The Marichal Incident

August 22, 1965 - One of the most infamous brawls in baseball history was on this day. It happened at Candlestick Park during a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Giants pitcher Juan Marichal had knocked down two Dodgers with brushback pitches in the early innings. When Marichal came to bat in the third, he sensed that a revenge beanball was headed his way. Marichal would later claim that the Dodgers catcher, Johnny Roseboro, was returning balls to the mound by zinging them uncomfortably close to his face.

Whatever the case, Marichal snapped. He turned around and starting smacking Roseboro over the head with his bat. Three cracks of the bat opened a nasty gash on the catcher's head and he would require 14 stitches to close the wound.

The benches cleared and a 14-minute brawl ensued. Once peace was finally restored, the Giants would go on to win the game. But a 9-game suspension for Marichal, and a late-season rally by Los Angeles gave the Dodgers the last laugh. They went on to win the division and the World Series.

Years later, Roseboro and Marichal became friends, and it was Roseboro's whole-hearted endorsement that may have tipped the scales for Marichal's entry into the Hall of Fame.