In one of the most remarkable days of baseball Fair Grounds Field ever hosted, the Shreveport Captains used a no-hitter, an inside-the-park grand slam and a bench clearing brawl to move into first place on this day 35 years ago. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a night of baseball like this,” Shreveport pitcher Doug Robertson said. “Never.
” A doubleheader against the Tulsa Drillers began with a combined no-hitter from Shreveport’s Larry Carter and Scott Gay. We’ll never know if Carter could have done the job himself because he was one of six players ejected following a third-inning brawl. The shenanigans began when John Hoover, already on the hook for nine runs and 11 hits, threw a pitch near Larry Carter’s face.
Chaos, including several bouts, ensued. “It’s not a good thing to happen, but sometimes you lose your cool,” Carter said. The Captains’ lead was built with the help of an inside-the-park grand slam by Dee Dixon.
One pitcher later, Hoover incited the donnybrook. A rather tame nightcap featured four errors by Tulsa in Shreveport’s five-run fourth inning. That game also featured a home run from Tulsa slugger Juan Gonzalez, who was called up to the Major Leagues by Texas for the first time less than two weeks later.
At the end of the evening, Shreveport was in a tie for first place..