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With the start of the MLB World Series, here is a brief look into the archive at five of the most memorable moments from the past century before a little expert insight into what to expect this season…
Whilst the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920 was one of the moments that changed the direction of American baseball, one of the key games for Ruth was when he called shot in a 1932 Yankees vs Cubs game. It is said to be one of the best home runs in the MLB World Series history but is mired in myth. The legend goes that Ruth aka the Great Bambino was playing with those heavily heckling him. As part of this, he pointed to the center field insinuating that he was going to score a home run by hitting deep over the center-field wall. This is exactly what he did with a hit at least 440 feet to the deepest part of center field. There is a dispute over where he was pointing but that does not negate the fact that the Yankees went on to win the game 7-5. In fact, Ruth himself was ambiguous with his responses over the years about if he was calling the shot, changing his story over time. However, either way, this remains one of the most significant home runs in the past century.
Another magic moment with one of the greats of baseball came in 1954 when Willie Mays caught a ball in the deepest part of the park – this was ‘the catch’. The game was between the New York Giants and Cleveland Indians, with Vic Wertz the batter against the titan Mays. Wertz hit Don Liddle’s fourth pitch around 420 feet to deep center field during the eighth inning. Mays tracked this ball all the way to the warning track which is the deepest part of the Polo Grounds park in baseball. Most impressively perhaps is the fact that it was an on-the-run, over-the-shoulder catch. Truly a remarkable moment, as the broadcast audio from the event says, the catch “must have been an optical illusion to a lot of people.”
Bill Mazeroski sits in the hall of fame of baseball players. In 1960 he established his name forever more as the first player to win the series with a home run in baseball history. In a tense game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Yankees, second baseman Mazeroski entered the pitch opposite Ralph Terry and proceeded to hit the ball over the left-field wall. This won the series for the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 10-9 victory. In later years he reminisced that:
“Hell, I thought it would be just another hit to win a ballgame … It’s bigger now, I think.”
In 1975 there was, perhaps, the greatest game of all time. The Reds vs the Red Sox, this was an epic moment in MLB World Series history. For the Red Sox this was a colossus fight in the hope of breaking a 57-year World Series drought. Fred Lynn, with his three-run homer, offered the Red Sox an initial lead. But what followed was a tense drama of toing and froing with the leading side. When Carlton Fisk came to the plate at the bottom of the 12th inning the score was tied. He then hit a ball which appeared as though it may drift foul. But, possibly in response to his vigorous arm-waving towards to foul territory, the ball managed to stay fair. It was quite an extraordinary little moment of sheer hope.
Sometimes it is not just the players who have contributed to the most memorable moments in MLB World Series history. In 1985, in a game between the Royals and the Cardinals, the umpire Don Denkinger made a crucial call which has gone down in history. Just as the Cardinals were about to win the world series, only three outs away, Royals’ Jorge Orta was called safe. This was despite the fact that the Cardinals’ Todd Worrell had beaten him to the base. It was the most controversial of calls especially as, with this came a change of fortune for the Royals who won the game and eventually the Series. For Denkinger it was a moment that he personally was never allowed to forget though admitting that it was a blown call. To the The Associated Press back in 2014 he said that:
“Nobody wants to have the call that I did in the World Series, But I did. And now it’s part of history.”
Entering into to the new season, baseball expert Luke Bockenstette from Fielder’s Choice Goods offers his insight into what to look out for this time around:
1. The first thing is “Where will Bryce Harper end up?”. This is crucial because he is potentially a $500-million man and will, at the very least, ask for a $300 million+ contract wherever he goes. (I think that the Yankees will figure it out).
2. The Yankees will be slotted to have their stud Aaron Judge healthy next year. They beat the home run record this year while he was injured or a large chunk of the year. Do they hit 300 home runs next year?
3. The Brewers and Rockies quickly grew to be fan favorites across the country as they were not expected to do as well as they did. If they can get a bit better next season, they will quickly go from zero to hero in a few short years (pending on if the Brewers get knocked out of the playoffs this year).
4. The Braves are one of the youngest teams in the bigs with an average age of 27. They are one key player away from taking over the NL for a very long time and, if they can add that game-changing player, they will definitely be one of the most exciting teams in baseball to go along with one of the best crowds in all of sports in Atlanta.
5. Right now, it is looking like it may be another Dodgers-Astro World Series. Is this going to turn into an NBA-type of championship rivalry like between the Warriors and Cavaliers?
6. The Angels have not been as good as they hoped in the last few years even with arguably one of the best players of all time (Mike Trout) holding down center field. With a new manager coming next year and maybe the addition of some help, Mike Trout and the Angels may be ready to break out of this slump and win a title.
Upgrade your sports training kit this season with the Giovane gym holdall and the Duno dopp kit…
