In a wild 1990 matchup between the Phillies and Mets, tensions boiled over after Mets pitcher Doc Gooden hit two Phillies earlier in the game. Phillies pitcher Pat Combs responded by drilling Gooden during his at-bat, triggering a full-on bench-clearing brawl. Gooden immediately dropped his gear and charged the mound, landing a forearm to Combs’ nose. Phillies catcher Darren Daulton jumped in and wrestled Gooden to the ground, throwing multiple punches to the back of his head. Then chaos exploded. Players flew in from all angles, including one who seemed to leap into the pile without touching the ground.
As the fight spun out of control, Phillies reliever Mitch Williams and others tried to restrain teammates. Former Mets pitcher Roger McDowell, now with the Phillies, attempted to calm Gooden, while umpire Joe West tossed around players trying to break things up. Meanwhile, Darryl Strawberry, who had been watching from the Mets dugout, was enraged by what he saw as Daulton’s cheap shots on Gooden. Strawberry nearly lost it and had to be held back several times before finally sprinting back into the fray for more action, nearly causing another round.
The brawl lasted over 20 minutes with multiple scuffles breaking out in waves. After the game, Strawberry said he wouldn’t forget what Daulton did and warned that if the Phillies threw at him, he’d go straight for the catcher. Daulton’s response was clear: “Tell him to pack a lunch.” No punches were pulled on or off the field.