By now you’ve heard and or seen this from Reds Announcer Marty Brennaman:

“This is what makes you want to see this Chicago Cubs team lose. Among all baseball fans — I can’t attest to the Yankees and Red Sox because we don’t see them with any degree of regularity unless it’s interleague play — but far and away the most obnoxious fans in baseball in this league are those who follow this team right here. Throwing 15 or 18 balls on the field, there’s absolutely no excuse for that and that is so typical of Chicago Cub fans. It’s unbelievable.”

Well Marty has a faulty memory, is a hypocrite, or both. See, back in 1988, Reds fans were part of one of the most despicable acts that ever took place in a ballpark. It involved umpire Dave Pallone, who feared for his life because of the great Reds fans. From the New York Times:

Pallone, after making a disputed call at first base in the ninth inning of what became a 6-5 victory for the Mets, became engaged in a physical altercation with Pete Rose, the Cincinnati manager, and then, fearing for his safety, left the game under a hail of garbage and other objects thrown by the crowd of 41,032.

The crowd littered the field with lighters, radios, coins, garbage and baseballs. Much of the debris was directed at Pallone, but several objects nearly hit the other umpires – Eric Gregg, John Kibler and Jim Quick – and Cincinnati players as well.

In a delay that lasted nearly a quarter of an hour, the umpires walked off the field as a group once and then, after returning, decided it was in Pallone’s best interest for him to exit permanently. He was again bombarded with debris as he made his way out the New York dugout. One fan was arrested for harassing Pallone in the corridors beneath the stands.”

Apparently Marty had a role in this.

“(Richie) Phillips, who expressed alarm at what had taken place, said he had asked Giamatti to take action against the Reds organization because of the remarks of two broadcasters, Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall.

The two longtime radio announcers repeatedly derided Pallone – specifically about the call and more generally about his qualifications – during the storm on the field. Phillips said the comments may have further incited the unruly crowd.

”I don’t back off what I said one inch,” said Brennaman. ”I think he is incompetent, and I react on the air the way I do at home. I don’t know how many people were listening to me at the park. My first obligation is to the people listening at home.”

So what’s worse? Endangering a group of umpires and ballplayers by throwing “lighters, radios, coins, garbage and baseballs” or what Cubs fans did the other night? Who are the worst fans? Looks like the Reds fans are. Enjoy the Dusty Baker era, Marty. You ‘ll probably hope to forget that too.