Today Is The 24th Anniversary of Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series Home Run

If its not the greatest moment in baseball history, its in the Top 5. Twenty-four years ago today, October 15th, 1988, Kirk Gibson hit a dramatic bottom of the 9th home run that led his Los Angeles Dodgers over the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. The Dodgers would eventually win the Series 4–1 and Gibson would not play again.

I was able to track down this video above that includes the entire Bottom of the 9th that was broadcasted on NBC. If you don’t have time for the whole thing, there are two moments you should watch; 5:00 mark when Gibson walks to the batter’s box and the crowd goes nuts and the 11:40 mark that includes the moments before the home run.

As a kid, I can’t tell you how many times I pretended to be Gibson running around the bases. Classic.

There is a good recap on Wikipedia of the events leading up to the home run. Here are the highlights:

Gibson injured both legs during the NLCS and was ill with a stomach virus, and therefore did not start Game 1. Los Angeles took an early lead on a two-run home run by Mickey Hatcher in the first inning. The next inning, however, Canseco hit a grand slam to give Oakland a two run lead. Oakland’s lead was cut to one run when Mike Scioscia hit an RBI single 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.[3] At some point during the game, television cameras scanned the Dodgersdugout and commentator Vin Scully, working for NBC for the 1988 postseason, observed that Gibson was nowhere to be found.[3] This spurred Gibson to tell Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda that he was available to pinch hit.[3] Gibson immediately returned to the batting cage in the clubhouse to take practice swings.[3]

With a one-run lead, Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley, 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 toshortstop and struck out Jeff Hamilton. Left-handed Pinch hitter 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.[3] A’s catcher Ron Hassey got Eckersley’s attention and pointed at Anderson on-deck.[4] Eckersley, who had seen Davis hit for power in the American League, decided he would rather walk Davis, assuming perhaps that the right-handed hitting Anderson would prove to be the easier out. Instead of risking making a mistake that Davis could hit for a game-tying home run, Eckersley pitched carefully and did in fact walk him.

Instead of sending Anderson to the plate, Lasorda inserted Gibson as his pinch hitter. Gibson hobbled up to the plate with Scully commenting, “Look who’s coming up!” Gibson quickly got behind in the count, 0–2, but received two outside pitches from Eckersley and fouled off a pitch to work to a 2–2 count. On the sixth pitch of the at bat — a ball — Davisstole 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 wouldn’t 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.[4]

Gibson would later recount that prior to the Series, Dodger scout Mel Didier had provided a report on Eckersley which claimed that with a 3–2 count against a left-handed hitter, one could be absolutely certain that Eckersley would throw a backdoor slider.[3] 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, reiterating that same piece of advice.[3] 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.

With an awkward, almost casual swing, Gibson used pure upper-body strength to hit the pitch over the right-field fence. He hobbled around the bases and pumped his fist as his jubilant teammates stormed the field. The Dodgers won the game, 5–4.

Gibson would 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 telecast of the home run is also notable because the shot of the ball flying over the wall also captures the taillights of the cars leaving the parking lot, presumably filled with Dodger fans who had given up hope.