1986 World Series
Encyclopedia
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets
against the Boston Red Sox
. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino
" to explain the error by Bill Buckner
in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game. The NL champion Mets
eventually beat the AL champion Red Sox
, four games to three.
finished the regular season with a 108–54 record, winning the National League East
division by games over division rival Philadelphia Phillies
. They then won a tightly contested 1986 National League Championship Series
, four games to two, over the Houston Astros
, clinching the series in a sixteen-inning Game 6. The talent of the team was colored by controversy during much of the season, with scrappy players both on and off the field. On July 19, 1986, Mets infielder Tim Teufel
and pitchers Rick Aguilera
, Bobby Ojeda, and Ron Darling
were arrested after fighting with policemen outside a bar in Houston. Just three days later, they played a game which became a microcosm of their season when two Mets were ejected after a bench-clearing brawl. A total of three ejections in the game forced starting catcher Gary Carter
to play third base, and the Mets to play a pitcher in the outfield, with left-hander Jesse Orosco
and righty Roger McDowell
alternating between the pitcher's mound and the outfield as needed. Despite the adversity, they still won the game in the fourteenth inning. Former NL MVP
George Foster was released a few days after the game, based partly on his refusal to move from the Mets' bench during the fracas.
went 95–66 during the season, winning the American League East
division by games over their biggest nemesis, the New York Yankees
, the first time that the Yankees finished second in the standings to them. The gritty play of eventual ALCS MVP Marty Barrett and Rich Gedman
; clutch hitting from veterans Jim Rice
, Wade Boggs
, Don Baylor
, Dwight Evans
and Dave Henderson
; and quality starting pitching, especially from 1986 American League MVP and Cy Young Award
winner Roger Clemens
, Bruce Hurst
and Oil Can Boyd
, pushed the Red Sox to the World Series. The team's defining moment occurred in Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series
against the California Angels
. With the Angels leading three games to one in the best-of-seven series and their top reliever Donnie Moore
on the mound, the Sox needed a last-out miracle home run from Henderson to survive Game 5; they later loaded the bases and got the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly from Henderson off Moore in the eleventh. The Angels never recovered from this blow, and with Boston capitalizing on some defensive miscues by the Angels, and clutch performances by some of their big name players (namely Rice and Clemens in the deciding game), the Red Sox clinched the pennant with a seven-game win.
in Queens, New York
In the opener, Boston's Bruce Hurst
dazzled the New Yorkers with his looping curve and forkball, allowing only four hits over eight innings. New York's Ron Darling
was equally effective, yielding only an unearned run in the seventh inning when Mets second baseman Tim Teufel
committed an error eerily similar to the one committed by Felix Millan
in Game 1 of the 1973 World Series
that allowed two unearned runs to score in Oakland's
2–1 victory over the Mets. Just as they did in the League Championship Series
against Houston
, the Mets opened the series with a 1–0 defeat. (Mets legend Tom Seaver
, as a member of the Red Sox, got a large standing ovation from the Shea Stadium fans during the Game 1 introductions. Seaver did not pitch in the series because of injury.)
in Queens, New York
After dropping the first game, the Mets turned to young phenom Dwight Gooden
in what figured to be a classic matchup with Boston's own young pitching sensation Roger Clemens
. That duel never materialized, as Gooden was shelled for six runs on eight hits over five innings, and Clemens was pulled before pitching five complete innings and did not earn the win.
in Boston, Massachusetts
The Mets bounced back from their early-series sluggishness in the top of the first inning, when Lenny Dykstra
led off with a home run to score the first of four runs for the Mets in the inning. After the rocky start, Red Sox starter Oil Can Boyd
settled down, but Bob Ojeda
pitched well and Boston was unable to overcome their early deficit.
In his first at bat in the World Series, Don Baylor
almost homered in the second inning but it turned out to be a double off the Green Monster.
in Boston, Massachusetts
Gary Carter
hit two home runs over the Green Monster
and Ron Darling
(who grew up near Boston), continued his masterful performance throughout the 1986 postseason with seven shutout innings as the Mets evened the series at two games apiece.
in Boston, Massachusetts
Mets ace Dwight Gooden
once again struggled, this time surrendering four runs on nine hits in just four innings. Despite a strong relief effort from Sid Fernandez
, Bruce Hurst was dominant again, allowing ten hits and just two runs in a complete game win to give Boston a 3–2 series lead heading back to New York.
in Queens, New York
In Game 6, Boston took a quick 2–0 lead on RBI
base hits from Dwight Evans
and Marty Barrett. The Mets tied the score in the fifth inning on a single from Ray Knight
and a run-scoring double play by Danny Heep
. An error by Knight led to Barrett scoring in the seventh to give Boston a 3–2 lead.
In the top of the eighth, the Red Sox had Dave Henderson
on second with one out. Manager John McNamara
sent rookie Mike Greenwell
to pinch hit for Roger Clemens in an effort to match Greenwell, a left-handed batter, against the Mets' dominant short-relief man Roger McDowell
even as righty slugger Don Baylor
sat on the bench; Greenwell struck out and the Sox scored no runs that inning. The Mets tied the game on a Gary Carter
sacrifice fly
in the bottom of the inning. The score remained tied through the ninth inning, forcing the game to go into extra innings.
In the top of the tenth inning, Dave Henderson
homered to give the Sox a lead, and Barrett singled in Wade Boggs
to make it 5–3. When Wally Backman
and Keith Hernandez
were retired to start the bottom of the tenth, the Red Sox were one out away from the series victory. The scoreboard in right-center field actually had flashed, briefly, "Congratulations, Boston Red Sox, 1986 World Champions."
Down to their final out, the Mets would go on to stage a historic comeback. With the count 2–1, Carter singled to left field. Darryl Strawberry
's spot would have come up next, however Mets manager Davey Johnson
had removed the slugger earlier in the game through a double switch. With pitcher Rick Aguilera
due up, Johnson sent Kevin Mitchell to the plate to pinch hit. Mitchell singled to center field and Carter advanced to second.
Mitchell was followed by Knight, who was down to a final strike that would've won the Red Sox the game and the series. On an 0–2 pitch from Calvin Schiraldi
, Knight hit the next pitch into center field for a single that scored Carter and advanced Mitchell to third base, bringing the score to 5–4 and leaving the tying run only 90 feet (27.4 m) away.
Red Sox manager John McNamara
had seen enough, and with left fielder
Mookie Wilson
coming to the plate he removed Schiraldi in favor of Bob Stanley
. On the seventh pitch of the at bat, with a 2–2 count, Stanley's pitch was too far inside and slipped past catcher Rich Gedman
for a wild pitch
, sending Wilson to the ground and allowing Mitchell to score from third base with the tying run. Knight moved up to second base on the wild pitch. With the count 3–2, Wilson fouled off the eighth and ninth pitches from Stanley. Meanwhile, Ray Knight was straying far from second base when Boston shortstop Spike Owen sneaked in behind him. Had Stanley glanced back at second, he would have easily picked Knight off.
Wilson stepped back in with a full count and the winning run in scoring position. On the tenth pitch of the at-bat, Wilson hit a slow ground ball up the first base line that appeared to be playable for Boston first baseman Bill Buckner
. As the speedy Wilson busted out of the box, the ball sneaked between the legs of Buckner, who was playing on two bad ankles. The ball skirted around his glove and rolled slowly into right field. Knight grabbed his helmet as he jumped on home plate to win the game in an iconic image of one of the most famous comebacks in World Series history. The irony is that, throughout the playoffs, whenever the Red Sox had a late inning lead, Buckner was usually pulled for Dave Stapleton for defensive purposes. This time, Red Sox manager John McNamara left Buckner in the game, possibly so he could be on the field for the final out if the Red Sox won.
Vin Scully
's call of the play on NBC Television would quickly become an iconic one to baseball fans, with the normally calm Scully growing increasingly excited:
Scully then remained silent for more than three minutes, letting the pictures and the crowd noise tell the story. Scully resumed with:
Bruce Hurst was set to be named the World Series MVP minutes before the Mets comeback. The award would eventually be presented after Game 7 (see below) to Knight; Bobby Richardson
of the 1960 New York Yankees
is still the only World Series MVP from a losing team.
In 2011, MLB Network
ranked this as the third greatest game of the preceding fifty years.
in Queens, New York
Game 7 was delayed a day because of rain and was played on Monday, October 27. The postponement seemed to work in Boston's favor—in addition to giving Boston an additional day to recover from the ending of Game 6, Red Sox manager John McNamara was able to start Bruce Hurst on three days' rest and give him a chance for his third Series win, bypassing Oil Can Boyd after his struggles in Game 3.
Things looked promising for Boston in the beginning. After two excellent outings, the Mets' Ron Darling struggled as the Red Sox jumped out to a 3–0 lead. Sid Fernandez, however, delivered another clutch relief performance, retiring seven consecutive hitters while striking out four. Meanwhile, after being held to one hit through five innings, the Mets lineup finally figured out Hurst in the sixth, scoring three runs to tie the game. Ray Knight homered off Calvin Schiraldi leading off the seventh to give the Mets their first lead. The Mets scored two more runs in the inning to go up 6–3. A two-run double by Dwight Evans
in the eighth cut the Mets lead to a single run, but Sox reliever Al Nipper gave back those runs in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff home run by Darryl Strawberry
and an RBI single by closer Jesse Orosco
. Orosco worked a 1-2-3 ninth to clinch the title, striking out Marty Barrett swinging for the final out.
After striking out Barrett, Orosco then provided one of the most memorable images of that World Series, which would become an iconic image to the Mets and their fans: he threw his glove way up in the air and immediately dropped to his knees while catcher Gary Carter
ran out to the mound to embrace him. The photo was taken by Mets photographer George Kalinsky
. For many years, this was the final scene shown during the ending credits of the syndicated Major League Baseball news show This Week in Baseball
.
This was the Mets' second championship, and their first since . For the city of New York, this was their first World Series championship and their first major professional sports championship since the Yankees
won in . For the New York metropolitan area
, this was their first major professional sports championship since the New York Islanders
swept the 1983 Stanley Cup Finals
. The NFL
's New York Giants
would follow the Mets' World Series triumph by winning Super Bowl XXI
at the conclusion of the 1986 NFL season
.
(N.L.) over Boston Red Sox
(A.L.)
game between the Washington Redskins
and New York Giants
on ABC
) garnered a Nielsen rating of 38.9 and a 55 share, making it the highest-rated single World Series game to date.
of the New York Times, in which he mentions a "Babe Ruth Curse." Although it had long been noted that the selling of Babe Ruth
to the New York Yankees
had marked the beginning of a down period in the Red Sox's fortunes, this was one of the first instances, if not the first, in which mention of a "curse" was made. The term "Curse of the Bambino
" was not in common use by the press during the 1920s, nor can it be found through the 1970s, as a search of historical newspapers will illustrate. In fact, even though Vecsey's articles mention a "Babe Ruth Curse," the New York Times did not use the phrase "Curse of the Bambino" until 1990, the year that Dan Shaughnessy
's book of the same name and a Boston Globe article about it were published. Shaughnessy's book The Curse of the Bambino helped that phrase become a key part of the Red Sox lore in the media thereafter.
The dramatic sixth game was the subject of Game 6
, a 2005 independent film starring Michael Keaton
, based on a 1991 screenplay by novelist Don DeLillo
.
In his song "Faith and Fear in Flushing Meadows", twee/folk artist Harry Breitner makes mention of Ray Knight
and Mookie Wilson
.
NBC's telecast of the Series ended with the song "Limelight" from Stereotomy
, penultimate album of The Alan Parsons Project
.
The Series, and especially Game 6, were referenced in the Seinfeld
episode "The Boyfriend", which also guest starred former Mets player Keith Hernandez
.
In the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox," Bill Buckner appeared as a guest star, and mocked his famous 1986 mishap by missing a crucial catch of a Mookie Wilson-signed baseball. As the episode being concluded, he redeemed himself by catching a baby thrown from a burning building.
1986 New York Mets season
The 1986 New York Mets season was the Mets' 25th season in the National League. They began the season looking to equal or improve upon their 98–64 record from 1985 and to try to win the National League East Division. They finished the season with a 108–54 record, cruising to the division title...
against the Boston Red Sox
1986 Boston Red Sox season
The 1986 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 66 losses.-Offseason:...
. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino
Curse of the Bambino
The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...
" to explain the error by Bill Buckner
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game. The NL champion Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
eventually beat the AL champion Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, four games to three.
New York Mets
The New York Mets1986 New York Mets season
The 1986 New York Mets season was the Mets' 25th season in the National League. They began the season looking to equal or improve upon their 98–64 record from 1985 and to try to win the National League East Division. They finished the season with a 108–54 record, cruising to the division title...
finished the regular season with a 108–54 record, winning the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
division by games over division rival Philadelphia Phillies
1986 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 104th season for the Phillies. Under second-year manager John Felske, the Phillies stayed just below the .500 mark for roughly two-thirds of the season, until a charge after the All-Star break pushed the club past the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos...
. They then won a tightly contested 1986 National League Championship Series
1986 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1986 at Astrodome in Houston, TexasGame 1 featured a pitching duel between eventual NLCS Most Valuable Player Mike Scott and Dwight Gooden. Scott allowed just five hits and walked one while striking out 14 in a complete-game effort as the host Astros prevailed 1–0...
, four games to two, over the Houston Astros
1986 Houston Astros season
-Regular season:* Kevin Bass had a twenty game hit streak during the season.* Dave Smith set a club record with 33 saves in one season.* September 24, 1986: Jim Deshaies set a record for the most strikeouts to start a game...
, clinching the series in a sixteen-inning Game 6. The talent of the team was colored by controversy during much of the season, with scrappy players both on and off the field. On July 19, 1986, Mets infielder Tim Teufel
Tim Teufel
Timothy Shawn Teufel is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and currently the 3rd base coach for the New York Mets.Teufel was a member of the World Series champion New York Mets...
and pitchers Rick Aguilera
Rick Aguilera
Richard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs....
, Bobby Ojeda, and Ron Darling
Ron Darling
Ronald Maurice Darling, Jr. is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos...
were arrested after fighting with policemen outside a bar in Houston. Just three days later, they played a game which became a microcosm of their season when two Mets were ejected after a bench-clearing brawl. A total of three ejections in the game forced starting catcher Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
to play third base, and the Mets to play a pitcher in the outfield, with left-hander Jesse Orosco
Jesse Orosco
Jesse Russell Orosco is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who holds the major league record for career pitching appearances. He pitched most notably for the New York Mets in the 1980s. He won a World Series in 1986 with the Mets and in 1988 with the Dodgers. He threw left-handed,...
and righty Roger McDowell
Roger McDowell
Roger Alan McDowell is the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves and was a right-handed relief pitcher for twelve seasons in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1996. He played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League and the Texas Rangers and...
alternating between the pitcher's mound and the outfield as needed. Despite the adversity, they still won the game in the fourteenth inning. Former NL MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
George Foster was released a few days after the game, based partly on his refusal to move from the Mets' bench during the fracas.
Boston Red Sox
Boston1986 Boston Red Sox season
The 1986 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 66 losses.-Offseason:...
went 95–66 during the season, winning the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
division by games over their biggest nemesis, the New York Yankees
1986 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1986 season was the 84th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 90-72, finishing in second-place, 5.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Lou Piniella...
, the first time that the Yankees finished second in the standings to them. The gritty play of eventual ALCS MVP Marty Barrett and Rich Gedman
Rich Gedman
Richard Leo Gedman is a former Major League Baseball catcher and left-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox , Houston Astros and St...
; clutch hitting from veterans Jim Rice
Jim Rice
James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...
, Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
, Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
, Dwight Evans
Dwight Evans
Dwight Michael Evans , nicknamed "Dewey", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball....
and Dave Henderson
Dave Henderson
David Lee Henderson , nicknamed Hendu, is an American former Major League Baseball player who played for the Seattle Mariners , Boston Red Sox , San Francisco Giants , Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed...
; and quality starting pitching, especially from 1986 American League MVP and Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
, Bruce Hurst
Bruce Hurst
Bruce Vee Hurst is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is best remembered for his brilliant performance for the Boston Red Sox in the postseason. He was even named World Series M.V.P...
and Oil Can Boyd
Oil Can Boyd
Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox , Montreal Expos , and Texas Rangers .He batted and threw right-handed....
, pushed the Red Sox to the World Series. The team's defining moment occurred in Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series
1986 American League Championship Series
The 1986 American League Championship Series was a back-and-forth battle between the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels for the right to advance to the 1986 World Series to face the winner of the 1986 National League Championship Series...
against the California Angels
1986 California Angels season
The California Angels 1986 season was the franchise's 26th season and ended with the Angels losing the American League Championship Series in dramatic fashion....
. With the Angels leading three games to one in the best-of-seven series and their top reliever Donnie Moore
Donnie Moore
Donnie Ray Moore was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs , St...
on the mound, the Sox needed a last-out miracle home run from Henderson to survive Game 5; they later loaded the bases and got the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly from Henderson off Moore in the eleventh. The Angels never recovered from this blow, and with Boston capitalizing on some defensive miscues by the Angels, and clutch performances by some of their big name players (namely Rice and Clemens in the deciding game), the Red Sox clinched the pennant with a seven-game win.
Summary
†: postponed from October 26 due to rainGame 1
Saturday, October 18, 1986 at Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
in Queens, New York
In the opener, Boston's Bruce Hurst
Bruce Hurst
Bruce Vee Hurst is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is best remembered for his brilliant performance for the Boston Red Sox in the postseason. He was even named World Series M.V.P...
dazzled the New Yorkers with his looping curve and forkball, allowing only four hits over eight innings. New York's Ron Darling
Ron Darling
Ronald Maurice Darling, Jr. is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos...
was equally effective, yielding only an unearned run in the seventh inning when Mets second baseman Tim Teufel
Tim Teufel
Timothy Shawn Teufel is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and currently the 3rd base coach for the New York Mets.Teufel was a member of the World Series champion New York Mets...
committed an error eerily similar to the one committed by Felix Millan
Félix Millán
Félix Bernardo Millán Martínez is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:Millán, nicknamed "The Kitten" , born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, made his major league debut on June 2, 1966 with the Atlanta Braves, and played for Atlanta until 1973. Millan was primarily a second...
in Game 1 of the 1973 World Series
1973 World Series
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions....
that allowed two unearned runs to score in Oakland's
1986 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1986 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the A's finishing 3rd in the American League West with a record of 76 wins and 86 losses.-Offseason:...
2–1 victory over the Mets. Just as they did in the League Championship Series
1986 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1986 at Astrodome in Houston, TexasGame 1 featured a pitching duel between eventual NLCS Most Valuable Player Mike Scott and Dwight Gooden. Scott allowed just five hits and walked one while striking out 14 in a complete-game effort as the host Astros prevailed 1–0...
against Houston
1986 Houston Astros season
-Regular season:* Kevin Bass had a twenty game hit streak during the season.* Dave Smith set a club record with 33 saves in one season.* September 24, 1986: Jim Deshaies set a record for the most strikeouts to start a game...
, the Mets opened the series with a 1–0 defeat. (Mets legend Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
, as a member of the Red Sox, got a large standing ovation from the Shea Stadium fans during the Game 1 introductions. Seaver did not pitch in the series because of injury.)
Game 2
Sunday, October 19, 1986 at Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
in Queens, New York
After dropping the first game, the Mets turned to young phenom Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
in what figured to be a classic matchup with Boston's own young pitching sensation Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
. That duel never materialized, as Gooden was shelled for six runs on eight hits over five innings, and Clemens was pulled before pitching five complete innings and did not earn the win.
Game 3
Tuesday, October 21, 1986 at Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston, Massachusetts
The Mets bounced back from their early-series sluggishness in the top of the first inning, when Lenny Dykstra
Lenny Dykstra
Leonard Kyle "Lenny" Dykstra , nicknamed "Nails" and "Dude", is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. Dykstra played for the New York Mets during the late 1980s before playing for the Philadelphia Phillies during the early 1990s....
led off with a home run to score the first of four runs for the Mets in the inning. After the rocky start, Red Sox starter Oil Can Boyd
Oil Can Boyd
Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox , Montreal Expos , and Texas Rangers .He batted and threw right-handed....
settled down, but Bob Ojeda
Bob Ojeda
Robert Michael Ojeda is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. Ojeda is best remembered as an anchor in the 1986 World Series Champion New York Mets starting rotation , and for being the lone survivor of a March 22, boating accident that killed fellow Cleveland Indians pitchers...
pitched well and Boston was unable to overcome their early deficit.
In his first at bat in the World Series, Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
almost homered in the second inning but it turned out to be a double off the Green Monster.
Game 4
Wednesday, October 22, 1986 at Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
hit two home runs over the Green Monster
Green Monster
The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the thirty-seven foot , two-inch high left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team...
and Ron Darling
Ron Darling
Ronald Maurice Darling, Jr. is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos...
(who grew up near Boston), continued his masterful performance throughout the 1986 postseason with seven shutout innings as the Mets evened the series at two games apiece.
Game 5
Thursday, October 23, 1986 at Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Mets ace Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
once again struggled, this time surrendering four runs on nine hits in just four innings. Despite a strong relief effort from Sid Fernandez
Sid Fernandez
Charles Sidney Fernandez was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher from to . Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Fernandez was proud of his roots and wore uniform number 50 in honor of Hawaii being the 50th state...
, Bruce Hurst was dominant again, allowing ten hits and just two runs in a complete game win to give Boston a 3–2 series lead heading back to New York.
Game 6
Saturday, October 25, 1986 at Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
in Queens, New York
In Game 6, Boston took a quick 2–0 lead on RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
base hits from Dwight Evans
Dwight Evans
Dwight Michael Evans , nicknamed "Dewey", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball....
and Marty Barrett. The Mets tied the score in the fifth inning on a single from Ray Knight
Ray Knight
Charles Ray Knight is a former right-handed Major League Baseball third baseman best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets...
and a run-scoring double play by Danny Heep
Danny Heep
Daniel William Heep , is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder.Heep played for five different ballclubs during his 13 year career: the Houston Astros , New York Mets , Los Angeles Dodgers , Boston Red Sox , and Atlanta Braves .Heep played for two different World Series champions: the New...
. An error by Knight led to Barrett scoring in the seventh to give Boston a 3–2 lead.
In the top of the eighth, the Red Sox had Dave Henderson
Dave Henderson
David Lee Henderson , nicknamed Hendu, is an American former Major League Baseball player who played for the Seattle Mariners , Boston Red Sox , San Francisco Giants , Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed...
on second with one out. Manager John McNamara
John McNamara (baseball)
John Francis McNamara is a former manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He managed six major league teams, directing the 1986 Boston Red Sox to the American League pennant, only to experience an excruciating defeat in that season's World Series at the hands of the New York Mets.-Playing,...
sent rookie Mike Greenwell
Mike Greenwell
Michael Lewis Greenwell is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire MLB career with the Boston Red Sox . He briefly played a few games for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan , before retiring. Greenwell was nicknamed "The Gator." He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
to pinch hit for Roger Clemens in an effort to match Greenwell, a left-handed batter, against the Mets' dominant short-relief man Roger McDowell
Roger McDowell
Roger Alan McDowell is the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves and was a right-handed relief pitcher for twelve seasons in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1996. He played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League and the Texas Rangers and...
even as righty slugger Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
sat on the bench; Greenwell struck out and the Sox scored no runs that inning. The Mets tied the game on a Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
in the bottom of the inning. The score remained tied through the ninth inning, forcing the game to go into extra innings.
In the top of the tenth inning, Dave Henderson
Dave Henderson
David Lee Henderson , nicknamed Hendu, is an American former Major League Baseball player who played for the Seattle Mariners , Boston Red Sox , San Francisco Giants , Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed...
homered to give the Sox a lead, and Barrett singled in Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
to make it 5–3. When Wally Backman
Wally Backman
Walter Wayne Backman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He is best known for his time with the New York Mets from - and was a member of their 1986 World Series-winning team...
and Keith Hernandez
Keith Hernandez
Keith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts...
were retired to start the bottom of the tenth, the Red Sox were one out away from the series victory. The scoreboard in right-center field actually had flashed, briefly, "Congratulations, Boston Red Sox, 1986 World Champions."
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
's spot would have come up next, however Mets manager Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
had removed the slugger earlier in the game through a double switch. With pitcher Rick Aguilera
Rick Aguilera
Richard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs....
due up, Johnson sent Kevin Mitchell to the plate to pinch hit. Mitchell singled to center field and Carter advanced to second.
Mitchell was followed by Knight, who was down to a final strike that would've won the Red Sox the game and the series. On an 0–2 pitch from Calvin Schiraldi
Calvin Schiraldi
Calvin Drew Schiraldi is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best remembered as the losing pitcher of Game 6 and Game 7 of the 1986 World Series.-Amateur career:...
, Knight hit the next pitch into center field for a single that scored Carter and advanced Mitchell to third base, bringing the score to 5–4 and leaving the tying run only 90 feet (27.4 m) away.
Red Sox manager John McNamara
John McNamara (baseball)
John Francis McNamara is a former manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He managed six major league teams, directing the 1986 Boston Red Sox to the American League pennant, only to experience an excruciating defeat in that season's World Series at the hands of the New York Mets.-Playing,...
had seen enough, and with left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Mookie Wilson
Mookie Wilson
William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder and current coach for the New York Mets. He played 12 years in baseball for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays . He was a switch hitter primarily known for his impressive speed and positive attitude...
coming to the plate he removed Schiraldi in favor of Bob Stanley
Bob Stanley
Robert William "Bob" Stanley is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox.Over his 13-year career, Stanley played only for the Red Sox from 1977-89...
. On the seventh pitch of the at bat, with a 2–2 count, Stanley's pitch was too far inside and slipped past catcher Rich Gedman
Rich Gedman
Richard Leo Gedman is a former Major League Baseball catcher and left-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox , Houston Astros and St...
for a wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
, sending Wilson to the ground and allowing Mitchell to score from third base with the tying run. Knight moved up to second base on the wild pitch. With the count 3–2, Wilson fouled off the eighth and ninth pitches from Stanley. Meanwhile, Ray Knight was straying far from second base when Boston shortstop Spike Owen sneaked in behind him. Had Stanley glanced back at second, he would have easily picked Knight off.
Wilson stepped back in with a full count and the winning run in scoring position. On the tenth pitch of the at-bat, Wilson hit a slow ground ball up the first base line that appeared to be playable for Boston first baseman Bill Buckner
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
. As the speedy Wilson busted out of the box, the ball sneaked between the legs of Buckner, who was playing on two bad ankles. The ball skirted around his glove and rolled slowly into right field. Knight grabbed his helmet as he jumped on home plate to win the game in an iconic image of one of the most famous comebacks in World Series history. The irony is that, throughout the playoffs, whenever the Red Sox had a late inning lead, Buckner was usually pulled for Dave Stapleton for defensive purposes. This time, Red Sox manager John McNamara left Buckner in the game, possibly so he could be on the field for the final out if the Red Sox won.
Vin Scully
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio...
's call of the play on NBC Television would quickly become an iconic one to baseball fans, with the normally calm Scully growing increasingly excited:
Scully then remained silent for more than three minutes, letting the pictures and the crowd noise tell the story. Scully resumed with:
Bruce Hurst was set to be named the World Series MVP minutes before the Mets comeback. The award would eventually be presented after Game 7 (see below) to Knight; Bobby Richardson
Bobby Richardson
Robert Clinton "Bobby" Richardson is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees from through . Batting and throwing right-handed, he was a superb defensive infielder, as well as something of a clutch hitter, who played no small role in the Yankee baseball...
of the 1960 New York Yankees
1960 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 58th season for the team in New York, and its 60th season overall. The team finished with a record of 97-57, winning its 25th pennant, finishing 8 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home games at...
is still the only World Series MVP from a losing team.
In 2011, MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
ranked this as the third greatest game of the preceding fifty years.
Game 7
Monday, October 27, 1986 at Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
in Queens, New York
Game 7 was delayed a day because of rain and was played on Monday, October 27. The postponement seemed to work in Boston's favor—in addition to giving Boston an additional day to recover from the ending of Game 6, Red Sox manager John McNamara was able to start Bruce Hurst on three days' rest and give him a chance for his third Series win, bypassing Oil Can Boyd after his struggles in Game 3.
Things looked promising for Boston in the beginning. After two excellent outings, the Mets' Ron Darling struggled as the Red Sox jumped out to a 3–0 lead. Sid Fernandez, however, delivered another clutch relief performance, retiring seven consecutive hitters while striking out four. Meanwhile, after being held to one hit through five innings, the Mets lineup finally figured out Hurst in the sixth, scoring three runs to tie the game. Ray Knight homered off Calvin Schiraldi leading off the seventh to give the Mets their first lead. The Mets scored two more runs in the inning to go up 6–3. A two-run double by Dwight Evans
Dwight Evans
Dwight Michael Evans , nicknamed "Dewey", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball....
in the eighth cut the Mets lead to a single run, but Sox reliever Al Nipper gave back those runs in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff home run by Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
and an RBI single by closer Jesse Orosco
Jesse Orosco
Jesse Russell Orosco is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who holds the major league record for career pitching appearances. He pitched most notably for the New York Mets in the 1980s. He won a World Series in 1986 with the Mets and in 1988 with the Dodgers. He threw left-handed,...
. Orosco worked a 1-2-3 ninth to clinch the title, striking out Marty Barrett swinging for the final out.
After striking out Barrett, Orosco then provided one of the most memorable images of that World Series, which would become an iconic image to the Mets and their fans: he threw his glove way up in the air and immediately dropped to his knees while catcher Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
ran out to the mound to embrace him. The photo was taken by Mets photographer George Kalinsky
George Kalinsky
George Kalinsky is a world-renowned, award-winning photographer. He has been the official photographer for Madison Square Garden since 1966 and also serves as the official photographer at Radio City Music Hall. Throughout his career, Kalinsky has captured many of the greatest moments in sports and...
. For many years, this was the final scene shown during the ending credits of the syndicated Major League Baseball news show This Week in Baseball
This Week in Baseball
This Week in Baseball is a weekly television program, originally designed to show highlights of the previous week's Major League Baseball action. TWIB debuted in .-Genesis of the series:...
.
This was the Mets' second championship, and their first since . For the city of New York, this was their first World Series championship and their first major professional sports championship since the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
won in . For the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
, this was their first major professional sports championship since the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
swept the 1983 Stanley Cup Finals
1983 Stanley Cup Finals
-Members of New York Islanders 1980 to 1983 Dynasty:*Mike Bossy, Bob Bourne, Clark Gillies, Butch Goring, Anders Kallur, Gord Lane, Dave Langevin, Wayne Merrick, Ken Morrow, Bob Nystrom, Stefan Persson, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, Duane Sutter, John Tonelli, Bryan Trottier *Lorne Henning , Bill...
. The NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
would follow the Mets' World Series triumph by winning Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI was an American football game played on January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1986 regular season. The National Football Conference champion New York Giants won their first Super Bowl by defeating...
at the conclusion of the 1986 NFL season
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
.
Composite box
1986 World Series (4–3): New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
(N.L.) over Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(A.L.)
Television ratings
NBC's broadcast of Game 7 (which went up against a Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game between the Washington Redskins
1986 Washington Redskins season
The 1986 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 1985.-Schedule:-Standings:-NFC Wild Card Game:-NFC Divisional Playoff:-NFC Championship Game:-References:...
and New York Giants
1986 New York Giants season
The 1986 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their fifth championship—and first Super Bowl—in franchise history during...
on ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
) garnered a Nielsen rating of 38.9 and a 55 share, making it the highest-rated single World Series game to date.
In popular culture
The collapse of the Boston Red Sox in Game 6 and Game 7 prompted a series of articles by George VecseyGeorge Vecsey
George Vecsey is an American non-fiction author and sports columnist for The New York Times. Vecsey is best known for his work in sports, but has co-written several autobiographies with non-sports figures.-Career:...
of the New York Times, in which he mentions a "Babe Ruth Curse." Although it had long been noted that the selling of Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
had marked the beginning of a down period in the Red Sox's fortunes, this was one of the first instances, if not the first, in which mention of a "curse" was made. The term "Curse of the Bambino
Curse of the Bambino
The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...
" was not in common use by the press during the 1920s, nor can it be found through the 1970s, as a search of historical newspapers will illustrate. In fact, even though Vecsey's articles mention a "Babe Ruth Curse," the New York Times did not use the phrase "Curse of the Bambino" until 1990, the year that Dan Shaughnessy
Dan Shaughnessy
Dan Shaughnessy is an American sports writer.-Career:After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross, Shaughnessy began his career as a beat reporter covering the Baltimore Orioles for the Baltimore Sun in 1977. He has been a sports writer for the Boston Globe for approximately 30 years,...
's book of the same name and a Boston Globe article about it were published. Shaughnessy's book The Curse of the Bambino helped that phrase become a key part of the Red Sox lore in the media thereafter.
The dramatic sixth game was the subject of Game 6
Game 6 (film)
Game 6 is a 2005 American film directed by Michael Hoffman, first presented at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005 and released in the United States in 2006...
, a 2005 independent film starring Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton
Michael John Douglas , better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor known for his early comedic roles, most notably his performance as the title character of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice . Keaton is also famous for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's...
, based on a 1991 screenplay by novelist Don DeLillo
Don DeLillo
Don DeLillo is an American author, playwright, and occasional essayist whose work paints a detailed portrait of American life in the late 20th and early 21st centuries...
.
In his song "Faith and Fear in Flushing Meadows", twee/folk artist Harry Breitner makes mention of Ray Knight
Ray Knight
Charles Ray Knight is a former right-handed Major League Baseball third baseman best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets...
and Mookie Wilson
Mookie Wilson
William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder and current coach for the New York Mets. He played 12 years in baseball for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays . He was a switch hitter primarily known for his impressive speed and positive attitude...
.
NBC's telecast of the Series ended with the song "Limelight" from Stereotomy
Stereotomy
Stereotomy is the penultimate album by The Alan Parsons Project.Although generally considered better musically than its predecessor, Vulture Culture, it was not as successful commercially, perhaps due to much fewer vocals from Eric Woolfson...
, penultimate album of The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project was a British progressive rock band, active between 1975 and 1990, consisting of singer Eric Woolfson and keyboardist Alan Parsons surrounded by a varying number of session musicians....
.
The Series, and especially Game 6, were referenced in the Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
episode "The Boyfriend", which also guest starred former Mets player Keith Hernandez
Keith Hernandez
Keith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts...
.
In the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox," Bill Buckner appeared as a guest star, and mocked his famous 1986 mishap by missing a crucial catch of a Mookie Wilson-signed baseball. As the episode being concluded, he redeemed himself by catching a baby thrown from a burning building.
See also
- Michael SergioMichael SergioMichael Sergio is an actor, most famous for parachuting into Shea Stadium during Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, wearing a sign proclaiming "Let's Go Mets". Immediately arrested, Sergio spent a short time in prison, because he would not reveal the name of the pilot who flew him over Queens that...
- a fan who was arrested and imprisoned for parachuting into Shea StadiumShea StadiumWilliam A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
during Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, wearing a sign proclaiming "Let's Go Mets".
External links
- 1986 NLCS: Game 1 at MLB.com
- 1986 ALCS: Game 5 at MLB.com
- 1986 NLCS: Game 6 at MLB.com
- Good To The Very Last Out at SI.com
- 1986 New York Mets at baseballlibrary.com
- 1986 Boston Red Sox at baseballlibrary.com
- Game 7, Marty Barrett vs. Jesse Orosco: NBC TV version - Vin Scully & Joe Garagiola
- The Ultimate Mets Database - 1986 World Series
- Re-creating a classic
- Ghost of World Series 1986 still resonates
- Mets Win World Series - Bob Murphy Call