Extraordinary Moment - 1988 World Series (Greatest Game of All-Time)

1988 World Series - Game 1 - Bottom of 9th... by senatork

Arguably, the single greatest World Series Game in the history of baseball. There are plenty to choose from, but this one game has more "extraordinary" reasons why, in my opinion, tops even the 2011 World Series, Game 6 (which is a close 2nd because of the back and forth excitement).

This was supposed to be a 4 and out series. The Los Angeles Dodgers were a good team, obviously, but they were facing the Goliath of all MLB teams, the Oakland A's. Stacked with the best starting pitcher (Dave Stewart), the best relief pitcher (Eck), the best all around player (Jose Canseco) and the best young power hitter (Mark McGwire)....the Dodgers run was supposed to come to very quick end.

I personally watched this game and recorded it...(I have it on a VHS tape in my basement) and I really couldn't tell you why I had decided to record this specific game. I did that on occasional  to go back and watch the mechanics of the pitchers, as I pitched in high school and had dreams of becoming a Major League player one day.

The first 8 innings were playing out like a script had been written for this series...Stewart was shutting the Dodgers down, completely. Canseco hit a home run that put a dent in the camera in center field and Dennis Eckersley was now in to pitch relief and finish the last paragraph and end chapter 1 of this supposed short book.

Kirk Gibson, who was a decent talent throughout the years, but never someone you would build a team around, had a career year in 1988. Gibson was notorious for getting injured and wasn't even supposed to play the entire series because he could barely walk...having 2 messed up legs (ankles and knees). Watch the video of his at bat against Eck. He fouls a few balls off and can barely make it out of the batters box. He was swinging with all arms because he didn't have any drive in his legs to push through the ball.

I had watched a hitting instructional video around this time of Tony Gwynn, the Hall of Fame OF for the San Diego Padres. I remember him saying that in order to be a great hitter, everything must come in to balance. Sight, ability to pick up on pitches quickly, quick wrist action, lower body balance and upper body strength. Obviously, if the lower body balance is out of whack, the rest almost doesn't matter....except for this one moment in time.

Pitch after pitch, Gibson fought off nasty sinkers, 2 seam fast balls that were falling off the table and change ups that were starting in the strike zone and then diving into the dirt. He was patient enough to work the count into a hitters count and waited for a pitch he could handle. With a flick of the wrist, baseball history was made and it was one of those stunning moments where the favored team, just couldn't rebound from actually losing a game. It was David hitting Goliath or Luke Skywalker delivering the 2 fatal shots that destroyed the Death Star in Star Wars....up against odds that weren't even just unfavorable...it was almost a 'just go ahead a lay down" type feeling.

For every reason that was stacked up against them, i found my favorite saying the moment Gibson sent the ball over the wall....That's why they play the game y'all!

Have you ever faced a moment in life like this? Where the odds were completely against you? Now, if we are honest, most of the time, we strike out or tap into a routine grounder to end the game and we lose. But there have been enough of these type of games through out the history of sports to remind us that we can't quit. Even when we don't even see the reason the play ourselves.

No joke, because I personally watched this game, it has stayed with me all these years and I use it sometimes to motivate myself in certain situations...For instance, when I may have a sore throat or I am having an off night at church before I get up to speak at youth group...I tell myself to get in the batters box, zone out the distractions of what might be hindering me, and start taking whacks....Usually, when all is said and done, I totally forget the bad attitude or the sick feeling until it's over.

So, whatever surmounting issue you may be facing right now, keep hacking, knowing that with just the right pitch and the right timing, a simple flick of the wrist can change everything.

See you Sunday night as we continue our series, Extraordinary!

- Jay