24. Higher Than Expected Turnout
The Indians’ cheap beer promotion worked far better than expected, and over 25,000 people showed up on the night of June 4th, 1974. However, most were not there for the game: the concession stands were jam-packed with people buying up to half a dozen beers at a time. Everyone – the young, the old, the drunk, and the soon to be drunk – was chugging down the bargain-priced brew, then staggering back for more.
It did not take long for fans to get wasted. In the second inning, after the Rangers hit a home run, a heavyset woman was thrown out after she stormed the field, flashed her big boobs at the crowd, then tried to kiss the umpire. The crowd went wild. Then fans began passing joints. Then firecrackers began going off all over the place, making the place seem like a war zone. It was still early innings, and things were about to get way worse.