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The Spectacle Blog
To quote the late St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck, “I don’t believe what I just saw.”
Not only was that the greatest Game 6 in World Series history — yes, better than than Game 6 of the 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds when Carlton Fisk waved his homerun fair — it was the greatest World Series game of all time.
O.K., perhaps I am writing in the heat of the moment but it was the best World Series game I’ve ever seen. Yes, even better than when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004.
Now it didn’t start out that way with both the Cardinals and Rangers making errors galore but then both teams bore down with the Cardinals coming back from the precipice of elimination not once but twice.
The Rangers appeared to be on the verge of winning their first World Series when they took a 7-4 lead on back to back homeruns by Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz. Although Allen Craig’s solo shot brought it to 7-5, the Rangers were one strike away from popping champagne bottles when hometown boy David Freese hit a ball down the right field line off Rangers closer Neftali Feliz which just eluded Cruz. Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman scored and Freese ended up with triple and the score was tied 7-7 forcing extra innings.
But no sooner than the Cardinals came back from the dead, the Rangers answered back when Josh Hamilton hit a two run homerun off Cardinals closer Jason Motte in the top of the 10th to take a 9-7 lead. It was Hamilton’s first homerun of the post-season. I told my roommate Christopher that the Cardinals had just pulled off a miracle and needed to pull of another.
Well, a miracle they delivered on a two-run single by Lance Berkman off Scott Feldman in the bottom of the tenth tying the game at 9-9. Once again the Rangers were one strike away from winning the World Series and once again they couldn’t ground the Redbirds.
Freese played hero once again in the bottom of the 11th with a solo homerun off Mark Lowe to give the Cardinals a 10-9 win and force a Game 7 tomorrow night. This marks the first time the World Series has gone to a seventh game since 2002 when the Anaheim Angels bested the San Francisco Giants.
I began this post by quoting Jack Buck. I shall end this post by quoting Jack Buck, “We’ll see you tomorrow night.” Yeah, I know the game is technically occurring later tonight but you get my drift.
View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/10/28/that-was-the-greatest-game-six
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Andrew Keirns| 10.28.11 @ 2:00AM
Yes, a great game; but marred by errors. Maybe the most thrilling, but not the best game 6 ever.
Bob K.| 10.28.11 @ 9:18AM
The starters for today's game better be up and ready to pitch deep into the game because the relievers on both teams don't look like they have much left.
Dan Martin| 10.28.11 @ 12:01PM
Agreed. Check this line score for game 7 of the 1960
World Series:
New York 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 2 2 – 9 13 1
Pittsburgh 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 – 10 11 0
From:
http://www.baseball-almanac.co.....6010130PIT
All 19 runs were earned.
In addition to the errors, consider the mistakes:
Holliday gets himself picked off 3rd, and injures himself in the process; foul pop drops in first row of the 3rd base line stands; poor throw to first on the backend of a double play attempt; Cruz loses track of the where the wall is and pulls up short on the game-tying double (you could tell by his "jump" that he expected to hit the wall, but the ball didn't even reach the wall); Elvis throws late to first when he has an easy force at 2nd for a 3rd out.
And the worst mistake, in my opinion, was Molina waving at pitch in the dirt instead of moving to block. Molina is the best in the business, which is why watching this mental mistake (lack of hustle) was so painful.
None of the above show up in the box score as errors. Fun to watch, yes. A great game, no.
Dan
P.S. I had trouble standing on my ankle this morning. I was in pain just from watching Napoli's slide into 2nd. He turns his ankle 270 degrees--not only does it not break, he stays in the game. That WAS great. As was his pick off to 3rd and Beltre's blocking the bag.
W| 10.28.11 @ 1:07PM
The 1960 Pirates Yankees had the best 7th game. It was tied 9 , Bill Mazeroski hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth to win the series. Pirates had not been in series since 1927 when they lost 4 straight to the Yankees.
The 60 series was strange. The Yankees outscored the Pirates, won games by 10 and 12 runs. Pirates won their games by one or two. Every Yankee was hitting home runs and grand slams.
Bob Grant| 10.28.11 @ 2:06AM
Beats doubles at the French Open, eh?
Otis Criblecoblis | 10.28.11 @ 2:24AM
No. 2002's Game 6 was better. The Angels were down 5-0 with only 8 outs left, and came back to win 6-5.
W| 10.28.11 @ 7:21AM
Cruz should have caught Freeze's fly ball, he didn't move back quickly or jump for the ball. Should have been an easy catch to end the game. Good hitting, sloppy fielding.
W| 10.28.11 @ 7:22AM
Aaron, Is Freese related to George Freese who played for the Reds?
Aaron Goldstein| 10.28.11 @ 8:50AM
David Freese is not related to George Freese nor to his younger brother Gene Freese.
Bob K.| 10.28.11 @ 9:11AM
Right W.!
Definitely not a Major League effort. It was catchable.
Group29 | 10.28.11 @ 7:58AM
1991 Game 6: Kirby Puckett knocking a walk-off home run in the Metrodome to send it to Game 7 and Jack Buck calling it, "And... We'll see you Tomorrow Night!"
JimH| 10.28.11 @ 8:13AM
Sorry Aaron, I know your a Sawx fan, but for a Mets fan it was in 86.
Aaron Goldstein| 10.28.11 @ 8:45AM
Yes I know.
Sean| 10.28.11 @ 8:27AM
It was a good game, but I am not a fan of intentionally walking the tying run. Also when the bases are load you have to pinch hit for the pitcher when its the fifth inning. Washington blew that call. Lewis is a decent pitcher but he is not your ace and it was clear he wouldn't be finishing the game at that point.
Aaron Goldstein| 10.28.11 @ 8:59AM
My father thought Wash should have pinch hit for Lewis in that situation. But I'm not so sure. If Wash sends up a pinch hitter and he leaves the bases loaded and the reliever gets bombed then Wash would have been criticized for not pinch hitting for Lewis. Hindsight is always 20-20.
Jim T| 10.28.11 @ 8:39AM
A lot of flat champagne in Texas today.
C Fisk| 10.28.11 @ 10:43AM
No it wasn't.
Al Adab| 10.28.11 @ 11:36AM
How many times can the teams win and lose the same game? Fantastic night of baseball. Great for the game and great for America.
Quin| 10.28.11 @ 12:31PM
Cruz badly misplayed the triple by Freese. Horrible fundamentals. Old-school players would have had that ball. The modern way is to drift, drift, drift back and try to time the ball. Cruz did that. He halted a few times, hesitated, and then whiffed at a ball that wasn't even really a wall shot. Old school players were taught to run as fast as they could to the expected spot of landing or to the wall, always knowing that it is far easier to move a step forward at the end than to leap backward. Cruz had plenty of time to get to the wall first, get his bearings, and then catch the darn ball. It was an awful play.
Paul McGrath| 10.28.11 @ 12:48PM
I agree. Replay after replay seemed to show him simply trotting towards the ball, rather than racing to it. On the other hand, the ball was smoked. It would have been a circus catch if he had made it. But then, that's how World Series are won.
Great game though. Baseball at its most exciting.
W| 10.28.11 @ 1:01PM
Roberto Clemente would have caught that ball and made it look easy.
JP| 10.28.11 @ 3:10PM
You hit the nail on the head. Forty years ago that would have been a routine out. And a few years ago Jim Edmonds used to make it look easy. He routinely played shallow because he had the speed and skill to get back to the track in a hurry. Cruz simply misplayed the triple in a most horrible fashion.
B Stacks| 10.28.11 @ 2:55PM
We thought Nap's ankle was Joe Thiesman Redux, could not believe it when he stood up, much less played on.