As a fan of the Tigers, I’m glad you made reference to Gibby’s home run in game 5 of the 1984 World Series. I feel like it’s been forgotten, at least nationally, compared to the Dodger home run, but was a clutch moment to secure that series for the Tigers. Crazy to think that those two at-bats were consecutive appearances for Gibson in the World Series, and Vin Scully called both at-bats for the TV broadcasts.
While it may not be recalled as legendary for most outside of the Rays fandom, what Mike Brosseau did in game 5 of the 2020 ALDS will always stand out to me as nothing short of legendary. Undrafted out of college when there were still 40 rounds, he signed with the Rays in 2016. He worked his way up the ladder, debuting in the MLB during 2019 and was around replacement level. In 2020, he stepped up despite only playing in half of an already shortened season. The most notable event in the regular season was during a series in New York against the Yankees, where Aroldis Chapman tried to hit Brosseau in the head with a 101 fastball that he barely ducked in time for. After the benches cleared and the 9th finished, Brosseau would hit 2 home runs the following day. Fast forward to the playoffs and the Rays were in a deadlock with New York at 1-1 in the final game of the divisional round. In the bottom of the 8th, Chapman was in the game and Brosseau was up. Playing in the evening in San Diego, the ball does not go over the fence often even with the recently renovated walls. The count quickly became 0-2 and Chapman barely missed the zone for a strike 3 looking. Brosseau would begin to time his fastball and almost hit the 6th pitch over the fence, but still continues to work the count. It becomes full and on pitch #10, Chapman throws a 100mph fastball in the zone and Brosseau muscles the ball over the left field fence, giving the Rays an ultimately decisive 2-1 victory on their way to the AL pennant.
I'm going to enjoy watching video of these events with the knowledge of Brosseau's journey. I lament the end of 40 draft rounds. Mike Piazza's HOF career wouldn't have a chance in our time.
@@thebaseballprofessor It is a fairly nuanced topic in my mind, but the biggest issue in underdogs not being given a chance relates to the minor league purge prior to the pandemic. Many small towns lost a source of income and hundreds of pro ball jobs were lost while not really giving much of a pay boost to the remaining players. I am thankful for the unionization of the minor leagues forcing the increase in pay (though its still hardly a living wage) which should allow any underdogs in the MiLB to focus on the sport instead of how to live.
Certainly don’t intend to take anything away from this (which I consider the most dramatic moment in any sport) but LaRussa said he thought the turning point in the series was Canseco’s grand slam in the second inning. He felt the intensity in the dugout disappear and he felt helpless to do anything about it.
My uncle was at this game. Top deck, as ever; the same place he took my mom when she was 12 to see Sandy Koufax's perfect game. I was born a year after this win and never saw the Dodgers win a World Series until 2020. Seeing Los Angeles bathed in yellow smog like that, barely even being able to see Downtown, looks so alien.
I had the same reaction to those clips of downtown LA. Growing up in the San Bernardino Valley where we had twice as many smog alerts as Los Angeles, I remember all of the days when I couldn't breathe properly after swimming or soccer practice. The county's beautiful mountain range was rarely visible during the summer. What a difference catalytic converters and EPA regulations have made for quality of life. I think about that when I have a nice view of the mountains in July or August.
1972 NLCS Red vs. Pirates ~ Johnny Bench vs. Dave Giusti ~ Bottom of the 9th at Riverfront Stadium ~ At the moment, only Bench had known that he had a spot on his lung that was going to require off season surgery and possibly ending his baseball career and *possibly* his life. The surgery proved a success but robbing Bench of his HR power the rest of his career. His Mom calls out to John to "Hit a HR." John said he thought to himself "Mom - I wished it were that easy." The call was also legendary to Reds fans for the fact that it was called by Al Michaels (who was getting ready to move on in his career.) The sell out crowd at Riverfront Stadium had erupted into a frenzy. Notably - the HR went to the opposite field over Roberto Clemente, sadly this was Clemente's last ever game as he would die in the plane crash in the off season. It was the last moment Clemente was captured in action on a baseball field as Clemente went to the fence. *The Call* - by Al Michaels has went down into Cincinnati Reds baseball lore as one of, if not "the most," legendary HR call in Reds history. The Bench HR setup the infamous Bob Moose wild pitch scoring George Foster from 3B while Hal McRae was at the plate sending the Cincinnati Reds to the 1972 World Series against the Oakland A's. *Fantastic piece on Kirk's blast.*
Thanks for sharing the incredible backstory to Bench's NLCS HR. I already found further reading on the topic. What an end of an era with Clemente playing his final game.
Thanks for your excellent analysis of the second greatest baseball moment in So Cal history. The greatest? Final game of the 1994 season. White Sox and Angels battling for the division title. Tony Danza on the mound with only months left to live. In need of divine intervention, but none is coming. Still, he makes a diving catch on a line drive, sending the Angels to what will surely be the first of many postseason successes.
I was there. Nancy Regan threw out the first pitch. She was deep into the Just Say No anti-drug campaign at the time. After the game, the reporter from channel 7 squeezed into the locker room and asked Gibson how he did it. He said something like, " I knew I could pinch hit so they gave me an injection and i went to the batting cage. The injection quote was the perfect compliment to Nancy's just say no first pitch. Also, from where I was sitting, there was a surge in the cheers when Gibson pumped his arm at Eckersley on his way around the bases.
I can only imagine the insanity of Dodger Stadium after the ball went out. It would be fun to know the exact decibel level after Gibson's arm pump. I watched the game with my family and it was tv room pandemonium.
Gibson had bad wheels coming into the postseason that year, having strained his hamstring in mid-September during the regular season. Despite the leg problems, he hit three game-winning home runs during the '88 postseason, inc. two in the same day in the NLCS. He was the Reggie Jackson they could have used in '77 and '78.
When former Tigers owner, Tom Monahan was asked in 1988 why the Tigers did not match the Dodgers offer and keep Gibson he said he was too expensive. Monahan had just purchased an antique Bugatti for a record price for cars. A reporter said how do you justify not signing Gibson but buying that car. Monahan said "an antique car appreciates, a ball player depreciates". I think that gave Gibby some motivation in LA as well!!
Ha! I hadn't heard that story. Monahan had a point too. Gibson had a monster season in LA, one that fully justified his 3 year contract, but he did not contribute significantly in 1989 and 1990 due to injuries. Orel Hershiser had an equivalent year in 1989, but he didn't have a healthy Kirk Gibson in the lineup to support his stellar pitching.
Fun and revealing video. I would add #11: Kirk Gibson was strong as an ox to just wrist that pitch into the bleachers. You left out that his legs were hurt so bad that he didn't appear in the remaining 4 W.S. games in 1988 and the Dodgers won 4 games to 1.
Outstanding. Well written with great footage. Love it. I know it's been done to death, but I'd like to see a The Baseball Professor take on the Black Sox.
It's in the pipeline! I may do something that discusses what happened, myths that developed, and unappreciated truths. If you haven't seen it, check out sabr.org/eight-myths-out
