 'bean brawl' game
On this date in 1984, the Padres and Braves played the infamous "bean brawl' game, which featured three benches clearing incidents.
By
Mike Axisa
•
1 min read
On this date in 1984, the Padres and Braves played the infamous "bean brawl" game at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. There were three benches-clearing incidents, 13 ejections and five arrests. Yes, five arrests.
It all started with the game's very pitch: Braves righty Pascual Perez plunked Alan Wiggins leading off the game. The Padres then threw at Perez in each of his three plate appearances and finally hit him in his third trip to the plate. The benches emptied each time they threw at Perez. The Braves threw at Graig Nettles in the ninth inning as retaliation.
Here's video of perhaps the most well-known brawl(s) in baseball history:
At one point two fans came onto the field and got involved in the brawl. Other fans behind the dugout threw beer at the Padres and got into it with some players, leading to the arrests.
The Padres lost the game 5-3 but it didn't matter; they went 92-70 and won the division by 12 games. The Braves finished in second place at 80-82, their first of seven straight sub-.500 seasons.
