35 years ago tonight.

[doctorquant]

I was talking about World Series walkoffs with a coworker yesterday and I strongly believe that Game 6 of the 2011 World Series is right up there with this one, with Carlton Fisk, and some of the other most incredible games in baseball history. Twelve years seems a long time for it to be recency bias, so it probably has to do with the fact that baseball had long since ceded the national spotlight (or because Joe Buck's botched hair plug situation screwed up the audio). Four lead changes in the first nine innings, the Cardinals down to their last strike, the series-winning ball for the Rangers literally being in the air (and potentially caught by a better outfielder than Nelson Cruz), Josh Hamilton un-tying the game, the Cardinals being down to their last strike AGAIN and tying it AGAIN, and then a walk-off homer from David Freese in the 11th.

That has to be easily one of the 3-5 best games in World Series history and it doesn't even have a nickname.

Sure it does ... "The Game That Shall Not Be Mentioned In The Quant Household."

 

[swingline]

I was talking about World Series walkoffs with a coworker yesterday and I strongly believe that Game 6 of the 2011 World Series is right up there with this one, with Carlton Fisk, and some of the other most incredible games in baseball history. Twelve years seems a long time for it to be recency bias, so it probably has to do with the fact that baseball had long since ceded the national spotlight (or because Joe Buck's botched hair plug situation screwed up the audio). Four lead changes in the first nine innings, the Cardinals down to their last strike, the series-winning ball for the Rangers literally being in the air (and potentially caught by a better outfielder than Nelson Cruz), Josh Hamilton un-tying the game, the Cardinals being down to their last strike AGAIN and tying it AGAIN, and then a walk-off homer from David Freese in the 11th.

That has to be easily one of the 3-5 best games in World Series history and it doesn't even have a nickname.

My ex's cousin had tickets to the original Game 6, but it got rained out and he couldn't stay another day.

 

[qtlaw]

I covered a UCLA football game at Cal. As I was packing up to leave the press box, they had the baseball game on TV, I saw that the A's had the game well in hand. Got to my rental car and found the game on the radio. For some reason, my hotel was in Concord. I was on some freeway and transitioning to another freeway. The transition was a lengthy curve and that's where I was when Gibson connected. I almost drove off the road. Amazing.

CONCORD (maybe a cool place for a 12 yr old kid hanging out at the Sun Valley Mall, but that's it)!!!! Cheapskates couldn't even put you up in the Claremont Hotel or the Lafayette Park Hotel (4 star for each)??

 

[maumann]

CONCORD (maybe a cool place for a 12 yr old kid hanging out at the Sun Valley Mall, but that's it)!!!! Cheapskates couldn't even put you up in the Claremont Hotel or the Lafayette Park Hotel (4 star for each)??

I was thinking he was probably going through the 24/680 split in downtown Walnut Creek at the time. Hey, Sun Valley had an ice skating rink when I was slightly more than 12, which seemed crazy cool for a kid who had just moved from south Florida to the Bay Area.

EDIT: Orioles utility infielder Kiko Garcia (Ygnacio Valley) and pitcher Tom Candiotti (Concord) are Concord natives. Mark Spitz and Tom Hanks went to public school there before moving.

As @TrooperBari is well aware, the nationally-known Concord Blue Devils drum corps band is headquartered there, as was the Concord Jazz label.

 

[BTExpress]

That has to be easily one of the 3-5 best games in World Series history and it doesn't even have a nickname.

That's what happens when 65% of America is asleep when it ends at 12:40 a.m. ET.

 

[ChrisLong]

CONCORD (maybe a cool place for a 12 yr old kid hanging out at the Sun Valley Mall, but that's it)!!!! Cheapskates couldn't even put you up in the Claremont Hotel or the Lafayette Park Hotel (4 star for each)??

Hey guys, I was on a newspaper budget. I had a friend in Martinez, so I picked a reasonable place about halfway between. And I was there to work, not cruise the mall or the rink.
When LMU reached the West Regionals, the Claremont was the tournament hotel I stayed there. I prefer a newer, modern place, then a relic that they dress up with couch cushions and nice linen. I mean, the heater was one of those old radiators. I couldn't even figure out how it worked.

 

[maumann]

Hey guys, I was on a newspaper budget. I had a friend in Martinez, so I picked a reasonable place about halfway between. And I was there to work, not cruise the mall or the rink.
When LMU reached the West Regionals, the Claremont was the tournament hotel I stayed there. I prefer a newer, modern place, then a relic that they dress up with couch cushions and nice linen. I mean, the heater was one of those old radiators. I couldn't even figure out how it worked.

Gwen and I were in Martinez this summer to help pack up her late brother's stuff, and waking up to a view of Mount Diablo is something that never gets old for me. Plus, Martinez is a cool county seat/railroad town with a farmers' market and nice restaurants. However, paying the amount of money it would cost to live there permanently again is not in my retirement budget.

 

[BTExpress]

Hey guys, I was on a newspaper budget. I had a friend in Martinez, so I picked a reasonable place about halfway between. And I was there to work, not cruise the mall or the rink.
When LMU reached the West Regionals, the Claremont was the tournament hotel I stayed there. I prefer a newer, modern place, then a relic that they dress up with couch cushions and nice linen. I mean, the heater was one of those old radiators. I couldn't even figure out how it worked.

Yeah, but those were the salad days! Our paper went to the French Open, Wimbledon, the Goodwill Games (in Moscow) and the America's Cup (in Fremantle, Australia) in the late 80s.

 

[Batman]

Meanwhile, 34 years ago tonight ...

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Meanwhile, 34 years ago tonight ...

The audio cut, then they went to commercial, then they cut to a rerun of Roseanne until they could re-establish connection.

 

[MileHigh]

Meanwhile, 34 years ago tonight ...

The CNN and ABC coverage of that. Al Michaels was invaluable.

 

[UPChip]

The CNN and ABC coverage of that. Al Michaels was invaluable.

Just in the first couple minutes, there is some really good (nice job by the guy who nailed the intensity less than 10 minutes in) and really bad (the Golden Gate Bridge collapsed?) reporting.