Things got out of control fast between the Braves and Padres in this infamous 1984 brawl-filled matchup. It all started when Braves pitcher Pascual Perez hit Padres leadoff man Alan Wiggins with the first pitch. Wiggins had annoyed the Braves the day before by bunting for hits, and Perez clearly wanted to send a message. The Padres spent the whole game trying and failing to retaliate. Multiple attempts to hit Perez resulted in pitchers and managers getting ejected. When they finally did hit Perez in his fourth at-bat, more chaos broke out and benches cleared.
That was just the beginning. Padres player Champ Summers charged toward the Braves’ dugout looking for Perez but got intercepted by an unlikely defender—Bob Horner, who had been injured and started the day in the press box. Horner threw on a jersey and blocked Summers. Fans began jumping onto the field, throwing drinks, and trying to join the fight. Things escalated from there, with multiple on-field brawls, more ejections, and even arrests. The game ended with 17 players and 4 managers tossed. Security scrambled to handle the crowd, while umpires ordered both teams to stay in the clubhouse unless they were hitting.
Goose Gossage, Greg Nettles, Chris Chambliss, and others all got tangled in the fights. Pitchers threw at guys they had grudges with. Players who were once Yankee teammates ended up restraining each other. Ed Whitson stood shirtless in the dugout swinging a bat and yelling at fans as stadium personnel tried to calm him down. By the end, fans had been hauled off, tempers exploded, and both rosters were gutted. The Braves managed to win the game, but the Padres got the last laugh by cruising to a much better season.