Amazing Mets
Today is the 35th anniversary of one of the most memorable baseball games in major league history, Game 6 of the 1986 World Series between the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox. As a Reds and Tiger fan, the Red Sox were always a nemesis to both teams, so they were no favorite of mine, making it easy to root for the Mets, especially since former Reds Ray Knight and George Foster plus former Tiger Howard Johnson were all on the team.
Game 6 saw Boston leading the series three games to two and taking a commanding 5–3 lead in top of the 10th inning after scoring two runs. In the bottom of the 10th, Red Sox reliever Calvin Schiraldi retired the Mets first two batters, Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez, putting the team within one out (and shortly within one strike) of winning the game and a Red Sox championship to break the curse. After Hernandez made the second out, he went to the Mets' locker room, took off his uniform, opened a beer and watched the rest of the game on the clubhouse TV, thinking the game and the Series would be over soon. Hernandez, who is superstitious, never left that spot until the game ended.
The third batter of the inning catcher Gary Carter singled to left to start the rally. Pinch-hitter Kevin Mitchell then followed with a single to center and the fans at Shea Stadium started to get loud. The next batter, former Reds player, Ray Knight, went down in the count 0–2 bringing the Mets to their last strike, but he hit the next pitch into center field for a clean single that scored Carter and advanced Mitchell to third base. With the score now 5–4 with two runners on base, the fans at Shea were brought back to life. Interesting to note that before his pinch hit, Mitchell was on the phone in the locker room making plane reservations to fly home, thinking the game was over. He had already gotten out of his uniform and was in street clothes, but when told he would be hitting, got off the phone and hurriedly got dressed. He apparently forget his cap as he only had on a batting helmet while getting that key pinch hit.
After Mitchell’s pinch hit, the Red Sox replaced pitcher Schiraldi with Bob Stanley to face left fielder Mookie Wilson, who got the count to 2–1 but fouled the fourth pitch away to bring the Mets to their last strike again. He stayed alive fouling off two more Stanley pitches. Then, the seventh pitch sailed towards Wilson's knees sending him to the ground. The ball bounced off catcher Rich Gedman's mitt and went straight to the backstop. Mitchell scored on the wild pitch uncontested to tie the game and Shea Stadium erupted while Knight advanced to second base. The Red Sox were shocked to have blown the lead with the game all but over and the Series won!
Wilson continued his at-bat, fouling off two more pitches to bring the bat count to ten. His next swing sent a slow rolling ground ball up the first base line. Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner, with his chronic bad ankles and knees, moved to field the ball in an effort to beat the speedy Wilson to first base, and finish the inning. As he bent over, the ball passed between his legs, under his glove and rolled behind him into right field. Shea Stadium exploded and the Mets' players and fans screamed in excitement. Eventual Series MVP Ray Knight's celebration as he rounded third to score was one of the indelible images of the series. He needed to hold his helmet on while jumping towards home plate with the winning run. Buckner and the rest of the Red Sox were stunned as they exited the field. Maybe that’s why major leagues scoring on a walk-off always ditch their helmet into the air between third and home?
Announcer Vin Scully's call of the play quickly become an iconic one to baseball fans, with the normally calm Scully growing increasingly excited: "So the winning run is at second base, with two outs, three and two to Mookie Wilson. A little roller up along first... behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight, and the Mets win it!"
Scully then remained silent for more than three minutes, letting the pictures and the crowd noise tell the story. Scully resumed with: "If one picture is worth a thousand words, you have seen about a million words, but more than that, you have seen an absolutely bizarre finish to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets are not only alive, they are well, and they will play the Red Sox in Game 7 tomorrow!”
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The 1986 RedSox-Mets World Series was covered by 2 of Baseballs Greatest Voices,Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola |
With the series now tied 3-3, the Red Sox were toast in game 7, as the Mets won 8-5 coming back from a 3 run deficit to earn their second World Series in club history (1969 was the first and also worth a blog someday). News pundits at the time claimed the team's collapse in the last two games was caused by the "Curse of the Bambino" when Babe Ruth decades before in 1920 put a hex on the Red Sox for trading him to the New York Yankees.
Relive Mooky Wilson’s 10 pitch at bat, Buckner’s error and Knight’s walk-off score by clicking this link. Also, ESPN recently filmed a 30-30 documentary entitled “Once Upon a Time in Queens" about the amazing 1986 Mets commemorating the famous 6th game and season.
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