Baltimore Orioles

Flashback: Roberto Alomar spits on umpire John Hirschbeck

Published Sep. 27, 2015 10:00 a.m. ET

Chris Bahr

One of the ugliest incidents in major-league history took place on Sept. 27, 1996.

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar got into an argument with home plate John Hirschbeck about a called third strike. The tension escalated, Hirshbeck ejected Alomar, and Alomar spit in Hirshbeck's face.

Alomar, who claimed Hirschbeck called him a derogatory name, was suspended five games.

As ugly as that situation was, it had a happy ending: The two later patched up their differences and actually became friends.

Alomar finished his 17-season major-league career in 2004 with 2,724 hits, a .300 career batting average, 474 stolen bases and 10 Gold Gloves. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility -- after Hirschbeck publicly declared his support for Alomar's candidacy -- in 2011.