Kirk Gibson 1988 World Series home run
Encyclopedia
Kirk Gibson's 1988 World Series home run occurred in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series
, on October 15, , at Dodger Stadium
in Los Angeles
. Gibson
, pinch hitting
for the Los Angeles Dodgers
in the bottom of the ninth inning, with injuries to both legs, hit a two-run walk-off
home run
off the Oakland Athletics
' Dennis Eckersley
that won Game 1 for the Dodgers by a score of 5–4.
After winning the National League
West
division, the Dodgers were considered the underdogs
throughout the 1988 postseason, first to the New York Mets
in the NLCS
, then to the A's in the World Series. Gibson, who was not expected to play due to injuries in both legs sustained during the NLCS, was surprisingly inserted as a pinch hitter with the Dodgers trailing 4–3 with two out
s in the bottom of the ninth inning. Gibson's home run – his only plate appearance
of the series – helped the Dodgers defeat the A's 4–1, securing their sixth World Series
title.
The play has since become legendary in the baseball world, and is regarded as one of the greatest home runs of all time. It was voted the "greatest moment in L.A. sports history" in a 1995 poll. Many of the images associated with the home run, particularly Gibson pumping his fist while circling the bases, are often shown in classic highlight reels, usually accompanied by Vin Scully
or Jack Buck
's call. Though not related to his World Series home run, Gibson would be named the 1988 NL MVP
.
Kirk Gibson as a free agent
during the 1988 offseason. Gibson, who played the previous nine seasons with the Detroit Tigers
, quickly became the Dodgers' de facto leader both on the field and off. On the field, Gibson led the team with 25 home runs, a .290 batting average
and 31 stolen bases.
The Dodgers led the National League West
division standings from late May until the end of the season, easily winning the division title with a record of 94–67 , seven games ahead of the second-place Cincinnati Reds
.
One reason why the Dodgers were considered underdogs throughout the postseason was that they did not finish the regular season ranked in the top five of any major offensive statistical category. However, they were strengthened by an excellent starting rotation
led by ace Orel Hershiser
and backed up by Tim Belcher
and Tim Leary. They also had an outstanding bullpen
that included Jay Howell
, Jesse Orosco
and Alejandro Peña
.
was the New York Mets
, who had compiled a more impressive 100–60 regular season record, and had won 10 of their 11 regular-season meetings with the Dodgers. The NLCS was a surprisingly close contest given the outcomes of the two teams' regular season meetings. Gibson's heroics in the series included an improbable catch on wet grass in Game 3 and decisive home runs in Games 4 and 5. The series went to a deciding Game 7, which the Dodgers won in stunning fashion to earn their first World Series
trip since 1981
.
After defeating the Mets, the Dodgers faced the Oakland Athletics
in the World Series
. Oakland had compiled a 104–58 record, and boasted a power lineup led by power hitters Jose Canseco
and Mark McGwire
and backed up by the likes of Dave Henderson
, Dave Parker
and Don Baylor
.
in the first inning. The next inning, however, Canseco hit a grand slam
to give Oakland a two run lead. Oakland's lead was cut to one run when Mike Scioscia
hit an RBI single
that scored Mike Marshall.
Unknown to the fans and the media at the time, Gibson was watching the game on television while undergoing physical therapy in the Dodgers' clubhouse. At some point during the game, television cameras scanned the Dodgers dugout
and commentator Vin Scully
, working for NBC
for the 1988 postseason, observed that Gibson was nowhere to be found. This spurred Gibson to tell Dodgers manager
Tommy Lasorda
that he was available to pinch hit
. Gibson immediately returned to the batting cage
in the clubhouse to take practice swings.
With a one-run lead, Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley
, who led the AL with 45 saves during the regular season, was brought in to close out the game and seal the win for starter Dave Stewart. Eckersley quickly got Scioscia to pop out to shortstop
and struck out Jeff Hamilton. Left-handed Pinch hitter
Mike Davis followed; if he got on base the next batter due was the pitcher's spot, which would certainly be filled with a pinch hitter. Not wanting the A's to realize that Gibson was available, Lasorda sent Dave Anderson to the on-deck circle during Davis' plate appearance. A's catcher Ron Hassey
got Eckersley's attention and pointed at Anderson on-deck. Eckersley, who had seen Davis hit for power in the American League, decided he would rather walk
Davis, assuming perhaps that the right-handed hitting Anderson would prove to be the easier out. Instead of risking making a mistake that Davis could hit for a game-tying home run, Eckersley pitched carefully and did in fact walk him.
Instead of sending Anderson to the plate, Lasorda inserted Gibson as his pinch hitter. Gibson hobbled up to the plate with Scully commenting, "Look who's coming up!" Gibson quickly got behind in the count, 0–2, but received two outside pitches from Eckersley and fouled off a pitch to work to a 2–2 count. On the sixth pitch of the at bat
– a ball – Davis stole
second. Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda later recounted it was pre-planned that if the count got to two strikes on Gibson, they would have Davis steal second, figuring that A's manager Tony La Russa
wouldn't elect to intentionally walk Gibson if there were already two strikes against him. Once Davis was at second, Lasorda was just hoping Gibson could muscle a pitch to the outfield for a game-tying single.
Gibson would later recount that prior to the Series, Dodger scout Mel Didier had provided a report on Eckersley which claimed that with a 3–2 count against a left-handed
hitter, one could be absolutely certain that Eckersley would throw a backdoor slider
. Gibson said that when the count reached 3–2, he stepped out of the batter's box and, in his mind, could hear Didier's voice, with its distinctive Southern drawl, reiterating that same piece of advice. With that thought in mind, Gibson stepped back into the batter's box; and thus when Eckersley did in fact throw a backdoor slider, it was exactly the pitch Gibson was expecting.
With an awkward, almost casual swing, Gibson used pure upper-body strength to hit the pitch over the right-field fence. He hobbled around the bases and pumped his fist as his jubilant teammates stormed the field. The Dodgers won the game, 5–4.
The telecast of the home run is also notable because the shot of the ball flying over the wall also captures the taillights of the cars leaving the parking lot, presumably filled with Dodger fans who had given up hope.
Scully, calling the play-by-play for the NBC-TV (as previously mentioned) broadcast with color commentator
Joe Garagiola, made repeated references to Gibson's legs, noting at one point that the batter was Gibson worked the count to 3–2 as Mike Davis stole second base; the camera turned at that point to Steve Sax
getting ready for his turn at the plate, and Scully reminded the viewers that
Scully said nothing for over a minute, allowing the pictures to tell the story. Finally, he said, Returning to the subject of Gibson's banged-up legs during a replay, Scully joked,
handled the national radio broadcast of the 1988 World Series, with Jack Buck
providing play-by-play and Bill White as the analyst. This was Buck's call. It begins here with Buck speculating on what might happen if Gibson manages to reach base:
The last sentence is often remembered and quoted by fans. Buck followed it with,
Buck concluded his comments on Gibson's amazing feat with this thought:
made comic reference to the Gibson home run later that night in his "Weekend Update" segment on the television program NBC's Saturday Night Live
. The show was delayed due to the length and lateness of the World Series game. While reading his stories, a baseball rolled into view on Miller's news desk, prompting him to say, "Wow, Gibson really got ahold of that one, didn't he?"
Gibson would not have another plate appearance in the World Series. Perhaps inspired by Gibson's heroics, the Dodgers went on to defeat the A's in the World Series, 4–1.
The home run was so memorable that it was included as a finalist in a Major League Baseball contest to determine the sport's "Greatest Moment of All-Time." For years after the fact, it was regularly used in This Week in Baseball
's closing montage sequence. An edited audio of Scully's 1988 call has been used in post-season action, in a TV ad featuring a recreational softball game, with a portly player essentially re-enacting that entire moment as he hits the softball over the right field fence to win the game. It was in competition on ESPN
's SportsCenter
for the Greatest Sports Highlight of All-Time.
In 2000, Michael J. Farrand adapted the structure and tone the poem "Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888
", the famous verse by Ernest Thayer first published in 1888. Reversing the outcome, he created "The Man Who Gave All the Dreamers in Baseball Land Bigger Dreams to Dream" about the Gibson home run. His adaptation appears at the Baseball Almanac
.
It is still unknown what eventually happened to the ball itself. According to Gibson, a woman sent him a picture of the bruise on her leg where the ball hit her, although no one has yet come forward with the ball. In fiction, a court struggle over the ownership of the ball was the primary plot of the June 29, 2011, episode of TNT
legal drama Franklin & Bash
.
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
, on October 15, , at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Gibson
Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed...
, pinch hitting
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
for the Los Angeles Dodgers
1988 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1988 season was a memorable one for the Dodgers as a squad that was picked to finish fourth wound up winning the World Series, beating the heavily favored New York Mets and Oakland Athletics on the way. Kirk Gibson carried the Dodger offense, winning the National League Most Valuable Player Award...
in the bottom of the ninth inning, with injuries to both legs, hit a two-run walk-off
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
off the Oakland Athletics
1988 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1988 season involved the A's winning their first American League West title since , with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In 1988, the elephant was restored as the symbol of the Athletics and currently adorns the left sleeve of home and road uniforms. The elephant was...
' Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley , nicknamed "Eck", is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of only two pitchers in Major League history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career .He...
that won Game 1 for the Dodgers by a score of 5–4.
After winning the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
division, the Dodgers were considered the underdogs
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
throughout the 1988 postseason, first to the New York Mets
1988 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 1988 season was the 27th regular season for the Mets. They went 100-60 and finished 1st in the NL East. They were managed by Davey Johnson. They played home games at Shea Stadium.-Offseason:...
in the NLCS
1988 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 4, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe series opened with a classic pitching matchup, pitting the Dodgers' Orel Hershiser, who had won 23 games during the regular season and carried a Major League record 59 consecutive scoreless innings into the game,...
, then to the A's in the World Series. Gibson, who was not expected to play due to injuries in both legs sustained during the NLCS, was surprisingly inserted as a pinch hitter with the Dodgers trailing 4–3 with two out
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
s in the bottom of the ninth inning. Gibson's home run – his only plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
of the series – helped the Dodgers defeat the A's 4–1, securing their sixth World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
title.
The play has since become legendary in the baseball world, and is regarded as one of the greatest home runs of all time. It was voted the "greatest moment in L.A. sports history" in a 1995 poll. Many of the images associated with the home run, particularly Gibson pumping his fist while circling the bases, are often shown in classic highlight reels, usually accompanied by 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...
or Jack Buck
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
's call. Though not related to his World Series home run, Gibson would be named the 1988 NL MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
Regular season
The Dodgers signed outfielderOutfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Kirk Gibson as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
during the 1988 offseason. Gibson, who played the previous nine seasons with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, quickly became the Dodgers' de facto leader both on the field and off. On the field, Gibson led the team with 25 home runs, a .290 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and 31 stolen bases.
The Dodgers led the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
division standings from late May until the end of the season, easily winning the division title with a record of 94–67 , seven games ahead of the second-place Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
.
One reason why the Dodgers were considered underdogs throughout the postseason was that they did not finish the regular season ranked in the top five of any major offensive statistical category. However, they were strengthened by an excellent starting rotation
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
led by ace Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
and backed up by Tim Belcher
Tim Belcher
Timothy Wayne Belcher is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He won the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award in for the National League...
and Tim Leary. They also had an outstanding bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
that included Jay Howell
Jay Howell
Jay Canfield Howell is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs , New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers .Howell was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when they won the 1988 World Series...
, 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 Alejandro Peña
Alejandro Peña
Alejandro Peña Vásquez [PEH-nya] in Cambiaso, Dominican Republic, is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Peña batted and threw right-handed...
.
Postseason
Their opponent in the National League Championship Series1988 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 4, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe series opened with a classic pitching matchup, pitting the Dodgers' Orel Hershiser, who had won 23 games during the regular season and carried a Major League record 59 consecutive scoreless innings into the game,...
was the New York Mets
1988 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 1988 season was the 27th regular season for the Mets. They went 100-60 and finished 1st in the NL East. They were managed by Davey Johnson. They played home games at Shea Stadium.-Offseason:...
, who had compiled a more impressive 100–60 regular season record, and had won 10 of their 11 regular-season meetings with the Dodgers. The NLCS was a surprisingly close contest given the outcomes of the two teams' regular season meetings. Gibson's heroics in the series included an improbable catch on wet grass in Game 3 and decisive home runs in Games 4 and 5. The series went to a deciding Game 7, which the Dodgers won in stunning fashion to earn their first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
trip since 1981
1981 World Series
The 1981 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking their third meeting in the Series in five years as well as a record eleventh Series meeting overall and last Series meeting to date...
.
After defeating the Mets, the Dodgers faced the Oakland Athletics
1988 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1988 season involved the A's winning their first American League West title since , with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In 1988, the elephant was restored as the symbol of the Athletics and currently adorns the left sleeve of home and road uniforms. The elephant was...
in the World Series
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
. Oakland had compiled a 104–58 record, and boasted a power lineup led by power hitters Jose Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
and Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
and backed up by the likes of 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...
, Dave Parker
Dave Parker
David Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract...
and 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...
.
World Series Game 1
Gibson injured both legs during the NLCS and was ill with a stomach virus, and therefore did not start Game 1. Los Angeles took an early lead on a two-run home run by Mickey HatcherMickey Hatcher
Michael Vaughn Hatcher is a former Major League Baseball player and a current coach. Most notably, he was Kirk Gibson's replacement for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1988 World Series, batting .368 with two home runs and five RBI...
in the first inning. The next inning, however, Canseco hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
to give Oakland a two run lead. Oakland's lead was cut to one run when Mike Scioscia
Mike Scioscia
Michael Lorri Scioscia is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has worked in that capacity since the 2000 season, and is the longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball....
hit an RBI single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
that scored Mike Marshall.
Unknown to the fans and the media at the time, Gibson was watching the game on television while undergoing physical therapy in the Dodgers' clubhouse. At some point during the game, television cameras scanned the Dodgers dugout
Dugout (baseball)
In baseball, the dugout is a team's bench area and is located in foul territory between home plate and either first or third base. There are two dugouts, one for the home team and one for the visiting team. In general, the dugout is occupied by all players not prescribed to be on the field at that...
and commentator 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...
, working for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
for the 1988 postseason, observed that Gibson was nowhere to be found. This spurred Gibson to tell Dodgers manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
that he was available to pinch hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
. Gibson immediately returned to the batting cage
Batting cage
A batting cage is an enclosed cage for baseball players to practice the skill of batting.It is usually made of netting or a chain-link fence and rectangular in shape. A batter stands at one end of the cage, with a pitching machine at the opposing end...
in the clubhouse to take practice swings.
With a one-run lead, Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley , nicknamed "Eck", is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of only two pitchers in Major League history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career .He...
, who led the AL with 45 saves during the regular season, was brought in to close out the game and seal the win for starter Dave Stewart. Eckersley quickly got Scioscia to pop out to shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and struck out Jeff Hamilton. Left-handed Pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
Mike Davis followed; if he got on base the next batter due was the pitcher's spot, which would certainly be filled with a pinch hitter. Not wanting the A's to realize that Gibson was available, Lasorda sent Dave Anderson to the on-deck circle during Davis' plate appearance. A's catcher Ron Hassey
Ron Hassey
Ronald William Hassey is a retired Major League Baseball catcher. Hassey began his career with the Cleveland Indians after the Indians drafted him in the 18th round of the 1976 MLB amateur draft...
got Eckersley's attention and pointed at Anderson on-deck. Eckersley, who had seen Davis hit for power in the American League, decided he would rather walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
Davis, assuming perhaps that the right-handed hitting Anderson would prove to be the easier out. Instead of risking making a mistake that Davis could hit for a game-tying home run, Eckersley pitched carefully and did in fact walk him.
The play
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
– a ball – Davis stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
second. Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda later recounted it was pre-planned that if the count got to two strikes on Gibson, they would have Davis steal second, figuring that A's manager Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
wouldn't elect to intentionally walk Gibson if there were already two strikes against him. Once Davis was at second, Lasorda was just hoping Gibson could muscle a pitch to the outfield for a game-tying single.
Gibson would later recount that prior to the Series, Dodger scout Mel Didier had provided a report on Eckersley which claimed that with a 3–2 count against a left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
hitter, one could be absolutely certain that Eckersley would throw a backdoor slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
. Gibson said that when the count reached 3–2, he stepped out of the batter's box and, in his mind, could hear Didier's voice, with its distinctive Southern drawl, reiterating that same piece of advice. With that thought in mind, Gibson stepped back into the batter's box; and thus when Eckersley did in fact throw a backdoor slider, it was exactly the pitch Gibson was expecting.
With an awkward, almost casual swing, Gibson used pure upper-body strength to hit the pitch over the right-field fence. He hobbled around the bases and pumped his fist as his jubilant teammates stormed the field. The Dodgers won the game, 5–4.
The telecast of the home run is also notable because the shot of the ball flying over the wall also captures the taillights of the cars leaving the parking lot, presumably filled with Dodger fans who had given up hope.
Don Drysdale's call
Vin Scully's call
Scully began,Scully, calling the play-by-play for the NBC-TV (as previously mentioned) broadcast with color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
Joe Garagiola, made repeated references to Gibson's legs, noting at one point that the batter was Gibson worked the count to 3–2 as Mike Davis stole second base; the camera turned at that point to Steve Sax
Steve Sax
Stephen Louis Sax is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. He was a right-handed batter for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , and the Oakland Athletics ....
getting ready for his turn at the plate, and Scully reminded the viewers that
Scully said nothing for over a minute, allowing the pictures to tell the story. Finally, he said, Returning to the subject of Gibson's banged-up legs during a replay, Scully joked,
Jack Buck's call
CBSMajor League Baseball on CBS Radio
Major League Baseball on CBS Radio was the de facto title for the CBS Radio Network's coverage of Major League Baseball. Produced by CBS Radio Sports , the program was the official national radio broadcaster for the All-Star Game and the postseason from 1976 to 1997.-Contracts:CBS first covered...
handled the national radio broadcast of the 1988 World Series, with Jack Buck
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
providing play-by-play and Bill White as the analyst. This was Buck's call. It begins here with Buck speculating on what might happen if Gibson manages to reach base:
The last sentence is often remembered and quoted by fans. Buck followed it with,
Buck concluded his comments on Gibson's amazing feat with this thought:
Aftermath
Comedian Dennis MillerDennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
made comic reference to the Gibson home run later that night in his "Weekend Update" segment on the television program NBC's Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. The show was delayed due to the length and lateness of the World Series game. While reading his stories, a baseball rolled into view on Miller's news desk, prompting him to say, "Wow, Gibson really got ahold of that one, didn't he?"
Gibson would not have another plate appearance in the World Series. Perhaps inspired by Gibson's heroics, the Dodgers went on to defeat the A's in the World Series, 4–1.
The home run was so memorable that it was included as a finalist in a Major League Baseball contest to determine the sport's "Greatest Moment of All-Time." For years after the fact, it was regularly used in 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:...
's closing montage sequence. An edited audio of Scully's 1988 call has been used in post-season action, in a TV ad featuring a recreational softball game, with a portly player essentially re-enacting that entire moment as he hits the softball over the right field fence to win the game. It was in competition on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
for the Greatest Sports Highlight of All-Time.
In 2000, Michael J. Farrand adapted the structure and tone the poem "Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888
Casey at the Bat
"Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888" is a baseball poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer. First published in The San Francisco Examiner on June 3, 1888, it was later popularized by DeWolf Hopper in many vaudeville performances.The poem was originally published...
", the famous verse by Ernest Thayer first published in 1888. Reversing the outcome, he created "The Man Who Gave All the Dreamers in Baseball Land Bigger Dreams to Dream" about the Gibson home run. His adaptation appears at the Baseball Almanac
Baseball Almanac
Baseball Almanac is an interactive baseball encyclopedia with 3,000 pages of baseball facts, research, awards, records, feats, lists, notable quotations, baseball movie ratings, and statistics. Its goal is to preserve the history of baseball....
.
It is still unknown what eventually happened to the ball itself. According to Gibson, a woman sent him a picture of the bruise on her leg where the ball hit her, although no one has yet come forward with the ball. In fiction, a court struggle over the ownership of the ball was the primary plot of the June 29, 2011, episode of TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
legal drama Franklin & Bash
Franklin & Bash
Franklin & Bash is an American drama-comedy television series created by Kevin Falls and Bill Chais. The series stars Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as unconventional lawyers and longtime friends. A Turner Broadcasting executive has referred to the series as a "funny legal procedural".The...
.
External links
- 1988 World Series Game 1 at MLB.com's "Baseball's Best" library
- Kirk Gibson's home run: Through Tom Lasorda's eyes — a retrospective on Gibson's home run written by Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda that appeared in the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
on October 16, 2008