National League Standings, August 7, 1968
METS FANS SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE AUGUST 7, 1968 GAME:
DJ Johnny M.
August 23, 2006
This was the famous Mets/Astros "brawl" game. I remember being stunned by the whole thing because I was only 10 and I had never wittnessed an all-out brawl before. This was in the era before "instant replays" so I was lucky to be sitting in the living room catching it all as it happened. Doug Rader triples to right-center and comes up sliding hard, elbow up, into Kevin Collins playing 3rd base. Collins is knocked out cold on the field, both benches empty, fists start flying. I clearly remember big Don Cardwell (pitcher!) with his arm around an Astro player's neck, socking him hard in the ribs. I remember Denis Menke in some kind of headlock with a Met player. I remember Joe Pignatano jawing with Astro manager Harry Walker and "Piggy" looking like he was gonna haul off and sock Walker. I remember my dad and my grand-dad on the edge of the couch screaming for blood as it all transpired.
The NY Daily News had pictures of the brawl as did the Star Ledger and my local paper, the Daily Journal. The Ledger had a picture of Cardwell with his arm around the Astro's neck. I think the News had a picture of both benches emptying and players about to run on the field.
I remember The Ledger quoting Gil Hodges as saying that if "Walker hadn't opened his big mouth" the brawl would never have occured (or something to that effect). I remember I cut the brawl pictures from the Journal and kept them around for several years for some reason.
Now it's your turn! Tell us what you remember of this game:
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