Loved talking about our Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama podcast with the sweet and sharp Liv Ream for Cool Cleveland! She edited hours of me yammering into 10 tight minutes! Check out our conversation and get caught up with the podcast!
Cataclysmic finale to Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama “Heading For home” out now!
Pinch hitters produce, fans fester and foam, a fateful confrontation in right field, and all hell breaks loose.
Click below to listen to the entire sordid tale!
“Heading For Home” is Season 1 of new podcast series Freakish History, dramatizing the incredible true story of the notorious baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers at Cleveland Stadium in 1974 complete with characters, narration, sound effects, original music, streakers, flashers, a flood of cheap beer, drunken lunacy, and fans brawling with ballplayers in 8 fast moving episodes
Available at all major podcast outlets: Acast, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Samsung, Spotify, YouTube
Heading For Home is written and executive produced by Eric Olsen and Dawn Olsen. Sound design and original music by Richard B Ingraham. Art design by Kristen Kantounatakis.
A warrior is felled, the field is festooned and fans run wild, Herb Score pleas for sanity, the Indians show pluck, and the Rangers are bombed out of their bullpen!
Listen now and follow the show!
Every year the media “celebrate” the anniversary of the Ten Cent Beer Night riot of 1974 at Cleveland Stadium. Fans, awash in cheap beer, streaked, chanted obscenities, pelted the players with everything from hotdogs to explosives, then charged the field and brawled viciously with the visiting Texas Rangers and their own home team Indians.
This is that story.
Freakish History takes a deep dive into stranger-than-fiction historical events, and plops the listener down in the middle of the bizarre and compelling action. New episodes are released every Friday. Freakish History creates fully produced, scripted docudramas of true historical events complete with narration, characters, sound effects and original music.
Season One, entitled “Heading For Home: A Ten Cent Beer Night Odyssey,” dramatizes the Ten Cent Beer Night riot of June 4, 1974 at Cleveland Stadium during the baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers.
Heading For Home is written and executive produced by Eric and Dawn Olsen. Sound design and original music by Richard Ingraham.
Graphic design by Kristen Kantounatakis.
Performed by Eric Olsen, Buck McWilliams, Alex Olsen, Mars Fargo, Tom Fulton, Nathan Welsh, Marty O’Sullivan, Dawn Olsen, Donna Westfall, Bryan Westfall, and Richard Ingraham.
Coming up!
Episode 7 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: George Hendrick to the rescue, the sane and the sober flee a beer tsunami, Billy Martin fights fire with fire, announcer outrage, and the Tribe threatens. December 15, 2023.
Episode 8 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama concludes: pinch hitters produce, fans fester and foam, a fateful confrontation in right field, and all hell breaks loose. December 22, 2023
Sliding naked into history, a tribal drumbeat demands blood sacrifice, the Tribe show some life, a rookie is welcomed with gifts and salutations, and the Rangers extend their lead!
Every year the media “celebrate” the anniversary of the Ten Cent Beer Night riot of 1974 at Cleveland Stadium. Fans, awash in cheap beer, streaked, chanted obscenities, pelted the players with everything from hotdogs to explosives, then charged the field and brawled viciously with the visiting Texas Rangers and their own home team Indians.
This is that story.
Freakish History takes a deep dive into stranger-than-fiction historical events, and plops the listener down in the middle of the bizarre and compelling action. New episodes are released every Friday. Freakish History creates fully produced, scripted docudramas of true historical events complete with narration, characters, sound effects and original music.
Season One, entitled “Heading For Home: A Ten Cent Beer Night Odyssey,” dramatizes the Ten Cent Beer Night riot of June 4, 1974 at Cleveland Stadium during the baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers.
Heading For Home is written and executive produced by Eric and Dawn Olsen. Sound design and original music by Richard Ingraham.
Graphic design by Kristen Kantounatakis.
Performed by Eric Olsen, Buck McWilliams, Alex Olsen, Mars Fargo, Tom Fulton, Nathan Welsh, Marty O’Sullivan, Dawn Olsen, Donna Westfall, Bryan Westfall, and Richard Ingraham.
Coming up!
Episode 6 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: a warrior is felled, the field is festooned and fans run wild, Herb Score pleas for sanity, the Indians show pluck, and the Rangers are bombed out of their bullpen. December 8, 2023.
Episode 7 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: George Hendrick to the rescue, the sane and the sober flee a beer tsunami, Billy Martin fights fire with fire, announcer outrage, and the Tribe threatens. December 15, 2023.
Episode 8 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama concludes: pinch hitters produce, fans fester and foam, a fateful confrontation in right field, and all hell breaks loose. December 22, 2023
The game actually begins, pitchers swap wives, home runs and other explosions, bouncing balls and boobs – click to listen!
Every year the media “celebrate” the anniversary of the Ten Cent Beer Night riot of 1974 at Cleveland Stadium. Fans, awash in cheap beer, streaked, chanted obscenities, pelted the players with everything from hotdogs to explosives, then charged the field and brawled viciously with the visiting Texas Rangers and their own home team Indians.
This is that story.
Freakish History takes a deep dive into stranger-than-fiction historical events, and plops the listener down in the middle of the bizarre and compelling action. New episodes are released every Friday. Freakish History creates fully produced, scripted docudramas of true historical events complete with narration, characters, sound effects and original music.
Season One, entitled “Heading For Home: A Ten Cent Beer Night Odyssey,” dramatizes the Ten Cent Beer Night riot of June 4, 1974 at Cleveland Stadium during the baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers.
Heading For Home is written and executive produced by Eric and Dawn Olsen. Sound design and original music by Richard Ingraham.
Graphic design by Kristen Kantounatakis.
Performed by Eric Olsen, Buck McWilliams, Alex Olsen, Mars Fargo, Tom Fulton, Nathan Welsh, Marty O’Sullivan, Dawn Olsen, Donna Westfall, Bryan Westfall, and Richard Ingraham.
Coming up!
Episode 5 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: sliding naked into history, a tribal drumbeat demands blood sacrifice, the Tribe show some life, a rookie is welcomed with gifts and salutations, and the Rangers extend their lead. December 1, 2023.
Episode 6 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: a warrior is felled, the field is festooned and fans run wild, Herb Score pleas for sanity, the Indians show pluck, and the Rangers are bombed out of their bullpen. December 8, 2023.
Episode 7 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: George Hendrick to the rescue, the sane and the sober flee a beer tsunami, Billy Martin fights fire with fire, announcer outrage, and the Tribe threatens. December 15, 2023.
Episode 8 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama concludes: pinch hitters produce, fans fester and foam, a fateful confrontation in right field, and all hell breaks loose. December 22, 2023
A brawl in Texas, frustration in Cleveland, pregame party on the train, fans stumble into the stadium, trouble in the stands!
After two episodes of interviews with cool guys who were at the game — Buck McWilliams, Terry Yerkic, and Jim Clark — and journalists — Bob Dyer and Vince Guerrieri — to provide context for the story, our Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama begins with Episode 3 of “Heading For Home,” now available!
Every year the media “celebrate” the anniversary of the Ten Cent Beer Night riot of 1974 at Cleveland Stadium. Fans, awash in cheap beer, streaked, chanted obscenities, pelted the players with everything from hotdogs to explosives, then charged the field and brawled viciously with the visiting Texas Rangers and their own home team Indians.
This is that story.
Freakish History takes a deep dive into stranger-than-fiction historical events, and plops the listener down in the middle of the bizarre and compelling action. New episodes are released every Friday. Freakish History creates fully produced, scripted docudramas of true historical events complete with narration, characters, sound effects and original music.
Season One, entitled “Heading For Home: A Ten Cent Beer Night Odyssey,” dramatizes the Ten Cent Beer Night riot of June 4, 1974 at Cleveland Stadium during the baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers.
Heading For Home is written and executive produced by Eric and Dawn Olsen. Sound design and original music by Richard Ingraham.
Graphic design by Kristen Kantounatakis.
Performed by Eric Olsen, Buck McWilliams, Alex Olsen, Mars Fargo, Tom Fulton, Nathan Welsh, Marty O’Sullivan, Dawn Olsen, Donna Westfall, Bryan Westfall, and Richard Ingraham.
Episode 4 – Our Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: the game actually begins, pitchers swap wives, home runs and other explosions, bouncing balls and boobs. November 24, 2023.
Episode 5 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: sliding naked into history, a tribal drumbeat demands blood sacrifice, the Tribe show some life, a rookie is welcomed with gifts and salutations, and the Rangers extend their lead. December 1, 2023.
Episode 6 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: a warrior is felled, the field is festooned and fans run wild, Herb Score pleas for sanity, the Indians show pluck, and the Rangers are bombed out of their bullpen. December 8, 2023.
Episode 7 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama continues: George Hendrick to the rescue, the sane and the sober flee a beer tsunami, Billy Martin fights fire with fire, announcer outrage, and the Tribe threatens. December 15, 2023.
Episode 8 – Ten Cent Beer Night Riot docudrama concludes: pinch hitters produce, fans fester and foam, a fateful confrontation in right field, and all hell breaks loose. December 22, 2023
Every year the media “celebrate” the anniversary of the Ten Cent Beer Night riot of 1974 at Cleveland Stadium. Fans, awash in cheap beer, streaked, chanted obscenities, pelted the players with everything from hotdogs to explosives, then charged the field and brawled viciously with the visiting Texas Rangers and their own home team Indians.
This is that story.
Before we launch into the Heading For Home docudrama next week, let’s dig into the events of that fateful game at Cleveland Stadium on June 4, 1974. This week we speak with sports journalist Vince Guerrieri and legendary columnist Bob Dyer.
Vince Guerrieri is a journalist in the Cleveland area. His work has appeared in publications as varied as Popular Mechanics, Ohio Magazine, Cleveland Magazine, CityLab and Defector. He’s the author of Weird Moments in Cleveland Sports and several other books on regional sports history.
As a columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal, Bob Dyer earned over 80 regional and national writing awards. He was voted Best Columnist in the Nation by the National Society of Professional Journalists (2008) and Best Humor Columnist by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists (2013). He was named Best Columnist in Ohio by at least one professional journalism organization for six consecutive years. Dyer was one of the lead writers for “A Question of Color,” a yearlong examination of racial attitudes in Akron that won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994. Bob is the author of “The Top 20 Moments in Cleveland Sports,” which includes an insightful and hilarious examination of Ten Cent Beer Night.
Interviews with Ten Cent Beer Night Attendees Buck McWilliams, Terry Yerkic, Jim Clark
Before we launch into the Heading For Home docudrama in two weeks, let’s dig into the events of that fateful game at Cleveland Stadium on June 4, 1974. This week we speak with attendees Buck McWilliams, Terry Yerkic, and Jim Clark.
Jim Clark is the author of “Rally Round Cleveland: The Story of the 1974 Franchise Saving Cleveland Indians” and has been the radio voice of the Akron RubberDucks — formerly called the Canton-Akron Indians and Akron Aeros — for 30 years. He recently called his 3500th game for the team. Jim was inducted into the Greater Akron Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.
Besides being my good friend and baseball teammate at Chagrin Falls High School, Buck McWilliams attended the Ten Cent Beer Night game. He has had a distinguished career as Morning Show host at top radio stations in Toledo, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Manchester, Columbus, West Palm Beach, Miami, and Ft. Lauderdale. He is currently Senior Account Mgr. at Audacy Radio stations in Cleveland.
Terry Yerkic was Ohio State Wrestling champ his senior year at Richmond Heights High School in 1973, where he also played football; and he earned a full ride scholarship to Cleveland State University. A versatile athlete, he played 16” softball for 14 years and went to the National championship 4 times.
As a citizen of Richmond Has, Terry served on the recreation board, master plan committee, served 20+ years as Santa Claus for Breakfast with Santa, coached football at Richmond Hts high school and middle school, and was Girl’s Softball Commissioner
He was inducted into the Richmond Heights Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and was Richmond Heights Citizen of the Year in 2000.
Yet despite all of these impressive and virtuous deeds, Terry will go down in history for something else…