Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen brawls with Chicago Cubs fans on this day in history, both teams forced to pay settlements
The Los Angeles Dodgers versus Chicago Cubs game on May 16, 2000, saw one of the most bizarre player-fan interactions in recent Major League Baseball history. Let's turn the clock back twenty-two years to the day to re-examine exactly how everything went down between the Los Angeles players and the Chicago fans.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cubs were trailing 6-4. Then, pinch-hitter Julio Zuleta ripped a double down the right field line, making the game 6-5 and potentially sparking a comeback for the Cubs. However, this was hardly noticed because a brawl was going on in the stands of Wrigley Field.
Chaos between Cubs Fans and the Los Angeles Dodgers
The drama between the Chicago Cubs fans and the Dodgers bullpen was occurring all game, with one fan in particular, Josh Pulliam, having many back-and-forth exchanges. The fan then decided to rip off bullpen catcher Chad Kreuter's hat, and everything spiraled from there. Shortly after, all that could be seen was a sea of fans and members of the Dodgers clustered together in the stands.
Fans were seen throwing food and drinks at members of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile, Kreuter had a random fan — who was not involved in any previous interactions — in a chokehold. Shortly after, Pulliam was seen being escorted from the stadium while Cubs fans in the outfield threw garbage onto the warning track. For a moment, almost the entire Dodgers team was seen in the stands brawling with Cubs fans. Finally, after around ten minutes, security and police broke up the brawl between the fans and the players.
Both the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers were forced to pay settlements. The fan Chad Kreuter put in a chokehold, Ronald Comacho, received a combined total of $775,000 from the two teams. He won $475,000 from the Cubs and also collected $300,000 from the Dodgers. Pulliam, who instigated the brawl, was not charged with anything.
Remember that time in 2000 when a Cubs fan hit a Dodgers bullpen catcher in the back of the head, stole his hat and caused an ugly brawl in the stands? Well, today's the anniversary. I wrote a thing about that wild 10 minutes at Wrigley. sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/ma…
The brawl was one of the most insane player-fan interactions in professional sports, up there with the NBA's infamous Malice at the Palace incident in 2004 which saw multiple players get suspended for their actions. Three arrests, nineteen player suspensions, and $775,000 later, the Chicago Cubs lost the game 6-5.