The 10 Most Vicious Brawls in Major League Baseball History | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
David Schmidt
Published Mar 24, 2026
On Aug. 12, 1984, the longest, nastiest and most epic MLB brawl took place between the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves.
The tension began in the first when Braves starter Pascual Perez hit San Diego second baseman Alan Wiggins in the lower back. Words were exchanged between the two.
Padres starter Ed Whitson then attempted to hit Perez in his first trip to the plate. Perez proceeded to run around with the bat to defend himself after the benches cleared, but no punches were thrown.
Then, in the fourth, Perez was thrown at again. Whitson and manager Dick Williams were ejected by the umpire.
Reliever Greg Booker tried to hit Perez again in the sixth, but was unsuccessful and ejected.
Finally, in the eighth inning, reliever Craig Lefferts drilled Perez in the elbow and the brawl ensues. Punches are thrown, fans get involved and more players are ejected.
More fights and hit batsmen occurred in the ninth—including Goose Gossage beaning Donnie Moore.
The Braves took the game, if you even want to call it that, 5-3.
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