MLB Greatest Games #11: 1978 AL East Playoff

the countdown reaches game number 11 and a wall somewhat like this figures absolutely and Bucky the minute the ball cleared the wall your name changed forever across New England to Bucky if and then game number 11 features Bucky bleep and dent here on MLB Network well it's October of 1978 it's the Yankees and the Red Sox now a lot of the Yankee Red Sox history was still to be written but obviously Tom some already existed going back to Babe Ruth before we ever arrived at this day in which Bucky Dent and Lou Piniella our guest tonight took part its Athens and Sparta Bob we were to do a show on the greatest races of all time I think the 1978 season would certainly be in the top ten no question about that the way that your Yankees came back from 14 games out the second biggest comeback of all time back on July 19 unbelievable it really was I mean truthfully at the all-star break when we got beat in Milwaukee 92 really bleak for us in fact I'm Brenner had talked about moving Thurmond the right-field and let him get some some play in the outfield we get back from the all-star break we have a team meeting and saying look let's give it a good go let's see what happens the Red Sox get off to a poor start the second half we get hot as heck and before you know it we got it down to seven and a half eight games in a matter of two weeks and now we're in a pennant race yeah but before that you know before the all-star break we had a lot of guys hurt you know I was hurt catfish was hurt he he missed quite a few starts I think rivers got hurt and the Red Sox were playing like 750 baseball and but you know like blue said when we got to all-star break and everybody said you know if we could just get one game a week so we get to September we play them seven times we'll have a shot to you know to beat them Billy Martin out for one of many times Bob lemon in now once things turned out as they did the storyline obviously becomes lemon easy mellow that's what the team needed true true I think what happened was Bob came in and he kind of just settled everybody down because of all the things that were happening with the team and you know bob was an easygoing guy like you said and he came in he says look you guys are world champions last year just relax and go play and and I think that's what happened everybody kind of liked who we took a deep breath and said no okay let's go get them that bob has a new newspaper strike in New York that summer and it let everything quiet down yeah right and there's no sports talk radio then as it exists today no solid and like Bucky said we got rid of our injuries the guy started relaxing and playing and now we got into a heck of a pennant race so you cut the lead in half by roughly September first you go into Boston for it became known as the Boston Massacre you remember the four games at Fenway and you just kicked them all over the field we went in there four games behind and and four-game series we swept Boston at the ball well that series but look everybody hit the ball we we scored a ton of runs they call it the Boston Massacre in fact when we left there they had us in first place and the Red Sox chasing us and yet the story becomes understandably because at one time they led you by 14 games that the Red Sox simply fell apart may be true for part of the season but with eight games to play the Yankees are actually up by a game and the Red Sox win their last eight forcing the Yankees to have to win on the closing day or what would have been the closing day of the regular season and Rick Waits of the Cleveland Indians left-hander Rick Waits beats catfish hunter in Game one 62 the Red Sox had won the flip earlier so they get to host the game if it was gonna happen now you guys have to get on a plane and go to Boston well I remember after the game you know walking up the tunnel and somebody saw the Boston at 1:00 and walking up the tunnel and somebody goes hey you know we lost the coin flip we got to go to Boston and play and it was like oh no what else you know here we go we got to go up there but you know the one good thing was we had we had Guidry and he had kind of kept us together the whole year you know with that tremendous year they had we knew every fifth day that we were gonna win in fact mr. Steinbrenner was lamenting the fact that we had to go up to Boston I think he had blamed our general manager for losing the coin flip [Music] actually quoted as saying everyone knows a majority of the time it comes up tails I get it mr. Stein Brenner's I got on the bus I said boy you're a lucky guy you're gonna win another world championship and now you're gonna get another playoff game let's forget it Boston had a great great baseball team Ramon I mean they had pitching they had bullpen help they had it's good offenses you ever want to put on the field and you know whoever won that ballgame had to win their hundredth game of the year yeah both 1863 whoever wins 100 is gonna win the division and go on and play Kansas City in the LCS let's take a look at the Yankee lineup this is what Bob lemon sent out onto the field rivers Munson you're hitting third Reggie is the D H that's the first mistake that Bob made that day hitting me third the veteran Roy white and down at the bottom of the order Brian Doyle because Willie Randolph a key player had pulled a hamstring he couldn't go he'd been out for several games at this point and Bucky Dent is in the number 9 spot with Guidry on the mound he brings a record of 24 and 3 into the game now here's Don Zimmer's lineup for the Red Sox Burleson Remy rice is in right field Dwight Evans had been beamed in August and from that point on that we tried the play was just like 9 for 54 and he was having dizzy spells he's available on the bench but he doesn't start he as is in left field in the cleanup spot Fisk Lynn hobson scott and brohamer is a third base that is a strong line-up very strong and if you look at the numbers on me I was telling you earlier that I have the lineup that Keith Jackson signed for me from that game and you know just looking at you know the numbers from those guys on that team and it was like wow I mean they were impressive well rice was the MVP at 315 46 homers 139 RBIs and 46 and 139 in 1978 is a different than those numbers in 1998 I mean those were incredible numbers he slugged 600 he had more than 400 total bases he was the MVP when your season comes down to one game after already playing 162 how do you sleep the night before that game very easy you know the amazing thing is we got the Boston probably about 9 o'clock at night and I think everybody was of the mindset let's get the bed and get some rest we got a day game tomorrow and I know I was in bed immediately but about an hour later half hour later I couldn't sleep so I said I'm gonna go have one little cocktail and I went to this little establishment down the street from the hotel Daisy Buchanan Daisy Buchanan's and I felt kind of bad about it I'll be honest with you and I'm sitting there and I look over and I see about 11 or 12 of my team going down I was saying to him you know my wife actually last game when we got beat they wanted to go to the playoff game too so a bunch of them went up to talk to mr. Steinberg you know because they wanted to be able to go and he looked at my wife and he goes uh what the heck you've been feeding him man he's been in a mini slump you know and she got scared you know so that night oh he got in she was telling me about it and I said let's go out let's go get something to drink so we got in the elevator and as we're starting down it stops on the floor in the doors part and guess who gets on the elevator there he is mr. Steinberg himself and it was like chilly in there and all of a sudden he goes tomorrow's gonna be your day and he kind of said it like you know it better be your day let's take a look at the pitching pairing we've already mentioned Ron Guidry and coming in at 24 and 3 finished the season at 25 and 3 ER a under - he threw nine shutouts that year now there's a back story with Torrez he had won two games in the 77 World Series for the Yankees including a complete game victory in the clincher against the Dodgers in Game six at Yankee Stadium now coming into this game he's only 16 and 12 and he had been for the season one and four against the Yankees with a knee RA of almost six but his previous outing he threw a one-nothing shutout for Don Zimmer against the Tigers so he feels pretty good about himself coming in right but as you mentioned you must have felt pretty good facing Torrez because the Yankees really did rough him up not only here but in the course of his career coming into this game yeah but I'll tell you what Mike was a tough competitor I mean he had a heavy ball he threw a heavy sinker a good slider and I'll tell you what he gave you a little chin music from time to time just to keep you so we knew we were gonna be in a battle and and you're right we did hit him well but you know in Fenway in October a little cooler weather good heavy sinker that's a tough pitcher to combat and Mike pitch exceedingly well that day alright let's get to the game top of the first Mike Torrez faces the Yankees leadoff hitter Mickey rivers Frank Messer is working the game with Phil Rizzuto on WPIX in New York and later they'll be joined by Bill White so here's Mickey rivers you know really these games you start looking for signs from a pitcher as he settled in and the first sign you see from Mike Torrez is four pitches out of the strike zone to a guy who likes to swing the bat yeah and I'm usually a while for Mike Torrez he basically had pretty good command out there experience veteran pitcher made you made you hit the ball probably over throwing it a little bit early I think everybody had Burton butterflies in this game at the beginning because it was just a you know you could feel the electricity in the air or I mean even we were taking batting practice you could just feel the tension start to build so Torrez doesn't even come close a year earlier he's on the hill in October for the Yankees as a free agent signs a big deal goes to the Red Sox raises some hackles with his old teammates by saying everyone knows the Red Sox have a better team than the Yanks there goes Mickey he's safe holy how about Mickey going first pitch Luke well I make it can steal a base I mean he got it he read pictures very very well I got a very good jump here and just made it look pretty easy Carlton Fisk got a heck of a throwing arm so you've got to be at the top of your game to steal the base a perfect throw that's around and throws and Torrez is fairly quick to the plate to he's fairly compact so see his Munson yeah good Thurman hit - that's a pretty nice slider he struck him out with and here you are 314 for the season I was swinging the bat fairly well coming into this into this game this was really my specialty I I wasn't a home run hitter so I I enjoyed these type of situations but again here I roll over on a slider and it wasn't a very good at-bat nice plate it was left by brohamer that leaves it up to Reggie Jackson it is it's brought as Phil told you quartering out guard from the left-field corner sort of taught right field it's strong enough to be a factor in this game too could hurt a left hand at a cooked brawl ball foul that could stay fair down the right-field line I had Reggie trying to get comfortable at the plate [Applause] hits one a left will it carry Yastrzemski no he's there [Applause] for the end of one half inning there's something else about this game it started at 2:30 in the afternoon now as we watched the first inning the field is bathed in sunlight but soon enough shadows are going to begin to creep across you've got what becomes a late afternoon game in October at Fenway and it got treacherous out there as you can attest yeah at ball the Sun over the press box there was no double deck like there is now it was tough it was a tough sun field and it became increasingly hard as a game wore on for the hitters because the pitcher was in the sunlight and then there was a shadow you had to make that adjustment to but I told Bob Lemmon about the sixth inning as a bobble I said I hope the ball doesn't get hit my way and right field on the line because I really can't see anything and as it turned out that happened in the ninth inning we'll get to that we will but when we come back yes we'll give the Red Sox an early lead you're watching MLB's 20 greatest games this is number 11 on MLB Network the tiebreaker game between the Yankees and the Red Sox in 1978 at Fenway is number 11 on the list of the 20 greatest games the last 50 seasons Tom Verducci Bucky Dent and Lou Piniella are here bottom of the first Yankees didn't score in the top half Ron Guidry starts his days work against the Red Sox Rick Burleson look how slight Gator is just skinny is a 1 iron whoa Munson and Guidry wanted that one look at them what extension yeah I mean his stuff I mean just walk playing behind him all year and some of the games I mean his stuff was just electric that year really amazing for a guy that size to be able to throw the ball that hard no I like the way the pitch before that Thurmond turned around and talked to denk injure the next pitch is on the black and he gets the call and Burleson obviously doesn't like it I think Burleson had a more of a gripe on that one than Munson did on the previous one here's Jerry Remy the second baseman Roy white in left field there's the second out Thurman did a pretty good job of working the umpires I can tell you that so you got the MVP against the siyoung Award winner is Rice faces Guidry struck him out on a good slider holy cow three up three down into one no score two strikeouts for Guidry in the first now we move to the second bottom half of the second Yankees didn't score in the top half and Yastrzemski who's in the cleanup spot leads it off and yeah is right here about 39 years old he's in his 18th of 23 seasons with the Red Sox on his 23rd batting stance he made more adjustments what a great hitter what a great play [Applause] all right that's a 17th Homer of the season you're in right field you watch it land in the stands and what do you say to yourself I'm saying to myself I didn't expect that and not because of ya is not being able to do it off of guidry left-hand hitters didn't do that to him all year and Yastrzemski if he had had his really really good stuff jazz might have taken him out of the ballpark but not down the line that ball had gone the right centerfield so it led me to believe that Guidry coming back on his fourth day after two or three times in a row didn't have the really really good fastball that day that by the way was only the second homerun he'd allowed all year to a left-handed hitter incredible Hedlund incredible especially in Yankee Stadium pitching in Yankee Stadium where really you can hit the ball into the short the short porch really easy incredible so the Red Sox get the early one nothing lead I saw my Park the fans were went nuts electric I mean it was like wow I mean the crowd was just really into it it was it was really electric and when I was out in right field a lot of the fans had some choice words George Scott is at the plate for the Red Sox against Guidry the boomer the boomer on the air and I used to talk to the Boomer he didn't go to the net here he went to the deepest part of the park and off the wall and dead center rivers gets it in quickly but a double for Scott that's another good swing against Gator well again you know we're talking about a pitcher that's already pitched 250 plus innings you man is not that big and and all of a sudden you're asking them to extend himself like he didn't postseason on short rest after he had done it two or three different times it's not surprising it's not surprising at all bro talk about Boston now these guys can swing the bat here Munson thought about third but took the out at first so Scott's at third with one out now so now Burleson comes up in a situation where a sacrifice fly could make it to nothing bro since the leadoff man in the lineup on this day for the Red Sox you can see lemons already got damn feelin so he's not expecting to me runs of he scored that day a bounce Center gonna hold Scott at third and nettles throws Burleson out and that is a big big play he made a good pitch right there you know I think he's doing was slider to kind of backed up a little bit he got out in front of it a little bit but that was a big out one ball two strikes fly ball let's see rivers and white white calls man makes the catch Frank Messer will carry along the next three at the end of three right flash Guidry was smooth wouldn't ya I was actually surprised in that sequence they didn't put a contact play on with George gun third base Guidry is pitching from the windup Remy is the next batter he's not really an RBI guy left-handed against Gator they chose to play a little more conservatively and Gator using and knowing the Boston manager Zimmer he loved to take chances how about a squeeze in that situation another possibility so especially with Burleson's it can handle the bat as well as he does and and Donnie like to do all those things but I think if they would had a guy that was a little bit faster than George over there they might have done that all right when we come back Lou Piniella has repositioned himself in right field and that turns out to be a key factor in this game I'm not gonna make it what just too much I'm too old I just had my birthday on Monday I'm happy but the hair is getting grayer the nails too getting shorter and the stomach is churning I got agita know what I did that's an upset stomach and Italian how great was the scooter for the record by the way he had just turned 61 at that point I understand the hair gets gray I didn't know that your nails get shorter do players get archana because you guys have played in World Series games big games left and right but tell me about the pressure when you're playing a game 163 you get a little nervous and you should if you don't get nervous if you don't get butterflies before those type of games you don't belong on the field that's part of your preparation but once that first pitch is thrown once that first at-bat that's why you should have patience your first at-bat especially yeah look at a couple pitches don't go up there and swing at the first pitch and making out but really you're used to it that's why you're called a professional player alright let's get back to this game we go to the fifth top half Roy white very useful guy veteran guys switch hitter he's up to the Yanks against Torres was a professional he really was great I at home plate a lot of patients could pop the ball and he'd been around a while with the Yanks he dated back to the Mickey Mantle days yeah good guy too so he draws the walk from Torres he's the tying run on board to start the fifth so here's Brian Doyle starting at second with Willie Randolph hurt they can only get the play at first because White was running on the pitch that's good baseball by Bob lemon putting the game in motion close ballgame Roy White's got a chance to steal the base Torres could throw the ball in the dirt a lot of things can happen so give give him credit here you are Bucky what are you thinking I'm looking for a ball I can just you know drive someplace just to knock the run in and I knew Mike Mike in the past had been trying to get the ball in on me and I just missed that ball right there he got it up out over the plate and I just missed it as a good pitch to him yeah it was a real good pitch to hit and I just missed it it pitched me before I knew he used to try to run the ball in on me and he'd go back with a slider so I was looking for something early an account that I could get to it's just that he got the ball just a little bit of interesting play coming up here Mickey rivers is going to hit the ball to the left side of the infield with white still at second base and Burleson takes the play at third and gets white there that's a great play well he wasn't gonna throw mickey out when Mickey chopped that ball the shortstop it had to be a bang-bang player for his face of Burleson made the right choice going after Roy at third base and what you know and Roy held up just a little bit that helped him make that play at third base also doesn't get much better than this you watch in MLB's 20 greatest games number 11 on the list the 1978 AL tiebreaker at Fenway alright let's move ahead now to the bottom of the sixth Burleson who you just saw making that play is at the plate facing Guidry this is still a one-nothing game with the Red Sox in front and let's listen to their announcing team at the time dick Stockton and the hawk you think he only did White Sox games oh no ken hawk Harrelson in the Red Sox booth brick has played some marvelous shortstop in the past couple of weeks line drive base hit left fail in the corner chasing it is Roy white Burleson wheels around for a double a leadoff double for Rick Burleson and a big hit for the Red Sox so now here comes Remy in an obvious sacrifice situation one of the few mistakes Guidry is maintenance ball game the pitch deist rimsky was a mistake looked like a hanging slider and here's another one he's going to get up a little bit he was a good player I mean a good solid shortstop and in a tough out at the plate Remy beloved these days as a Red Sox announcer drops the bunt down nettles gets it with the throw to Chambliss Burleson a third now and here comes Rice with his 315 average and is 139 RBIs for the season we had our infield in again with Bryce up and look at the shadows now it's getting a little rougher on on the hitters Bucky that can't be a comfortable feeling infield in with Jim Rice at the plate Lord no earlier this guy hit the ball as hard as anybody on the ground and it's not very comfortable and you got to stand in close with him up he lines it to Center it falls in front of rivers and it's two nothing Red Sox Boston executed it seemed exceedingly well there's a good fastball again we tried to get the ball in on his hands you can see Thurman stood up a little bit he wanted the ball up in the air get him to pop up but rice gets on top of and drove at the center field so now here's yaz who homered earlier off kids are still only one out with rice at 1st and Zimmer sent rice so there's no play at second Chambliss unassisted second out and Rice's in scoring position now Fisk with first base open will be intentionally walked yeah I mean Bob Lemmon does have a choice here and I'm sure he wants to talk it over with kids really want you can pitch to Fisk where he can pass him and pitch to Freddy Lynn with first and second it's a tough situation for a manager because first of all Lynn's a good hitter second of all you know I put too many people on base runners do tend to score so you've got to be careful but lemon made the decision I think he talked the Gator I think lemon basically went well when he went out there yes Ronnie what do you want to do here I think he let Ronnie make that decision I'd be surprised if that weren't the case so the decision is to walk Fisk and work to Lynn and a base hit here especially an extra-base hit breaks the game open the way Torres is pitching it's two nothing and Gators trying to hold it there against Fred Lynn well there's a perfect example and if you're in ski had not hit the ball out of the ballpark earlier in the ball game I would have been over a lot more in right-center field I'm not saying I might have not gotten to the ball but Zimmer said you're out of position he always tells me every time I see him and we talked about the 78 baseball game he says what were you doing playing limb to pull and I give my explanation he says our bull copied just see that ball I saw that easily okay what you couldn't see as a game progressed was the line drive off the bat as long as it got up over the Sun you were fine but if the ball stayed at Sun level or below you couldn't see anything in right field if you don't catch that ball it's for nothing probably hops off the warning track in maybe then in that case it's three nothing and runners on second and third if it hits the wall it's gonna be for nothing yes the fans were John at you what was it was fun playing there the park is small it's cozy the fans are right on top of you and you have a chance to exchange a lot of pleasantries with them during the course of a baseball game but what people don't understand he was a very good outfielder even though he didn't run fast he made two plays I mean he got great jumps on the ball the instincts of playing the game I always say that Lou really you know for not being a fast guy made a lot of great plays for us in the outfield he was a he was a good outfielder you studied the game you guys are down to three turns at bat but coming up Bucky bleeping dent has his moment you're watching MLB's 20 greatest games this is number 11 the 78th AL tiebreaker on MLB Network this is the game that decides the American League East in 1978 the Red Sox lead it to nothing after six top of the seventh Greg nettles flies out Chris Chambliss is at the plate against Mike Torrez like one on Chambliss the shadows moving closer to the mound the wind has shifted as well at this point it's time to blow out just a little bit Chris was a really a good hitter he hit that ball the other way as good as anybody hears white again third time around we started and I think dogs ever noticed that because after this hit he starts to get his bullpen up to pitchers the lefty Andy Hassler the righty Bob Stanley now Brian Doyle is the next hitter and Jim Spencer is going to hit for him but I've heard you say that had Billy Martin been in the dugout Doyle would have hit and Spencer would have been held back to bat for you he probably would have because that was Billy's track record with me over the two years that I played there was that he would he would pinch-hit for me in situations like that and he used to really kind of aggravate me you know because when I came over from Chicago Chuck Tannen never really pinch-hit much for me but then when I came over Billy used to do it all the time it used to frustrate me a lot so Spencer flies out and that becomes the second out of the inning nettles had opened by being retired then the back-to-back singles by Chambliss and white so Spencer flies out and that's gonna leave it up to you Mike had been trying to run the ball in on me and then go away with a slider and I just missed a couple pitches so this time when I went up there I was looking for something inside that I could I could hit hard you know and I fouled the ball off my foot I didn't wear my guard that day usually I wear a guard because I had blood clot Spring Training I didn't wear my guard today because there's one game playoff so when I came up I was looking for something that I could drive and I found the ball off and went back to the on-deck circle that's where Mickey gave me his bag so when when you come up here mm-hmm you're not thinking even though that left field wall is only a little more than 300 feet away you're not thinking homerun you're thinking I want to hit the ball hard get a base hit maybe cut this lead in half that's right I'm looking for something that I could just hit hard all right so I haven't hit a homerun since the middle of August this George Steinbrenner reminded your wife it's tough but he got pinch-hitter Jim Spencer and he's down know one ball no strikes to a Bucky Dent [Applause] and here's what you were talking about filed them all down off your foot and what happened during batting practice before the game I went to Mickey and I said hey homie can I use your back you know I need to do something different his model was close to mine yeah go ahead what happened was I cracked one of them just under the tape so when I went back in that moment right there Mickey comes over and says hey homie you got the wrong bat that one's cracked and I wasn't thinking about it because I was worried about my leg because we have more infielders and it had a tendency to really swell up on me so I'm just worried about you know my leg and as I started back you'll see the bat board runs up and gives me the bat this turned out to be quite the delay here almost two minutes here and Torres's on the mound just waiting he's not throwing any warmup pitches no and that's what he said when we talked about it he says you know I don't think was gonna take that long so I didn't throw any warmup pitches so when I got back in the box the per the first pitch he tried to throw me he tried to get a fastball in on me again what he said he was gonna try go in and go away with a slider and he missed there's another look at there it is right there that ball ran in on me and I think the next pitch is basically the same now you got the bat you want one the counts one and one two outs and two on the Red Sox lead at two nothing in the seventh inning here at Fenway [Applause] beep the left Yastrzemski will not be dead the Yankees now fine score pretty good about that I never saw the ball go out when I rounded first because of the shadow I lost it and the second base umpire signal was a homerun as I rounded third is when I really liked Fenway was just like dead quiet you could hear the Yankee fans you know and the guys come out of the dugout but other than that it was like dead quiet look at yaz the way his shoulders slumped and his knees buckled yeah you know he thinks he's got a chance maybe to play this ball off the wall and the minute it disappears you could see his body just go limp not just this is bad in and of itself the body language said not again and what struck me Lou and Bucky was seeing Bob lemon out there exactly was he handling the game through that point I wouldn't say uptight but he was a little apprehensive yeah every once in a while Bob wouldn't say much during the game but during the course of a baseball game but that game there around the sixth or seventh seventh inning he started hey fellas come on we're running out of time let's go and you didn't see that much from Bob you know and you're right you're very surprising seeing them the first guy jumping out that I think mr. Steinbrenner now rose and we're right behind from the dugout when it leaves the bat do you think it's gone I think it's off the wall Bucky you know it didn't hit many home runs but I'm batting practice you could tell when a guy puts a good stroke on the ball and the ball would with the right trajectory it wasn't really what you would climb a high fly ball was more of a line drive fly ball so I I said boy off the wall when I was looking at more than anything else was a runner from first base see if he could score the run from first base no question that's what I was looking at it and when I saw Bucky just go into a trap between first and second I said oh my lord look look at this you know and he's when I hit it I knew I had to get to second base so I was gonna be the wind and run and I was hoping that the two runs would score and I'd be in school and in scoring position so that's why I didn't see the ball go out because I was running really hard to try and get the second base all right so now the bases have been cleared by the home and Fenway is very very very quiet the tiebreaker game between the Yankees and the Red Sox in 1978 at Fenway is number 11 on the list of the 20 greatest games the last 50 seasons Tom Verducci Bucky Dent and Lou Piniella right here it's a 3-2 lead Torrez stays in and back to the top of the order from Mickey rivers that may have surprised me a little bit about you guys but at this point rivers the left-hander up there he had Hassler ready he leaves Torres in the game after giving up the home run well Mike was throwing he was still throwing the ball really well now he's going to go to Bob Stanley hereafter rivers walks for the second time in the game a rarity for rivers Munson had struck out three times against Torres and Munson didn't strike out that often so this is kind of a curious move well he had to bring in his right-hander I mean there's only other choice I was coming up after Thurmond now the only thing is is that we figured that Vickie rivers would get a good jump off Stanley Stanley really didn't hold runners on as well as as Torres did he could have left to rez in to face Munson if he was gonna let him pitch the rivers he might as well have let him pitch to Munson since he'd found him three times so now rivers steal second I'm sure you guys obviously are thinking about the importance of attack on run here I've got one but two makes a world of difference and you know with Thurman third was such a great hitter you know with runners in scoring position you just knew that sooner or later he's going to get a big big base hit for us he's got to go to right field that's that might be terminal it's gonna fall base hit rubbers wills for Munson will try for two as wind bobbles the ball out in left-center and he's there with a double Yankees not lead by score fortitude flat sinker hot over the plate actually was a little bit breaking boy yeah the breaking ball that backed up a little bit inside part of the plate so the Yankees go up 42 and Alou another chance for you well let's hope that I'm a little more patient than I was in the first inning no I lined it out the right field you can see how the sunlight is becoming an issue all right so let's take it to the bottom of the 7th suddenly the Red Sox find themselves trailing by 2 Guidry still working for the Yankees butch hobson comes off the bench for the Red Sox Bucky who was playing second base for Stanley Brian Doyle had been pinch-hit for so Fred Stanley goes to play second base the chicken hops and strikes out and here's George Scott who had had a long double earlier and again that might go through it'll go through the right side and at this point Bob Lemmon taking everything into account including how many pitches Guidry is thrown on short rest down the stretch the last couple of weeks he's going to go to his bullpen and don't forget rich Gossage is very well rested coming into this game and don't think about Gossage in terms of the modern closer who pitches one inning he pitched three innings and more 16 times during the 78 season so he's ready good to go unbelievable 2 and 2/3 innings save a lot of 60 pitches that's the veteran Bob Bailey who has been announced already Zimmer has gone to the bench that's Elston Howard in the bullpen the great former Yankee catcher gives Gossage the pat on the back and what lemon is asking him to do if he can last that long he's thrown 2 and 2/3 and finish the game and save it for Guidry and it was an interesting point Zimmer announced Bailey very quickly that lemon was going to make the change regardless jack brohamer the left-handed hitter was due up and Zimmer wound up with a right-handed batter against Gossage and here's something else the year before Sparky Lyle one of the great relief pitchers of his generation had won the American League siyoung award out of the Yankee bullpen for a World Championship team but for George Steinbrenner there's no such thing as we have enough so he goes out and gets Gossage and that relegates Lyle to somewhere toward the back of the bullpen now he has Sparky Lyle and as this game moves toward the ninth inning there are situations where left-handed hitters will come up where you might say well ok go to Sparky but he was sticking with Goose yeah he's stuck with goose goose became the closer and I'll tell you what I really admired Sparky because he took it so well it was at the Greg nettles said you went in one season from sy young to sayonara [Laughter] he was really quick he was he was a funny guy in Sparky like like Lou said it was just a tremendous teammate a guy that kept everybody loose I mean you know he was uh he was he was a funny guy and just like he said a great teammate or have around comparative and don't forget free agency hasn't been around that long but george steinbrenner figured it out before anybody else when you think about Jackson Gossage rawly Eastwick the relief pitcher gullet brought in there yeah and the Red Sox really weren't built he was free agency better than anybody in that era he brought in the top top top guys course he could afford him so now one of those big free agents is on the mound and his first hitter is Bob Bailey pinch-hitting for jack brohamer he's gonna face the right guy because Gossage is gonna come in and throw some gas you don't see goose shaking too much notice one thing that's amazing about this is that the first baseman Chambliss is lettin a scout run he's not even holding him Gossage leads the American League he didn't save with 26 cold strike just body looking close he write it all played two hours much resistance in that at-bat that can't be a comfortable of bad against Gossage the way the shadows are at this point in the game as well you know you're sitting in that dugout for seven innings and all of a sudden you're nice and comfortable and your little stiff and the manager says nothing grab a bat I don't think that's a pretty good proposition Munson mavin crossed up there in any case the ball gets away and Scott trots down to second so Burleson has a chance here with a base hit to draw the Red Sox back to within one term is expecting outside corner he just didn't finish the pitch and ran inside yeah I've really backed up on him well that's what you call a back up slider there you go a little sinker close play but you got him yeah we're topper so you gave him the lead in the top half you finished it off with a play in the field in the bottom half you head for the 8th up four to two pretty good feeling with Gossage on the mound the shadows really really creeping in from behind the pitcher's mound hard to see the ball you had to feel really good about this ballgame but you some credit this game isn't over you well you mentioned when you hit the home run how quiet even before you touched home plate Fenway Park became how about at this point now they're down to their last six outs down by two tell me what it's like in the ballpark you could start to feel the uneasiness of the crowd you know it was like you know we knew we got to get six outs but you could start to feel the tension build in another way you know before earlier when they had to lead it was more electric now it was more of yeah a little more apprehension as far alright and when we come back mr. October has another October moment you're watching MLB's 20 greatest games this is number 11 okay to the top of the eighth now Yankees up 4-2 Reggie Jackson leads off against Bob Stanley back to Bill White and Phil Rizzuto Reggie Jackson will lead off against Bob Stanley here in the eighth the Yankees lead 4 to 2 let's say that ball is Jackson Atari drive straight away center field that was another interesting call to me that three straight left-handers coming up Jackson Chambliss nettles Hassler and owned Reggie Jackson 142 against them Reggie was 2 for 6 against Stan Lee he gives Reggie and it bad against the right-hander in the 8th inning toldja tells you how much he trusted Bob Stanley Stanley a good year he's 15 and 2 was er a was under 3 but like to say Andy Hassler in the bullpen veteran left-hander had had good success against Jackson and other left-handed hitters coming up and again there was more trust in the managers with their relief pitchers people weren't matching up this is before Tony LaRussa the father of the modern bullpen played the matchup game starting in the sixth inning so you look back in fact your bullpen was really a three-man bullpen it was Gossage it was Lyle it was Kenny clay that was pretty much it you put a guy out there and he got out righties and lefties not only that but Stan Lee was a ground ball pitcher with his sinker he usually kept the ball on the ground and this particular pitch he threw a breaking ball that just hung out over the plate a little bit and Reggie did what he does best he hits a ball in the seats I gotta tell you Reggie's home run trot a little better than yours Bucky not much mine I was just flying around the bases you know like Lou said Reggie had a little more practice but Andy Hassler I'm telling you what Andy Hassler had good stuff a heavy ball boy you know good hard slider he hit me in the thigh one time and I thought he knocked my leg off I mean he had a real heavy ball and eventually Zimmer did go to him and he got them out of the 8th and through the 9th holding the 4th the Yankees didn't score after the Jackson Homer but at this point they're up 5 to 2 that's the way the top of the 8th ended so let's go to the bottom half now and it's Jerry Remy leading off for the Red Sox against goose Gossage Bob and you're really feeling good now 5 to 2 you momentum in this game you've scored the the last five runs he got Gossage on the mound and before you know it here comes Boston Remy squeezes it between Chambliss and the bag and leads off with a double they threw a little slider did he got got two right there at little ball down him in and he put the red over the bag Jim Rice was the next hitter Gossage got him to fly out and his yawns yeah I've got the Red Sox off and running in the second inning with a solo home run his 17th of the year that gave him a one to nothing lead [Applause] now e53 and LU right before that at bet you can see you just trying to see the balls it's pitched never mind hit top I believe me when I tell you there was a ball of fire over over that stadium right over the press box it was a huge huge Sun and you couldn't see you just couldn't see out there and and you knew that if the ball was hit in the line you were gonna have all kinds of problems now if the ball were hit a little higher or on the ground you were fine but on the line you couldn't see the ball you really couldn't I don't Bob that too about the six or seventh inning it let's hope that about somebody doesn't line a ball my way B we got some problems out there fish get that one hard but foul as yaz retreats to first that's Ken clay the right-hander and as the camera widens out Sparky Lyle raining siyeong Award winner but hard-pressed to get into a game with Gossage really as the key guy now and Bob lemons bullpen there's a hit for Fisk so we'll run his home and the tying runs are aboard now you start getting a little apprehensive a little nervous a little edgy here's wretches woody you gotta reach down to get a little bit extra to [Applause] and it's five to four still only one out still two men on two runs have scored five four and it's got to surprise you that they're getting these swings off of God's law notice they're going with them they're not pulling it they're hitting the ball up the middle and to the other side now the ball that Remy hit was just a little slider that hung down him in the zone how well do you see this with any trajectory you've got a good look at it but boy I'll tell you what the line drive was the problem that was the matchup I was really scared stop right there because when I was with Chicago he had got goose a couple times late in the ballgame in Milwaukee when he was with Milwaukee and I think I think boomer had some pretty good success off him so after the Lynn hit had cut the lead to one and left two men on with one out Gossage was able to get Hobson to fly out to you and then fan Scott swinging so you go to the ninth but just with the razor thin edge and as as we said Andy Hassler got them through the top of the ninth to keep it a 5-4 game and now you're looking at three more outs but those outs are tough to come by tough to come by in Fenway one run that's not a very safe lead it really is it when we come back it's Lou versus the Sun you're watching MLB's 20 greatest games number 11 bottom of the ninth inning and the Red Sox will send up Dwight Evans to bat for Frank Duffy leading off the bottom of the ninth coming up in a very important spot he was a hero in the series against Cincinnati with some big shots let's see what Dwight does against Gossage so that's dick Stockton's on the Red Sox broadcast setting the stage for the bottom of the ninth after Duffy who is being hit for now by Evans the next two hitters scheduled are Burleson and Remy the Yankees make some defensive changes Gary Thomasson is in left field Paul Blair is in centerfield and here we go Evans against Gossage in the air left-field Roy nope that's Gary Thomasson just in for white I was the only outfielder they left in that particular game how about a wise move and you mentioned the hitters to up Bob and if anybody gets on base then Gossage has to get into the middle of the order mm-hmm and it's important for him to go after people and try to avoid getting to rice and Yaz and doesn't quite work out that way for him it wouldn't be an interesting game with that script that was ball three to Burleson three and one as he takes the three Oh Paige just trying to get on base representing the tying run what Gossage is just winding up yo and throwing some he didn't he's not wasting any time here hit captures not even putting a sign now he gets the walk tying run at first one out and now here comes Jerry Remy for one of the most fateful at-bats in the history of each of these franchises no white was correct you couldn't see the bosses somehow somehow you know what I did that that I did right and that play I didn't let the runner first of all know that I couldn't see it so I didn't show any panic but if you watch this I'm backing up just a little bit to give myself a little time because I know in Baraboo that ball is going to come out of the Sun and as it was it's only a 1 3 feet away from me I could have been 4 feet away from he could have been 6 feet away from it was only 3 feet away from me and the good thing about this play and I don't like to talk about myself but I make a really good throw to nettles at third base and we hold a runner and say that's so important you had to turn your back to the infield but to stop those other 90 feet to keep the runner off third base with less than two outs was huge you're right stopping the play I don't know how you did it Lou let the throw on top of it made it extraordinary well as you can see Remy's slowed down like halfway to second and then he was going hard and then with Lou Tyler I mean I meant Burleson but when he rounded second base and Lou made the strong throw he stopped again and that was huge the next play the next Paul Rice hits a ball pretty good to right-center field now when when you stab the ball did it come back into view at the last split second or did you actually stab it blind no no I saw it hit the ground I I did see it as the ball got really close to me I saw it and I saw it hit the ground and and and and and they got it was only what three feet or 4 feet from me where I could stretch and catch the ball I caught it actually behind me I didn't catch it even with me I caught it I caught it behind me but if that ball gets by it's it's it's 3 bases it's a tie ballgame but as you said though if you don't make that play the tying run scores Remy winds up at third in all likelihood with only one out they can win the game and the division with a sacrifice fly as it is they've still got your hearts pounding they got first and second one out still got they got like Jim Rice at the plate they're at that point in the American League and yeah is waiting behind it yeah yes already that too big gets hit that day so this right since this ball pretty good to right-center field but Fenella has room now Burlison tags and goes together yes first and third two out rights left shaking his head and yeas is the last hope but Tom Yas had a good history against Gossage yeah a very good history in fact he hit at this point over 400 batting average against Gossage over 500 on-base percentage he's comfortable one of the few people facing Gossage but also think about that with the season on the line the season comes down to two at-bats pitcher against better future Hall of Famers both times Gossage on rice Gossage on yes you can't make this stuff up no you can't and I'm not comfortable in the air I had the perfect perfect view and I'm just like talking to myself out there I'm going oh goose please get this guy out you know I mean it wasn't like don't hit the ball to me it was like if he hits the ball to me don't take a bath you know but here we go goose against the strip ski you know it's almost a sacrilege to say but when I first came up to the big leagues even my first couple years with the Yankees yaz was my favorite I love the way he played the game he had that superstar Flair about him and that gain about him and and and the adjustments he made it home plate so yeah it came down to two future Hall of Famers you know I don't think there's a manager in baseball today who would not have gone to Sparky Lyle or whoever his equivalent of Sparky Lyle would be in that situation even though Gossage as great as he was future hall-of-famer they would know there isn't a single manager who wouldn't know the matchup that the matchup the history of yaz against Gossage he'd have the lefty he'd be absolutely vilified for not going to him if he has delivered a hit off Gossage wild would have been in the game yes actually after Gossage pitching 2 plus innings already and probably throwing 50 or 60 pitches coming up its yaz versus Gossage with the AL East on the line all right here we go two outs bottom of the ninth five four Yankees runners at first and third Carl Yastrzemski at the plate goose Gossage trying to finish it for the Yanks and I had the perfect view I'm standing right behind you right yes was the last hitter Thurmond didn't say a word to him Bob lowball one [Applause] the Yankees five runs eight hits Red Sox four runs on 11 [Applause] might be it Meadows over third base he'll squeeze it and it's over yes Lipsky falls off the Yankee third baseman Greg you know what's interesting about that play right there when he popped that ball up I'm standing at shortstop and the ball went up a nettles really don't like catch pop-ups and so when it goes up I'm looking and I felt something go down my arm and I thought I looked real quick I saw him catch the ball and I looked down I thought a bug was in my shirt so I looked down and my metal had broke and the chain was running down my shirt so I started pulling the chain out and I see he catches it you know and I start looking around on the ground and then I run over there and we go in the clubhouse and you know everybody's jumping on each other I went back out on the field because I couldn't find it and I'm walking around it shortstop looking for my metal falling down I'm looking around you know everybody's in the clubhouse you know I kind of panicked so I went back out there but you know it didn't really dawn on me to look to get the baseball a one feeling that I had in the right field when the ball was popped up to me it looked like it just stayed up there forever I kept saying come on down that ball seemed like it stayed up there forever all right after the game sometime between when Bucky was searching for his metal and when the broadcast had to go off the air Phil Rizzuto caught up with the hero you I just found a ball off that vulnerable spot on your leg and then whether that confused mic jars and I do you remember the picture hit it was a boy it was a fastball it was a fastball did you know it was gone as soon as you hit it no I did I didn't well Bucky you had a house in New Jersey that a few years later you were traded we're looking for someone to rent the place and you found someone tell us about that actually what happened Don Zimmer gave me my nickname F indent I guess the story was him and his wife suit were driving home after that a couple days later and he got into North Carolina mountains kind of pulled over and got out of the car and walked over and just screamed you know be F dead you know but a few years later I got traded and I just remodeled my house put white carpet in so I get this phone call and I pick up the phone he goes hey Bucky this is Don Zimmer and I go hey Don what's up and he goes I'm interested in renting your house you know would you be interested in I go away to met Don I said I just remodeled the whole inside I got white carpet I don't need you spitting tobacco all over my rug you know and he started laughing you know so I said no problem I'll be glad to rent you the house so what I did was before they moved in I took a picture it said you know socks dented of the home run and I put it back on behind each door so that when he opened the door you know remind him of the game you know and so during the year he called me one day and I said hey everything going good he goes yeah and he says by the way all those pictures that you put up he says I turned him around or they're in the garage [Laughter] Gossage comes off the field before he can get to the dugout who's throwing a hug around him but George Steinbrenner did he come into the club hurtling Dave lucky he was a very involved guy and he loved the the Yankees he loved beating Boston and I'll tell you what he was he was in the clubhouse Rosen was in the clubhouse a few of George's friends had been in the clubhouse and you know the amazing thing about it is if we had lost George would have been in the clubhouse anyway that's the kind of guy who was Bucky bleep and dent is a badge of honor right that's a badge of honor and every time I went into Boston after that they had it right up there yeah well for someone who did win a World Series game with a hit you won the World Series as a manager with Cincinnati where does this one particular game one moment in time most fun-filled game I've ever played it nothing even closely resembles it the stage Fenway Park the team the Red Sox are archenemies two good teams really good teams start players on both sides the Fenway crowd look top-notch in baseball good fans yeah they rooted for the Red Sox and rightfully so but you know there are a lot of Yankee fans in that ballpark that day too so this ball game here to me until the day I die will be the most fun filled most exciting most pressure-packed game I've ever played in and and and if I had to just think a one-one situation in my baseball career that game would be the one that I appointed and Bucky as for you for all the stars that were in that game Hall of Famers on both sides and Lou with the plays that he made and Guidry starting and everyone's contributions well you have to say you don't have to say tiebreaker game you know it's October say it's the Bucky Dent game and every baseball fan knows what it is now you played on World Series winning teams you made all-star teams who are a very good big-league shortstop but this one at bat defines your career and changed your life sure did it you know I said Sports is a game of moments and that was the moment that I think every kid dreams of when you're playing in the backyard when you're saying your Mickey Mantle and you want to hit a big home run to win a game that happened to me and you know everything came true I got to play on the team that I always to play on I got to win a world championship a couple of them and I got to hit a big home run and be a most valuable player and you can't ask for more than and it couldn't happen to a better guy thank you and that puts the ribbon on game number 11 in our countdown of the 20 greatest games of the last 50 baseball seasons be with us next time for number 10 for Tom and Bucky and Lou I'm Bob thanks a lot see you deep you you Hey three-run home run for bunkie den the Yankees now in five four three two

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Views: 7,614

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Id: VsiMPi1wC7Y

Length: 65min 48sec (3948 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 11 2020