Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson (born May 28, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He is currently a color commentator for the Detroit Tigers on Bally Sports Detroit and a special assistant for the Tigers. As a player, Gibson ...
's
1988 World Series
The 1988 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1988 season. The 85th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the Na ...
home run was a
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
play that occurred in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, on October 15, 1988, at
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Gibson was initially held out of the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
' lineup with injuries to both legs, but after being called upon to
pinch hit
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, America ...
in the bottom of the ninth
inning
In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...
with two
outs
In baseball, an out occurs when the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a batter or runner is out, they lose their ability to score a run and must return to the dugout until their next turn at bat. When three outs are recorded in a ha ...
, he hit a two-run,
walk-off home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
against
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
pitcher
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...
. The home run won the game for the Dodgers by a score of 5–4.
After winning the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
(NL)
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
division, the Dodgers were considered the
underdogs
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...
throughout the 1988 postseason, first to the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
in the
NL Championship Series, then to the Athletics in the World Series. Gibson, who was not expected to play due to injuries in both legs sustained during the NLCS, was surprisingly inserted as a pinch hitter with the Dodgers trailing 4–3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the tying run at first base. Gibson's home run—his only
plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...
of the series—helped the Dodgers defeat the Athletics, four games to one, securing their sixth
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
title.
The play has since become legendary in the baseball world, and is regarded as one of the greatest home runs of all time.
It was voted the "greatest moment in L.A. sports history" in a 1995 poll. Many of the images associated with the home run, particularly Gibson pumping his fist while circling the bases, are often shown in classic highlight reels, usually accompanied by play-by-play from broadcasters
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was an American sportscaster. He was best known for his 67 seasons calling games for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, beginning in 1950 (when the franchise was located ...
or
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002) was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. His play-by-play work earned him recognition from numerous hal ...
. Though not related to his World Series home run, Gibson would be named the 1988 NL
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
.
Background
Regular season
The Dodgers signed
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
Kirk Gibson as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
during the 1987-88 offseason. Gibson, who played the previous nine seasons with the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
(winning a World Series title with them in 1984), quickly became the Dodgers' de facto leader both on the field and off. On the field, Gibson led the team with 25 home runs, a .290
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
and 31 stolen bases.
The
Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, who had only finished 4th in the
National League West
The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
in 1987 with a 73–89 () record (17 games behind the division winning
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
), led the NL West division standings from late May until the end of the season, easily winning the division title with a record of 94–67 (), seven games ahead of the second-place
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
.
One reason why the Dodgers were considered underdogs throughout the postseason was that they did not finish the regular season ranked in the top five of any major offensive statistical category. However, they were strengthened by an excellent
starting rotation
R
rabbit ears
:Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...
led by ace
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV (born September 16, 1958) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 2000. He later became a pitching coach for the Texas Rangers from 2002 to 2005 and a bro ...
and backed up by
Tim Belcher
Timothy Wayne Belcher (born October 19, 1961) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987 to 2000 for seven different teams. He was named ''The Sporting News'' Rookie Pitcher of the Year ...
,
John Tudor and
Tim Leary. They also had an outstanding
bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...
that included
Jay Howell
Jay Canfield Howell (born November 26, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1980), Chicago Cubs (1981), New York Yankees (1982–1984), Oakland Athletics (1985–1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1988–1992), ...
,
Jesse Orosco
Jesse Russell Orosco (born April 21, 1957) is a Mexican American former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who holds the major league record for career pitching appearances, having pitched in 1,252 games. He pitched most notably for the New ...
and
Alejandro Peña
Alejandro Peña Vásquez (born June 25, 1959) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Listed at 6' 1" , 200 lb. , he batted and threw right-handed.
Peña made his Major League debut on August 13, 1981 (in time to be included on t ...
.
Postseason
Their opponent in the
National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National ...
was the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
, who had compiled a more impressive 100–60 () regular season record, and had won 10 of their 11 regular-season meetings with the Dodgers. The NLCS was a surprisingly close contest given the outcomes of the two teams' regular season meetings. Gibson's heroics in the series included an improbable catch on wet grass in Game 3 and decisive home runs in Games 4 and 5. The series went to a deciding Game 7, which the Dodgers won in stunning fashion on the back of Hershiser's 5 hit shutout to earn their first
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
trip since 1981. Gibson injured his left hamstring while stealing second base in Game 5 and his right knee while sliding into second base in Game 7.
After defeating the Mets, the Dodgers faced the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
in the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. Oakland had compiled a 104–58 () regular season record (the best in the Majors), and boasted a powerful lineup led by sluggers
Jose Canseco
José Canseco Capas Jr. (born July 2, 1964), nicknamed Parkway Jose, Mr. 40-40 and El Cañonero Cubano (The Cuban Cannon), is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and designated hitter. During his time with the Oaklan ...
and
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardi ...
, and complemented by the likes of
Dave Henderson
David Lee Henderson (July 21, 1958 – December 27, 2015), nicknamed "Hendu", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletic ...
,
Dave Parker
David Gene Parker (born June 9, 1951), nicknamed "The Cobra," is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right fielder from 1973 to 1991. A seven-time All-Star, Parker won two National League bat ...
and
Don Baylor
Don Edward Baylor (June 28, 1949 – August 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very close to home plate (" crowding ...
. The A's, who also boasted 20 game winner
Dave Stewart (himself a former Dodger from 1978-1983) and
closer Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...
who had saved 45 games during the regular season, had easily accounted for
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
in the
ALCS, sweeping the Red Sox 4–0.
The setup
World Series Game 1
Gibson injured both legs during the NLCS, and therefore did not start Game 1. Los Angeles took an early lead on an improbable two-run home run by
Mickey Hatcher
Michael Vaughn Hatcher (born March 15, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder, third baseman and first baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Los ...
in the first inning. The next inning, however, Canseco hit a
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
to give Oakland a two-run lead. Oakland's lead was cut to one run when
Mike Scioscia
Michael Lorri Scioscia (, ; born November 27, 1958), nicknamed "Sosh" and "El Jefe", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Ange ...
hit an
RBI single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
in the sixth inning that scored
Mike Marshall.
Unknown to the fans and the media at the time, Gibson was watching the game on television while undergoing physical therapy in the Dodgers' clubhouse.
At some point during the game, television cameras scanned the Dodgers
dugout and commentator
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was an American sportscaster. He was best known for his 67 seasons calling games for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, beginning in 1950 (when the franchise was located ...
, working for
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
for the 1988 postseason, observed that Gibson was "nowhere to be found".
This spurred Gibson to tell Dodgers
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda (September 22, 1927 – January 7, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher and manager. He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 through 1996. He was inducted into the Nati ...
that he was available to
pinch hit
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, America ...
.
Gibson immediately returned to the
batting cage
A batting cage (or tunnel) is an enclosed area for baseball or softball players to practice the skill of batting.
The optimal material for batting cages is netting, and they are typically rectangular in shape. Chain-link fence is not required bu ...
in the clubhouse to take practice swings.
With a one-run lead, Oakland
closer and future Hall of Famer
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...
, who led the AL with 45 saves during the regular season, was brought in to close out the game and seal the win for starter
Dave Stewart. Eckersley quickly got Scioscia to pop out to
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
and struck out
Jeff Hamilton. Left-handed
pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...
Mike Davis followed; if he got on base the next batter due was the pitcher's spot, which would certainly be filled with a pinch hitter. Not wanting the A's to realize that Gibson was available, Lasorda sent
Dave Anderson to the on-deck circle during Davis' plate appearance.
According to Lasorda, A's catcher
Ron Hassey
Ronald William Hassey (born February 27, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Cleveland Indians (1978–1984), Chicago Cubs (1984), New York Yankees (1985–1986 ...
got Eckersley's attention and pointed at Anderson on-deck.
The popular story is that Eckersley pitched around Davis because the A's thought that the light-hitting Anderson was the next batter. Hassey vehemently denied that the A's pitched carefully to Davis because Anderson was on deck: "Why would we pitch around Davis when we have two outs? You don't pitch around a guy with two outs to face another hitter. That would never make sense. You have your closer out there. That's just not true. That's a good story. As far as I know, Gibson is on the roster. Is he not? You're not going to waste a guy that can't play. He's active." Eckersley decided to pitch around Davis because he had seen him hit 20 home runs for the A's before the All-Star break the previous year. Instead of risking making a mistake that Davis could hit for a game-tying home run, Eckersley pitched carefully and did in fact
walk
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an ' inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ...
him.
The play
Instead of sending Anderson to the plate, Lasorda inserted Gibson as his pinch hitter. Gibson hobbled up to the plate with Scully commenting, ''"And look who's coming up!"'' Gibson quickly fouled off two pitches, getting behind in the
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
, 0–2. He then swung clumsily and dribbled the ensuing pitch foul down the first base line, which seemed to confirm his inability to swing with any authority. Gibson took an outside pitch, called a ball by home plate umpire
Doug Harvey, fouled off a pitch, and then took another outside pitch to work to a 2–2 count.
On the seventh pitch of the
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
—another ball, making it a
full count
In baseball and softball, the count refers to the number of balls and strikes a batter has in their current plate appearance. If the count reaches three strikes, the batter strikes out; if the count reaches four balls, the batter earns a base ...
—Davis
stole second. Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda later recounted it was pre-planned that if the count got to two strikes on Gibson, they would have Davis steal second, figuring that A's manager
Tony La Russa
Anthony La Russa Jr. (; born October 4, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. His MLB career has spanned from 1963 to 2022, in several roles. He is the former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland At ...
would not elect to
intentionally walk Gibson if there were already two strikes against him. Once Davis was at second, Lasorda was just hoping Gibson could muscle a pitch to the outfield for a game-tying single.
Gibson would later recount that prior to the Series, Dodger scout
Mel Didier
Melvin Joffrion Didier Sr. (June 25, 1926 – September 10, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher in Minor League Baseball for two years (1948-49). However, he spent more than 60 years in pro ball as a scout and executive.
Biograp ...
had provided a report on Eckersley which claimed that with a 3–2 count against a
left-handed
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...
hitter, one could be absolutely certain that Eckersley would throw a
backdoor
A back door is a door in the rear of a building. Back door may also refer to:
Arts and media
* Back Door (jazz trio), a British group
* Porta dos Fundos (literally “Back Door” in Portuguese) Brazilian comedy YouTube channel.
* Works so titl ...
slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* ...
.
Gibson said that when the count reached 3–2, he stepped out of the batter's box and, in his mind, could hear Didier's voice, with its distinctive
Southern drawl
A drawl is a perceived feature of some varieties of spoken English and generally indicates slower, longer vowel sounds and diphthongs. The drawl is often perceived as a method of speaking more slowly and may be erroneously attributed to laziness ...
, reiterating that same piece of advice.
With that thought in mind, Gibson stepped back into the batter's box; and thus when Eckersley did in fact throw a backdoor slider, it was exactly the pitch Gibson was expecting.
Swinging almost entirely with his upper body, Gibson then hit the pitch over the right-field fence. He limped around the bases and pumped his fist as his teammates stormed the field. The Dodgers won the game, 5–4.
Gibson did not have another plate appearance in the World Series. The Dodgers went on to defeat the A's in the World Series, 4–1.
The calls
Don Drysdale
Drysdale also called Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run for the
Dodgers Radio Network:
Vin Scully
Scully, calling the play-by-play for the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
-TV (as previously mentioned) broadcast with
color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...
Joe Garagiola
Joseph Henry Garagiola Sr. (February 12, 1926 – March 23, 2016) was an American professional baseball catcher, later an announcer and television host, popular for his colorful personality.
Garagiola played nine seasons in Major League Basebal ...
, made repeated references to Gibson's legs, noting at one point that the batter was
Gibson worked the count to 3–2 as Mike Davis stole second base; the camera turned at that point to
Steve Sax
Stephen Louis Sax (born January 29, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1994, most notably as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers with whom he w ...
getting ready for his turn at the plate, and Scully reminded the viewers that
Scully said nothing for over a minute, allowing the pictures to tell the story. Finally, he said,
Returning to the subject of Gibson's banged-up legs during a replay, Scully joked,
As NBC showed a replay of Gibson rounding second base in his home run trot, Scully then made a point to note Eckersley's pitching performance throughout the 1988 season, to put things in perspective.
Jack Buck
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
handled the national radio broadcast of the 1988 World Series, with
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002) was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. His play-by-play work earned him recognition from numerous hal ...
providing play-by-play and
Bill White as the analyst. This was Buck's call, beginning with Buck speculating on what might happen if Gibson managed to reach base:
The last sentence is often remembered and quoted by fans. Buck followed it with,
White responded,
Buck repeated his exclamation and concluded his comments on Gibson's amazing feat with this thought:
Aftermath
The NBC broadcast, when following Gibson's home run, also captured the brake lights of some Dodger fans who were leaving Dodger Stadium believing the game was lost. Among those were future
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
chairman
Tom Werner
Thomas Charles Werner (born April 12, 1950) is an American television producer and businessman. Through his investment in Fenway Sports Group, he is currently chairman of both Liverpool Football Club and the Boston Red Sox.
Werner first became ...
and his son, future
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
senior Vice President Teddy Werner.
Much was made about Eckersley's decision to throw an offspeed pitch to Gibson, with Joe Garagiola repeatedly noting that Gibson clearly couldn't catch up to a fastball. To his credit, Eckersley fielded every reporters' question after the game, mostly blaming himself. Years later, he recalled, "Somebody said that the Dodgers knew I threw a backdoor slider on 3–2. I don’t know if that’s true or not. I didn’t get to 3–2 that often, but if that’s what the guy told him
ibson
Ibson Barreto da Silva (born 7 November 1983), simply known as Ibson, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Nacional de Muriaé.
Club career
Flamengo
Born in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Ibson arrived at Clube de R ...
if that’s what he had on his mind, good for him. Either way, it was a terrible slider."
The home run was included as a finalist in a Major League Baseball contest to determine the sport's "Greatest Moment of All-Time." For years after the fact, it was regularly used in ''
This Week in Baseball
''This Week in Baseball'' (abbreviated as ''TWiB'', pronounced phonetically) is an American television series which focused on Major League Baseball highlights. Broadcast weekly during baseball season (and in its second incarnation, prior to marq ...
's'' closing montage sequence. An edited audio of Scully's 1988 call has been used in post-season action, in a TV ad featuring a recreational softball game, with a portly player essentially re-enacting that entire moment as he hits the softball over the right field fence to win the game. It was in competition on
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's ''
SportsCenter
''SportsCenter'' (SC) is a daily sports news television show, television program that serves as the flagship program and brand of United States, American cable television, cable and satellite television television network, network ESPN. The show ...
'' for the Greatest Sports Highlight of All-Time.
By the time Gibson returned to his locker for postgame interviews, Dodger bullpen coach Mark Cresse had taped the name of Roy Hobbs over Gibson's nameplate, in reference to Gibson's heroics mirroring those of the film slugger that
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...
had played in ''
The Natural
''The Natural'' is a 1952 novel about baseball by Bernard Malamud, and is his debut novel. The story follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked after being shot by a woman whose motivation remains mysterious. The story mo ...
''. Like Hobbs in the film's climactic scene, Gibson had represented the winning run when he came to the plate, was battling injury, had been down to his (and the team's) final strike and had homered to right field to win the game. NBC's pregame video for Game 2 narrated by
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster who is known for his long tenure with NBC Sports, from 1980 through 2019. He has received 28 Emmy awards for his work and was the prime-time host of 12 Olympic Games from 19 ...
included both the home run and its film counterpart.
The fate of the ball itself is unknown. According to Gibson, a woman sent him a picture of the bruise on her leg where the ball hit her, although no one has yet come forward with the ball.
In fiction, a court struggle over the ownership of the ball was the primary plot of the June 29, 2011, episode of
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
legal drama ''
Franklin & Bash
''Franklin & Bash'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Kevin Falls and Bill Chais. The series starred Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as unconventional lawyers and longtime friends. A Turner Broadcasting executive refe ...
''.
Near the end of the Major League Baseball season in the fall of 2011,
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
began airing commercials for their Diamond & Dream's Program, a giveaway designed to help the youth in their communities around the country. Prizes included a makeover for their baseball field. The commercials showed selected little league baseball players acting out some of baseball's greatest moments in history. One of them was Kirk Gibson's famous home run from the 1988 World Championship run of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The young boy acting out this moment could be seen running the bases, doing the same fist pump motion that Gibson was seen doing during his famous run around the bases.
Before the start of the
2018 season, the Dodgers commemorated the anniversary of Gibson's homerun with the introduction of the “Kirk Gibson seat,” which is where his home run landed after winning Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. The seat in question was Section 302, Row D, Seat 1, though the Dodgers have renumbered that seat 88. The seat will be painted blue and signed by Gibson and the tickets cost $300, which includes a $200 donation to the Kirk Gibson Foundation to raise money and awareness for Parkinson’s Research.
In Game 4 of the
2018 World Series between the
Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
and the
Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
, 30 years after that 1988 World Series walk-off home run, Eckersley (who was there covering the Red Sox as a
NESN
New England Sports Network, popularly known as NESN , is an American regional sports network, regional sports cable television, cable and satellite television, satellite television network owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group (which ow ...
color commentator and analyst) and Gibson reunited for the ceremonial first pitch at
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...
and Gibson had a bat ready before catching Eckersley's pitch.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
Box Scorefrom
Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball-Reference is a website providing baseball statistics for every player in Major League Baseball history. The site is often used by major media organizations and baseball broadcasters as a source for statistics. It offers a variety of advan ...
1988 World Series Game 1at MLB.com's "Baseball's Best" library
WS1988 Gm1: Scully's call of Gibson memorable at-batfrom
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
via
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
Dennis Eckersley And Kirk Gibson, 30 Years After World Series Home Runfrom
NESN
New England Sports Network, popularly known as NESN , is an American regional sports network, regional sports cable television, cable and satellite television, satellite television network owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group (which ow ...
via
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Kirk
1988 Major League Baseball season
World Series games
Los Angeles Dodgers postseason
Oakland Athletics postseason
Historic baseball plays
October 1988 sports events in the United States
1988 in sports in California