I didn't expect the World Series to end so quickly. This is the post that I intended to publish yesterday but had to delay due to Kansas City's Game 5 victory. However, we will look into the past and view the five most
memorable controversies in World Series play since 1975. We will start with an
honourable mention (or dishonourable, depending on how you view it) that can’t
be included in the list as it didn’t happen during a game, but occurred during
a pre-game interview.
Honourable Mention:
October 24, 1999: Game 2
Jim Gray’s infamous
interview of Pete Rose
Prior
to Game 2 between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees, Major League
Baseball announced its All-Century Team. Pete Rose, the all-time MLB hits
leader, who was also banned from baseball for gambling on the game—a charge he
denied—was featured on the All-Century Team.
After the ceremony, Rose was
interviewed by NBC’s Jim Gray, who tried to get him to admit that he did indeed
gamble on baseball. That Gray attempted to do that on a night that was meant to
honour baseball’s best was appalling. Even more so, when Rose again denied that he
gambled, rather than change the subject, Gray kept pestering him to admit it
throughout the interview.
While Rose finally admitted his
guilt more than ten years later, Gray was still out of line in his questioning
and while I think he is a very fine sports journalist, his approach on this
night was questionable.
#5. October 27, 2013:
Game 4
Was it a balk?
The St. Louis
Cardinals led the Boston Red Sox two games to one in the World Series, but
trailed Game 4 by a score of 4-2 going into the bottom of the ninth. Boston had
their closer, Koji Uehara, on the mound to finish the game.
With one out,
Allen Craig singled for the Cards. Kolten Wong came into the game to pinch run.
One out later, Carlos Beltran represented the tying run for St. Louis. But
Uehara threw to first and caught Wong off the base, the first time in World
Series history that a game ended with a pick off.
But the Cardinals
complained that Uehara didn’t step off the pitching rubber before throwing to
first, meaning a balk should have called, moving Wong to second base. Countless
replays seemed to favour Uehara, but he made the move so quickly, it’s
understandable why St. Louis thought a balk should have been called. However,
the play stood and the Red Sox had tied the Series.
#4. October 26, 2002: Game 6
The game ball is
presented...in the seventh inning
The San Francisco Giants held a
three games to two lead over the Anaheim Angels, and led Game 6 by a score of
5-0 going to the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Giants’ starter Russ
Ortiz gave up back-to-back singles to Angel hitters Troy Glaus and Brad
Fullmer. San Fran manager, Dusty Baker, came out to remove Oritz from the game, and in a
questionable move, presented him with the game ball while the game was still
going on.
With Felix Rodriguez now on the
mound for the Giants, Scott Spezio hit a three-run home run for the Angels to
close the gap to 5-3. In the bottom of the eighth, the Angels scored three more
runs and held on for a 6-5 win. Baker was widely criticized for his
presentation of the game ball, with the thought being the Angels were given
more motivation for coming back when they saw the gesture.
The Angels would win Game 7 by a
score of 4-1.
#3. October 20, 1992:
Game 3
The triple play that
wasn’t
After splitting the first two
games of the series, the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays were scoreless in
the fourth inning when the Braves threatened. Back-to-back singles had two
Atlanta runners on base with none out and slugger David Justice at the plate.
Justice hit a high fly ball off
Toronto starter Juan Guzman that seemed destined for at least a double. But
Toronto centre fielder, Devon White, tracked the ball down and made a leaping
catch at the wall for the first out. The Atlanta runners, who also thought the
ball was a sure hit, now had to scramble back to their respective bases to
avoid being doubled up.
In his attempt to get back to
second, Deion Sanders passed Terry Pendleton, automatically making Pendleton
the second out. As the Jays’ defenders were unaware of the out, they completed
the play by throwing the ball to first baseman John Olerud to ensure Pendleton
was out. When the throw was made, Sanders took off for third. Olerud fired the
ball to third baseman, Kelly Gruber, who chased Sanders back to second base.
As Sanders started to dive back
to the bag, Gruber dived and touched Deion’s leg with his glove before Deion
got back to the bag. A triple play.
Unfortunately, second base
umpire, Bob Davidson, didn’t see the tag and ruled Sanders safe. Despite
Gruber’s plea and the countless replays showing Gruber obviously made the tag,
the play stood. How Davidson missed the tag when he was right on top of the
play is confusing. However, the Jays would eventually win the game by a score
of 3-2.
#2. October 22, 2000:
Game 2
“I thought it was the
ball”
It
was the first subway series for the city of New York since 1956. The New York
Yankees and the New York Mets were going head-to-head for baseball supremacy in
the first year of the new millennium. The Yankees had taken the first game of
the series and it didn’t take long for tempers to flare in the second game.
Mets’ catcher, Mike Piazza, had
been hit in the head by a pitch by Yankees’ pitcher, Roger Clemens, earlier in
the year and many were wondering what would happen when they faced each other
in the World Series.
In his first at-bat, Piazza
fouled off a pitch that broke his bat. The barrel of the bat bounced in the
direction of Clemens, who picked up the broken lumber and mysteriously fired it
in the direction of Piazza as he started out of the batter’s box.
Piazza started to shout at
Clemens and the two benches emptied, anticipating a fight. In my opinion, it
looked like Clemens picked up the bat and—being so pumped up—just threw it away, not knowing Piazza was running towards first. However, rather
than apologize and explain his emotional display, Clemens made up the preposterous
excuse, “I thought it was the ball.”
Really Roger? You thought a
splintered bat was the ball? And you were throwing the BALL on the ground
halfway between the plate and first? Ok, sure.
#1. October 26, 1985:
Game 6
Missed call at first
The St. Louis Cardinals led the
Kansas City Royals by a score of 1-0 heading to the bottom of the ninth. The
Cards were three outs away from winning the World Series and had closer Todd
Worrell in the game to close it out.
The Royals first batter, Jorge
Orta, grounded a ball to first baseman Jack Clark. As Orta raced towards first,
Clark tossed the ball behind Worrell who was covering the bag. While it was clear
that Worrell touched first before Orta, umpire Don Denkinger, who may have had
his view of the ball blocked by Worrell due to the poor toss from Clark, ruled
Orta safe.
Replays confirmed the missed
call and even though the Cards argued, the play stood.
The next batter for Kansas City
was Steve Balboni who hit a high pop up in foul territory that should have been
the first out. However, Clark misplayed the ball and it dropped, allowing
Balboni to continue his at bat. Balboni took advantage and singled two pitches
later. He was lifted for a pinch runner, Onix Concepcion.
A force out at third on a bunt
attempt and a wild pitch and an intentional walk later, the Royals had the
bases loaded with one out. Pinch hitter, Dane Iorg, blooped a single to right
scoring two runners and giving the Royals the win, 2-1.
While Cardinals’ fans, for
years, would blame Denkinger’s blown call for St. Louis losing the World
Series, they never mention Clark’s dropped foul ball, or the 11-0 thrashing in
Game 7. Denkinger didn’t cause either of those mishaps.
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