THE BRAWL: During a Hollywood Stars/Los Angeles Angels game at Gilmore Field on Sunday, August 2, 1953, there occurred a brawl so wild, so violent, that fifty police officers were called onto the field to break it up. After half an hour of fighting, order was finally restored. Cops then were stationed at each clubhouse, and only nine players were allowed outside at a time... ... They had to do it that way -- it was a doubleheader, and another game had to be played! Here are a couple of newspaper accounts of the infamous battle:

50 L.A. cops called out as Coast ball players brawl

KAYO KELLEHER -- Hollywood's Frankie Kelleher, No. 7, throws a left at Angels' Fred Richards as Twinks' Gordy Maltzberger, right, tries to separate bout.

By LUPI SALDANA, Los Angeles Daily News Staff Writer

Baseball players brawling in the ball park before 10,408 fans brought 50 uniformed police to Gilmore Field yesterday to break up a melee of gouging, spiking, and slugging by members of the Los Angeles Angels and Hollywood Stars.

It was the second such brawl of the afternoon, the third in three days.

The fighting, broadcast on a TV network, began in the sixth inning, was quieted by the umpires, but resumed a few moments later.

Watching the uproar on television, Police Chief William H. Parker dispatched Deputy Chief Arthur Hohman and Sgt. Floyd Drendel with 50 officers to help the umpires.

Kelleher, extreme left, and Don Dahlke, No. 22, sandwich Angels' Joe Hatten.

They were told to warn the players any further brawling would jail them on peace disturbance charges.

In a move that may set a precedent for future diamond battles, Sergeant Drendel was ordered by Chief Parker to ask Joe Hatton, Angel pitcher, if he wished to prefer assault charges against Hollywood's Frank Kelleher.

Hatten promptly answered, "no."

It was the Hollywood outfielder who touched off the first fist-swinging episode in the sixth inning of the first game. Kelleher, after taking a pair of close pitches in the fourth inning, was hit in the back by one of Hatten's curves at the start of the sixth frame.

Kelleher (head and arm showing) has already knocked Richards down and out of picture and is being restrained by teammate Eddie Malone, No. 10. At right, Stars' Ted Beard and Jack Phillips, hold enraged Angel pitcher Joe Hatten.

Kelleher, a big, mild-mannered flyhawk who had never been ejected from a game before in his 17-year career, dropped his bat, walked out to the pitcher's mound and proceeded to start lambasting Hatten.

This brought players from both teams out onto the diamond and a half dozen hand-to-hand scuffles ensued with no injuries to any of the participants.

Kelleher was tossed out of the game by Chief Umpire Cece Carlucci and Ted Beard came in to run for him.

Ted Beard slides high into Moe Franklin. Umpire Joe Iacovetti watches the action.

Moments later, Beard, while attempting to steal third, unleashed a high slide that spiked Los Angeles third baseman Murray Franklin on the arm, elbow and chest.

Franklin, angered by the spiking, dropped his glove and started slugging Beard.

This touched off another battle royal with players pairing off all over the infield between second and third bases.

In this second donnybrook Bud Hardin, Los Angeles infielder, received a cut below his right eye, which was badly swollen. Hollywood's Eddie Malone was spiked in the leg and Fred Richards, Angels first baseman, had his pants ripped.

Beard is in, hitting the hot corner, and the ball and Franklin go flying.

Franklin and Beard were sent to the showers.

BAD BLOOD between the clubs has been brewing all week and finally erupted for the first time last Friday when Richards and Gene Handley, Hollywood infielder, touched off a battle involving players from both squads.

Yesterday's brawls were witnessed by Clarence Rowland, president of the Pacific Coast League.

Rowland declared that he was only a spectator, was not attending in an official capacity and therefore could not say whether any of the players would be fined or suspended.

Umpire Joe Iacovetti motions out, but didn't see the ball go flying.

As to the unusual order from Parker, Rowland declared that "the police are within their rights. Fighting doesn't belong in baseball."

PLAYERS BRAWL TWICE IN A DAY

By AL WOLF, Los Angeles Times

Who says the fight game is dead? Or that baseball is dying? Hollywood and Los Angeles staged two more puglistic pips at Gilmore Field yesterday--before another overflow crowd that gave the park an all-time attendance record.

The day's double-header ended all even, the Stars winning the opener, 4-1, and the Angels the nightcap, 5-3.

Umpire Joe Iacovetti changes his mind as the ball rolls loose and Franklin goes for Beard.

Both fights, in which all hands violently participated, erupted in the sixth inning of the first game. Three players were banished, several suffered minor damages--and a riot call broght heavy police reinforcements.

On orders from Chief Bill Parker, both squads were warned that any additional "incident" would result in stoppage of play and the booking of offenders for disturbing the peace.

High Feelings: The umpires earlier had lessened the tension by forcing all surplus players to leave the dugouts and remain in the dressing rooms until needed.

Franklin is pulled off Beard -- as Beard swings back.

Feelings had run high all week, finally flaring into a free-for-all Friday night. Frankie Kelleher had won the Friday and Saturday games for the stars with pinch hits, so he was a marked man as yesterday's show got under way. And he promptly riled the Angels anew by singling across a first inning run.

When Kelleher came up again in the fourth, Pitcher Joe Hatten "loosened him up" with two bean balls, whereupon Frankie retaliated by tripling off the center-field fence and then scoring on a squeeze to give Hollywood a 2-0 lead.

Came the sixth inning--and this time Hatten hit Kelleher in the back.

Frankie strode briskly to the mound and began punching, with Joe retaliating. First Baseman Fred Richards jumped Kelleher, who whirled and began battling him. By this time, the infield was a mass of uniformed brawlers.

Angel pitcher Cal McLish, dashing into battle from dugout, pulls Beard from melee with Seraphs' Third-sacker Murray Franklin, who is somewhere in pile.

Charges Declined: Order was finally restored, with Kelleher getting the gate. Incidentally, it was his first baseball fight in 17 years of professional play--also his first banishment.

The police later invited Hatten to prefer assault charges against Kelleher, but he declined.

Teddy Beard ran for his exiled teammate and moments later spiked Murray Franklin in the arms and chest with a hard slide into third. Franklin dropped the ball and leaped upon Beard.

As they clawed in the dirt, the diamond again became a mob scene, with a half-dozen fights going on simultaneously.

Al Evans of the Angels swings at Umpire Iacovetti.

Eddie Malone got spiked in the leg, Bud Hardin received a shiner and a gash under the eye, several players went down and others collected assorted scratches and bruises. The Stars' Mel Queen appeared to inflict the most punishment--and may get a shot at Rocky Marciano off his showing.

Franklin and Beard were ejected when the umpires once got things in hand again.

Fortunately, there was no "audience participation." With an overflow throng of 10,408 present, a serious riot might have ensued had fans begun joining the melee.

Record Attendance: That turnout swelled the series total to 63,017, thus shattering the former high of 62,311 established in 1947. The Stars' home gate now is some 10,000 ahead of last year.

Oh yes, the ball games.

Gene Baker of the Angels and Gene Handley of Stars wrestle as umpire Cece Carlucci hurries to break it up. Note Frank Kelleher (right), already tossed out for starting the first fight, back out of the clubhouse for more action.

Well, Georgie O'Donnell captured his 15th victory in the opener by scattering four hits. He had a perfecto in the making until two were out in the sixth, when Richards singled infield. And his shutout vanished in the next frame when Gene Baker scored from third as Les Peden grounded out.

Randy Gumpert pitched and batted the Angels to victory after intermission. He personally singled across Los Angeles' first two scores and stopped a last-inning rally with the tying tally at the plate.

Red Munger was the loser.

The split gave Hollywood a 5-3 series decision and maintained its three game lead in the city championship race, makin that count 14-11.

Three officers sit on guard in Hollywood dugout along with several team coaches.

Foul Tips: While Hollywood and Sacramento are opening a four-game engagement at Gilmore tonight, Los Angeles likewise will be seeing action in Seattle . . . Outfielder Dixie Upright started yesterday's first game for the Angels but aggravated the leg injury that sidelined him for several days and had to retire . . . Yesterday's action was the first for Murray Franklin in a Los Angeles uniform . . . he saw plenty.

GAME #1:

Los Angeles.......AB H O A Talbot,cf..........4 0 1 0 Richards,1b........4 2 7 0 Franklin,3b........3 0 1 1 Hardin,3b..........1 1 1 1 Upright,lf.........0 0 0 0 Smith,lf...........2 0 0 0 Baker,ss...........3 0 3 2 Usher,rf...........4 1 1 0 Peden,c............4 0 7 1 DiPrima,2b.........4 0 3 4 Hatten,p...........2 0 0 3 Ihde,p.............0 0 0 0 Moisan.............1 0 0 0 Padget,p...........0 0 0 0 Totals..........32 4 24 12

Hollywood.........AB H O A Walls,rf-lf........4 2 0 0 Handley,3b.........3 2 1 2 Basgall,2b.........4 0 5 1 Kelleher,lf........2 2 2 0 Beard..............0 0 0 0 Long,1b............4 0 6 1 Bragan,c...........3 0 4 0 Dahlke,ss..........2 2 2 4 Saffell,cf.........3 1 5 0 O'Donnell,p........3 0 1 3 Bundy,rf...........1 0 1 0 .......................... .......................... .......................... Totals..........29 9 27 11

Moisan grounded out for Ihde in 2nd. Smith ran for Upright in 2nd. Beard ran for Kelleher in 6th. Bundy ran for Beard in 6th. Los Angeles .... 000 000 100 -- 1 Hollywood ...... 100 100 20x -- 4 Pitcher ... IP AB R H ER BB SO Hatten ..... 6 22 2 8 04 02 04 Ihde ....... 1 04 2 1 00 00 02 Padget ..... 1 03 0 0 00 00 00 O'Donnell .. 9 32 1 4 01 02 04 E--Franklin, DiPrima, Dahlke. HB--Kelleher by Hatten, Smith by O'Donnell. LOB--Los Angeles, 7; Hollywood, 5. 2B--Usher, Dahlke, Saffell. 3B--Kelleher. SH--Bragan. SB--Walls, 2; Handley. RBI--Peden, Kelleher, Bragan, Handley. DP--Peden to Franklin; Hatten to Baker to Richards. Umpires--Carlucci, Somers and Iacovetti. Time--2h.

GAME #2:

Los Angeles.......AB H O A Talbot,cf..........4 2 2 0 Richards,1b........4 2 3 0 Franklin,3b........3 1 0 0 Smith,lf...........2 0 2 0 Baker,ss...........3 1 2 2 Usher,rf...........4 3 1 0 Evans,c............3 0 7 0 DiPrima,2b.........2 0 4 1 Gumpert,p..........4 1 0 0 .......................... .......................... .......................... .......................... .......................... Totals..........29 10 21 3

Hollywood.........AB H O A Saffell,cf.........4 4 3 0 Walls,rf...........4 0 2 0 Basgall,2b.........4 0 5 0 Long,1b............4 0 5 0 Kelleher,lf........3 0 1 0 Bundy,3b...........3 2 0 0 Malone,c...........3 0 4 0 Dahlke,ss..........1 0 1 3 Stevens............1 0 0 0 Handley,ss.........1 0 0 0 Munger,p-L.........1 1 0 3 Fisher.............1 1 0 0 Queen,p............0 0 0 1 Bragan,c...........1 1 0 0 Totals...........31 9 21 7

Stevens out for Dahlke in 4th. Fisher singled for Munger in 5th. Bragan singled for Queen in 7th. Los Angeles .... 030 001 1-- 5 Hollywood ...... 001 000 2-- 3 Pitcher ... IP AB R H ER BB SO Gumpert .... 7 31 3 9 02 00 05 Munger ..... 5 20 3 6 03 02 02 Queen ...... 2 09 2 4 02 03 02 E--Franklin, 2; Handley. LOB--Los Angeles, 10; Hollywood, 7. 2B--Usher, Bundy, Munger, Saffell. SH--Franklin, Smith. SB--Saffrell, 2. RBI--Gumpert, 2; Talbot, 2; Usher, Saffrell, Walls, Basgall. Time--1hr. 50m. Umpires--Somers, Iacovetti and Carlucci. Attendance--10,408.

Thanks to Vice President Mark Panatier of the A.F. Gilmore Company, for his assistance in the researching of this article.