From the Archives: 1977 Father’s Day melee at Dodger Stadium

A brawl marred the Father’s Day 1977 Dodgers-Cubs baseball game. Los Angeles Times staff writer Mal Florence reported the next morning:

On an otherwise calm Father’s Day at Dodger Stadium, Reggie Smith became enraged after being hit on the right ankle by a pitch thrown by Chicago’s Rick Reuschel in the third inning.

So Smith hobbled to the mound like a wounded crab and threw a round-house right at the pitcher. Smith said he landed; Reuschel said he didn’t. Anyway, it triggered a wild brawl in which Smith, Cubs Manager Herman Franks, catcher George Mitterwald and Reuschel were ejected.

The Dodgers’ Don Sutton, who allowed only four hits in pitching a 3-1 victory, said he was changing sweatshirts at the time in the clubhouse and didn’t see the fracas involving both teams. …

These three photos by staff photographer Steve Fontanini appeared in the June 20, 1977, Los Angeles Times.

This post was originally published on May 31, 2016.