NYY@CAL: Melee erupts after plays at plate

6/10/78: The benches empty after two consecutive Angels players collide with Yankees catcher Mike Heath at home in the 9th inning
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[@SirGhostly]

Wow that throw from Blair was terrific!

[@bdog1323]

Wow, I remember sneaking this game on as a kid on WPIX back in the day. This was the 9th inning in a tied game. Ryan just finished pitching 9 innings before extra innings. I think the Angels won in 11 or 12 innings when Bostock scored. Munson got hurt in this game early with a foul tip into his throat & that's why Heath was playing. Major league debut no less. Who would've thought that in 14 months both Munson & Bostock would be killed.

[@robertfarella5344]

...and Thurman never on the DL in his whole career.

[@McDago100]

I think this was Mike Heath's Major League debut. He would later play of the Oakland Athletics under Billy Martin. He was a tough competitor.

[@mjoven1975]

Close, it was his second MLB game. He made his MLB debut on 6/3/78.

[@Lawomenshoops]

Grichie, you played with Paul Blair, you know he has a great arm! What were you thinking running on him!

[@lsmftymf]

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[@dave09gla]

Love that old Angels logo with the state of California on the back of the jacket.

[@retrogamer810]

What a golden age of baseball and sports period! Mid 70s to the early 80's. A player gives a hard forearm and elbow to the catcher but is tagged out. The runner Is cursing and kicks or throws his helmet In disgust. The umpire gives him a pat on the back and says "Great effort." Today: Tossed out of the game, fined $50,000 and suspended 3-5 games. Bench clearing brawl from 1975-1982: Umps let them fight and let them play ball after the dust settles, beaten up players still play, no fines and suspensions. And were tough fighters then and played mean and hard. 2014: Everybody suspended 10-15 games, fined $50,000 to $100,000, and anger management courses.

[@ckendall67]

- YES! Because if there's one thing our planet needs today is MORE anger management courses. Because too many people in today's world are filled with anger!

[@josecarranza7555]

Good thing we have evolved.

[@Mryrhodesian]

@@josecarranza7555 Perhaps we can give every team a participation trophy at the end of the season so everbody feels good about themselves.

[@josecarranza7555]

@@Mryrhodesian How is that relevant to my comment?

[@vicepresidentmikepence889]

Yes, Baseball was definitely more Thuggish, in the seventies. Alot if these players where high on cocaine

[@janettemcclelland2959]

Enberg and Drysdale on the call! A legendary team.

[@TheFriarGamer208]

RIP Dick Enberg

[@user-nl9ne5gk6k]

RIP Dick Enberg and Don Drysdale, also Curt and Hank Gowdy and Mel Allen, the voice of the Yankees for decades and also the voice of "This week in baseball" for many decades!

[@DavidSilva-fq7nt]

Grew up listening to Dick Enberg and the Angels. RIP Dick

[@17Helton]

My favorite FB announcing crew was Enberg/Merlin Olsen. Ensberg covered numerous sports and I'm glad we got to listen to him cover Padres toward the end there.

[@rick188888]

Great throw Paul Blair! Martin loved it when Heath did that.

[@3243_]

I wouldn't be surprised if Martin hadn't gone to Heath after Grich had forearmed him and told him, "Next time one of them tries to run over you, you belt him. Hard."

[@kencummings953]

​@@3243_if I recall it was back to back plays. But yes I'm sure Billy appreciated the feistiness

[@kyokogodai-ir6hy]

Lyman Bostock. What a shame. No different situation than what happens today. Deserved better.

[@chitownace777]

kyokogodai Nobody sees nothing

[@Gary2940]

Noteworthy on this was Billy Martin using Paul Blair in centerfield as a defensive replacement for Mickey Rivers. Mickey (not having Blair's arm strength) would not have thrown Grich out on the first play.

[@jeffmaclean7843]

Gary G Billy and other Yankee managers always put Paul Blair in for defensive replacements in late innings.

[@kencummings953]

​@@jeffmaclean7843sometimes for Reggie. And in one famous incident in Boston not always for late inning defense.

[@gjbro92]

That throw by Paul Blair on the first play, though

[@rick188888]

He was a sensational outfielder.

[@stevedrums1675]

I was 8 when this happened. I remember watching the highlights of this and my Dad going nuts saying "Dimaggio never had to fight!". Love that they are finally allowing some of these to be posted. Not as a representative of the game itself, but just of old rivalries and hopefully fun memories that fans of both teams can share.

[@StrivingTowardsWhatIsAhead]

Ponch and John break the fight up at 1:38

[@maynardsmoreland]

Heath and Lansford were teammates later on with the A's.

[@wheelinthesky300]

The elbow by Grich was dirty.

[@ranman5491]

Wouldn't expect anything different from Miss Grich, Queen of the wannabe punks, total loser.

[@walterlv01]

That's a young Dick Enberg that is doing the play-by-play here, only a year or so before becoming the main NFL announcer at NBC.

[@kingrey465]

Enberg was 43 at the time

[@johnmastandrea137]

exactly one week later Ron Guidry would strike out these same Angels 18 times in one game.

[@kevinbrianthomas1]

Good old fashioned baseball.

[@michaelcrane9467]

Now THIS IS BASEBALL!!!

[@cazzie9357]

Yep Mike Heath is my catching coach and This is beautiful

[@3243_]

These teams had an even better melee in 1984. That said, thank you for posting this video.

[@why-why-whywhywhy]

The fuckin' good ol' days!!!

[@TheArtOfDean]

Martin shook Heath's hand after he returned back to the dugout. I wonder what the conversation was between them. On another note, rest in peace, Billy Martin, Jim Fregosi, Lyman Bostock, Paul Blair, Don Baylor, and Don Drysdale.

[@toddsands6000]

The hand shake was probably an official "well earned respect" handshake. Teammates love that type of intensity from fellow players. I didn't fault Bobby Grich and Carney Lansford all either. That's competition IMHO.

[@johnevans5434]

RIP Dick Enberg when baseball was truly enjoyable!

[@bobmoslow9554]

When baseball was still baseball

[@lowmazda626]

RIP Don Baylor

[@goosemartin6258]

@rocketHtown Don Baylor epitomized hardball, ill take 1st if you hit me

[@jeffwright1722]

and Bostock, Martin, Munson, Howser....

[@scottbeutler4459]

My uncle is Mike Heath and I never saw this until some random KZbin suggestion... love it lol!!!

[@Yankpats]

Strange seeing a Yankee wearing #2 and it not being Derek

[@BaddogSports]

+Yankpats Yes, believe it, or not, there was Yankee baseball before Derek Jeter

[@rockintetster]

Yankpats That was Paul Blair- he won game 1 of the ‘77 World Series for the Yanks. He was a veteran outfielder by the late 70’s, he had played on the Orioles championship teams of the late 60s and early 70s. I’m guessing this is 1977, Reggie is on the Yanks and Billy Martin is managing. Heath was playing I’m guessing because Thurmond Munson was injured. Talk about some bad base running by the Angels!

[@lsmftymf]

Those Angels were consistent when it came to running over catchers. The following year Brian Downing's unsuccessful attempt to do the same thing to Rick Dempsey was the final play of an Orioles win that closed out a three-game weekend series in Anaheim. A picture of that play was in a subsequent issue of TIME magazine featuring both Jimmy Carter and Earl Weaver (upper right corner) on its cover.

[@riccocastro2829]

Old school baseball 👍, i miss it

[@bipblake]

I have all 3 of the autographs of Mike Heath, Carney Lansford, & Bob Grich. They all struck me as nice guys back in the day.What Grich did at the plate was bush league.He was out by a mile, so he should have taken his medicine & went to the dugout.Lansford on the other hand did what a base runner is taught to do.It was a clean collision at the plate.If Heath wants to catch in this league, that goes with the territory.If ya get pissed being slid into, he best play in the outfield.

[@mysticakhenaton1701]

the GOOD old days of baseball.

[@harrycarry5255]

Billy Martin was fired after this game and than rehired the following morning.

[@aboxofbroken8tracks983]

But fired again later that same morning.

[@hughdismuke4703]

Miss the good ol' days.

[@Badatitude21]

My dad was working there back then...watching over Autry's seats all the time...I do recall this fight...lol...Those were the days, you block the plate, you get run over...LOL

[@kendallevans4079]

As a Angels fan since 1973, we always played the Yankees tough even we were lousy, which was often.

[@MyMasterofnothing]

This game played exactly one week before Ron Guidry had his 18 strikeout performance on the Halos 6-17-78 at Yankee Stadium. It was then that WPIX broadcaster Phil Rizzuto coined the nickname 'Louisiana Lightning'. I recall New York also got a win on Frank Tanana in this series. A 3-1 win...

[@kencummings953]

This night might have been the genesis of the Yankees epic second half comeback. Guidry going 25-3 didn't hurt either.

[@Trebliw8]

Can't blame Heath for getting upset. Surprised he kept his cool after getting a forearm in the face on that first play

[@liverneck2001]

i miss this level of intensity in professional sports.....

[@Tsibttw]

They ruined baseball with challenges

[@DrunkSamurai]

They ruined baseball with bad umpires you mean.

[@asecretone]

They ruined baseball with 160+ games per season.

[@DrunkSamurai]

ChristianVsYou You must be very old.

[@ckendall67]

- They ruined baseball with EVERYTHING! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHGHHHHHHHHHH! Lol!

[@futanflqb]

Derek Jeter looked way different when he played for the yankees in the 70's.

[@user-ub3nj5lz8w]

Please tell me your joking... Derek Jeter debuted in '95...

[@futanflqb]

***** Thank you.

[@AJMIckna2010]

It was the afro...

[@eliasgallegos9336]

Lol

[@bcat010]

futanflqb it's cause Jeter's black, isn't it?

[@BaddogSports]

You didn't mess with the 1977-78 Yankees.

[@paul353]

8 days later, Guidry struck out 18 Angels at Yankee Stadium

[@chuckincharlo]

I'm a Yankees fan...Grichuk play was dirty...but Carneys play was just aggressive...if this didn't happen in back to back plays.. the fight would have never broken out...I do,however, love those Angel's satin jackets from the late 70s!

[@patrickcolon8809]

Bobby Grich's forearm to the face was egregiously dirty. Carney Lansford's knock-over was a clean play, but if a team hits a catcher that hard on back-to-back plays, he's going to take it personally (as did Heath.)

[@dzanier]

And Heath was mad as hell after that. He went to talk to Sparky Lyle and said, "I should've killed the son-of-a-bitch for trying to run me over". Then, Billy Martin came out and said, "The next time they do that, hit the motherfucker in the mouth with the ball". That is exactly what happened.

[@AEMoreira81]

Mike Heath, who was the catcher here, ended up playing every position on the field during the course of his career except pitcher.

[@curly2451]

It’s crazy that even tho he didn’t play pitcher, I used to live like 15 minutes from him and he gave me batting lessons and PITCHING lessons. He probably could pitch if a team let him.

[@rockyshur96]

Love the powder blue dress shirts and blue pants the umpires wore; Outside chest protector too; Wish Umpires today dressed like this

[@josephtrapani6466]

Yup me too and the AL umps wore the maroon blazers in the colder weather.

[@davidgee4399]

Lansford was like, c'mon man, mine was clean, it's Grich you should have gone after!

[@gentlemanloser6787]

"A little forearm shiver"

[@Sanchez417]

Ahh REAL baseball how we miss thee!

[@davanmani556]

Now I know why the Yankees don't have last names on their backs. You can't tell which player did what.

[@stevedrums1675]

Would love to see it. Thanks for the info.

[@user-nl9ne5gk6k]

Wow, Mike Heath! lol I remember watching this game with my late pops nearly 40 years ago!... meanwhile, didn't the Yanks originally draft Carnie Lansford? And wsn't he slightly more popular as an Oakland-A a couple seasons later? ... And Wow! Cliff Johnson!, I had almost forgotten about him too, he was a durable off the bench guy for a couple seasons here. I remember seeing him have like a 12 or 13 pitch at bat one time in a game a few seasons later, he kept fouling everything off and finally ended up with a walk, to which the late-great Phil Rizzuto said something about it along the lines of "Holy Cow!, if this kid keeps this kinda stuff up we'll just be here all night!, I might even have to leave Early, or else by the time I get to that ol' GW bridge, oh boy, the traffic's gunna be horrendous!, Man-o-man, Bill White, Cora's sure gunna be sore at me when I get in extra late tonight, ya know she waits up for met, she does!". Tellin' it like it is, Scooter was the best! LMAO baseball, the greatest game ever invented, after sex of course!

[@tonyocch1]

Mike Heath was an emergency call up from AA West Haven, Martin told him after the first hit was to attack them

[@kylewalter2425]

never see another play like this… so sad

[@juanfranciscosantana4793]

Old school baseball 🥺🥺

[@MrFishingca]

Good old days.

[@bmorebamma]

Weren't always good and tomorrow's not as bad as it seems

[@impassable]

Lansford got what Grich should have got..Lansford's slide was fine but after that bush league stuff Grich pulled that was the last straw for the catcher

[@delplaya5]

Yep

[@Rowgue51]

If you don't want to get hit then don't fucking block the plate. You block the plate to limit the possibility of the runner getting in safely on a crafty slide. That comes with the assumed risk that the runner isn't just going to give up and let you casually tag him.

[@delplaya5]

In general I agree like impassable said if you lower your head and plow through like Lansford that is fine but what Grich did slowing down and then giving the catcher a forearm to the face was bush. He should've done what Lansford did. The catcher started a fight with the wrong guy.

[@TheSjuris]

+Rowgue51 if you don't ant to get thrown out at the plate stay at third. There was no way in hell those two bozos were ever going to be safe. Why should the catcher get out of the way just because players advanced on plays that they were going to be dead ducks on.

[@Rowgue51]

Steven Juris Except nobody has ever started a fight because they were mad about being thrown out at the plate. Idiot.

[@TazTalksYouListen]

We don't need less of this, we need a lot more of this in the MLB.

[@anthonycaruso8443]

No fighting

[@Drew.1968]

Great throws by Blair and Nettles.

[@williamhazlett6724]

can you imagine how long the runner on both plays would get banned in todays game and the catcher would lay on the ground like he was shot

[@bballervirgo1]

Ah, the good ole days!

[@Alcapone3176]

Lyman Bostock would be murdered just three months later. On his way to a hall of fame career. The Angels had to win air 24 years after his death to get to a World Series. I believe they would have played in 2 or 3 in the 80’s building their team around him.

[@esukyd2328]

Hahaha this is called a melee back then, now they call it a "brawl" when the benches clear and there's a couple shoves.

[@liverneck2001]

where is mickey rivers? he used to throw a lot of sucker punches in such outings....

[@3243_]

I think Nettles stayed out of this one too.

[@martincaidin4166]

Damn, Nettles was incredible. Cat-like reflexes at third.

[@rick188888]

One of the very best!

[@user-cj7yv8ow9b]

Baseball was born to be gritty

[@Wolf.88]

Go Yankees

[@davidtosh7200]

Is there another catcher in the baseball game?

[@Byzantine41]

All my years I never saw the cops show up on the field before

[@jeremybright13]

Umpire Durwood Merrill: "Gentlemen, please! There are ladies in attendance!"

[@ProfessorTime]

I don't blame Heath. Both runners were out by a mile. Show some class. No need to rough the catcher up.

[@rsb512]

Jeff Heath was so tough.

[@Jerry-ez2yu]

i was at that game.

[@Ghostrider6A]

The balloon protector, haven't seen one of these in years.

[@blyve]

You will hear Enberg say Billy Martin is going to the mound. On that trip he told Heath what to do if they try that again. Heath listened,

[@juncruz6266]

don baylor is in all mlb fights lol

[@toddbiesel4288]

Would the Angels have tried this if Munson had been catching this game?

[@nflmlbclassics]

would so love to see this whole game. awesome.

[@3243_]

It started when Yankee pitcher Ray Fontenot threw at Juan Beniquez and Beniquez charged the mound. That was in retaliation for the Yankees' Bobby Meacham being hit by a Ron Romanick pitch earlier in the game. Beniquez, Fontenot, and the Angels' Daryl Sconiers all were ejected.

[@LaughterMadeFat]

Thurman must've had an off-day

[@bdog1323]

I know it's 7 years too late but Munson got hurt when a foul tip hit his throat early in the game.

[@stevedrums1675]

Who was in that one?

[@Ariamaluum]

Reggie talking to his former minor league manager John McNamara at 2:10.

[@justinmercado6515]

Carney Langford was an Angel? And they let him go? Also, I remember Bobby Grich injuring Steve Sax in an exhibition game and I thought that was bush.

[@joedebaun4547]

Great to hear Enberg and Drysdale again. Notice Lyman Bostock who was murdered in Sept. of that year.

[@gage5043]

THIS is a bench clearing fight!! Today, MLB players want to bow up and throw a couple of "pushes"...2/3 of the players that do come out of the dugout just stand there around the crowd.

[@Brakarei]

I thought they were out of line, but then I remembered the catcher is a Yankee.

[@yabba133]

"DURR HURR LOW EFFORT YANKEE JOKES"

[@jsmith93310]

Nolan Ryan's Bloody Lip obvious butt hurt Yankees fan...

[@emerybayblues]

Actual cops out there in the melee

[@t-squared6406]

Mike Heath had enough,don't blame him,he was young,wanted to gain respect!!!

[@ludvigborga3676]

These catchers that get bowled over should show the ball to the runner and say, "I'm still here, baby!!" Don't get yourself ejected!

[@OroborusFMA]

Funny, the first play was far dirtier. The second one was a typical collision.

[@oldgreg1184]

odd heath took exception to lansford and not grich. grich threw and ill advised forearm and there should have been retaliation

[@beffjaker7477]

Carney lansford...damn i aint heard that name for a few

[@collinjordan19]

That runner got whopped for a moment

[@cblay3084]

That first attempt at a collision was pitiful lmao...

[@TheDOLMET]

God, I love the 70's. I loved the brown police uniforms. CHIPS baby!!!

[@garrycosta3635]

Anaheim PD.

[@OliveOyl12590]

Is this Dick Enberg on the Angels' broadcast team???

[@dzanier]

Him and Don Drysdale.

[@jamesmiller6217]

Lyman Bostock-shot to death 3 months after this game.

[@epaddon]

What a JOKE to read that Martin and Mike Heath got ejected from this but none of the Angel players who precipitated this got tossed. Served them right that a week later Guidry made them look like idiots when he struck out 18 of them.

[@TheSjuris]

You are 100% allowed at that time to run over the catcher.

[@weakestlink20]

Steven Juris They were both out by miles, and were just doing so to the ire of Heath.

[@TheSjuris]

It doesn't matter they both are allowed to run him over and try to knock the ball out.

[@bdog1323]

I know it's 6 years too late but Lansford did hurt his thumb on that play and was out for weeks with ligament damage.

[@terrytyler3139]

These were men and knew how to get down. To the angels,we beat the breaks off any one Yankees Red Sox etc.

[@StrivingTowardsWhatIsAhead]

Those Angels jackets are horrrrrrrrrrible