My friend at that time, and now coincidently current roommate was one of the 9 arrested that day. He and two friends had gone to the game in large part due to the cheap beer but they were also Tribe fans.
His version (which has remained consistent over these decades) includes the narrative to the picture above about the Texas players plummeting a fan who tried to steal his baseball cap — he said that was really the last straw for what remained of the crowd in the stands — they came in droves attacking the Rangers.
He and his two buddies decided to leave and were crossing the field to get to the closest exit to his car (going from the bleachers to gate B) and were not involved in any fighting or throwing items or whatever, just leaving. Some cops came along and yelled at them to “get off the field” and after a verbal exchange of some “F-you’s” they were cuffed and arrested.
In his group of four that were getting hauled off, the fourth unknown other guy somehow tossed his wallet and told my friend and his buddies to just shutup. That guy gave a false name at the station, put up bond, and obviously never returned to court.
The judge admonished them for making Cleveland another national embarrassment, and he and his friends got three days in a jail nearby in Warrensville, Ohio. Another longer-term inmate who had a harmonica kept playing “Take me out to the ball game” over and over . . .
>>>Texas players plummeting a fan who tried to steal his baseball cap —<<<
meaning the ball cap of a Texas player had been lifted by a Cleveland fan ....
grammar aint my strong suet