The History Of Baseball (1987)

[Music] [Music] [Applause] from the early 1800s to the present day baseball has been a part of America the traditions of baseball have been passed on and each new generation inherits the standards and records of the past a former baseball had been played by American youth since the colonial days and it can be said with certainty that while he may have played the game as a boy in Cooperstown New York general Abner Doubleday did not invent baseball in fact it was a land surveyor who created the game in 1845 Alexander Cartwright compiled a set of rules for the New York knickerbockers the basis would be 90 feet apart each side would have nine men and each inning three outs in 1869 the Cincinnati Red Stockings became baseball's first professional team and seven years later the National League was formed the league's first ball game was played between Boston and Philadelphia and with that game came the initial recording of events statistics and records that would fill endless pages in the game's rich history the Chicago Cubs won baseball's first pennant led by pitcher Albert goodwill Spalding by 1880 the sport had spread to all 38 states and the game's colorful professionals were followed with an astuteness only baseball could demand paying customers cheered the early greats men like Cap Anson the leading hitter of his time Mike King Kelly famed for his daring and inventive slides and powerful Edie delehanty his career cut short by a fatal spill off Agro falls at the turn of the century baseball had become the nation's game and each city had its own ballpark in 1901 ban Johnson established a new league the American League Johnson struggled to put the league together often raiding players from national league clubs thus starting long-standing feuds including one with a National League champion Baltimore Orioles and a fiery young third baseman named John McGraw later as manager the New York Giants McGraw refused to compete in the 1904 World Series against Johnson's American League winners but McGraw held out for only one year in 1905 the Philadelphia Athletics led by Connie Mack won the American League pennant and public opinion forced McGraw and his National League champions to relent [Music] two years earlier Boston had beaten Pittsburgh five out of eight in the first world series in 1905 the format changed to four out of seven and fans flocked to the Polo Grounds although no World Series was played in 1904 the stubborn McGraw delighted his following by raising a flag inscribed New York Giants 1904 world champions the Athletics of 1905 were a solid team under Cornelius McGillicuddy Connie Mac but they lost the World Series to McGraw's Giants in five games the New Yorkers had on their side the greatest pitcher of the day Christie Mathewson a 25 year old college graduate with pinpoint control during the season Mathewson led the major leagues with 31 wins at a 1.27 earned run average and then top that off in the World Series by pitching three shutouts the 1905 World Series was a triumph for the Giants and Mathewson and after the final game the team celebrated by taking a victory lap around the Polo Grounds and that remarkable new invention the horseless carriage in the early decades of the 20th century Americans found more leisure time so they rushed to the ballpark to see stars like sy young who in his 22-year career won a staggering 511 games another outstanding pitcher was Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators from 1910 to 1919 Johnson won 20 or more for a team never strong at bat he became known as the big train for a fastball that would help him record 3,500 eight strikeouts he pitched more shutouts 113 than any pitcher in baseball history and was second only to siyoung in games one despite the aw he instilled in the opposition Johnson was his modest and gentle tempered a man has ever played the game and throughout his 28-year career as pitcher and manager Johnson was always well liked and respected equally admired was the flying dutchman of the Pittsburgh Pirates Honus Wagner at shortstop Wagner had no pier and had bad he used the great strength of his forearms to win eight batting titles over the span of twelve seasons on the base paths he led the league in stolen bases five times Wagner was only 5 foot 11 but weighed more than 200 pounds and although not graceful he was the most complete ball player of his time this famous split grip belongs to baseball's all-time batting leader Ty Cobb the accomplishments of the Georgia Peach are as impressive today as they were more than half a century ago over the course of his 24 years Cobb set major league records for games played base hits runs scored and stolen bases and his lifetime batting average of 367 is the highest and the games history and more than a hundred points above the entire leagues average during the same period Cobb's genial appearance belied a fiercely combative nature he had few friends in the game but no one denied his greatness staunch opposition came from the Boston Red Sox Tris speaker who played the shallowest but most complete center field of the day and it bad compiled a 344 lifetime average [Music] another leading player of the era was rabbit moran Vil the Boston Braves brilliant shortstop in 1914 on the eve of World War 1 Moran Vil led the Braves from last place in mid-july to a World Series sweep of the Athletics in October thus the miracle Braves of 1914 [Music] in 1919 Joe Jackson and the Chicago White Sox won the American League pennant Jackson hit 351 another great season for the man with a third highest lifetime average in baseball that same year the White Sox Ed Sakata was a majors leading hurler with 29 wins the Sox were in the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds and the experts favored Chicago but Cincinnati surprised the country by winning the following year America was even more surprised by what it learned from an investigation led by baseball commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis Jackson's okati and six others had conspired to throw the series the Black Sox scandal of 1919 threatened to destroy the game but judge Landis took strong action the accused were banned from baseball for life and the games integrity was restored it is my belief that baseball is loved by an entire nation because it embodies that priceless spirit of equality that is the very backbone of America itself a new baseball era was in the making at a young left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox was leading the way George Herman Ruth his schooling came from the streets cheap saloons in a Baltimore orphanage but the babe had a bubbling outgoing personality they would soon claim the overwhelming affection of the American public in 1916 at the age of 21 Babe Ruth won 23 games becoming the best left-hander in the league but his mound success was merely a prelude to his skill at bat the Red Sox converted Ruth into an outfielder and baseball was in for a revolution in 1920 the New York Yankees purchased Ruth's contract from Boston they wanted him to hit home runs in the Polo Grounds the park they shared with the Giants babe hit 54 and then 59 the next year in 1923 Yankee Stadium the house that Ruth Built was opened enabling more than 70,000 fans to see baseball's new star the fans turned out to watch the Bambino and he provided them with some of the greatest sports thrills America has ever experienced no one hit them farther no one hit them more often and no one hit them like Babe Ruth he lived as a genuine legend a king if America ever had one despite his incredible fame the bay boys found time for his biggest fans children and he spoke their language [Music] Ruth led New York to six pennants in eight years as he founded a Yankee empire with the addition of Lou Gehrig the slugging young first baseman from Columbia University they already potent Yankee lineup was transformed into murderers row in 1927 Gehrig and Ruth put New York in a frenzy with an incredible home run race Jerry hit 46 through August Ruth's 43 but Gehrig hit only one more in September while the babe lasted 17 giving him the magical record 60 1927 was a great year for the Yankees Ruth and Gehrig the team won a hundred ten games and the World Series Ruth had 60 homers and Gehrig a hundred seventy five RBIs the most powerful one-two punch in baseball history Gehrig went on to play in more than 2000 consecutive games and Babe Ruth roared through the 20s with a style uniquely his own but don't think there were plenty of other hitting heroes Rogers Hornsby the game's greatest right-handed hitter in 1924 Hornsby bat at 4:24 with a st. Louis Cardinals the highest average of all time and in one five-year stretch the rajah averaged 402 Bill Terry of the Giants the last national leaguer to bat 400 George Sisler the st. Louis Browns who holds the record for 257 hits in a season and Harry the horse High omen another 400 hitter despite the number of pure hitters sluggers thrived even more the Athletics Jimmie Foxx who challenged Ruth's mark of 60 homers with 58 in 1932 the Cubs hack Wilson who in 1930 hit 56 home runs a national league record that same season he drove in 192 league mark [Music] Mel OTT of the Giants a small man who used his distinctive batting style to generate power and excite the fans Mel OTT led the National League in home runs six times while the hitters were enjoying baseball's upper hand there was one pitcher who always held his own Grover Cleveland Alexander and 20 years of pitching Alexander amassed 373 wins the third highest ever and his record 16 shutouts in 1916 still stands the golden age had arrived and with it the first all-star game in 1933 the words of John McGraw who came out of retirement to manage against honey max American League stars men like Jimmie Foxx heavy-hitting Al Simmons catcher Mickey Cochrane and pitcher lefty Grove it was a grand occasion and the idea was completely knew nothing but stars on the ball field and when the game began guess who stole the show with a two-run homer that provided the winning margin and the book of baseball legend everything was as it was supposed to be Babe Ruth had made the American League victorious and the very first gathering of the stars in 1934 in the second gathering the show was stolen by Carl Hubbell of the Giants famed for his great screwball which he mastered with deadly accuracy King Carl struck out five future hall-of-famers in a row Babe Ruth Lou Gehrig Jimmy Fox Al Simmons and Joe Cronin pitchers were making the news a sensational brother act dizzy and Paul Dean pitched the Cardinals to the pen at that year dizzy comical boastful and completely original one thirty rookie Paul 119 the city of st. Louis had World Series fever kept hot by a rough-and-ready team called the gas house gang here's how the 1934 World Series was remembered by Cardinal captain Leo Durocher ballplayers don't come scrappier than pepper Martin and ducky medwig more talented than dizzy D manager Frankie fridge in the 1934 World Series we took on Detroit gas hostile no-holds-barred they used to say that we've knocked over our grandmother's together next roommate in the fifth game Dizzy Dean one of the second base standing up to make sure mark wasn't doubled at first the first thing did he said when he came to was did they get pepper what the gas I was getting elected they made up in guts in the last game we were winning 9 to nothing but still metric started to fight sliding in the 3rd [Applause] never come back to the Optio the Detroit bands were ready for him they threw everything they could lay their hands on I don't even know where they got half the stuff Kenesaw Mountain Landis was Commissioner of baseball and the old judge called Frisian metric or he asked ducky biet kicked the tiger third base Meldrick said yeah but that's the way I always lie Jutland assorted men back out of the game he was the only man ever thrown out of a World Series for his own protection in 1935 Cincinnati stepped into baseball's future by installing lights at Crosley Field and for the first time fans could see a ballgame after a hard day's work ironically it was the Reds who in 1938 met the Brooklyn Dodgers in the first night game at Ebbets Field and Johnny Vandermeer Cincinnati's 23 year-old left-hander made baseball history by pitching his second consecutive no-hitter that same year Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg posed a real challenge to Babe Ruth 60 homers Greenberg belted 58 with five games to go but could do no more and in 1938 the Chicago Cubs won the pennant on Gabby Hartnett famous homerun hit as darkness fell on Wrigley Field the Cubs world series hopes rested on the sore arm of Dizzy Dean acquired from the Cardinals the Cubs opponents were the Yankees and in the second game of the series old is struggle bravely to hold the New Yorkers back but Frank Crosetti hit an eighth inning homer and New York went on to sweep the series in four games the Yankees were stronger than ever in the 30s but two of their greats were passing from the game in 1935 Babe Ruth joined the Boston Braves and it was with them that he had his 714 and final home run and in 1939 the Iron Horse Lou Gehrig was stricken with a form of polio even with the knowledge of his fatal disease the Yankee captain expressed his gratitude to an overflow Yankee Stadium crowd today I consider myself [Applause] 19:39 saw the passing of one generation and the arrival of another that year a 21 year old Iowa farm boy by the name of Bob Feller led the American League in wins and the majors in strikeouts two other youngsters had great seasons Joe DiMaggio the Yankees and Ted Williams of the Red Sox DiMaggio took the Yankees to the 39 World Series against Cincinnati the Yankees had taken the first three games and in the 10th inning of the fourth with two men on Joe DiMaggio singled to right [Music] Charlie Keller stunned Reds catcher earned a Lombardi and with a ball only a few feet away DiMaggio scored with a brilliant slide the Yankees had swept another series and the play at the plate became known as Lombardi snooze [Music] in 1941 Joe DiMaggio accomplished the near impossible the Yankee Clipper amazed the baseball world when he established a major league record by hitting safely in 45 consecutive games and he didn't stop there the streak continued and with the entire nation rooting jolting Joe on it all finally ended in Cleveland at 56 games and appears today as one of the game's most untouchable records that same year Boston left fielder Ted Williams carried a blazing bat and provided another hitting landmark in 1941 Ted Williams led the major leagues with a 406 batting average and no one has hit over 400 cents in the all-star game that season Williams came up with two out in the bottom of the ninth and the American League trailing by a run Ted Williams hit the most dramatic homer in the history of the summer classic winning the game a fitting blow for the man who would also lead the majors in homeruns in the 1941 World Series Mickey Owen became a household name the Brooklyn Dodgers had seemingly even the series against the Yankee's at two games at peace as Tommy Henrich struck out but catcher Mickey Owen let the pitch get by Henrique was safe at first and the Yankees had new life Joe DiMaggio single Charlie Keller doubled and soon four runs came in all with two out of the nine and the Yankees went on to capture another World Series but the delight of baseball fans would soon simmer and the grim shadow of World War two baseball continued despite the absence of most of its top stars then in 1946 ballplayers returned from the war and fans flow to the parts in record numbers here to take part once again in the great American game and when World Series time came around that year to 1946 MVPs met head to head Ted Williams and Stan Musial Williams had come back from the war to resume a career that would result in a lifetime 344 batting average and 521 home runs Williams rivals Stan the man Musial rose to stardom during the war years and stayed on top as he hit over 300 for 16 consecutive seasons while winning seven batting crowns but the 1946 Red Sox Cardinal series is remembered for another named seventh game score tied last of the eighth and eNOS slaughter playing with a broken elbow leads off a single to center two cardinal batters try to invent slaughter but fail the stage is set for one of baseball's most famous baserunning efforts as Harry Walker doubles and slaughter never hesitating races all the way from first to give the Cardinals a 4-2 3 advantage this play is remembered as slaughters race from first on a single but it was Walker's hit scored a double which got the run home [Music] in Boston's final inning it all comes down to pinch-hitter Tom McBride Terry the cat 14 delivers the pitch that earns him his third series victory and the Cardinals their sixth World Championship that last out marked the end of one chapter of baseball history and the beginning of another the following year 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first modern-day black in the major leagues Brooklyn Dodger president Branch Rickey had carefully selected Robinson with the support of Ford Frick National League president everyone knew that Robinson's task would not be easy [Music] Jackie represented not only generations of great black ballplayers who had been denied entry into baseball but also the aspirations of his entire race no better choice could have been made Robinson's combination of courage determination and strength was a model to all and when it came time for the 47 World Series Jackie Robinson and the Dodgers were there led by manager Burt chaton the Yankees of manager Bucky Harris had taken the American League pennant and an old intra-city rivalry was once again resumed ironically the two best moments of the series had no effect on its outcome Bill bevens who had gone only seven and thirteen during the season pits the fourth game for the Yankees and in the mouth inning he was two outs away from an unthinkable dream the first no-hitter in World Series history here's how he recalls those final moments [Applause] Murilo came up and i got a little careless and walked him on a pitch I almost threw away made me a little sick to my stomach putting arrived the next batter was Jorgensen and when he first base that made it to away Reiser came up and Jan Frieda went in to run for perilla I was to one on Risa wenjian Fritos dosa so we decided to walk Reiser we put the winning run on first to set up the force play I knew they'd send cookie lavage Etta wept a pinch hit I watched him hit before and had instructions on how to pitch him pitched him where I wanted to try and fast now I had a strike I thought I'd waste a pitch but he didn't give me a chance to go that far [Applause] that ball I felt empty I was backing up the plate when that second one come in I realized I'd lost the ballgame first you lose a no-hitter and then you turn around the mash came up beside me and said [Music] the Yankees headed tough again in the sixth game trailing by three runs with Joe DiMaggio at bat and two men on Dodger defense agree place but all Gionfriddo makes one of the great catches in series history and preserved the Dodger victory that even the series at three games apiece but the spunk Levitch ellos double and John Fritos grab it was the Yankees who would celebrate the seventh game and another World Series triumph in 1948 is more black ballplayers entered the majors Roy Campanella joined the Dodgers beginning a 10-year career that would result in three MVP awards and later election to the Hall of Fame [Music] that same year Cleveland's Larry Doby the American league's first black player hit 301 helping the Indians win only the second finit in their history it had been a great year for Cleveland the Indians finished the season tied with the Boston Red Sox and reached the World Series by defeating the Red Sox and the American league's first Senate playoff owner Bill Beck's Indians also set a major-league attendance mark of 2.6 million in their spacious Municipal Stadium the leaders of the Indians were player manager Lou Boudreau who hit 355 right-hander Bob lemon who had his first of seven 20-win seasons and rapid Robert feller who'd set a single-season strikeout record two years earlier and would pitch three no-hitters and 12 one hitters in his career the Boston Braves were the Indians opponent in the series and they too had impressive talent like Warren Spahn who in his third full season showed the form that would make him the National League's all-time leading left-hander with 363 wins spine was complemented by right-hander Johnny Sain who led the majors with 24 victories thus the two Braves aces gave rise to the famed refrain spawn insane and pray for rain in Game one feller insane pits shutout ball until the eighth inning when feller and shortstop Boudreau tried to pick off Phil Macy at second Macy was called safe but a nation of fans who never saw the play argued he was out Tommy Holmes later drilled a single to score Macy as the Braves won one to nothing [Music] despite sellers loss Cleveland went on to win the World Series although seemingly forgotten by millions of Bob Feller fans who blame the fact that he never won a Series game on the disputed call at second all the Indians however were content to celebrate their second World Championship [Music] in 1950 baseball history was made in Philadelphia Connie Mack after managing the Athletics for 50 years retired and it was now the Phillies or whiz kids who won their first pennant in 35 years Robin Roberts won 20 games reliever Jim constantiy at its 16 and dick Sisler's home run against Brooklyn on the final day clinched it Delirium in Philadelphia but the next year there would be even more excitement in New York 1951 and Leo Durocher was managing the Giants in May he brought up rookie willie mays to play center field and get the team moving the Giants had trailed the Dodgers by 13 and a half games on August 11 but then began a breathtaking run for the pennant winning 37 of their last 44 they tied the Dodgers on the last day of the season and it's now the bottom of the ninth and the third and final playoff game New York has just scored but the Dodgers still lead four to two with one out runners are at second and third Dodger reliever Ralph Branca is pitching to Bobby Thompson and baseball history is about to be made here's how giant broadcaster Russ Hodges described the action [Applause] Bobby Thompson shot heard round the world stands out in baseball history and though doubt a Hall of Fame candidate Thompson's name lives on and soda said a pitcher Ralph Branca who never considered his number thirteen unlucky [Applause] in 1949 the New York Yankees added an extra dimension to their already talented Club they hired Charles Dillon Casey Stengel to be their manager and Casey who possessed a unique combination of intelligence humor and charm led the Yankees two World Series victories in 49 and 50 1951 was a winner too even if it was Joe DiMaggio's last season his final game came in the World Series as he doubled to right later DiMaggio was thrown out at third his speed diminished but his graceful style was still apparent a big gap had to be filled in center but Casey had a rookie named Mickey Mantle who was equal to the task immediately mantle was tabbed as the fastest man in the majors but all his speed was almost incidental compared to his raw power enough power to sustain the Yankee dynasty for another decade but the Yankees didn't win on brute force alone and the early 50s they possessed one of baseball's best pitching staffs chief allie reynolds threw two no-hitters in 1951 and ranks second in total World Series victories Vic Raschi the Springfield rifle junk ball pitcher eddie lopat and a young left-hander named whitey Ford Ford would go on to set World Series records for victories strikeouts and scoreless innings he would also win 236 games losing only a hundred six the top winning percentage in modern day baseball Casey Stengel got the most out of his players especially scrappers like Phil Rizzuto a personal favorite of Casey was catcher Yogi Berra one of baseball's genuine clutch hitters yogi hit 358 career homers and only Ruth and mantle hit more in the World Series another single favorite was a Yankees pugnacious second baseman Billy Martin in the 1953 World Series Billy the Kid bet at 500 and his last hit was a seventh game winner that gave KC and the Yanks five straight World Series titles the greatest team record in baseball history and as the old professor used to say you can look it up in 1954 stinkles Yankees won a hundred three games but were beaten out by the Cleveland Indians who set a league record of a hundred eleven victories the Indians succeeded on the strength of their marvelous pitching staff led by Bob Lemmon who won 23 games that season an early win who also won 23 and Mike Garcia the Big Bear who chipped in with 19 victories [Music] Cleveland's arms made the Indians strong favorites when they took on New York but Vic Wertz and his tribesmen were in for a surprise and the first game of the series warts drilled one 460 feet but Willie Mays made this classic catch one of the all-time greats giant fans had come to expect the impossible from Mays but they were not expecting the exploits of pinch-hitter Dusty Rhodes he won the first game in the 10th inning with a pinch-hit home run hit another homer the next day and drove in key runs in the third game the Giants swept the favored Indians four straight and once again proved that anything is possible in baseball but in 1955 the residents of Brooklyn were still wondering if it was possible for their Dodgers to win a World Series they had lost seven series the last five to the Yankees but his rookie manager Walter Alston prepared his team for Yankee Stadium and an old nemesis the Dodgers vowed this would be their year to win it all but in the opening game Yankee first baseman Joe Collins reached Brooklyn's Don Newcombe for two home runs and when New York took the second game as well it looked like business as usual for Brooklyn the Dodgers returned to Ebbets Field still hopeful but aware that no series team had ever come back after losing the first two games Dodger catcher Roy Campanella got Brooklyn rolling in the third game with a first inning homer it seemed to wake the Dodgers up as they went on to score six more runs Brooklyn won the game eight to three as southpaw Johnny Padres pitching on his 23rd birthday scattered seven hits in his first series victory the Yankees lead now stood at two games to one [Music] in Game four Dodgers centerfielder duke snider the Duke of Flatbush came through big as he blasted one of his four series homers this one a three-run clout that gave Brooklyn a 7 to 3 lead later with the man on in two out of the seventh the Duke made the big play choking off a Yankee rally the Dodgers took Game four eight to five and won the fifth game five to three a three-game sweep and Ebbets Field and dim bombs were only a game away from their dream the Yankees took the sixth game at the stadium for for Game seven Walter Alston held a meeting and the slugging Dodgers came out bunting Snider bunny Pee Wee Reese to second the Duke appeared out at first but knocked the ball loose from scourings glove the wheels were turning campanella's but advanced both runners it was Gil Hodges turn a sacrifice fly scored Reese with Brooklyn's second run but in Yankee Stadium a two-run lead wasn't safe with Yogi Berra up and 2 on it looked like trouble but sandy Amoros made the catch that would preserve his memory and Brooklyn forever McDougald who had rounded second had to get back but the relay from amorous to Reese to Hodges completed the biggest double play in Dodger history [Music] in the ninth inning Johnny Podres was still on the mound leading two to nothing with two away the series was history Brooklyn's first and only World Championship next year had finally come the one year that would last forever in the hearts of Brooklyn the next season 1956 the Yankees and Dodgers were matched up again New York one in seven games but something happened in Game five which transcended the entire series in the ninth inning Don Larsen stands one out away from something never before approached a perfect World Series game pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell is his last obstacle Larsen recalls those final moments going through my mind he's a fastball hitter like pitching blowing away concentrate concentrate thought was coming to one two I could feel the tension is building up one said anything no one on the field there on the bench talked about a no-hitter they were too superstitious but I knew I had one going before the ninth I had said to mantle would it be something if I got a no-hitter he just looked at me as if I was crazy I moved away guys on the team we're praying the ball wouldn't be hit to them they were afraid they'd make an error I don't think I ever felt more alone in my life [Applause] [Applause] with that call third strike Don Larsen gay baseball its first perfect game in 34 years and the only one ever in a World Series all from a pitcher who won just 11 games in his best season another instance in baseball history when the unlikely hero rises up to astound the world in 1957 four years after the Boston Braves franchise headed west to Milwaukee Warren Spahn a holdover from the Boston era helped Milwaukee to its first pennant by winning 21 games Milwaukee also claimed to hitting grace hammerin Hank Aaron who won the major league home run crown and Slugger Eddie Mathews but in the World Series the biggest star was right-hander Lou Burdette who pitched 24 scoreless innings against those perennial American League champion New York Yankees the Braves defense sparkled also West Cummington made this grab in Game two that helped earn a 4 to 2 victory [Music] defensive plays highlighted the entire series in centerfield Henry Aaron made this catch in Game three Gil mcdougal up in the fourth inning of a scoreless Game five West Covington makes the play that prevents a homer and the Braves went on to win the game one to nothing [Music] the series comes down to the seventh game played at Yankee Stadium the Braves again behind Burdette led five to nothing with moose cowering at bat in the ninth inning and the bases loaded [Music] Eddie Matthews makes the play Lou Burdette has won his third series game the second by shutout and Milwaukee has won its first World Series and it been a long time since 1914 s miracle Braves Milwaukee have become quite a success story and soon other clubs began looking west in 1958 the Giants said goodbye New York and hello San Francisco that same season Brooklyn's heart was broken for the last time when the Dodgers opted for the golden sunshine of Los Angeles and found a home in the LA Coliseum a year later they won the World Series and broke all attendance marks in 1960 attention turned back east to Pittsburgh where the Pirates had won their first pennant since 1927 that year the Bucs had been wiped out in four straight by the Yankees coincidentally the Yankees were entered again in sixty but this time the Pirates led by right fielder Roberto Clemente were in better shape to halt the Pinstripe juggernaut Game seven pirate hopes were dim as New York led seven to four in the eighth it looked even darker when Bill Virdon slept for him too short [Applause] the crowd was stunned as Tony Kubek was victimized by the granddaddy of all bad hops the Yankee shortstop would have to leave the game Casey Stengel appeared to sense a fast Gathering Storm the Pirates quickly scored a run and Casey went to the mound for a change of pitchers and what few realize would be his last game as Yankee manager the Pirates narrow the gap to 7 to 6 but then reliever Jim coats got two outs and Pittsburgh hopes depended on Hal Smith a part-time catcher [Applause] Smith's three-run shot but Forbes Field in a frenzy as a Pirates took a 9 to 7 lead with only an inning to go [Applause] Al Smith had played for five teams in ten years but this year the Pirates were happy to have him on their side but then the Yankees lashed out for two runs to tie in the night in the bottom of the ninth the Bucks first batter was Bill Mazeroski better known for his glove than his bat on the mound Yankee right-hander Ralph Terry as Yogi Berra Watts Mazeroski homers sale over the left-field wall Pittsburghers ecstatically celebrated the town's first series victory in 35 years the Pirates come back led by Smith and Mazeroski was yet another example of baseball spontaneous surprises in 1961 the heroics of Ruth and Gehrig were matched by another pair of Yankees Mickey Mantle as powerful as ever still cracking towering homeruns [Music] and roger maris who did not hit them as far but did hit them often something he had not done with consistency until he arrived in Yankee Stadium the previous year all at once Maris and mantle were in a spectacular home run race reminiscent of Ruth and Gehrig in 1927 it was neck and neck into the final weeks when Maris pulled away Mammal finished with 54 his best ever but Maris kept on tying the babe with home on number 60 of Baltimore's Jack Fisher then on the final day it was the Boston Red Sox tracy stalard on the mound hit number 61 here's the windup [Applause] [Music] baseball's most coveted record now belonged to Roger Maris a year later in 1962 Ty Cobb's stolen base record was surpassed by Mari wills of the Dodgers will stole a hundred for 8 more than Cobbs 96 back in 1915 [Music] the switch-hitting Dodgers shortstop typify the Los Angeles teams of the early 60s speeding scrappy and smart [Music] it hadn't taken long for manager Walter Alston to develop a new generation of quality ball players Don Drysdale was one of two pitchers who led the Dodgers to championships in 63 and 65 and in 68 the big d surpassed the big train Walter Johnson by pitching 58 in 2/3 consecutive innings of scoreless baseball [Music] [Applause] but the pitcher who got most of the attention was Sandy Koufax there's irony in the fact that Koufax was born and raised in Brooklyn and signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 but was ineffective during his years there before rising to stardom in Los Angeles from 1962 to 66 five straight years Koufax led the league in ER a 125 or more three times broke Bob Feller season strikeout record hurled four no-hitters including a perfect game and struck out more batters in a World Series game than any man ever before all in five seasons then in 1966 bothered by severe pain and his throwing arm Sandy Koufax retired at the age of 30 [Music] it seemed the time for sudden endings and overnight changes not only in America but baseball as well Forbes Field Oh Busch Stadium Crosley Field in Connie Mack stadium went the way of Evitts field and the Polo Grounds baseball was passing into a new age but for fans who hated to see the grounds of the past torn apart so quickly there was at least the consolation of selecting a souvenir [Music] the old gives way to the new spacious ballparks with a modern look [Music] [Applause] the jet age made expansion possible in 1965 the Astrodome became the first Indoor Stadium and by the end of the decade baseball became international and Montreal even the scoreboard spoke French but the game was still baseball and Ernie Banks was still Ernie Banks the ever cheerful Slugger of the Chicago Cubs he never fulfilled his dream of taking the Cubs to the World Series but every day - Ernie was in his words a beautiful day to play baseball and beautiful Wrigley Field and this day was one of them Frank Robinson also hit over 500 homes playin primarily for Cincinnati and Baltimore and Harmon Killebrew slugged over 500 for Washington and Minnesota [Music] Willie McCovey became the all-time left-handed home run hitter in the National League teammate Willie Mays belted 660 homers in the more than 3,200 hits gathered in his brilliant career and Mickey Mantle with 536 career homers and a record 18 in World Series play baseball's class of the 60s accounted for more home runs than any previous decade but the sixties also had great pitching san francisco's Juan Marichal continued in the Giants tradition of hurlers Mathewson and Hubbell with six 20 win seasons Jim Bunning won more than a hundred games in each league while pitching a no-hitter and a perfect game and in 1968 Detroit's Denny McLain accomplished what many thought impossible he won 31 games McLain led the Tigers to the World Series that year against the st. Louis Cardinals defending champs who were seeking their third World title in five seasons the Tigers had McLane but the Cardinals had Bob Gibson Gibson had been sensational during the season setting a modern-day record with an incredible 1.1 to earned run average including 13 shutouts and a stretch of 100 innings in which he allowed just two earned runs [Music] and in the first game of the series Gibson was at the top of his form he tied Sandy Koufax's record of most strikeouts in a single Series game 15 and then he established his own record of 16 and still had one out to go number 17 Gibson dominated on the mound while Cardinal speedster Lou Brock dominated everywhere else Tiger fans may have scoffed but soon they too were convinced in this series Lou Brock had little trouble tying his own record of seven stolen bases set the previous year he also tied the World Series record for base hits with 13 the Cardinals raced to a three game 2-1 series advantage and appeared ready to clinch it in the fifth game taking an early lead but the fifth inning would feature a key play involving Lou Brock and left fielder Willie Horton baseball's greatest baserunner tried to score standing up and was called out Tiger fans loved it but the Cardinals couldn't believe it suddenly everything went wrong the Tigers rallied Al Kaline distinguished right fielder and future hall-of-famer had waited 15 years to play in a World Series and in the seventh inning singled in the tying and winning runs the Tigers then won game six behind Denny McLain but now face the invincible Gibson in Game seven it's still scoreless in the seventh inning when Jim Northrup lines one to Center that gets smooth fielding Curt Flood trouble the moment is fatal for Gibson and the Cardinals as two runners score on Northrop's triple and in the year in which Gibson and McLain had dominated the headlines Tiger left-hander mickey lowlich wrapped up his third series victory and Detroit's first World Championship in 23 years 68 was a great year for the Tigers but the following season only one word could describe baseball's surprise amazing could only describe the New York Mets in 1969 baseball instituted divisional play and the championship series and the Mets once baseball's laughingstock won the pennant Tom Seaver and a young pitching staff led the way the expansion Mets had never fed the night but New York was in for a treat the 69 series put the Mets against the Baltimore Orioles touted by many as the strongest team since of 61 Yankees winning the National League pennant have been a triumph indeed but beating the Orioles might take a miracle but miracles were at hand especially the gloved hands of met fielders [Applause] with the series tied at a game apiece Baltimore's Elrod Hendricks bats with two men on mat centerfielder Tommy Agee comes to the rescue saving at least two runs maybe more in the seventh Paul Blair bets with a bases loaded against Nolan Ryan another shot deep in the gap this time right-center field it's AG second incredible catch of the day and this one saved at least three runs Tommie Agee had prevented five runs and then that's one five to nothing but game four would feature more ninth-inning ace tom seaver leads one to nothing as Brooks Robinson bats with one out and runners at first and third out of nowhere comes right fielder Ron Swoboda the tying run scored on a most unusual sacrifice fly a replay shows again how incredible this grab really was many consider it the best World Series catch ever clearly the amazing Mets and Ron Swoboda could do no wrong in the bottom of the 10th the vaunted Oriole defense takes on characteristics of the Mets of old as a bloop double puts the potential winning run on second pinch-hitter JC Martin is ordered to bunt Martin runs to first inside the baseline and the throw hits him a controversial play the winning run scores and the Mets now lead three games to one all New York is caught up in the fairytale in Game five Jerry Koosman gave up three early runs but the Mets come back to take a 5 to 3 lead and in the night Koosman needs only one last out the amazing Mets are world champions a miracle perhaps but also the product of timely hitting I and stingy pitching the healthy oils to 1:46 team batting average a great win for the New York Mets and manager Gil Hodges in 1970 Baltimore manager Earl Weaver got another chance his staff of Jim Palmer Dave McNally and the clever screwball are Mike Cuellar all 120 and the birds took the pennant by winning a hundred eight games the 1970 World Series was rated just about even it was a classic matchup of heavyweights Cincinnati slugging Big Red Machine and the Baltimore Orioles who did everything well one look at MVPs Johnny Bench and Boog Powell told the fans what to expect but to Frank Robinson and the Orioles the series meant something extra the Mets had made them feel like victims of a practical joke so Robinson and company took out their frustrations with long power blasts also for Robinson five years earlier had been traded to Baltimore from Cincinnati but this series is remembered primarily for a third-base Club and another Robinson named Brooks [Music] from the umpires first call of play ball the Reds found themselves meeting up again and again with the man at third any fan who watched the human vacuum cleaner in the 70 World Series had to believe he was the best defensive third baseman ever [Music] Cincinnati pitchers were also odd Brooks at a 267 lifetime average but in this series he batted 429 with two homers this one-man show spelled doomsday for the Big Red Machine Game five and Mike Cuellar looks for the final out which will crown the birds champs and storybook justice directs the ball to the right man the Orioles year long flight to vindication is over but brooks robinson's performance in the spotlight of intensified national exposure is just the first in a series of such in the 1970s in 1971 the Orioles won their division by 12 games and went on to the World Series to face the Pittsburgh Pirates of manager Danny Murtaugh the Pirates could run hit and score with the best of them and were led by right fielder Roberto Clemente who had hit 341 Clemente was a four-time batting champ and in 17 years had compiled a lifetime average of 317 the 71 series was only Clementi second but he became his national showcase [Music] against Baltimore Clemente showed it all and gave his all even on a tap back to the mound at age 37 this tireless performer reached the high point of his career Clemente collected 12 hits in the series 5 for extra bases while batting 414 for a pirate team that only hit 235 [Music] he was not known for his long ball power but delivered two home runs in the 71 series the second homer came in the pirates seventh game two-to-one victory and enabled Pittsburgh to come back from a two-game to non deficit to win the World Series the next season would be Clemente's last and his final hit was a double that gave him the coveted total of 3000 hits a tragic plane crash would take Roberto Clemente's life only three months later in 1972 the Oakland A's won the first of three consecutive world titles the team that formerly won them for Connie Mack in Philadelphia now belonged to eccentric owner Charlie Finley manager dick Williams and players like Burt campaneris Joe Rudi ace catfish hunter reliever Rolly fingers Ken Holtzman and vitae blue combined to form one of baseball's finest but least harmonious teams they became renowned for their turmoil off the field and their brilliant play on it [Music] the irony of the AA's is that there were masters of team baseball winning the close games by making the big plays under pressure if Charlie Finley had one real superstar it was Reggie Jackson Jackson could really crush it when it counted [Music] in 1972 the A's toppled Cincinnati in seven games the Mets fell in seven in 73 and in 1974 the Dodgers lasted only five not since the awesome Yankees of the early 50s at baseball been so completely dominated by one team but almost unbelievably the players who made this team would soon be leaving for other ball clubs as Charlie Finley watched his dynasty crumble 1974 was also a year of individual accomplishments it was that season then Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves rose to the pinnacle of his 23-year career a career that places him among the greatest to ever play Aaron played in 3200 98 games and drove in two thousand two hundred ninety-seven runs more RBIs and any player ever and is 3771 base hits accounted for a 305 lifetime batting average but when the name of Henry Aaron is mentioned one achievement stands out April 8th 1974 opening day in Atlanta Stadium [Applause] homerun number 715 breaking Babe Ruth's career record Henry Aaron went on to play its last two seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers in the city where it all began bringing his final home run total to 755 [Applause] the base-stealing of Lou Brock was showing no signs of slowing down in 74 if anything the Cardinal great was speeding up [Applause] in Brooks rookie year the Dodgers Maury wills broke ty Cobbs single-season record of 96 stolen bases but then at age 35 Lou Brock stole a record-breaking 118 and three years later in 1977 another record stolen base number 893 placing Lou Brock a hit a Ty Cobb on the all-time list in 1975 while the Oakland A's were starting to come apart the Cincinnati Reds were finally coming together every summer for five years Reds fans were convinced that their Big Red Machine was on its way to a World Series title but as good as the Reds were Johnny Bench and teammates had come up empty in their October opportunities [Music] Sparky Anderson knew that the team witness was pitching and in 1975 the Cincinnati manager juggled his staff brilliantly the Reds won a hundred eight games with a lineup that included five all-stars Pete Rose at third base the fourth regular position of his big league career Joe Morgan recognized in the mid-70s as the game's best all-around players shortstop Davey concepción Johnny Bench a future hall-of-famer an RBI man Tony Perez the awesome Reds were in route to a big date in October waiting for Cincinnati the Boston Red Sox a powerful combination of veterans in youth led by pitcher Louie Tiant the ageless man of a million motions left fielder Carl Yastrzemski superbly steady at 36 and the first man ever to be wookie of the year an MVP the same season 23 year old centerfielder Fred Lynn the Reds led three games to two and with a full moon brightening the prospects for game six the stage was set for one of the most exciting baseball games ever played an early Boston lead slowly disappeared then George Foster put the Reds ahead a smash not even Fred Lynn to catch bottom of the eighth the Reds leaves six to three pinch-hitter Bernie carbo faces Raleigh East week with two on and two out the Reds ace reliever gets two strikes on carbo who's six years earlier began his career with Cincinnati but carbo has one strike remaining [Applause] a gametime three-run homer by a part-time player named Bernie carbo the Red Sox are alive and joy range in Fenway it's a brand-new ballgame and Cincinnati spirits are dampened [Applause] now it's the 11th inning with a man on and one out Joe Morgan had bad [Applause] right fielder Dwight Evans takes away a 2-1 homer and turns it into a double play bottom of the 12th and the score is still tied this is the latest our that any World Series game has ever been played but no one has gone home leading off for the Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk [Music] fair ball and a homerun the fabulous sixth game of the 1975 World Series is history [Music] and yet for all of this the Red Sox did not win the World Series in the seventh game all eyes were on Joe Morgan who drove in the winning run with a ninth inning dying quail single [Applause] the Reds have won their first World Series in 35 years and Pete Rose was named the Series MVP the 1975 World Series had been one of the closest ever five games decided by one run a great moment for the Cincinnati Reds and all of baseball baseball's big moments become legendary and Yankee Stadium has been the site of many such moments in 1977 the past and present met when Casey Stengel's old favorite Billy Martin managed the Yankees to their first World Series triumph in 15 years and it was against the Dodgers Joe DiMaggio was on hand remind the Yankees of their heritage but it was a Yankee newcomer who was most ready to write the next page in their record book it's the 4th inning of the 6th game and Reggie Jackson is it bad a victory will give New York the series and Jackson's home run provides the Yankees with ally they'll not relinquish in the bottom of the fifth the Yankees threaten again and Reggie comes through another Homer [Music] it's the bottom of the 8th and attention is now focused not on winning a title but on regaining a legend on his third swing of the night Jackson hits it into the distant reaches of the centerfield bleachers territory once reserved for names like Madeline Ruth Jackson's third home run ties a record set by Babe Ruth and his totals of five in a series and four straight are records for Reggie Jackson alone in 1978 the Yankees had a pennant to defend and they did it in remarkable fashion the early season was agony personal conflict and injuries put New York 14 games behind Boston in mid-july a managerial change was made Bob Lemmon was brought in to smooth the waves in a sea of Yankee egos and limbs calming presence got results Ron Guidry led the way with 25 victories catfish hunter came back from arm trouble and rich Gossage supplied blistering heat from the bullpen leading the league with 27 saves in September the Yankees were still smoking but Trail Boston by four games as they headed to Fenway Park early in the year the Red Sox appeared unbeatable but injuries set in and the powerful Yankees sensing the weakness went for the kill [Music] and what became known as the Boston Massacre the Yankees unleashed a furious offensive attack to sweep the four-game series and join Boston in a first-place tie leaving the Red Sox to ponder how their 14 game lead had vanished but the Red Sox weren't dead yet Boston and New York finished the season all even and met again at Fenway Park for an historic one game playoff carl yastrzemski second inning Homer gave Boston the lead and the Red Sox were out in front again but again the Yankees battled back in the seventh inning Bucky Dent who had hit only four home runs all season shocked Boston with a three-run blast that gave the Yankees the lead and in any later Reggie Jackson supplied the blast that would provide the Yankees with their margin of victory bottom of the night Yastrzemski it back Boston down by a run two men on two out but tumultuous 78 Yankees had made the greatest comeback in baseball history and would go on from Boston to win another World Series in 1979 baseball's biggest winners were two clubs it emphasized old-time values the Baltimore Orioles came to the World Series full of enthusiasm generated by their own cheerleader they faced the Pittsburgh Pirates who proclaimed to the world that they were more than a team they were family the head of that family was Willie Stargell better known around the pirate Clubhouse as pops in 1979 the 38 year old Stargell belted 32 home runs and added five more in the postseason his final home run that year proved to be the series winner coming in game 7 against Scott MacGregor thanks in large part to Stargell Pittsburgh became only the fourth team to win a World Series after trailing three games to one and though no one knew it at the time these Pirates so dominating in the 70s were destined to a slow but sure descent with the coming of the 80s but decline on the one hand in barely brings a scent on the other and at the start of the new decade a star in Kansas City was on the rise George Brett of the Royals on his way to an MVP season electrified the big ball world as he threatened to become the first man since Ted Williams to bat 400 he went above 400 in mid-august and was still at 400 September 19th however Brett fell short still finishing at a mighty 390 Brett led the Royals to their first World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies but Mike Schmidt took center stage Schmidt had helped the Phillies to their first series appearance in 30 years and once there Michael jacked out two home runs batting 381 both teams were seeking a first-time title but the Royals were only 12 years old while the Phillies had no nearly a century of futility with tug mcgraw on and relief in Game six it seemed that both skill and luck were going the Phillies way as Pete Rose back to Bob Boone in the ninth inning Rose had come to Philadelphia to set a winning example and was doing just that with two out in the night McGraw capped off a game six win and the Phillies after 97 years of existence finally celebrated their first World Championship the 1981 season began brilliantly with Fernando Valenzuela bursting on the baseball scene a last-minute replacement on opening day Valenzuela threw a shutout and went on to seven more consecutive victories he would become the first player to capture Rookie of the Year and siyoung Awards the same season the spring of 81 also brought more remarkable pitching history thanks to Len Barker Cleveland fans were living it up as Barker worked on baseball's 11th perfect game and it's absolutely pandemonium here at the stadium lined up here it comes flyball centerfield Manning coming on either but a year they began with so much promise was abruptly interrupted on June 12th the lights were turned out all across the major leagues for just the second time in history a player strike halted regular-season games negotiations went on through a summer without baseball the central issue being free agents and some kind of compensation to teams who lost them finally 59 days after it began a settlement was reached and the season was resumed with pre and post strike divisional winners to meet for divisional championships no team was more adversely affected by that format than the Cincinnati Reds who finished with the combined 66 and 42 record but were neither in first place at the time of the strike or at the end of the second half despite baseball's best mark in 81 the unhappy Reds were excluded from the postseason not so the Montreal Expos who won the second half in the National League East and entered the postseason for the first time in history after winning a divisional playoff against the Phillies the Expos faced the Dodgers with a Pettitte deciding game taking place on a Dodger Blue Monday here's the 3-1 pitch Shannon swung on fly ball centerfield Dawson going back onto the warning track Dawson at the wall that ball is a hole on that ball is out of here the Dodger bench clears the congratulate Ric Mondeo has hit a two-out home run here in the ninth inning Rick Monday shot brought Los Angeles a pennant as it ended Montreal's higher hopes the Dodgers went on to beat the Yankees in the World Series in six games giving the Dodgers just their third win in 11 World Series with New York 1982 brought a hot start in Atlanta Ted Turner's ballclub self proclaimed as America's team began the season in a dominating and record-setting fashion [Applause] bouncing ball to third there's one there's two and the Braves are nine and oh no one knew whether the Braves would top the major league record of 11 consecutive wins at the start of the season set just the year before by Oakland but after that mark was tied when number 12 fell into place with a 4-2 to comeback victory over the Reds [Applause] finally stopping at 13 the Braves had started 82 with the bang also exploding out of the blocks was Oakland Rickey Henderson who seemed like he could steal a base anytime he wanted to racking up steals at an incredible rate Henderson made history on August 27th in Milwaukee as he topped Lou Brock's ol mark with stolen base number 119 and Henderson would go on to 11 more in this remarkable season a new era and stolen bases was underway Montreal's Tim Raines would set a record by stealing 70 or more bases six straight seasons his first six in the big leagues and no first season was more auspicious than that of a man who would steal 110 bases for the Cardinals in his rookie year of 85 Vince Coleman another example of baseball's turned to speed 1982 s postseason brought an American League matchup between the California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers and it looked all angels as they won the first two at home in the best-of-five series but the Brewers were on shore turf back home manager Harvey Keens club had delivered a major league leading 216 home runs during the season and now led by storm and Gorman Thomas and fellow slugger Cecil Cooper as well as league MVP Robin Yount Harvey's wall bangers came back to win in three straight go on to pitch ball line - Yannick shark he throws [Applause] for the Brewers it was on to old st. Loup to face the Cardinals who had something of their own to strike a two-time winner in the seven-game series right-hander Joaquin Andujar pointed the way but the surprise of the series was Willie McGee his brilliant play in the field helped turn the Brewers flat also providing unexpected punch at the plate McGee joined in with the likes of Darryl Porter and Dean orange to lift the Cardinals to their ninth World Series title to most in the history of the National League in the 1983 season former Dodger Steve Garvey now a San Diego broke the nationally consecutive game record where else but Dodger Stadium and the streak would reach 1,200 seven straight games even more remarkable Cal Ripken from June 5th 1982 through the end of the 86 season Ripken played every inning of every game with hopes for many more to come and when it comes to pitching Nolan Ryan has written his own chapter of milestones in the baseball history book shattering a career mark that was previously thought to be unbreakable Ryan in the shadows of Montreal's Olympic Stadium struck out Brad Mills of the Expos career strikeout number 3509 breaking the mark of the legendary Walter Johnson the big train and Ryan's Express together in a moment of history Ryan who became the only pitcher to throw five no-hitters also was the first to break the 4000 strikeout mark taking career pitching achievements into a new dimension while assuring his inevitable place in the Hall of Fame the all-star game in 1983 marked the 50th anniversary of the Midsummer Classic and it also marked the end of a long string of national league dominance in that game Fred Lynn's grand slam the first in all-star history helped the American League to a 13 to 3 win its first after 11 straight losses for intensity on a single home run nothing could top the one of goose Gossage courtesy of George Brett as the Yankees took on the Royals during a steamy late July matchup with the upper crafty Yankee manager Billy Martin looking on and the Royals down by a run Brett blasted one into the right-field seats giving Kansas City a five to four ninth-inning lead but Brett and no sooner reached home plate when Martin protested the amount of pine tar on Bret's bat after all Judah liberation the umpires have held Martin's complaint nullifying Bret saw Brian and sending the Royals third baseman into a rage in the ensuing days after protests and litigation league president li MacPhail overruled the umpires and the pine tar incident later resulted in a 5-2 for Kansas City win but if the Royals thought they had trouble in July it was nothing compared to the offseason when Willie Aikens and three teammates were implicated in a cocaine scandal sentenced to 90 day prison terms were Aikens Willie Wilson vitae blue and Jerry Martin as a troubling problem continued to plague not just the sporting world but all of society the 1984 season began on a new wave as fan participation became a fad but even the wave proved controversial with the purists one team riding a wave in early 84 was the Detroit Tigers under the leadership of Sparky Anderson the Tigers went 35 of their first 40 games but the most thrilling of those early season victories came on April 7th as Jack Morris worked on the no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox from the no-hitter on the Tigers would dominate baseball in 1984 as 4/1 who dominated throughout his career Reggie Jackson reached a much anticipated goal in 84 when he connected on his 500th home run there was 17 years to the day that Jackson hit his first which also came at Anaheim Stadium on September 30th the last day of the season the angels were visited by another unique moment courtesy of my quick whose pitching was nothing less than perfect in a game against the Texas Rangers at Arlington bouncing ball [Applause] and Detroit reliever Willie Hernandez enjoyed a near-perfect season notching 32 saves in 33 saved situations while going on to sy Young and MVP awards clearly playing a major role in the Tigers success in the National League 1984 was something of a dream year for the Chicago Cubs who won the East Division and entered postseason play for the first time in 39 years and the dream continued as the Cubs won the first two games of the best-of-five championship series with the Padres but when the series moved to San Diego it became a nightmare especially when Steve Garvey homered in the bottom of the night to win Game four the upstart Padres went on to take the finale win the pennant and gain the right to face the Tigers in the World Series coming up at three-game sweep of the Royals in the championship series Detroit oook three of the first four against the Padres in game 5 the Bengals led by a run in the eighth as Kirk Gibson came up with runners on second and third to face a pitcher who didn't want to walk the bases full goose Gossage blood game feel in arm you don't want to walk you [Music] [Applause] [Music] fastball pitcher against fastball hitter in a classic confrontation / Gibson's devastating blast his second home run of the game staked the Tigers to an 8 to 4 victory providing Detroit with a fourth World Championship in the 84 year history of the franchise a decisive finish to the year of the tiger the close of the 84 season also brought the end of the reign of Bowie Kuhne as commissioner baseball toons 15-year stewardship was both effective and occasionally controversial replacing him would be Peter Ueberroth fresh from his success with the 1984 Summer Olympics in 1985 talent that it sprung forth in the 60s reached full maturation case in point Tom Seaver in August of his 19th season now wearing the uniform of the White Sox and with his family watching at Yankee Stadium Seba recorded his 300th career victory as Chicago beat the Yankees Seaver who began his illustrious career with the Mets enjoy poetic justice by reaching this milestone in the city where he spent nearly 12 seasons later in 85 Phil Niekro became the 18th man to win 300 when the Yankees shut out the Blue Jays October 6 Negros debut was in 1964 with the Milwaukee Braves and now a great goal had been attained Seaver and Niekro culminated the earlier achievements of the likes of Gaylord Cary who began his career with San Francisco in 1962 and reached 300 victories with the Seattle Mariners in 1982 along the way Perry became the only player to win the sayang in both leagues [Music] for Steve Carlton victory number 300 came in September of 1983 his 12th year with the Phillies Carlton broke in with the st. Louis Cardinals in 1964 on his way to becoming one of the winningest pitchers of the modern era and then there's California angel Don Sutton who joined the 300 club on June 18 1986 20 years after breaking in with the Dodgers and nearby Los Angeles the 1985 season included two rather remarkable games both involving the New York Mets one came on June 11th against the Phillies as von Hayes and company teed off against Mets pitching in record-breaking fashion oh here's another shot where's the wind up the score was 16 nothing in the second inning and the hits just keep on coming shot the centerfield that'll do it over the head of Kristensen a couple of guys are going to score here and the Phillies have 25 runs an all-timer when it was all over the Phillies had beaten New York 26 to 7 but if the Mets thought that was an exhausting experience it was nothing compared to a July 4th encounter with the Atlanta Braves this was the original rainy night in Georgia as the Mets and Braves went beyond the witching hour seeking to overcome two rain delays and extra innings the Mets took a 10-8 lead in the 13th but Atlanta tied it later it appeared over as New York led 1110 in the 18th pitcher Rick Kamp batted with two outs and an O to count [Applause] in all this game would go six hours in ten minutes finally concluding at 3:55 in the morning the latest ending game in major league history the Mets scored five times in the nineteenth the Braves only twice final score 1613 in favor of New York 1985 became known as the year of the record but it was also the year of the rose as Pete Rose took aim at ty Cobbs all-time hit mark it was a quest that passed a major hurdle in 1981 as a member of the Phillies Rose surpassed Stan Musial to set the all-time nationally hit mark at 3631 after the game congratulations came from another leader another great barrier was crossed in Montreal in 1984 during roses brief tenure with the Expos as Pete delivered is 4,000 hit now Ty Cobb's mark was just 191 away returning to Cincinnati in August of 1984 Rose had other concerns beyond Ty Cobb he was now player manager of the Reds but overcoming all the pressures he launched his final assault on the legendary Cobbs Marc in 1985 breaking through on September 11th at home at Riverfront Stadium with the 4190 second hit of his career Pete Rose became baseball's all-time hit leader it was a record of endurance a record of skill from those early days as a Rob owned Red Lake rookie in 1963 Pete Rose had made his name synonymous with base hit and this was his moment of glory [Music] overcome as he embraced his son bros prove that even baseball immortals can show emotion rod carew no stranger himself to hitting achievements attained a milestone on August 4th 1985 as he recorded the 3000 hit of his career it seemed like a virtually automatic accomplishment for a man who batted over 300 for 15 straight seasons the 1985 World Series featured the Kansas City Royals and the st. Louis Cardinals sparking divided loyalties and plenty of baseball excitement within the state of Missouri with unheralded Tito Landrum leading the way the Cardinals went three of the first four despite a batting average of 207 nevertheless after Game four it seemed like everyone was conceding the series to the Cardinals but if the history of baseball teaches us anything it's simply the message often attributed to Yogi Berra it ain't over till it's over in game 6 Jorge Orta bats in the bottom of the ninth the Cardinals leading one nothing are three outs away from the title first baseman Jacques parks throw to Todd Worrell appears in time but umpire Don denkinger calls Portis safe a play destined to remain in series history as both controversial and unchanged later in the inning day Norwich pinch hits with the bases loaded and one out the Royals still trailing by a run [Music] on oranges hit the Royals in the tying and winning runs dashing for home in a two to one victory the next night with an 11 to nothing blowout in game 7 the Royals serve relevant notice to the coming years than baseball anything really is possible that anything really is possible is part of the joy of baseball you never know what you might see such was the case until I 6 1986 when Bob Horner of the Atlanta Braves went deep four times [Music] [Applause] yes straight ahead later Horner summed it all up when he said today I had a good week corners achievement was extraordinary but nothing in the history of baseball was quite like the night of April 29th as the Boston Red Sox Roger Clemens mowed down the Seattle Mariners it was soon evident as Clemens picked up strikeout after strikeout that this was something special Roger at that time was it was amazing he when he struck out the first six guys I kind of you know I had a funny feeling that this is gonna be a long night a long night indeed as the 23 year old from Houston put it all together he really had some kind of stuff that night you know he was it was at least mid-90s 95 and he had just a sharp breaking ball and he was right on his games going into the night Clemens had racked up 18 strikeouts one short of the nine inning record and a frenzied crowd at Fenway Park knew that history was in the making [Music] [Applause] now one strikeout short of a new record with two outs to go Clemens stood on the verge of an achievement all his own [Applause] I was a xx guy I'm one he struck out of the crib direct and I'm not ashamed of that after all Roger Clemens had taken excellence to a new limit in 1986 reliever Dave Righetti of the Yankees also produced a worthy accomplishment a new record in total saves 46 breaking the old Mark Hill jointly by Dan Quisenberry and Bruce Souter in a year of individual accomplishments perhaps a special award for timing should go to remark of the white-handed from Houston who did more than just clinched the National League's Western Division his name Mike Scott now the hitter is well Clark he's over three swing at a bouncer Mike Scott has just thrown his first career no-hitter and the Astros are the National League's champions of the West what a way to win it holy Toledo Mike Scott and the Astros had vaulted their way to the 1986 championship series which began in Houston the Astros opponents in this pennant battle for the Eastern Division champion New York Mets manager Davey Johnson's club was led by catcher Gary Carter outfielder Darryl Strawberry and first baseman Keith Hernandez as well as the pitching staff that posted a major league best 3.11 earned run average the Mets won 108 times during the regular season finishing 21 and a half games in front however in the championship series opener Mike Scott was brilliant striking out 14 and pitching a one-nothing shutout but New York came back strong to win Game two and then the series moved to the Big Apple in a nail-biter in game 3 the Mets trailed by a run in the ninth with a man on and one out [Music] [Applause] waiting now the pitch and a high fly ball hit to right field it is fairly deep way back this knife in a game when it was just the beginning of some remarkable endings yet to come [Music] and game for the Mets were still preoccupied with their former teammate Mike Scott and the scuffed ball they accused him of throwing ignoring the complaining Scot went on to pitch another masterpiece a three-hitter that evened the series the Mets won game 5 in extra innings and that set the stage in Houston for a most memorable Game six a game the Astros had to have and they showed their urgency by jumping out to a three-run bulge in the first on the mound for Houston was 17 game winner Bob Knepper and he pitched shutout ball through eight innings but in the ninth inning never seemed to lose his touch New York and come back to tie and in the 14th they went ahead by a run the Mets were on the verge of clinching as Billy Hatcher batted with one out [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] now it was Houston's turn to come back from the dead but their revival was only short live in the 16th the Mets would go on to score three times nevertheless the Astros mustered a final stand scoring twice in the bottom of the 16th with two on and two out Houston's final hopes were snuffed by a Jesse Orosco slider the Mets had won the National League pennant yet so much for them still lay ahead the American League Championship Series was anything but anticlimactic it featured the Western Division California Angels and the Eastern Division Boston Red Sox and when Bobby Grich lashed out this single in Game four the Angels not only won an X training ball game but also took a three games to one lead going into Game five angels manager gene Mauch is looking forward to getting his first taste of pennant-winning champagne and the bubbly was ready as the Angels took a 5-2 to lead in the ninth but Donnie Moore came in with two outs to face Dave Henderson with a man on after the Red Sox had rallied for two runs [Applause] this shocking - on Homer by Dave Henderson put the Red Sox in front by a run the Angels came back to tie but Boston went on to win the game and the pennant seat belt still had to be fastened for a World Series between Boston and New York the so-called shuttle series in games one and two at Shea Stadium the Red Sox took advantage of sloppy play by the Mets winning both games optimism was not running high in New York moving to Boston the Mets took the next pair but left-hander Bruce Hurst was masterful in Game five and the Red Sox now up three games to two where one went away from their first World Series championship in 70 years game six would proved to be one of the most memorable in series history consistent with the 86 postseason pattern it went Extra Innings with a score 3-3 in the top of the 10th Dave Henderson bats against Rick Aguilera delete off the inning Henderson's blast puts the Red Sox up for 2/3 later in the inning the Red Sox would add another run as they closed in on that elusive World Championship the New York dugout was not a happy place in the bottom of the 10th on the mound Calvin Schiraldi appeared in control especially as Keith Hernandez flied to center field for the second out of the inning Red Sox up five to three but three straight singles produced a run and caused Red Sox manager John McNamara to go to his bullpen for reliever Bob Stanley with Mookie Wilson up the Mets had runners at 1st and 3rd still one out from elimination Stanley's pitch gets by catcher rich Gedman dashing for home is Kevin Mitchell and the game is unbelievably tied now the Mets have the winning run at second base as Mookie Wilson squares off against Stanley 1st baseman Bill Buckner gets over to the line but the ball is through for an error coming all the way around is Ray Knight and the Mets win the ballgame in one incredible moment a moment which the Red Sox will not and cannot ever forget in game 7 the weary combatants are aligned for one more battle again it is evenly matched 3-3 after six but in the seventh inning Ray Knight breaks through on his way to being named World Series MVP ray night's Homer opens up a scoring binge that results in five New York runs over the next two innings the Red Sox will only be able to counter with two tallies of their own in the night Boston trails by three with two outs Jesse Orosco looks to finish this thrilling World Series is finally over and in 1986 their 25th year the New York Mets stand alongside baseball's champions of the past and so the game goes on baseball's past present and future forming a rich community of accomplishment and anticipation ever mindful of its traditions baseball enjoys the presence of proven greats who provide continuity with the past [Music] but the game goes on into the future new heroes replace the old as baseball moves in a timeless circle and each generation of stars relives the accomplishments of earlier Grace and a game constantly compared to its past greatness will always be greatness and the cheering crowd to the future will always echo the spirit of baseball [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Joe Morales

Views: 49,516

Rating: 4.7633801 out of 5

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Id: c7_V6evnha8

Length: 118min 37sec (7117 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 15 2020