Greatest Playoff Game Ever?

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Posted By: Josh A.

So does this rank as one of the top post-season games ever? Very exciting, good hitting, and a crap call by the 2nd base ump on Ortiz. Go Sox!!!! God I hate the Yanks!

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

You're kidding, right? A game that ends with a dink past second base hardly qualifies as the best playoff game ever. Two words: Kirk Gibson.

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Posted By: Gary B.

but still great! And who cares if the ump made a bad call, the Sox won it anyway...

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Posted By: Josh A.

Not the greatest ever, (maybe I overstated in my exhuberation!) but one of the most exciting to watch. Gibson was awesome, and so was Fisk in game 6. But this was a very exciting matchup.

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

...you might have seen the best play-off game ever

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Posted By: ChuckkieB

Great game but not the best ever, at least for me. The 3 greatest for me would be:

1986 World Series Mets vs. Red Sox Game 6 (10 innings)- the "Buckner" game
1986 NLCS Mets vs. Astros Game 6 (16 innings) - the "Billy Hatcher" game
1999 NLCS Mets vs. Braves Game 5 (15 innings) the Robin Ventura "grand slam single" game

The 86 WS game and the 99 NLCS game were both extra special for me because I attended both of them!

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Posted By: Julie

Kirk Gibson....some things go beyond team loyalty!

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

your team needs to actually WIN the game. But, trying to put that aside, I would have to give it to the Dodgers and Kirk Gibson's HR.

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Posted By: Ray

but I have two more words for you all:

AARON BOONE!!!!

Who's Your Daddy?!!!!
Yanks - Astros!!!!
Clemens and maybe Pettitte at Yankee Stadium! The greatest drama in a World Series in years!

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Posted By: Paul

Great game, but not even the Red Sox' best postseason game. That was game 5 of the 1986 ALCS against the Angels. Similar situation to today's game. Sox down 3 games to 1. Down 5-2 in the 9th. Don Baylor homers to bring them within 1 run. With 2 outs and 2 strikes, Dave Henderson homers off the Angels' ace reliever Donnie Moore to give them the lead. The Angels tie it in the bottom of the Ninth. The Red Sox almost blow it on several occassions. They finally win it in the 11th when Dave Henderson drives a sacrifice fly to the wall, scoring Baylor.

The game was so devastating to Donnie Moore that he never pitched well again and eventually killed himself. His family and friends specifically blamed this game.

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Posted By: honus3415

...and the worst part of it for me (being a life-long Tiger fan) was the Tigers had chose not to oubid LA for his services that year. Something that to this day I have never forgiven the Tigers for....that and trading John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander.

We are "ESPN"ing a "greatest game" by turning one or two plays into a game.

I think you have to consider all 51+ outs to come up with a "greatest game".

To me the greatest game would probably have to be the one with the most ties and lead changes....and I don't even know which one that was. Either that or the least lead changes for those that appreciate good pitching over good hitting.

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Posted By: Pcelli60

Game 6 86' NLCS. Best playoff game I ever saw! This game had everything!!

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Posted By: PASJD

OK maybe it technically wasn't a playoff game, but the best game I have seen was the Bucky Dent game in the 1978 one game playoff between the Yanks and Sox. That game truly had it all, right down to the last pitch with Yaz facing Gossage with two men on. Second best (do you detect a bias?) 6th game of the 1976 World Series. Drama and great plays and twists start to finish. Kirk Gibson was a great MOMENT but it was not a great game overall as I recall. As an aside, what on EARTH is Terry Francona thinking leaving Varitek in to catch Wakefield? Three passed balls in one inning, not to mention the number of pitches he couldn't handle that didn't matter because men were not on base.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Francisco Cabrera!!!!

(Thank God Barry had not yet taken steroids and could not throw Sid "Brinks" Bream out at the plate!)

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Posted By: Rick

Scott- you might be right about the Cards-Astros game,It was one of the best ever. I am a Cards fan and unfortunately came out on the bad side, but what a game. It had it all. Defense, Pitching, (two pitchers throwing one hitters against those lineups with an Angel Hernandez strike zone(all over the place and inconsistent) was truly amazing. I'm sure there are better games in the history of the game, but to say the Sox Yanks game was the best ever? Don't think so.

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Posted By: Bob D

I suppose anyone's opinion of the greatest game is going to be influenced by their team preferences. However, as great as last nights game was, and it WAS great; the greatest game ever (at least for this Red Sox fan) would have to be Game 6 1975 World Series Sox vs. Reds

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Posted By: Gary B.

I think all can agree that the two last night were great games. I say this of course having seen only the 9th inning of the Astros-Cards game, since the other game went so long, by the time I tuned in to the National League, it was practically over! Still, no score and 1 hit for each team through 8 innings sounds like a pitchers dual like in days of old, especially among such heavily offensive teams. Luckilly, I got to watch the dramatic 9th - the mood was somewhat similar to the Red Sox game that had just finished minutes before 1,500 miles away.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

Great game, and one of the best. But I give props to the 86 NLCS Mets Astros game. That had way more drama. Tie ball game at end of regulation, tied again acouple of innings later. And why Jesse Orosco ever threw that same pitch to "Billy (not Mickey)" Hatcher, I'll never know. It is a game I still remember where I was and what I was doing at the time. Moments that you can remember like that are great moments to me. I couldn't tell you where I was for the Gibson HR, so that goes down the scale for me.

If anyone out there doesn't think the Yankees/Red Sox are not a good match up for baseball as a whole are dead wrong. I live in Minnesota and work in a bowling alley with a bar, our league got done and the Yankee/Red Sox game was still on, the bar was packed and a huge applause and roar went up when the Red Sox won. We can't even keep people in the bar for Vikings games on Monday night, let alone stay full. About half the people left after the game and to my shock the remaining people wanted to watch the MNFootball game. I went to another room to turn on the Astros/Cards to watch the end, all of like 1 inning. Great series and the Astros better throw Munro tonight.

Just my Experience

Lee

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Posted By: Gary B.

through 14 innings were the shots of the fans. We know that not only were these fans pulling for their team to stay alive where they've followed them all season (like fans of any team would do), but you could see in people's eyes 84 years of frustration. People were peeking out at the game with their hands over their eyes, hunched over with stress, pulling their hair and watching, only subconsciously aware of their hands pressed together in prayer. The game was exciting, but the images of the crowd really accentuated it as they went through inning after inning praying the Yankees wouldn't score, then praying the Red Sox would - the tension and excitement was palpable for what otherwise could have been, had it been an unimportant game early in the season, somewhat boring to watch so little happen for so long.

This is of course what makes the playoffs so great in general - how every single pitch, hit, out, inning, etc. has such great importance, but for the Red Sox last night it was even more, trying to keep hope alive after it's been extinguished time and time again for longer than most people's lifetimes...

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Posted By: Scottopotamus

How about game 4 of the 1984 NLCS? (Has it been 20 years already?!?) Steve Garvey goes 5-5 and hits a two run homer to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

Scottoptamus
My T206 Web Site

http://www.freewebs.com/scottopotamus

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Posted By: PASJD

And don't forget that was to cap a comeback where they lost the first two to the Cubs and in those days it was only a five game series.

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Posted By: dennis

how bout that one in '51...."the giants win the pennant"

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Posted By: ChuckkieB

One of the greatest moments of my sports viewing life and I screw up the "clever reference"!!! Thanks for correcting me on the Billy/Mickey thing, Lee. :D Note to self.....Use the review button, it won't bite you!!! lol

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

The build-up for that HR was incredible - the announcer did such a good job playing up the injury that the entire thing seemed scripted. Incredible moment. But that was just one moment.

Game 6 of the '75 World Series had Carbo's game-tying HR, then later, Fisk's game-winner. Everyone forgets about Carbo.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

My favorite shot of a fan last night was a shot of a 6 year old boy that had a look on his face like "Man, Am I going to have to go thru this my whole life?" Definately already had that Red Sox feeling at a young age.

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Posted By: ockday

This is from The Sporting News Top 25 Baseball Moments(this is #21)
http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/25moments/



Chambliss Sinks the Royals

THE DATE
October 14, 1976.


THE PLACE
Yankee Stadium, New York.


THE SITUATION
The ninth inning of Game 5 of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals.

THE KEY PLAYERS
New York's Chris Chambliss and Kansas City's Mark Littell.


THE MOMENT
The Yankees and Royals were tied 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth in the deciding game of a thrilling ALCS. Chambliss, the Yankees first baseman, led off the ninth and hit a home run to right field -- just over the reach of Hal McRae. Chambliss watched his towering fly ball disappear over the right-center field fence, threw both arms into the air, did a little victory dance and headed for first base.

Then things got scary as fans began pouring onto the field. Chambliss fell over a fan while heading to third base and struggled to regain his footing before getting trampled. Chambliss had to bull his way through a horde of fans to get past third but couldn't touch home plate because it was lost in a mass of humanity. He later received a police escort to its former resting spot for a symbolic touch. The journey was complete and the Yankees, 7-6 winners in Game 5, were AL champs for the first time since 1964.


THE CALL
"Mark Littell delivers . . . High drive hit to right-center field . . . It could be . . . it is . . . gone!" -- Keith Jackson, ABC-TV.

"Chris Chambliss has won the American League pennant for the New York Yankees. . . . A thrilling, dramatic game. . . . What a way for the American League season to end!" -- Howard Cosell, ABC-TV.


DO YOU REMEMBER?


The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 5 when John Mayberry homered off Yankees starter Ed Figueroa.

Royals manager Whitey Herzog took his starting pitcher, Dennis Leonard, out in the first inning after Leonard allowed three consecutive hits. The Yankees tied the game 2-2 that inning.

The Yankees had a comfortable 6-3 lead in the eighth inning, but the Royals rallied for three runs. Al Cowens and pinch hitter Jim Wohlford singled. The next hitter, George Brett, homered into the right field seats to tie the game.

In the top of the ninth, the Yankees retired the first two hitters. However, Buck Martinez singled and Cowens drew a walk off eventual winning pitcher Dick Tidrow. Wohlford hit a slow bouncer to third baseman Graig Nettles, who fired to second for the force. Television replays showed Cowens already coming up out of his slide before the ball arrived, but umpire Joe Brinkman called Cowens out. Instead of Brett batting with the bases loaded, the game moved into the bottom of the ninth.

The bottom of the ninth was delayed for about five minutes so the Yankees grounds crew could clean up debris on the outfield grass. The primary target of fan projectiles -- beer cans, bottles and batteries -- was McRae, the Royals' right fielder. Littell, who was just entering the game, appeared distracted by the delay.

During the regular season, Littell had saved 16 games for the Royals and in 104 innings had allowed only one home run.

IN THEIR WORDS
"My first thought was that I hit a home run. Then I realized it was the ninth inning, the game was over and we'd won the championship. Then I thought, 'Oh no, the people are on the field.' I was in the middle of a mass of people and when I fell to the ground, it was scary." -- Chambliss.

"I never felt like it was fun to celebrate that home run with the fans. They didn't belong on the field. I wanted to meet my teammates at home plate and I couldn't." -- Chambliss.

"I didn't know what to do. I just headed toward our dugout. There were so many fans coming at me, but not one touched me. I got down into the dugout, and there weren't many players in there. Somebody pulled my jersey and got me out of the dugout and into the runway. All I can remember is a couple of thousand people running around going crazy." -- Littell.

"First, I knew they weren't going to change the call. Second, the crowd had been throwing bottles and other things all night. I was hit by a tomato during the pregame introductions. I didn't want to go out there and get killed." -- Herzog on why he didn't argue over umpire Joe Brinkman's call in the top of the ninth.


AFTERMATH


Chambliss was named ALCS MVP. He hit an ALCS record .524 with eight RBIs. In the World Series against Cincinnati, Chambliss hit .313 (5-for-16) with one RBI. He played three more seasons with the Yankees and with Atlanta from 1980 to '86. He had one at-bat with the Yankees in 1987 and struck out. Chambliss is in his fourth season as the Yankees' hitting coach.

Littell went 8-4 with 12 saves for the Royals in 1977. He gave up the game-winning hit in Game 5 of the 1977 ALCS when the Yankees rallied for three runs in the ninth for a 5-3 win at Kansas City. He pitched for the Cardinals from 1978-82.

After a thrilling win in the ALCS against the Royals, the Yankees were swept in the World Series by Cincinnati's Big Red Machine.

The 1976 ALCS was the first of three consecutive postseason series featuring the Royals and Yankees -- each ending in defeat for the Royals. However, in 1980 the Royals finally got some revenge -- a sweep of the Yankees in the ALCS.

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Posted By: PASJD

How about Alexander vs. Lazzeri. Game 7, Cards clinging to a one run (I think) lead in the seventh, bases loaded, two outs. Hornsby (player-manager) decides he's seen enough of whoever is pitching and calls for Alexander. Alexander, now around 40 and way past his prime, has a hangover from drinking too much the night before after winning game 6. He won game 2 as well. He walks in very slowly from the bullpen with the crowd so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No need to announce him -- everyone knows who he is. Hornsby meets him at the mound. Alexander explains how he plans to set up Lazzeri by pitching him inside. Hornsby starts to say wait you can't do that, he's a dead pull hitter, then realizes who he is talking to -- a man who has won 370 games in the major leagues -- and thinks the better of it. Lazzeri takes a curve over the plate for strike one. The second pitch is a fastball, just enough inside so Lazzeri can't get all of it, he crushes it but barely foul. Now, with Lazzeri set up, Alexander throws another curve just off the outside corner and Lazzeri takes a mighty swing but misses for strike three. Deflated, the Yanks do nothing against Alexander in the 8th or 9th and the Cards win. The game ends with Ruth thrown out trying to steal second. What I wouldn't have given to see that one (and the 1951 Dodger Giants game).

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

I just purchased three games at the mlb.com site: '75 game 6, '86 game 6, and game 5 of the NLDS. I'm currently watching game 5, and while the quality isn't as nice as I would like, it's the entire Fox broadcast (including commercials), and for $3.95 per download, it's nice...it took an hour to download one game.

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/video/dds_sell.jsp?cat=classics&partnerId=468x60_classicDDS0904

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Posted By: Andrew

I was a teenager literally standing on the fence ready to storm the field when Dave Henderson blasted the HR. Paul got it right as most think Henderson's HR won it, but it was his sacrafice later that did. Moreover, the Sox were still down 3 games to 2 after that HR, i.e., they needed to win two more games! This is similar to Buckner's World Series goof, where the Sox still had a chance to win the Series (McNamera should have started Oil Can Boyd!) The big error or blast often knocks the momentum out of the other team.

“A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.” - English Proverb

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Ah, Chambliss's home run. Who can forget Freddie Patek crying in the dugout after the game?

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Posted By: Nickinvegas

While I was watching the game last night I told my wife "this is one of the best games ever played". For some reason I expected a reaction. Instead I got that same look I get when I tell her I modified our 401K to include a larger percentage of small cap funds. Which is a false "Oooo Really, interesting".

Anyway, a great game. I saw Game six of the Angels/Giants world series live. For me that was the best game.

Nick

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

The shot heard 'round the world. I was 6 years old and didn't understand it. But I learned. They talked about that for years. Some still do, but they are very old - and nobody listens to them.

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Posted By: Anonymous

I cant believe 1980 Phillies/Astros series is getting no mention. 4 straight extra inning games and that wild deciding game!!.Come on 'stros fans your pennant is within reach!!