1975 World Series – Game 6

Game 6

October 21, 1975

Fenway Park

Attendance: 35,205

Game Time Temp: 64-degrees

Starting Pitcher (Boston): Luis Tiant

Starting Pitcher (Cincinnati): Gary Nolan

This World Series has been pretty dull so far.  I hope Game 6 is fun to watch.

It rained in Boston for the last three days, so that’s why it’s been five days since Game 5.  Unfortunately, that means Luis Tiant (the same guy who has thrown two complete games in the World Series so far) is rested and ready to go.

If you’ve ever wondered what Luis Tiant’s dad looks like, now you know:

While I’m at it, here’s a picture of Luis Tiant’s mother (and her giant thumb):

Gary Nolan may have won 15 games in ’75, but he’s getting rocked in the bottom of the 1st inning, giving up a towering 3-run shot to Fred Lynn to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.

All is quiet on the western front until the 5th inning.

With two on, Ken Griffey hits a deep shot to centerfield that should’ve been caught, but the inept Red Sox outfielder can’t make the catch and Griffey ends up with a triple.

Please forgive me for that ”inept” comment I just made.  While trying to make the catch, Red Sox (Sock?) centerfielder Fred Lynn splatted against the wall and didn’t move for a couple of minutes.  If I didn’t already know that he wasn’t dead, I would’ve been concerned, but he’s not dead, so I’m not concerned.

I imagine it was pretty scary at the time, though.

See… it looks like Jason Voorhees already got to him:

Fred Lynn ends up with a rib injury, but stays in the game to impress the girls in the crowd.  Johnny Bench then singles home Griffey to tie the game at 3-3.  Luis Tiant is mortal.

The Reds add two more in the top of the 7th and one more in the top of the 8th to give the Reds a comfortable 6-3.  The Big Red Machine is just six outs away from winning the World Series.  Trust me, folks… this one is O-V-E-R.

Bottom of the 8th, Pedro Borbon on the mound for the Reds.  Fred Lynn hits one back to Borbon, but he can’t handle it and Lynn is on base.  I guess Lynn’s ribs are okay.  Big faker.  Borbon walks Rico Petrocelli (he has an inner-ear problem).  Borbon is done, here comes Rawly Eastwick.

Eastwick makes quick work of the next two batters – two out, still two on.  The Reds are four outs away from winning the World Series.  Put a fork in the Red Sox, they are D-O-N-E.

Some guy with the unfortunate name of Bernie Carbo pinch hits for Roger Moret.  Carbo looks lost at the plate, like he has no business being on the team.  He then hits a no-doubter into the right-centerfield seats, tying the game (6-6).

Bernie “Bleeping” Carbo.

Ouch.

The Red Sox would load the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 9th, but this isn’t the 2007 Cincinnati Reds bullpen, so they manage to pitch out of it without giving up any runs.  The score remains tied and we’re going to extra innings.

My guess is this game is going to end in anti-climatic fashion.

The Reds threaten in the 11th, and again in the 12th, but it’s all for naught.

Bottom of the 12th, Carlton Fisk at the plate.  He’s running out of time to hit that “dramatic homerun” that Pete Rose predicted at the end of Game 1.  Pat Darcy on the mound.

First pitch is a ball.  Fisk hits the second pitch down the leftfield line… it looks like a foul ball… it’s pretty deep, but it has to be foul… no way this one goes fair… it’s definitely got the distance, though… it ricochets off the leftfield foul pole.

Homerun!  Homerun!  Homerun!

Game over.

Crap.

Red Sox win.

I need a beer.

Fisk is mobbed by the entire Red Sox organization (and two dozen drunk Bostonites that jumped out of the stands and made it on the field).

Oh, how I wish Fisk had followed through with the shoulder-to-the-face on this guy, but it wasn’t to be:

I knew Fisk was going to hit a homerun here (sorry, I read about the game before I watched the DVD) and I still got the goosebumps when it happened.  It’s an amazing moment in baseball history – one of the best – and it was so nice to not have it ruined by the inane commentary of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

A devastated Pete Rose had this to say after the game:

“What did I tell you about Fisk hitting a homerun?  With predictions like that I should really start betting on the… never mind.  It all comes down to Game 7.  Somebody’s gotta win and somebody’s gotta lose, and I believe in letting the other guy lose.”

World Series tied 3-3