Tuesday, June 17, 2014

World Series: Did You Know?

Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire of the Oakland A's had only one hit each in the 1988 Fall Classic. But was each hit ever huge. The type you'd expect from the Bash Brothers. But baseball can be an interesting game, especially around October!

To get things going in game one in LA, the Athletics put some fear into the Dodgers in the top of the first. Following a single by Dave Henderson, Canseco was hit by a pitch. McGwire walked with two away and the bases were loaded. But Los Angeles starter Tim Belcher got out of that jam.

When Mickey Hatcher of the Dodgers stroked a surprising two-run dinger of Dave Stewart in the bottom of the frame, it looked like Los Angeles wouldn't have to worry about the Bash Brothers after all. 2-0 for LA!

But in the very next inning, Oakland got a leadoff single by Glen Hubbard. Walt Weiss fanned, but Dave Stewart (at the plate for the first time in a long time) walked. Carney Lansford also looked at ball four. With two down and bases loaded, Jose was the man of the hour.

Crushing a grand slam to deep center (that actually hit the top of the NBC camera) it was suddenly the A's with a two-run lead. Canseco was off to a great start!

Better still, Stewart settled down. Canseco hit into a fielder's choice in his next at-bat in the top of the fourth, but then stole second. He had done a lot of home runs and stolen bases in 1988. Forty-plus of each. McGwire walked again. But Tim Leary, in for Belcher, got Terry Steinbach swinging to end that. But Canseco and McGwire were looking real dangerous!

The Dodgers, meanwhile, finally got another run off Stewart in the bottom of the sixth, but it would prove to be the last run they got of the man with the menacing stare.

In their last at-bats of the game, Canseco fanned and McGwire foulded out in the top of the ninth. But Oakland was still leading, 4-3. And when Dennis Eckersley easily retired the first two men to start the bottom of the frame, it was really over!

But a walk to Mike Davis and a dramatic two-run home run by Kirk Gibson saved the Dodgers! Gibby came off the bench to pinch hit and delivered on a 3-2 pitch off The Eck.



The 5-4 win in the opening game was a tough one for Los Angeles to win, but how about having Orel Hershiser on the hill in game two? Things would be much easier!

Indeed! Bulldog went out and shut down the vaulted A's offence on a fine three-hitter. And Orel stroked three hits himself. He singled and scored the only run he would need in the bottom of the third. The Dodgers scored four more times for good measure.

Hershiser would expand on the heroics with a double and another run scored in the bottom of the fourth. How did he handle the Bash Brothers?

Pretty well. They managed not a hit. In fact, only Dave Henderson got any for Oakland. He did have a bit of a scare in the top of the 7th. There was a runner on first on an error. Canseco would prove to be the second out as Orel seemed safe. But a single by Parker brought McGwire to the plate. On a 1-0 pitch, McGwire gave it a bit of a ride But fortunately for the Dodgers, he got under it and was out on a fly to right. Los Angeles won it, 6-0.

In game three at home, Canseco and McGwire were having all kinds of problems with the Dodgers pitching. So were the rest of Oakland. Each team scored a run, and this one headed towards the last of the ninth inning.

Jose led off against Dodger reliever Jay Howell. First pitch swinging, it was no way Jose. Canseco was out on a popup to second. But McGwire equaled Gibson in the walk-off heroics when he stroked a dramatic home run to left. The long ball came on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. The A's not only won 2-1, but the Dodgers now only led the 1988 Fall Classic two games to one. Game five, in Oakland would be necessary, after all!

The Dodgers needed to put the A's on the brink in a crucial game four. With two runs in the top of the first, it was a good sign. But Oakland got one back in the bottom of the frame. Luis Polonia started it all off with a single. A passed ball to Dave Henderson got him to second. Henderson grounded out, but now Polonia was at third with only one out. You had to pitch to Canseco with the red-hot Parker on deck. Canseco grounded out, but Polonia scored and it was 2-1, Los Angeles after one.

McGwire fanned in the bottom of the second as Tim Belcher, back for another go-around, was pitching well. Los Angeles got the two-run lead back in the top of the third. Could the Bash Brothers get it back?

In the bottom of the fourth, it was Henderson with a single to lead if off. Canseco walked. But Belcher got Dave Parker to fan. Mark McGwire could only pop out. Carney Lansford grounded out to end the threat.

In the bottom of the sixth, it was Henderson with another leadoff single. Canseco and Parker were retired. But McGwire walked and Lansford singled to score Henderson and get the tying run into scoring position. Lansford ended the drama by grounding out. But it was a one-run lead again and Canseco and McGwire were gonna get at least one more crack here!

Dave Stewart, back again, got one out to start the seventh inning, but them another future Blue Jay, Alfredo Griffin walked. When Steve Sax singled to center, Stew was gone. There were runners on the corners with one out. Greg Cadaret, still another future Toronto Blue Jay came in. Tracy Woodson pinch hit and grounded out. But it scored an all-important insurance run for Los Angeles, who now led, 4-2.

But once again, back came Oakland. And it would not be a long time to wait.

With one out, Walt Weiss singled. Polonia grounded out, but Weiss made it to second. There were now two outs and Belcher seemed safe. That is, until Henderson came up with another hit. This time, it was a double that scored Weiss. 4-3. Guess who's next for the poised Athletics?

Canseco would not face Belcher. His night was over. The Los Angeles Dodger's troubles were not. Jay Howell was back. Jose Canseco walked for the second time in the game. Dave Parker sent a liner that Alfredo Griffin muffed at short. Bases loaded! Howell would now have to face McGwire. Another bad pitch to him, and it's 7-4, Oakland!

But Howell threw Mark an inside fastball, and McGwire popped it up. Howell and the Dodgers had dodged a bullet. However, there was still plenty of time left in this game. As in, two innings. This uprising meant Canseco and McGwire could bat again before the night was over!

Howell gave up a two-out single to catcher Ron Hassey in the bottom of the eighth, but got Walt Weiss out to end that. Cadaret and Dennis Eckersley stopped Los Angeles cold in the top of the eighth and ninth. Howell had to face the truth, again!

He started out on the right track by getting the dangerous Polonia out on a fly to left. But Henderson got his fourth hit of the game next. That brought Jose Canseco to the dish.

Howell got ahead in the count 0-1, and then threw Jose a bad pitch. It was a curveball that was too high. These were pitches that Canseco took you downtown on. But Canseco only got a piece of it for a foul ball. Howell was shaken and missed with the next three pitches! Full count. Slider for strike three!

But there was still Dave Parker Wouldn't it be something if Cobra (as he was called) went downtown for a World Series with three walk-offs in four games?

But it was not to be as Parker popped out to third. Los Angeles not only won the game 4-3, but they now had a 3-1 stranglehold on the 1988 World Series. And Orel Hershiser was all ready to go in game five!

Los Angeles got two in the top of the first. Canseco fanned for the third (straight) out in the bottom of the frame. Now that's a start, eh?

Hershiser then got all three batters again in the bottom of the second, including Mark McGwire. But in the next inning with runners on second and third and only one out, Stan Javier got Oakland's first run with a sac fly. Henderson's walk brought Jose back to the dish. Heshiser got him to hit into a force.

And when the Los Angeles Dodgers got two more runs in the top of the fourth (via Mike Davis' two-run home run on a 3-1 pitch), it was 4-1 for LA. Could Oakland do anything more?

It was Los Angeles doing more with another run in the top of the sixth to make it 5-1. Meanwhile, Hershiser did not permit a hit in the fourth, five, sixth and seventh inning. But Oakland made a push for more in the bottom of the eighth.

Tony Phillips walked, but Hershiser got Weiss out on a grounder. Phillips was on second, but he represented a meaningless run. Stan Javier, at the plate, was a little more important. But Hershiser did not get Stan out. Javier hit a single to score Phillips. 5-2, Los Angeles. When Dave Henderson walked on four pitches (Orel's fourth walk of the night), the tying run was at the plate. And it was Jose Canseco!

Orel pitched very carefully to Jose. The count went to 1-2 and Canseco fouled one off. But when Hershiser threw him an inside fastball, Jose popped it up to fiirst. There were two outs. But Bulldog's first pitch to Dave Parker was wild, and both runners advanced. Orel then got Dave on a 1-2 pitch! Three more outs and Los Angeles would have and improbable World Series win over Oakland.

The Dodgers went down in order in the top of the ninth, so Orel didn't have to wait long to go back out to finish the job. He started out in fine form by getting Mark McGwire to fly out. Ron Hassey then became Hershiser's eighth strikeout of the game. One more out to go! Carney Lansford singled to keep Oakland alive. But it would prove to be the last hit off Orel. On the second pitch to Tony Phillips, Lansford went to second when nobody covered the bag. On the very next pitch, Lansford went to third when nobody covered the bag. Orel had also fallen behind in the count, 3-0. But Orel was a battler, and got two called strikes. Then, with the full count, he fanned Phillips. Los Angeles won the game 5-2 and the 1988 Fall Classic, 4-1.

The A's two biggest hitters had left the yard only twice combined. Canseco hit .171 and McGwire .188. The Bash Brothers had been reduced to the Bruised Ego Brothers. If nothing else, the 1988 World Series proved good pitching overcomes good hitting. Even when you face a team with two of the most feared sluggers. You got pitching, right? Takes care of the job sometimes!


References

Brenner, Richard J. The World Series: The Great Contests. East End Publishing, 1989. Print.

Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 17 Jun. 2014.

No comments:

Post a Comment