Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Kirk Gibson, too, all had one home run each in the 1988 Fall Classic. Only problem is, for each, their long ball represented their only hit. Well, some guys need four hits to get four bags in one game, while others need only one swing and whole lotta K's in between! I mentioned in an earlier post about Canseco and McGwire only having one hit. Funny, we talk about Gibson, and his home run is also his hit of the 1988 World Series, too! But each, has something magic about it.
The 1988 World Series between the favoured Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers got underway in game one, and Canseco had to try and get away from a Tim Belcher offering. This was not the way he wanted his fist Fall Classic plate appearance to go. He couldn't get out of the line of fire here in the top of the first and was on first the painful way. The A's had runners on first and second because of this. The hometown Dodgers were being beaten by the small ball early. Oakland actually loaded the bases when McGwire drew a walk, but did not get a man home.
The home team got two in on a Mickey Hatcher two-run blast in the bottom of the frame. But the A's loaded 'em again in the top of the second. This time, were they going to leave a man or three on? No way, Jose! Canseco crushed it to dead centre off the NBC centerfield camera and it was 4-2, Oakland. Who would have thought that this was to be his only hit of the 1988 Fall Classic.
But he and McGwire were shut down the rest of the way. However, it wasn't as if A's starter, Dave Stewart wasn't doing much the same on the Dodgers' hitters. They, too, got little after their home run. But Mike Scioscia did drive home a single tally in the bottom of the frame to make it a one run game, 4-3. Stewart left after eight with a fine six-hitter.
Dennis Eckersley came in to mop up. I mean, the guy had done that in all four games of the ALCS and earned a save each time. This guy, you just went up there with a little bat and a prayer. Dennis, you see, didn't give you much to hit and didn't walk too many batters. In 72 2/3 regular season innings, he permitted just 52 hits (5 home runs) and 11 walks. It just seemed so futile.
Scioscia popped out to short to stop the bottom of the ninth for the Dodgers. The Jeff Hamilton watched helplessly as Eckersley put strike three past him on the outer edge.
Los Angeles was down to their last out, and sent up Mike Davis as a pinch hitter. Actually, this looked like a bad move. Davis was left-handed, but had hit just .196 that season. He just wasn't the guy to help in this situation, But amazingly enough, after taking a strike, The Eck, misses the next four pitches and Davis was on. The Dodgers were still alive. The next batter was another pinch hitter.
And it was Kirk Gibson.
Injured and not exactly expected to play, he'd had this knack for coming through all season, Hey, if it's going to go down to the wire, why not?
He fouled off an Eckersley offering. Then another, and it was 0-2. He fouled off a third pitch to stay alive, but when Eckersley missed with his next pitch, Davis stole second without a throw. It was 1-2 on Gibson, but Dennis needed just one more pitch to put him away, Eckersley then missed with the next two pitches and the count was full.
At this point, Dennis must have decided that Kirk was not going down on a fastball. So he decided to go with a different pitch, a slider. The only problem is, the break was early. The ball caught too much of the plate, and Kirk was there to greet it with his big stick.
Launching the ball over the wall in right, the clutch Dodger had turned a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 Dodger win with one flick of the lumber! An iconic blast, with an equally amazing play-by-play call on television and radio. Around the bases, Kirk must have felt like someone who walked on to a stage all his. But it was a moment he'd share with his Dodger mates and fans forever.
The Los Angeles Dodgers needed no such miracles in game two, as their ace right-hander, Orel Hershiser went into his mode that had seen him throw 67 straight scoreless innings, counting game one of the NLCS. Shutting down the A's on just three hits (and even getting three hits himself!) Bulldog did the trick. Los Angeles won game two, 6-0 and moved to Oakland to get it done!
Game three went down to the wire like game one. This one was a pitching duel that saw both teams scratch out single tallies through eight and a half innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Oakland had Canseco and McGwire due up. Canseco hadn't had a hit since game one, of course, and Mark was stuck on zero hits so far.
The Dodgers sent up Jay Howell. Jay had just come back from a suspension and was taking the hill for the first time and facing a slugger who'd gone yard in his first at-bat of this Fall Classic. But Jay dug down deep and kept Jose off guard, getting him to pop out. But in to the box stepped, Mark McGwire.
Jay missed on his first pitch, but then McGwire could only foul off the next two pitches. Extra innings loomed. But, like with Gibson, McGwire's presence overwhelmed the pitcher. Jay threw ball two, and couldn't seem to put McGwire away as he fouled off the next three pitches. When Howell tried again to put Mark away with the eighth pitch of the at bat, the Big Guy took him out of the park to left. The A's had won, 2-1.
Canseco and McGwire did not get another hit in the 1988 Fall Classic. Gibson did not get another plate appearance. But the three, with their only hits of the Series, provided some memories to make the 1988 Fall Classic, though short, one for the ages!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Brenner, Richard J. The World Series: The Great Contests. East End Publishing, 1989. Print.
Coyle, Harry, director. 1988 World Series. Major League Baseball Productions, 1988. DVD.
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. 11 Dec. 2014.
The 1988 World Series between the favoured Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers got underway in game one, and Canseco had to try and get away from a Tim Belcher offering. This was not the way he wanted his fist Fall Classic plate appearance to go. He couldn't get out of the line of fire here in the top of the first and was on first the painful way. The A's had runners on first and second because of this. The hometown Dodgers were being beaten by the small ball early. Oakland actually loaded the bases when McGwire drew a walk, but did not get a man home.
The home team got two in on a Mickey Hatcher two-run blast in the bottom of the frame. But the A's loaded 'em again in the top of the second. This time, were they going to leave a man or three on? No way, Jose! Canseco crushed it to dead centre off the NBC centerfield camera and it was 4-2, Oakland. Who would have thought that this was to be his only hit of the 1988 Fall Classic.
But he and McGwire were shut down the rest of the way. However, it wasn't as if A's starter, Dave Stewart wasn't doing much the same on the Dodgers' hitters. They, too, got little after their home run. But Mike Scioscia did drive home a single tally in the bottom of the frame to make it a one run game, 4-3. Stewart left after eight with a fine six-hitter.
Dennis Eckersley came in to mop up. I mean, the guy had done that in all four games of the ALCS and earned a save each time. This guy, you just went up there with a little bat and a prayer. Dennis, you see, didn't give you much to hit and didn't walk too many batters. In 72 2/3 regular season innings, he permitted just 52 hits (5 home runs) and 11 walks. It just seemed so futile.
Scioscia popped out to short to stop the bottom of the ninth for the Dodgers. The Jeff Hamilton watched helplessly as Eckersley put strike three past him on the outer edge.
Los Angeles was down to their last out, and sent up Mike Davis as a pinch hitter. Actually, this looked like a bad move. Davis was left-handed, but had hit just .196 that season. He just wasn't the guy to help in this situation, But amazingly enough, after taking a strike, The Eck, misses the next four pitches and Davis was on. The Dodgers were still alive. The next batter was another pinch hitter.
And it was Kirk Gibson.
Injured and not exactly expected to play, he'd had this knack for coming through all season, Hey, if it's going to go down to the wire, why not?
He fouled off an Eckersley offering. Then another, and it was 0-2. He fouled off a third pitch to stay alive, but when Eckersley missed with his next pitch, Davis stole second without a throw. It was 1-2 on Gibson, but Dennis needed just one more pitch to put him away, Eckersley then missed with the next two pitches and the count was full.
At this point, Dennis must have decided that Kirk was not going down on a fastball. So he decided to go with a different pitch, a slider. The only problem is, the break was early. The ball caught too much of the plate, and Kirk was there to greet it with his big stick.
Launching the ball over the wall in right, the clutch Dodger had turned a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 Dodger win with one flick of the lumber! An iconic blast, with an equally amazing play-by-play call on television and radio. Around the bases, Kirk must have felt like someone who walked on to a stage all his. But it was a moment he'd share with his Dodger mates and fans forever.
The Los Angeles Dodgers needed no such miracles in game two, as their ace right-hander, Orel Hershiser went into his mode that had seen him throw 67 straight scoreless innings, counting game one of the NLCS. Shutting down the A's on just three hits (and even getting three hits himself!) Bulldog did the trick. Los Angeles won game two, 6-0 and moved to Oakland to get it done!
Game three went down to the wire like game one. This one was a pitching duel that saw both teams scratch out single tallies through eight and a half innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Oakland had Canseco and McGwire due up. Canseco hadn't had a hit since game one, of course, and Mark was stuck on zero hits so far.
The Dodgers sent up Jay Howell. Jay had just come back from a suspension and was taking the hill for the first time and facing a slugger who'd gone yard in his first at-bat of this Fall Classic. But Jay dug down deep and kept Jose off guard, getting him to pop out. But in to the box stepped, Mark McGwire.
Jay missed on his first pitch, but then McGwire could only foul off the next two pitches. Extra innings loomed. But, like with Gibson, McGwire's presence overwhelmed the pitcher. Jay threw ball two, and couldn't seem to put McGwire away as he fouled off the next three pitches. When Howell tried again to put Mark away with the eighth pitch of the at bat, the Big Guy took him out of the park to left. The A's had won, 2-1.
Canseco and McGwire did not get another hit in the 1988 Fall Classic. Gibson did not get another plate appearance. But the three, with their only hits of the Series, provided some memories to make the 1988 Fall Classic, though short, one for the ages!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Brenner, Richard J. The World Series: The Great Contests. East End Publishing, 1989. Print.
Coyle, Harry, director. 1988 World Series. Major League Baseball Productions, 1988. DVD.
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. 11 Dec. 2014.
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