I was standing watch atop the USS Blueback (a diesel submarine, stationed in San Diego at the time) when this game was playing - and I heard a collective roar from all around when the Padres won this game to punch their ticket to the World Series. What a great time! Too bad the Detroit Tigers were so good that year - although the Padres managed to win a game in their stadium before drop the series in 5 games.
I was Stationed in SD too at that time, must of been to 25 games that season, what a year and what great memories! Still have my Padre hat with a Yankee pin on it.
I'm such a psycho that it literally took me playing poker with a San Diego guy in Vegas 30 years later and hearing how special this memory was for him and his father to finally get over this crushing 84 loss in San Diego. He even had sympathy for me and said how he never thought about the flipside to his great memory - our brutal pain in Chicago..lol - it was a cathartic poker session...like therapy.(that I OBVIOUSLY needed)
it was the first time for the padres to be in the world series, nobody expected them to win and even the team thought just that against the mighty tigers...but what makes 1984 sweet for the padres was they were the first to come back winning 3 games in a row in the nlcs, the first time is always the best experience and memorable for everyone, the fans weren’t expecting much, it was the thrill of being in the world series, wow, even the players in the locker room after this game were in shock saying, “we’re going to the world series”...not so much “we’re gonna win the world series”...definitely field of dreams experience for the city...but hey, the cubs eventually broke the curse :)....i’m sure that feeling was the same when the padres won game 5 :)...someday, the pads may finally win that very first world series
I was delivering the San Diego Union Tribune on my bicycle probably a few miles away from the stadium still coming down from the high that was game 4 where I actually go to to in person. My transistor radio was tied to my bike listening to the game. When the game ended you could literally hear the whole city screaming because it was during the day. The only other time that happened that I remembered was when the Chargers beat the Bills in a playoff game a few years before. San Diego was at its peak as a city from 75-85.
Let's not forget that the regular umpires were on strike during the LCS, so replacements were used in both the ALCS and NLCS that year, and in the NLCS, the replacement umpires who worked the games in Chicago were from the Midwest and the replacement umpires who worked the games in San Diego were from the west coast. But for that reason, the quality of the umpiring during the entire series was sketchy, at best.
The only error committed that had any impact on that game was the big one committed by Leon Durham, and who know what would have happened from there had he not let the ball go through his legs, because the Padres had taken the momentum in that game even before that. My point about the replacement umpires was that the level of umpiring through the series (and the ALCS between the Tigers and Royals) was compromised because they basically had home area umpires working all of the LCS games. Fortunately, the replacement umpires really had no bearing on the outcome of either LCS, and the regulars were back for the World Series.
@@kevinboughton4432 They did mention something about the umpires reaching an agreement to work the World Series, so you might be right about that for this important game, but I know that replacement umpires worked earlier games in this NLCS because the regular umpires were on strike when this NLCS began in Chicago.
The real undoing game in the bottom of the 6th. Sut loaded the bases, and the Padres scored a run. But, more importantly made him throw a ton of pitches. Thus leading to the 7th inning meltdown!
We were bummed out for 5 1/2 innings. Then when they scored two runs, we had hope. When Tim Flannery's ground ball went past Leon Durham's glove, we got excited. When Tony Gwynn got that double to score Tim Flannery and Alan Wiggins, we got more excited. After Steve Garvey's base hit scored Tony, we hoped that it would be enough with Goose Gossage ready to pitch the next two innings. So naturally, once the final out was made ( a one-hopper to Nettles-- to Wiggins--- and the Padres have the National League Pennant. Oh, DOCTOR!! You can hang a star on that baby....) we celebrated.
Thank God I wasn't alive for this. I remember when my dad first told me about '84. He said he was throwing furniture around the house, and I don't blame him. It's like '03 19 years before it happened. Why am I watching this anyway? Cubs are champs! I guess I just need to remind myself of all of the pain that it took to finally make it.
William Koscielniak Indians shoulda won that series. They blew it. At least the Cavs broke our 52 year championship drought that year! Cleveland Rocks!
Furniture exploded at my house. I kicked a hassock across the room and it destroyed a table when Leon Durham let a ball go through his legs. My wife walked in from the kitchen and just shook her head.
I remember that game I was sick with chicken pox...they won the Padres did..I was rooting for them cause I got Steve Garvey's autograph...well the Cubs will wait no more to go to the Series they won tonight 5-0 over the Dodgers ending a 70 year drought who do y'all think will win the Series the Cubs or the Cleveland Indians who haven't won since 1948???!!!
Cherilyn Hannen Steve garvey being a dodger and I'm a reds man born and raised in Cincinnati I hated number 6 until he hit that h.r. to beat the cubs and I from that day on respected me.clean
Back when the Cubs has the curse of the you know what. But finally in 2016, despite I'm a Cardinals fan, I'm glad the Cubs won their third world championship in franchise history (their first in 108 years). Congrats Cubs, you deserve it.
Lived my entire life in SD going to Padres games at the worst stadium in baseball. You could show up 10 minutes before the game and get a seat behind the plate for $9. I usually sat on the first base line because those seats were only $6. In June, 1984, I had to move to LA. Missed the whole thing.
I'm going by memory, but I believe Show was their best pitcher that year,but not that good...while Sutcliffe was 16-1 (?) and the Cy Young ...so that may explain a little bit
Same here. Every day I drive through Mission Valley on my way to work downtown. This giant monolith that was our stadium is gone. I watched them as they slowly tore it down. Heartbreaking.
The cubs had great batters in those times but lack better pitching and sutclifts world crumbled down after that error at first by probably was leon durham similar to that of buckner in 1986 because of nervousness most likely!! and another error by sanberg though that wasnt so an easy catch.
What a day it could have been in Chicago! Walter Payton broke Jim Brown's rushing earlier that day against the Saints. I know that was the game in that day but 18-1 or not, Sutcliffe should have been out earlier. Williams had no problem yanking Show in the 2nd and that was a huge turning point. He was shellacked at Wrigley in Game 1.
If the Cubs won that series against the Padres would they have played the World Series at Wrigley Field? They did not have night games there due to no lights. Does anybody out there know?
4 major factors stand out on why the Cubs lost this game: 1. Bobby Dernier called OUT on stolen base attempt in the 2nd. No instant replay back then, unfortunately, because it appeared he was safe, he got his hand on the bag before Templeton applied the tag on Deer's inner forearm. Templeton was not known for his glovework to begin with, Dernier stole 45 bags that year. What if he's called safe? The NL '84 MVP is at the plate, runner on 2nd, anything can happen. 2. Frey left Sutcliffe in the game way too long, he should have been pulled in the 6th, especially when he walked Garvey, that should have been it. He was clearly spent, sweating profusely, hyperventilating. He gives up 2 runs in the 6th, then proceeds to walk the lead off hitter on 4 pitches in the bottom of the 7th, that should have been it again, period, ask Terry Francona about that. At one point, SS Larry Bowa calls time, seeing Sutcliffe struggling, runs to the mound just to give him a 30 sec. breather. Would the bullpen have put out the fire? The Cubs pen that year was pretty good. 3. A slow, lazy, routine dribbler rolls right between Durhams legs. Durham never won a gold glove, but was considered a decent defender, not a liability. What if he fields it cleanly? 4. The '84 NL 2nd base Gold Glove winner, Ryne Sandberg, has a routine bouncer coming right at him, easy out, right? No, at the last second, it appeared the ball hits something in the dirt & takes an unusual bounce over his shoulder. 99 times out of 100, Sandberg fields that ball & throw the runner out. He's in Cooperstown largely because of his glove. The Cubs Curse was at 39 yrs running back then.
I read a piece in the Chicago Tribune couple months back and they did it many years ago. They talked about what would’ve happened if they were game 6 and 7 in the NLCS like there would be starting the following year? Larry Bowa and Bob Dernier said in the piece that there was no doubt if it been a best of 7, they would’ve won 6 and 7 back in Wrigley. Now with the Padres, given the momentum of sweeping three straight at home, would they have won either game 6 or 7 back at Wrigley that year if it been a best of seven? www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2003-10-05-0310050363-story.html
@TheTruthIsRacist The Cubs had better pitching than the Padres. The Padres had better hitters than the Cubs. In the end, the Cubs' pitchers had tired out and it is unlikely they would have had enough rest before facing the Tigers.
He was a starting pitcher with Cleveland, Boston and the Cubs from 1975-1986. There have been many starters who were converted to relievers in the history of baseball. Perhaps not as great as 'Eck', but nothing uncommon.
@@PrinceTron1 Dave Righetti, John Smoltz, Kerry Wood... These three and more come to mind as starters who became successful closers later in their careers. Righetti once threw a no-hitter before becoming a closer. John Smoltz won a Cy Young Award as a starter. Kerry Wood once struck out 20 in a 9-inning game. All three eventually became top tier closers.
@@eldredbrown3463 I'm a Cubs fan and have been following the Cubs and MLB since 1986. I'm well familiar with all the pitchers you mentioned especially Kerry Wood. I watched the 20 strike out game against Houston in 1998. I met Kerry Wood the night the Cubs lost that NLCS game 7 to the Marlins outside Wrigley Field where the players got to their cars. He signed my Cubs jersey and a bunch of other people's stuff. He hit a home run that night that briefly gave the Cubs a 5-3 lead in that game 7. He was a class act and very gracious despite suffering such a heartbreaking 💔 loss and end to that series.
@@PrinceTron1 I remember watching a game in San Diego between the Cubs and Padres in 1990, the year Ryno led the NL in home runs. I think Sandberg hit an RBI triple in that game, and the Cubs won. That was the only Cubs game (and one of only two MLB games) I ever watched live.
Sutcliffe was on fumes in the seventh. These days there's no way any manager let's him face another batter after he loaded the bases. Hell, these days most managers would have immediately brought in a lefty to face Gwynn after Wiggins led off with the bunt single. Then in the broadcast, Drysdale remarked that Frey was sticking with Sutcliffe, and Weaver said it was the right call. That's absolute baseball insanity today.
Back then, pitchers were expected to complete games. But, if Durham makes that play, they get out of the inning. Also, closers were expected to come in and pitch 2-3 innings. But, Lee Smith gave up the game winning HR the night before. So the Cubs weren't going to their closer.
In a 5 game series the Cubs were up 2 games to nothing coming into SD and they couldn't even win 1 game. It would be another 32 years before the Cubs won the World Series after more than a Century. It'll be another Century before they win one again. 🤣
+Brian Wile Right, we'll see....I remember the chant, you can hear on my audio clips on my channel, of "40 more years." Here it is 31 years later, we'll see.
Not so much of a mystery. Sutcliffe was the National League Cy Young award winner that year with a 16-1 record and had shut down the Padres in their first meeting.
There was no stopping Detroit in 1984! Win or lose, even the Cubs would’ve been Meat to the Tigers. While the Tigers were playing Kansas City in Game 3 of the ALCS, A Tigers Fan was shown on TV with a poster saying “TIGERS WANT A CUB SANDWICH!”. Go figure.
Yeah, I remember the Padres crowd chanting "40 more years" after the playoff victory, referring to the Cubs 40 year wait since 1945 of a World Series appearance, now here we are 30 years later and still cursed.
Mark Kindle You cant blame goats, the Padres or Steve Bartman for the many years of Cub misfortune. A couple years ago it was their time to win and they did.
Cubs had to give up Home field advantage. Cause of no lights at wrigley. Game 5 was a day game in San diego. Loved it when Gibson took Gossage upperdeck to seal series. Padres had no right being there.
Earlier in the year the Cubs traded Bill Buckner to free up Leon Durham at first base…the ball goes through Durham’s legs here and two years later the same happened to Buckner which we all know.
