Here’s a lesson on sports promotions gone wrong. The Chicago White Sox, in an effort to boost ticket sales for a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers, held a Disco Demolition Night on July 12, 1979. Chicago, then sitting below .500, enlisted the aid of local radio personality and pronounced disco hater Steve Dahl.
The highlight of the day was to be a mass destruction of disco records in between the two games. To boost ticket sales even more, the team discounted tickets to 98 cents in exchange for a disco album. The promotion worked, at least initially. The White Sox, who had been averaging around 20,000 spectators at Comiskey Park, more than doubled that figure for the doubleheader.
But trouble began during the first game when attendees began hurling records, firecrackers, empty beer bottles, and other objects onto the field. It only got worse after Dahl’s demolition. Thousands of people began pouring onto the field, setting fires, and destroying stadium property. Team owner Bill Veeck and play-by-play man Harry Caray pleaded with fans to go back to their seats, to only limited effect.
After about 40 minutes, more than 40 Chicago police in riot gear appeared to bring order to the chaos. But it was too late to save the doubleheader, as American League president Lee MacPhail ordered the cancellation of the second game. It was ruled a forfeit the next day.
Here’s a ticket stub from the forfeited second half of the doubleheader, as well as the program cover used for that season.
