MLB playoffs: six big-time AL and NL Championship moments

Where as the Divisional Series round only began in earnest in 1995, the Championship Series round began in 1969, so there’s considerably more history here to plow through. These six, three from each league, will only scratch the surface, so please, make yourself at home, and feel free to mention some of your favorites below the line.

Ozzie Smith, 1985

What, you think the St Louis Cardinals just started torturing the Los Angeles Dodgers? Not by a long shot. In 1985, The NLCS was tied at two games a piece at Busch Stadium in St Louis. The score was also tied at two in the bottom of the ninth, and Dodgers reliever Tom Niedenfuer was on the hill, set to face switch-hitting future hall-of-fame shortstop Ozzie Smith, not exactly a power threat, and certainly not from the left side. In the 3,009 at-bats prior, Smith had hit a grand total of zero home runs as a lefty. Then came a 2-2 fastball that The Wizard pulled and drove off the facade and onto their old astroturf. Joe Buck famously cried “Go crazy!”, and fans of the Redbirds were only too happy to oblige. Two days later, Jack Clark came to bat in the top of the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium and also crushed a Niedenfuer offering, this time it was a three-run blast that basically ended the Dodgers season. Yup, very Cardinal-ish.

The Bartman play, 2003

The Chicago Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908 and haven’t played in one since 1945. But in 2003, they were going, really, they were. In Game 6 of the NLCS, they were four outs away from an elusive trip to the Fall Classic, holding a 3-0 lead over the Florida Marlins in the eighth inning. Chicago starter Mark Prior was on cruise control, pitching with a runner on second before a high fly ball off the bat of Luis Castillo headed towards the stands in left field. Moises Alou was in pursuit, and looked to be under it before the hand of Steve Bartman interfered with the ball, preventing Alou from a shot at the second out of the inning. The crowd roared in disappointment and the city followed, especially after it became the first of a series of disastrous moments that led to an eight-run eighth inning. Bartman needed police protection, the then Florida governor offered him asylum in Florida, the ball was blown up as a publicity stunt and a life-long Cubbies fan became part of the wretched post-season lore of the lowly Chicago Cubs. And in truth, Alex Gonzalez’s flubbing a would-be double play ball a few batters later was a much, much bigger factor, but no one cared because Bartman was an easier target as the villain. The Cubs lost Game 7, and haven’t won a postseason game since.

Cabrera connects, 1992

Francisco Cabrera (who?) had just 10 at-bats the entire 1992 season, but in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, he was facing Stan Belinda with the season on the line. His Atlanta Braves were trailing the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1 with David Justice at third and Sid Bream at second. Cabrera slapped a base hit to left field, Justice came home and then the lead-footed Bream tried to score from third. Barry Bonds’ throw was late and Bream beat the tag from Buccos catcher Mike Lavalliere, sliding into the postseason history book along with Cabrera. It was the third straight NLCS the Pirates would lose, and the team wouldn’t finish with a winning record for another 20 years.

Aaron Boone, 2003

Or as he is known in Boston, Aaron f*&%ing Boone. In 2003, the Curse of the Bambino was alive and well, with the Red Sox still looking for their first World Series title since 1918. In Game 7 of the ALDS, the New York Yankees were down two runs in the eighth inning but threatening. Then Sox manager Grady Little succumbed to a Jedi mind trick from a fading Pedro Martinez, and the skipper allowed him stay in the game. The Yanks tied it up 5-5, and a moment that should have never happened, happened in the 11th. Boone took Tim Wakefield deep to left, and the curse continued for one more long season.

That bloody sock, 2004

Curt Schilling got shelled a year later in Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS as the sheath around his right ankle tendon, that’s the ankle he used to push off the pitching rubber, had torn. It seemed unlikely the he would take another turn, but modern science intervened on the Red Sox’s behalf – Red Sox doc Bill Morgan “sutured the ankle skin to some of the tendon tissue to try to keep everything in place.” In Game 6 at Yankee Stadium, with the Sox trying to extend the series yet again after going down 3-0 in the series, Schilling pitched seven innings and allowed just a single run, all while doing his best impersonation of The Natural and blood running through his sock. Schilling would be forced to deny rumors that the blood was actually ketchup and eventually auctioned it off for $92,613. Boston won the game 4-2 and would make history by coming back to beat New York in the series before winning their first World Series since the Wilson administration.

Jeffry Maier, 1996

I know, I know – all the AL moments involve the Yankees. What can you do? They’re in it … a lot. In 1996 they were facing the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of the ALCS and down a run in the eighth inning. Derek Jeter stepped to the plate and drove an Armando Benitez pitch deep to right field. Tony Tarasco went back for the ball and seemed to have a beat on it, except that it never came down. That’s because 12-year-old Jeffrey Maeir reached out over the wall and pulled the ball in. Left field umpire Rich Garcia called it a home run and the Orioles went crazy. Benitez ran out to right field to protest as Tarasco feverishly campaigned to Garcia along with O’s manager Davey Johnson, all to no avail. The “home run” turned Maier into a celebrity and tied the game, opening up the door for Bernie Williams to hit an 11th inning walk-off homer. Baltimore never recovered, losing the series 4-1, return the next season before suffering through a15-year postseason drought. Had the play happened today, instant replay would have overturned the call and Maeir would have have likely been ejected from the ballpark.