Remembering Mets History: (1976) The Dave Kingman- Keith Hernandez Brawl

Tuesday April 20th, 1976: The New York Mets managed by Joe Frazier, were in second place in the NL East, just 1.5 games out of first place early in the 1976 season. 

Tonight, the Mets were at Bush Stadium in St. Louis, to play Red Schoendienst's sixth place St. Louis Cardinals, who were just 3 1/2 games back. 

The Cardinals team featured two Hall of Famers, the All-Time stolen base leader, at that time Lou Brock & the 2020 HOF inductee, catcher Ted Simmons. 

Also on the Cardinal team was young first baseman, Keith Hernandez. Keith was playing in his third season, his first full season as a regular player. That season the Cardinals would finish fifth (72-90). 

As for the 1976 Mets, they would win 86 games but finish in third place. Once again, they had a fantastic pitching staff of Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman & tonight's starter, Jon Matlack. Their star slugger was Dave Kingman who hit 36 HRs the previous year & would hit 37 in 1976.

A small St. Louis crowd of 7,260 were in attendance for tonight's game which would be highlighted by a Keith Hernandez / Dave Kingman brawl.

In the 1st inning, the Mets beat up on Cardinals' starter, Lynn McGlothen. Wayne Garrett led off with a single & the usually light hitting Felix Millan followed with a two run HR. It was the only HR Millan would hit all season.  

After John Milner grounded out, Ed Kranepool doubled putting runners on second & third. Next the new Mets centerfielder, Del Unser hit a two run HR to right field, making it 4-0 Mets. 

In the top of the 2nd, Jon Matlack reached on an error by second baseman Vic Harris. Lynn McGlothen walked Wayne Garrett, then got a double play ball from Millan. 

But he couldn't get out of the inning, as John Milner hit a two run HR to give New York a commanding 6-0 lead.

The Cardinals were upset & their pitcher, Lynn McGlothen was extremely frustrated. In the 3rd inning, in Del Unser's next at bat, McGlothen hit him with a pitch. 

In the bottom of the 3rd, Mets pitcher Jon Matlack made a point of his own, as he brushed back McGlothen with a pitch when he came to bat, to even things up. Matlack then struck him out to start the inning.

In the top of the 4th, Matlack came to bat & bean balls flew once again. This time, McGlothen hit Matlack with a pitch. Home plate Umpire Bruce Froemming tossed McGlothen out of the game. As he was being ejected from the game, the Mets came running out of the dugout to get at him.

The Mets, Dave Kingman, who is remembered as not being much of a team player, certainly was standing up for his team & his pitcher on this night.

The big six-foot, six-inch Kingman led the charge out of the dugout & was zeroing in on McGlothen. 

But Keith Hernandez, the future Met who was still a Cardinal then, intercepted the big Kingman, attempting to tackle him. 

Some reports say, Kingman just tossed Hernandez aside, but after all these years the memories vary. In any event Hernandez did save McGlothen on that night. 

If the Mets had got to him who knows what could have happened. The benches cleared as some punches were thrown & a lot of shoving went on as well.

Eventually the game resumed, in the 8th inning, Felix Millan singled & scored when the Mets Joe Torre tripled to him in. 

In the top of the 9th, Jerry Grote & Mike Phillips singled for the Mets off reliever John Curtis. Wayne Garrett added an RBI single to finish off the Mets 8-0 scoring. 

Jon Matlack would go the distance pitching a six-hit shutout. He struck out seven & walked three. He was now 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA on the season. 

That year, Matlack would lead the NL with six shut outs & win a career high 17 games going 17-10. He posted a 2.95 ERA with 16 complete games & 153 strike outs in 262 innings pitched in 35 starts. 

He came in sixth in the Cy Young voting, as his teammate Jerry Koosman came in second to the winner San Diego's Randy Jones.