MLB Fights That Went Too Far

Typically, it's pretty uncommon for even one player to get ejected, let alone the 17 that found themselves heading to early showers during a 1984 game between the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres. Leading up to the eighth inning, there had already been four ejections, but things were just getting started.

To lead off the bottom of the eighth, Padres pitcher Craig Lefferts hit Braves pitcher Pascual Perez with a pitch. This had followed several missed attempts to hit him earlier, resulting in Perez hitting the first Padres batter of the game with a pitch. Following the Lefferts plunking, the benches predictably cleared, and at least three different fights broke out, with players tackling and punching each other all over the place. Things briefly calmed down, until Champ Summers rushed at the Braves bench, flaring things up again — with even the fans throwing drinks at the players on the field. Afterwards, another four received ejections.

Yet, in the ninth inning, things flew off again when Braves pitcher Donnie Moore hit Padres batter Graig Nettles, who charged the mound in retaliation. In the end, 17 players were ejected, several fans were arrested, and everyone who wasn't on the field playing or managing had to go into their teams' clubhouse for the remainder of the game — like children being put in timeout. It was probably the craziest series of fights in one game, and likely will never come close to happening again.