Monday, December 15, 2003
Remembering the Good Times - Game 5
The last week or so I've been listening to my cassette tapes of Game 5 of the '95 Yankee series whenever I've been working in the kitchen. Usually it's when I'm feeding the baby, and thus programming another hapless Mariners fan. It just happened to be queued up to the Mariners 8th tonight and I'm reminded of how good sports can make you feel.
Neihaus is doing the play-by-play with the Yankees leading 4 - 2 and David Cone has thrown 118 pitches as he starts the inning. Joey Cory works a long at bat but makes an out to bring up Ken Griffey Junior. Junior crushes a home run, his record fifth of the series to bring the Mariners to within one. Edgar grounds out next to bring up Tino who draws a walk. Buck Sholwalter is the Yankee manager and he clearly has no faith in his bullpen. Then setup man Mariano Rivera starts to throw as we expect Cones arm to come flying off. Bone is up next and drills a hard single moving Tino to second. Alex Diaz is sent up to pinch-hit and after one pitch Lou sends the 20 year-old Alex Rodriguez in to pinch run for Tino. Diaz walks to load the bases. Still no move to the bullpen as Dan Wilson is brought back in favor of pinch hitter Doug Strange. Cone goes to a three and one count on Strange and delivers a strike to make it a full count. The warrior Cone will not back down and throws a breaking ball in the dirt to walk Strange and tie the game.
It's a great memory, but bittersweet. That was eight years ago now. I said then and still believe that no matter what happens, nothing will top the run in '95. But, I'd sure like them to try! I'm calming down from the news of the morning but I'm still thinking that this might be the beginning of the end of Mariner teams that have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. I hope my 1 year-old won't have to wait 19 years to see a playoff game, as I did.
Neihaus is doing the play-by-play with the Yankees leading 4 - 2 and David Cone has thrown 118 pitches as he starts the inning. Joey Cory works a long at bat but makes an out to bring up Ken Griffey Junior. Junior crushes a home run, his record fifth of the series to bring the Mariners to within one. Edgar grounds out next to bring up Tino who draws a walk. Buck Sholwalter is the Yankee manager and he clearly has no faith in his bullpen. Then setup man Mariano Rivera starts to throw as we expect Cones arm to come flying off. Bone is up next and drills a hard single moving Tino to second. Alex Diaz is sent up to pinch-hit and after one pitch Lou sends the 20 year-old Alex Rodriguez in to pinch run for Tino. Diaz walks to load the bases. Still no move to the bullpen as Dan Wilson is brought back in favor of pinch hitter Doug Strange. Cone goes to a three and one count on Strange and delivers a strike to make it a full count. The warrior Cone will not back down and throws a breaking ball in the dirt to walk Strange and tie the game.
It's a great memory, but bittersweet. That was eight years ago now. I said then and still believe that no matter what happens, nothing will top the run in '95. But, I'd sure like them to try! I'm calming down from the news of the morning but I'm still thinking that this might be the beginning of the end of Mariner teams that have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. I hope my 1 year-old won't have to wait 19 years to see a playoff game, as I did.
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