Cubs 1987 Season-Game 83

From Sports Library

1 Cubs 7, Padres 5

Cubs 7, Padres 5

WP: Scott Sanderson (4-4)
LP: Eric Show (4-10)
SV: Lee Smith (22)

July 7th, 1987

This early July game pitted a woeful San Diego Padres team that was 29-54 and 17 1/2 games behind first place Cincinnati and a struggling Cubs team that was 43-39 and eight games behind the first place Cardinals. While the game had little bearing on the pennant races, the game took on extra significance for Cubs rookie Greg Maddux. Maddux was 4-7 with a 4.44 earned-run average -- and this was coming off a brilliant complete-game four-hit shutout of Montreal six days earlier. Maddux had reportedly been told that another subpar outing could result in a trip to Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs were in the midst of a mid-season slump, brought on in part by the injuries to Ryne Sandberg and Shawon Dunston within days of each other. Career minor-leaguers Paul Noce and Mike Brumley were significant downgrades from Sandberg and Dunston, and the Cubs' offense and middle-infield defense suffered.

First Inning

The scoring got underway quickly. Tony Gwynn singled with one out and then stole both second and third on aging catcher Jim Sundberg. John Kruk grounded out to Noce to score Gwynn and give San Diego a 1-0 lead on Maddux.

The Cubs wasted no time erasing that lead as centerfielder Dave Martinez led off the game with a homer. After Show retired Noce and Leon Durham, Andre Dawson continued his assault on National League pitching with his 24th home run of the year, which landed onto Waveland Avenue.

Pitchers help their causes

Maddux's two-out single in the second drove in Keith Moreland to make it a 3-1 game, but Show led off the top of the third with a double into left field. Stan Jefferson's double made it 3-2 going into the bottom of the third.

Eric Show becomes public enemy No. 1

Show gave back the run he scored by surrendering a home run to Noce, Noce's second of his career (he would go on to hit just one more home run in his brief Major League career). After retiring Durham on a groundout to Kruk, Show fired a fastball on his next pitch -- right into Dawson's face. Dawson crumpled to the ground and the announced crowd of 26,615 fell silent. Dawson had been cut on the left cheek and lay still in the batter's box as the training staff tended to Dawson and Show loitered on the mound.

After a couple of minutes passed, Cubs' ace Rick Sutcliffe emerged from the dugout and attacked Show, emptying both benches. As the several-minute brawl came to a lull, members of the Cubs walked over to the plate to check on Dawson, who had regained consciousness. At this point, Dawson staggered a couple of steps and began to look for Show, who was at this point in shallow center-field, away from the brawl, and away from any unruly fans. Umpire Charlie Williams escorted Show to the Padres first-base dugout, where Show escaped to the locker room and left the ballpark before the game ended.

Aftermath of the brawl

Dawson was removed from the game because of the injury to his face that required 22 stitches. He was whisked to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and replaced in the game by Brian Dayett. Sutcliffe was ejected from the game, a moot point because he was scheduled to pitch two days later against the Dodgers.

The Cubs wound up scoring in that third inning to make it 5-2. Maddux seemed to have settled down, striking out Chris Brown and Tim Flannery to start the fourth before hitting rookie Benito Santiago with a pitch. Both Maddux and Michael were ejected.

Scott Sanderson came on in relief of Maddux and pitched 3 1/3 innings, but was ejected in the top of the eighth when his first pitch to Chris Brown went behind his head. Bench coach Johnny Oates was also ejected. Somewhere during the course of the game, Manny Trillo was also thrown out.

Epilogue

No suspensions were handed down by National League President A. Bartlett Giamatti. Dawson would not play until the following Tuesday, when he started for the National League in the All-Star Game. Dawson remained bitter about the beaning, and when he was told that Show issued a statement that he "regretted" hitting Dawson, Dawson said, "I'll make sure he never forgets it."

Gwynn, Show's teammate, apparently defended Dawson's decision to come after Show by telling the media after the game, "How would you feel if he had hit you in the face? I`d be upset, whether he did it on purpose or not."

Dawson went on to win the National League Most Valuable Player in 1987, despite the fact the Cubs finished last.

Show made just five more starts against the Cubs in his career, going 0-3 with a 4.70 ERA. Dawson went 6-for-17 in those five appearances, with one homer and three RBI. Show ended his career in Oakland's bullpen in 1991, and then spent his retirement deep in depression and drug addiction. He died of a drug overdose at a drug rehabilitation clinic in 1994, two full seasons before Dawson retired.

The fight did not manage to "bring the team together," as the Cubs fell even further out of contention that year, finishing last in the National League East. However, Maddux did save his job in the Cubs rotation. As the Cubs were thin on pitching thanks to this game and a doubleheader two days later, Maddux started on two days rest July 10 as the Cubs hosted the Dodgers. Maddux lasted eight innings in that game. Maddux continued to struggle on the mound and was sent down for two weeks in August. However, Dawson would reportedly insist on starting every game that Maddux would start for the next five seasons, even though Dawson's arthritic knees would dictate an occasional day off.