TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

October 15, 1988 – With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Kirk Gibson hits a pinch-hit home run off Dennis Eckersley to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5 – 4 victory over the Oakland Athletics in Game One of the World Series. Gibson, who injured himself making a game saving catch in the National League Championship Series, never came out for game one introductions and never took batting practice spending the entire game on the trainer’s table receiving treatment with Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda checking on him between innings. Inning after inning, Lasorda checked and was given the thumbs down each time until the bottom of the ninth with the A’s leading 4-3 when the clubhouse boy told Lasorda that Gibson wanted to speak to him. ”I think I can hit for you, Skipper” was the message Lasorda heard when he arrived in the trainer’s room. Eckersley got the first 2 batters out. Alfredo Griffin was next up when Lasorda sent Mike Davis to the plate instead, with Gibson warming up unbeknownst to anyone. As Eck settled in to pitch, Lasorda sent Dave Anderson to the on deck circle.

Eckersley took notice and decided he wasn’t going to let Davis hit it out of the ballpark. He worked the count to 3-2 and walked Davis. “Now get out there Big Boy” Lasorda ordered Gibson, whose appearance sent the crowd into a frenzy. Lasorda decided Gibson had two swings to try and hit it out of the park and then he gave Davis the green light to steal 2nd. With 1st base open, the A’s chose not to walk Gibson who worked the count to 3-2. Gibson then launched the next pitch out of the park. Vin Scully’s call of the play say’s it all

”In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!”

Todays Podcast

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October 15, 1917, The Chicago White Sox win the World Series in six games when they beat the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds, 4-2. When the New York infielders leave home plate uncovered in the fourth inning, Eddie Collins scurries home, scoring the eventual winning run with Giants’ third baseman Heinie Zimmerman chasing him with the ball toward the plate.

Red Faber won his third game of the 1917 World Series to give the Sox a second World Championship.

October 15, 1946, In Game 7 of the World Series Enos Slaughter completes his “Mad Dash” toward home plate, helping the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. In the bottom of the eighth, Slaughter scores from first base on a Harry Walker double, the play surprises everyone, including cut-off man shortstop Johnny Pesky who, as legend has it, hesitates throwing the ball home.

Harry Brecheen wins 3 games for the Cardinals‚ including Games 6 and 7‚ the only pitcher ever to win those. Billed as the duel between the 2 best hitters in baseball‚ the Series sees Stan Musial go 6-for-27 and Ted Williams 5-for-25. With the Series held in two small ballparks and the broadcast fees now aimed at a player pension fund‚ the Cardinal share of $3‚748 and the Red Sox portion of $2‚140 is the smallest Series payoff since 1918.

October 15, 1964 — At Sportsman Park Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals allows three home runs but still manages to win the seventh and final game of the World Series against the New York Yankees. Mickey Mantle, Phil Linz and Clete Boyer homer for the Yankees, who drop a 7 – 5 decision. St. Louis takes an early lead after a 5th-inning home run by Lou Brock that triggers a second three-run frame and a 6 – 0 lead for Gibson, who is named Series MVP. Mantle's three-run homer to the opposite field was his final World Series homerun.

October 15, 1970, At Thee Rivers Stadium for the third time this series the Baltimore Orioles come back after being down 3-0 and defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 9-3, to capture the World Series. Brooks Robinson is named the Most Valuable Player after making a number of great defensive plays and batting .429 with two home runs and 6 RBI’s. The Orioles’ third baseman becomes the first player to be named the MVP in the Fall Classic, an All-Star game (1966), and for his league (AL-1964).

October 15, 1972. at Riverfront Stadium Jackie Robinson makes his final appearance at a ballpark prior to Game 2 of the World Series between Oakland A’s and Cincinnati Reds. He urges baseball to hire a black manager. The first African- American skipper will not be hired until 1975 when the Indians employed Frank Robinson to run the team. He would suffer a fatal heart attack only 9 days later, leaving the world at the age of 53.

October 15, 1982 — At County Stadium Willie McGee becomes the third rookie to hit two home runs in same World Series game. Going deep off Brewers starter Pete Vuckovich in the fifth and seventh innings in Game 3 of the Fall Classic. His homerun in the 5th broke open the scoreless game.

His 7th inning shot was a solo shot. The Rookie will go 2-3 with a walk and 4 RBI’s. The Cardinals’ center fielder joins Charlie Keller (1939) and Tony Kubek (1957), who also accomplished the feat in the third game of their respective Fall Classics. McGee wasn’t done though as he will rob Gorman Thomas of a homerun in the 9th that would have made it a 2 run game.

McGee, who had come up to the Cardinals in May and finished third as the National League’s Rookie of the Year balloting, also started the game by snatching a drive by Paul Molitor to start the game. He drifted back to the fence, waited, leaped, and hauled in the drive, interrupting the enthusiasm of the crowd. McGee’s two homeruns will be the only Homeruns by the Cardinals in the Series.

In the seventh with one out, Andújar had to leave the game when a line drive from Ted Simmons struck his kneecap. The Brewers loaded the bases in that inning, but ace reliever Bruce Sutter got the final out to squelch the threat.

Cecil Cooper accounted for the Brewers’ only runs with a two-run homer in the eighth off Sutter, the Cardinals will take the series lead 2 games to 1.

 ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA

TRIVIA ANSWER: MANNY RAMIREZ

23.8% in 2017

22.0% in 2018

22.8% in 2019

28.2% in 2020

28.2% in 2021

28.9% in 2022

33.2% in 2023

32.5% in 2024

34.3% in 2025

38.8% in 2026

Never close to the 75% required for induction .

Thank you Horsehide Trivia

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