One Of Sports Greatest Moments!

With the World Series coming up let us look back on one of the greatest series moments ever!

Twenty years ago, the Dodgers won the World Series. Then manager Tommy Lasorda said he has, ''...never seen anything like Kirk Gibson's home run in the first game of the 1988 World Series".

Kirk Gibson never came out for introductions. He had no batting practice at all. He was on the rubbing table the entire game. When people asked him how he was doing, it was thumbs down every time.

Gibson had hurt his leg in the N.L.C.S. in Shea Stadium against the Mets with a great catch. He just could not play.

It was 4-3 Oakland in the bottom of the ninth. The clubhouse kid, Mitch, ran over to Tommy Lasorda. Not now Mitch, Lasorda hollered. The kid would not leave him alone. Gibson wants to see you! Lasorda ran up the tunnel and Gibson told him i can hit if you need me skipper.

Gibson waited in the tunnel as Dennis Eckersley thought Dave Anderson was going to hit after Mike Davis in the order. Eckersley was not going to let Davis hit it out of the park so he worked the count to 3-2 and walked him.

Then Gibson stepped out of the tunnel. The roar in Dodger Stadium was deafening!

Gibson would say prior to the series Mel Didier, the Dodgers scout, had provided a report on Dennis Eckersley that claimed with a 3-2 count against a left hand power hitter the thing that was certain is that Eckersley would throw a back door slider.

Gibson said when the count reached 3-2 he stepped out of the batters box,and in his mind he could hear Didier's voice, with its distinctive Southern drawl, reiterating that same piece of advice.

Gibson kept that thought in mind and thus when Eckersley did in fact throw a back door slider, it was, thanks to Didier, exactly the pitch Gibson was looking for!

As the ball cleared the wall, the crowd went absolutely bonkers. It was the greatest sports moment i will ever witness, i am sure. The shot of the ball flying over the wall, that also captures the taillights of cars leaving the lot, presumably filled with fans who had either given up or were trying to beat traffic is classic. I have been guilty of both,but not that night!

Thanks for the great memory, Kirk Gibson!

This article was written with excerpts of  an interview with Tommy Lasorda by the L A Times and Wikipedia.com!