Saturday, April 30, 1988
Mets 6 Reds 5
Umpire Dave Pallone's 9th inning delayed call of safe at first base allowed the Mets to score the eventual winning run in the 6-5 game at Riverfront Stadium.
Reds manager Pete Rose argued vehemently. Pallone poked Rose in the cheek and Rose then made contact with Pallone, shoving the umpire.
Rose the ejected from the game and 41,032 fans at Riverfront Stadium were irate, tossing objects onto the field.
Pallone eventually left the field and the remaining three members of the crew completed the game.
Rose was suspended for 30 days. The suspension, imposed by NL president Bart Giamatti, was the most severe ever levied against a manager for an on-field incident.
Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth summoned Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall to New York for a meeting and threatened to ban both from the broadcast booth. He said their on-air comments incited fans to unruly behavior, which included the throwing of radios, golf balls and cigarette lighters onto the field. Both broadcasters would issue apologies.