My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment

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My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 6/30/2006 5:15:12 AM

KG Erwin

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Joined: 7/25/2000
From: Cross Lanes WV USA
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Let me take you back to a moment that was truly life-changing. 1988 wasn't the best year of my life. After a failed five-year relationship with an abusive girlfriend in a town that offered no hope for meaningful employment for me, I begged my parents to move back in with them. It was mortifying. I was 31 years old, and I had to rebuild my life and my self-respect.

So, I got a good job and met a nice girl. However, my mom, who had been in declining health for a few years, suddenly died of kidney failure in May 1988. We were all devastated, but it hit me particularly hard as I'd lived away from home for five years and seldom visited.

As this sad year wore on, I started following the Dodgers, who fought and scraped their way to the World Series.

October 15, 1988 -- game 1 of the WS against the heavily favored Oakland As. I was alone in the house, and watching the game. The As were leading 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. Most of you know what happened next.

Kirk Gibson, who was injured and could barely walk, was called up to pinch-hit for Alejandro Pena. Vin Scully was doing the TV broadcast. When Kirk hit it out , and I watched him hobbling around the bases, I felt an overwhelming sense of hope for my own future. Yes -- there IS magic in the world.

I have never forgotten that moment, and when things get rough, I think back and realize that with determination and a bit of luck, we all can get a second chance.

Post #: 1

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 6/30/2006 7:50:56 PM

leegra

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Joined: 10/15/2005
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KG--We've all got some magical baseball moments we treasure, but I certainly put Kirk Gibson's storybook blast with the best of them, for me. Everytime it's played, I wait for him to pump his fists in the air--not once, but twice. It's that second one that gets me!...That, and his limping around the bases...Man, they couldn't make a movie that captures the scene better...Thanks for the flashback...

Lee

(in reply to KG Erwin)

Post #: 2

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 7/1/2006 12:51:56 AM

akcranker

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Joined: 12/12/2005
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Reading your post I had to go back and watch it.... great game. I downloaded it a year or two back from MLB.com

(in reply to leegra)

Post #: 3

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 7/1/2006 2:32:16 AM

BauerPower

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Joined: 6/23/2006
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Gibby's HR is one of the best. I will never forget where I was when I saw that one.

More great moments:
-Roberto Alomar's HR against Eckersley in Oakland in the '92 ALCS. Was the deciding moment in that series. Yes, I'm Canadian.

-Dave Henderson's HR against California in Game 5 of the '86 ALCS. Cue the comeback. Poor Donnie Moore.

-If it wasn't for Dave Henderson, there would have been no ball between Buckner's legs, another unforgettable moment.

-The ball between Leon Durham's legs in the '84 NLCS. Yes I'm a Canadian Cub fan. Although the Cubs were collapsing anyway with or without Durham's error.

-Speaking of Cubs collapses, the 8th inning of Game 6 the '03 NLCS. Bartman. Although Alex Gonzalez's error was the main reason.

-Bucky (blankin') Dent

There's so many. But Gibson is probably the single most incredible moment in baseball I have ever witnessed. I heard Gibson say that he knew that Eckersley always threw a backdoor slider with two strikes.

(in reply to akcranker)

Post #: 4

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 7/1/2006 3:30:32 AM

KG Erwin

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Joined: 7/25/2000
From: Cross Lanes WV USA
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Thanks, guys. There's so much more to the Gibson story, though. Bob Costas made an on-air comment about the Dodgers being the weakest-hitting team ever to reach the Series. That comment made the Dodgers furious.

Now, I love Bob Costas, and this time he may have unknowingly influenced history. Tommy Lasorda even went so far as to calling Bob the MVP for the Dodgers.

(in reply to BauerPower)

Post #: 5

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 7/1/2006 4:55:44 AM

SittingDuck

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Good post, KG. Revealing and inspirational at once.

(in reply to KG Erwin)

Post #: 6

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 7/1/2006 5:27:54 AM

bigpapag

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Joined: 1/14/2006
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Hey guys:
My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment happened during the summer of 66.
During my teen years I worked for the red sox AA minor league team loccated in Pittsfield,MA. On this day I went into the office to get the key to the concession [sp] stand my chin bounce off the floor. Sitting in the office 3 soxs greats, malzone - pesky - williamsand some rookie pitcher that they were interested in signing

big papa gil

(in reply to SittingDuck)

Post #: 7

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 7/1/2006 7:49:52 AM

motnahp

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Joined: 8/22/2005
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One often overlooked fact about this game is the two-out walk drawn by Mike Davis prior to the Gibson homer. Eckersley walked VERY FEW batters that year. Davis was Eckersley's former Oakland teammate. He battled bravely before walking. Without Davis' walk, Gibby would've stayed in the clubhouse to greet his teammates as they came off the field down 1 game to none.

(in reply to KG Erwin)

Post #: 8

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 7/5/2006 1:44:32 PM

akcranker

Posts: 477
Joined: 12/12/2005
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Some good baseball history in this thread!!!

KG if you don't already have that game on DVD/VHS or Digital format you should go download it from MLB.com

bigpapag - did you get to talk to any of them?

(in reply to motnahp)

Post #: 9

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 7/5/2006 9:14:32 PM

bigpapag

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Joined: 1/14/2006
Status: offline

Akcranker

I sure did. All 3 of them also signed a ball for me. they would show up at the park every couple of weeks. alsogot to see and meet future major league stars, red sox players and players from other teams. OH YEA that rookie player that was with them was sparky lyle.

not many people can say they were taught how to play a certain postion by some of baseball best or taken pitches from them now guys you did notice I said taken not a hit or swung at, just stood there in awe.

big papa g

(in reply to akcranker)

Post #: 10

RE: My Most Unforgettable Baseball Moment - 7/7/2006 1:07:33 AM

Rhett

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Joined: 12/26/2005
Status: offline

KG, I'm too young to remember the game you are talking about (sadly) but I found a decent web copy of his home run online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ17awQG1EM

Unfortunately it lacks the Vin Scully commentary, and is overedited, but a nice short recap.

< Message edited by Rhett -- 7/7/2006 1:09:33 AM >

(in reply to bigpapag)

Post #: 11