Andre Dawson bat throwing incident?

[cfeedback]

I'm trying to remember the details of a game from my youth and figured this was the place to turn. I'm thinking of a game at Wrigley where Dawson was out on a bad call (called third strike maybe?) and he went back to the dugout, grabbed a bunch of bats, and threw them onto the field.

 

I remember the crowd booing for many minutes and they started to litter the field with garbage. I watched the game on WGN. These are all the details I can remember. I'm looking for more details of the incident, the date, etc - and video footage on the off chance it's out there.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

If I remember correctly, Joe West was the umpire and he called Dawson out on a called strike three. Dawson questioned the call, and West said something to Dawson. Whatever it was, it set Dawson off. Dawson began screaming at West and West ejected him. Dawson then went to the dugout and pulled some bats out of the rack and threw them on the field. West pulled out a pad and began to count the bats. Dawson then shouted something at West and then emptied the bat racks on the field.

 

I think that's how it went down.

[Abe Frohman]

I can remember being shocked, yet laughing - because that was very unlike Dawson.

[Guest]

http://www.baseballreference.com

[VanceJergins]

I distinctly remember that too. I dont think I was very old at the time but remember being very shocked.

[cfeedback]

www.baseballreference.com

 

I'm familiar with baseball reference, baseball library, etc etc. I'm not able to find this game by searching though. Anyone know the date or even the season it occurred? Who was the opponent?

[J.R.]

Jul 23, 1991, Reds at Cubs

 

retrosheet.org box

 

CUBS 7TH: Sandberg popped to shortstop; West ejects Essian;

Dawson flipped out.West Sox. Dawson throws bat at Joe West after

he ejects him; Dawson was called out on strikes; BENAVIDES

REPLACED DUNCAN (PLAYING SS); Bell grounded out (shortstop to

first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Reds 2, Cubs 5.

 

Awesome night.

[UK1679666180]

I have it on VCR, Dawson was called out on strikes. Began arguing w/West and West gave him the quick hook.

 

Next, West was standing there with a smirk on his face and Dawson had to be restrained and while in the dugout Dawson was still upset and threw a handful of bats, West went over there to escalate the situation by counting the bats for a later fine and that's went dawson threw about 15 more onto the field. Dawson was called out on a ball.

[Abe Frohman]

Freddie Benevides was money.

[UMFan83]

Cubs fans littered the field with trash? I am stunned...

[cfeedback]

You're kidding - this was the same game that Rob Dibble guns down Dascenzo? Can't believe I forgot that. Thanks to all for the help!

[Mizzou]

This is one of my earliest Cub memories. I was in 4th grade and can remember sitting in my living room that night watching the incident.

[bhogg]

he threw water coolers, too.

 

 

Yet another reason to vote "yes" for Dawson in the HoF. When he got ejected, he got his money's worth.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

I FAINTLY remember another incident where he either got HBP or brushed back, and got up furious. He pointed his bat at the pitcher, and the pitcher all but pissed himself. Anyone else remember that better than I, or at all?

[Southpaw191679666239]

I believe when it was reported in the paper, they said Dawson filled in the memo portion of the fine check as a "donation for the blind". :D

[rawaction]

Dawson was awesome. This moment and the Eric Show moment made me love him forever.

[Wilmo]

I FAINTLY remember another incident where he either got HBP or brushed back, and got up furious. He pointed his bat at the pitcher, and the pitcher all but pissed himself. Anyone else remember that better than I, or at all?

 

I don't recall the details of the incident, but reading through this post made me think of it also. Funny someone else mentioned too. All I remember was Dawson getting hit in the head, he went down, the trainers coming out and after a few minutes, he stood up and went after the pitcher.

 

The Hawk was great.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

I FAINTLY remember another incident where he either got HBP or brushed back, and got up furious. He pointed his bat at the pitcher, and the pitcher all but pissed himself. Anyone else remember that better than I, or at all?

 

I don't recall the details of the incident, but reading through this post made me think of it also. Funny someone else mentioned too. All I remember was Dawson getting hit in the head, he went down, the trainers coming out and after a few minutes, he stood up and went after the pitcher.

 

The Hawk was great.

 

BTW, you should add "Put it on the BOOAARRDDDD, YES!" to your annoying sayings in your sig. A team-neutral baseball fan uncle of mine taunts me with that because he knows it annoys the living poo out of me.

[Wilmo]

I FAINTLY remember another incident where he either got HBP or brushed back, and got up furious. He pointed his bat at the pitcher, and the pitcher all but pissed himself. Anyone else remember that better than I, or at all?

 

I don't recall the details of the incident, but reading through this post made me think of it also. Funny someone else mentioned too. All I remember was Dawson getting hit in the head, he went down, the trainers coming out and after a few minutes, he stood up and went after the pitcher.

 

The Hawk was great.

 

BTW, you should add "Put it on the BOOAARRDDDD, YES!" to your annoying sayings in your sig. A team-neutral baseball fan uncle of mine taunts me with that because he knows it annoys the living poo out of me.

 

I thought about adding that one too. But I didn't want to dedicate any more room to one of the worst broadcasters on television.

[Garwilly]

I FAINTLY remember another incident where he either got HBP or brushed back, and got up furious. He pointed his bat at the pitcher, and the pitcher all but pissed himself. Anyone else remember that better than I, or at all?

 

I don't recall the details of the incident, but reading through this post made me think of it also. Funny someone else mentioned too. All I remember was Dawson getting hit in the head, he went down, the trainers coming out and after a few minutes, he stood up and went after the pitcher.

 

The Hawk was great.

 

BTW, you should add "Put it on the BOOAARRDDDD, YES!" to your annoying sayings in your sig. A team-neutral baseball fan uncle of mine taunts me with that because he knows it annoys the living poo out of me.

 

I thought about adding that one too. But I didn't want to dedicate any more room to one of the worst broadcasters on television.

 

Well then you really aren't bringing your "A" game to your sig. Maybe you should kick it up a notch, give 110%, but I guess it is what it is.

 

:lol:

[Wilmo]

I FAINTLY remember another incident where he either got HBP or brushed back, and got up furious. He pointed his bat at the pitcher, and the pitcher all but pissed himself. Anyone else remember that better than I, or at all?

 

I don't recall the details of the incident, but reading through this post made me think of it also. Funny someone else mentioned too. All I remember was Dawson getting hit in the head, he went down, the trainers coming out and after a few minutes, he stood up and went after the pitcher.

 

The Hawk was great.

 

BTW, you should add "Put it on the BOOAARRDDDD, YES!" to your annoying sayings in your sig. A team-neutral baseball fan uncle of mine taunts me with that because he knows it annoys the living poo out of me.

 

I thought about adding that one too. But I didn't want to dedicate any more room to one of the worst broadcasters on television.

 

Well then you really aren't bringing your "A" game to your sig. Maybe you should kick it up a notch, give 110%, but I guess it is what it is.

 

:lol:

 

 

Ouch! :lol:

[thedaymen]

Everytime I go to a game and Joe West is umpiring I bet with a fan around me that he makes a bad call that decides the game OR throws a player out after antagonizing him.

 

In 1988 Dawson is called out on strikes. The pitch was about a foot outside. He yells at "Country" Joe West who gives him the quick hook. Dawson then explodes and is restrained while West smirks and shouts back at him. As Dawson is walking away, West shouts something else at him and Dawson empties the back rat. West takes out his pad and starts writing and says he's counting each of the bats. Dawson throws even more bats on the field (later, on an ESPN interview Dawson says West was shouting at him that he was counting each of the bats for a fine and Dawson said, "lets see if you can count bats as well as you see balls and strikes" before hurling the second round of the bats on the field). The fans start throwing stuff on the field and Dawson got an extra fine for inciting a riot.

 

Here's the thing, while Dawson is hardly a saint in this instance, WEST IS CLEARLY ANTAGONIZING THE SITUATION AND MAKING IT WORSE AT EVERY MOMENT. That he umpired the rest of the season is amazing, that he continues to mangle the rule book, bait players, and even call playoff and WS games defies imagination.