October 25 - Some of the lasting baseball memories from my childhood were made while staying up well past my bedtime in late October.
I was just starting to really get into the game as an 8-year-old when an injured Kirk Gibson limped around the bases after winning Game 1 of the 1988 World Series with his pinch-hit homer off Dennis Eckersley. Granted, that happened at 11:39 p.m. on a Saturday night, so school wasn’t looming the next morning.
Kirby Puckett’s walkoff homer to win Game 6 of the ‘91 Series was also on a Saturday night, as was Joe Carter’s that ended the ‘93 Series. I was probably a little groggy at church the next morning, but it was worth it.
My love of the game hadn’t yet reached an obsession as a 6-year-old, so I didn’t see the ball roll between Bill Buckner’s legs and keep the Mets alive late that Saturday night during Game 6 of the ‘86 Series. But I’ve met a number of Red Sox fans who were. The Bambino, apparently, was also watching up there amongst the Baseball Gods.
It was 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on a Tuesday when the earthquake postponed the Bay Area series between the A’s and Giants in ‘89, and like many across the country, I was glued to the TV until late at night. I remember being awake to see Jack Morris toss a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the ‘91 Series, which ended just before midnight on a Sunday.
When the A’s made their run of three straight appearances in the Fall Classic from ‘88-90, I loved watching the Bash Brothers and that loaded lineup, and how intimidating Dave Stewart was when he pulled his cap brim down low so you could barely see his eyes. During my Little League years, many late nights were spent flexing in front of the bathroom mirror, wondering how the heck McGwire and Canseco got that big.
Years later, acronyms like PED and BALCO revealed the mystery.
I knew the deal. Get my homework done before or after my own practice or game, and then it would be OK for me to stay up for the game. At least most of the time, anyway. There were a few times when I wasn’t going to be permitted to watch, generally because I had gotten into trouble or was grounded and didn’t have TV privileges.
But I always found a way to get in front of a TV when my folks went to bed. A couple times I think the sound may have woke them, but they probably figured it wasn’t worth dealing with the Earl Weaver-like tantrum I'd throw if they tried pulling me away from the game.
Parents, I understand that Major League Baseball does us no favors with the late start times. But the red-eyed and grouchy mornings your kids will plod through are worth the trade-off with the excitement of watching the heroes and memories that are born in late October. Especially in the case of this year’s historical Series, with the Cubs attempting to win their first title since 1908 and the Indians seeking their first since 1948.
They say baseball is a game of life, and when you watch it this time of the year, it has a funny way of creating a lifetime of memories.
