Cleveland Stadium was known as "The Mistake by the Lake," but on June 4, 1974, it became a gladiator arena fueled by 60,000 cups of Stroh's. What was supposed to be a clever marketing ploy to fill seats turned into the most infamous, beer-soaked riot in the history of Major League Baseball.

In this chaotic episode of BenchMarks, Callan McClurg takes us through the anatomy of a disaster. We trace the tensions that began a week prior with a bench-clearing brawl in Texas, setting the stage for a vengeful Cleveland crowd that was literally "loaded" before the first pitch was thrown. McClurg details the descent from harmless exhibitionism—streakers sliding into second base and fans mooning the bleachers—to a full-scale assault on the players.

We relive the terrifying ninth inning when a fan's attempt to steal a hat triggered a mass invasion of the field. This episode features the harrowing accounts of players from both the Indians and the Rangers who had to arm themselves with bats to fight their way back to the dugouts. This is the story of how 10 cents bought a night of absolute pandemonium, resulting in a rare forfeit, nine arrests, and a permanent lesson in the dangers of combining cheap suds with a full moon and a grudge.

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