On the morning of July 1, less than one month ago, the Boston Red Sox were 43-33 and tied with Toronto for the top spot in the American League wild-card race.
The Sonic Slam inning still lives on Royals broadcasts. I can remember only two grand slams in the sixth. Lorenzo Cain mashed one in 2016 or so and I think back-up catcher Cam Callagher hit one in 2019. 25 k to the winners!
Yeah, I can’t think of another “miracle” team to match the 69 Mets. Maybe Namath’s Jets upsetting the Colts in SB 3(?) but that’s comparing apples to oranges.
Lindsey Nelson, who was the chief Mets announcer then, said that if you look in the alphabetical list of miracles, you'll find the Mets come right after Lourdes.
With the way Cordero hits, it doesn't even justify being the DH. Which would be logical only if he was the classic good hit/no field player. I'm wondering why he's on the team at all. Maybe that a symptom of a really bad roster.
Throw one in the Tiger category, although not as dramatic as some of the others.
1988. Gibson had left for LA and World Series drama yet to come and it was the beginning of the Tigers' long decline. Even so, they were 73-50 on August 21 and 4.5 games up.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox fired John McNamara over the all star break and promoted Joe Morgan. The Sox promptly won 19 of 20 to pull into a tie with the Tigers in early August, before Detroit stretched their lead back out.
From August 22 though, Detroit went on a 4-19 stretch while Boston played a little over .500 ball and gained 10 games in the standings, stretching out a 5 game lead.
Detroit played well down the stretch going 11-5 but it was too little. They were eliminated with 4 to go and finished a game out. They wouldn't seriously contend again for nearly two decades
The Phillies 1964 collapse was the worst in history. The Cardinals getting Lou Brock was a game changer. The 1969 Cubs collapse was kinda like the 151 Dodgers, in that it was the huge success of the Giants and Mets that really turned the tables. Why don't the Red Sox just make Frenchy Cordero a DH/PH?
You’re right about the 51 Bums and 69 Cubs misfortunes, a lot of the story was the Giants and Mets wouldn’t stop winning. I also agree about the Phold of 64, I still feel sorry for Gene Mauch!
Good golly Joe, the 69 cubs didn’t make the top five collapses? That seemed pretty epic to me, maybe being anti cub fan living in Chicago at the time made it so hugely enjoyable.
I was a Milwaukee Braves (and a White Sox fan in the AL) fan because my first LL team was the Braves. 1957, the year they won the WS. I lived on the N side of Chicago, surrounded by cubs fans. Guess I was anti majority.
You beat me to it! I grew up in New York and was a Mets fan then (I’ve been in Chicago for nearly 40 years and have long since become a Sox fan), which made the Durocher choke hugely enjoyable for me as well.
Duran's reaction was like in slow pitch softball when someone crushes it but the field doesn't have a fence so the outfielder just let's to roll onto the other field instead of bothering because it's going to be run out for a homer.
Thanks for the article on epic collapses. For me, the Gene Mauch led Phillies collapse of 1964 was almost unbelievable. They seemed a shoo in for the pennant. Then everything that could go wrong, did. I was a Mets fan (converted Yankee fan), and followed the pennant race closely. I remember the Phillies only had two reliable pitchers at the time, and they abused them during the final weeks of the season. That one remains at the top my list of epic collapses.
Perry, thanks for coming up with the Phillies pitchers names. My memory had failed me there. I was at Shea Stadium whenBunningno hit the Mets on Fathers Day. I think it was in 1964.
I remember watching that game on TV when my brother and I were playing each other in a game of baseball using our baseball cards in the stadium we built.
I was 14 years old in 1956 when I attended a Yankees/Dodgers World Series game at Yankee Stadium. I sat in the right center field bleachers. It turned out to be Don Larsen's perfect game. The thrill of a baseball fans life. I will never forget it. I was an ardent Yankees fan at the time. I went to my first major league ball game in 1948. My mother's boy friend was able to get me Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio's autographs. I did not appreciate it at the time and lost them over the years. I enjoy reading Joe's take on the game I love. At 80, I'm slowing down. Only been to 3 major league games this year. Would love to see a subway series.
As a Red Sox fan, I found this to be a real good wallow. Have to say, though, it's a little unfair to poor Franchy, who is perfectly adequate as an outfielder - over the last four seasons DRS, UZR, and OAA all have him as basically average in the OF. The problem is that, in part because of injuries, in part because of weird roster construction, the Red Sox keep playing guys out of position - Franchy at 1B, Christian Arroyo in RF, Bobby Dalbec at 3B. It's a big part of the explanation for why they've been so wretched this month.
Amazingly, you understated the depths of the 2011 Red Sox collapse. Even with the improbable loss to the Orioles, a Rays loss would have meant a one game playoff for the wild card spot, and the Rays had fallen behind against the Yankees, 7-0, ... but they came back with 6 in the eighth, 1 more in the ninth on a two out, two strike Dan Johnson pinch home run, and then they walked it off on a Longoria homer in the 12th. Johnson had an OPS+ of 11!
Two instances of big leads blown where the team didn't really collapse, their opponent just played insanely well happened to the Dodgers. 1951 is famous, of course. 70-35 after 105 games (8/11), up 13 games on the Giants. They go 26-23 the rest of the way, which isn't really a collapse, but the Giants go 37-7 to catch them. Less famous, but equally as deflating, was 1942. On 8/5 the Dodgers were up 10 games at 74-30, go 30-20 the rest of the way, a nice .600 winning percentage, and finish 2 games out, because the Cardinals go 43-9 the rest of the way. And yes, the Dodgers won 104 games and didn't make the playoffs that year.
“Listen, can we skip ‘42? Everyone always asks me what happened in ‘42. What do you mean, what happened in ‘42? We won 104 games, didn’t we? That’s pretty damn good isn’t it? Only problem is, the Cards won 106.”
-Billy Herman, as quoted in “Baseball When the Grass was Real.”
For that matter, you could probably put the ‘93 Giants in the same category; had a big lead mid-summer, lost it down the stretch, before losing the final game of the season with a chance to salvage a tie.
The Sonic Slam inning still lives on Royals broadcasts. I can remember only two grand slams in the sixth. Lorenzo Cain mashed one in 2016 or so and I think back-up catcher Cam Callagher hit one in 2019. 25 k to the winners!
If I recall correctly, I feel very confident that Matt Stairs also connected on one some time in the late 2000’s or early 2010’s
Yeah, I can’t think of another “miracle” team to match the 69 Mets. Maybe Namath’s Jets upsetting the Colts in SB 3(?) but that’s comparing apples to oranges.
Lindsey Nelson, who was the chief Mets announcer then, said that if you look in the alphabetical list of miracles, you'll find the Mets come right after Lourdes.
Hah, that is a good one!
With the way Cordero hits, it doesn't even justify being the DH. Which would be logical only if he was the classic good hit/no field player. I'm wondering why he's on the team at all. Maybe that a symptom of a really bad roster.
Throw one in the Tiger category, although not as dramatic as some of the others.
1988. Gibson had left for LA and World Series drama yet to come and it was the beginning of the Tigers' long decline. Even so, they were 73-50 on August 21 and 4.5 games up.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox fired John McNamara over the all star break and promoted Joe Morgan. The Sox promptly won 19 of 20 to pull into a tie with the Tigers in early August, before Detroit stretched their lead back out.
From August 22 though, Detroit went on a 4-19 stretch while Boston played a little over .500 ball and gained 10 games in the standings, stretching out a 5 game lead.
Detroit played well down the stretch going 11-5 but it was too little. They were eliminated with 4 to go and finished a game out. They wouldn't seriously contend again for nearly two decades
I have 3 different Poscast feed, 2 of them via my subscription here, the latest one is June 19th. Where are these other Podcast episodes?
The Phillies 1964 collapse was the worst in history. The Cardinals getting Lou Brock was a game changer. The 1969 Cubs collapse was kinda like the 151 Dodgers, in that it was the huge success of the Giants and Mets that really turned the tables. Why don't the Red Sox just make Frenchy Cordero a DH/PH?
You’re right about the 51 Bums and 69 Cubs misfortunes, a lot of the story was the Giants and Mets wouldn’t stop winning. I also agree about the Phold of 64, I still feel sorry for Gene Mauch!
The 2011 Red Sox collapse (particularly game 162) is definitely one of the reasons Orioles fans love baseball…
Good golly Joe, the 69 cubs didn’t make the top five collapses? That seemed pretty epic to me, maybe being anti cub fan living in Chicago at the time made it so hugely enjoyable.
You're a White Sox fan?
I was a Milwaukee Braves (and a White Sox fan in the AL) fan because my first LL team was the Braves. 1957, the year they won the WS. I lived on the N side of Chicago, surrounded by cubs fans. Guess I was anti majority.
Very cool...
The 1957-58 Braves were one heck of a team. Beating the Yankee power house was a great achievement.
You beat me to it! I grew up in New York and was a Mets fan then (I’ve been in Chicago for nearly 40 years and have long since become a Sox fan), which made the Durocher choke hugely enjoyable for me as well.
Damn, great time to be a Mets fan! I was in the army by the time the playoffs rolled around and missed everything.
Sorry you missed the best Mets season ever.
Duran's reaction was like in slow pitch softball when someone crushes it but the field doesn't have a fence so the outfielder just let's to roll onto the other field instead of bothering because it's going to be run out for a homer.
I just love the fact that the Red Sox have a player called Jarren Duran.
How can you not be New Romantic about baseball?
Thanks for the article on epic collapses. For me, the Gene Mauch led Phillies collapse of 1964 was almost unbelievable. They seemed a shoo in for the pennant. Then everything that could go wrong, did. I was a Mets fan (converted Yankee fan), and followed the pennant race closely. I remember the Phillies only had two reliable pitchers at the time, and they abused them during the final weeks of the season. That one remains at the top my list of epic collapses.
"Bunning, Short, and hold the fort." Or "Short, Bunning, and out of the running."
Perry, thanks for coming up with the Phillies pitchers names. My memory had failed me there. I was at Shea Stadium whenBunningno hit the Mets on Fathers Day. I think it was in 1964.
I remember watching that game on TV when my brother and I were playing each other in a game of baseball using our baseball cards in the stadium we built.
A perfect game, no less! So cool that you were there. I think at the time it was only the 9th perfect game in history.
I was 14 years old in 1956 when I attended a Yankees/Dodgers World Series game at Yankee Stadium. I sat in the right center field bleachers. It turned out to be Don Larsen's perfect game. The thrill of a baseball fans life. I will never forget it. I was an ardent Yankees fan at the time. I went to my first major league ball game in 1948. My mother's boy friend was able to get me Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio's autographs. I did not appreciate it at the time and lost them over the years. I enjoy reading Joe's take on the game I love. At 80, I'm slowing down. Only been to 3 major league games this year. Would love to see a subway series.
BTW...hang in there buddy, I think there will be a Mets vs. Yankees Subway Series in 2022. Let's Go Mets!!!
WOW!!!! You saw an amazing part of baseball history. I bet you can still see that game in your mind's eye.
As a Red Sox fan, I found this to be a real good wallow. Have to say, though, it's a little unfair to poor Franchy, who is perfectly adequate as an outfielder - over the last four seasons DRS, UZR, and OAA all have him as basically average in the OF. The problem is that, in part because of injuries, in part because of weird roster construction, the Red Sox keep playing guys out of position - Franchy at 1B, Christian Arroyo in RF, Bobby Dalbec at 3B. It's a big part of the explanation for why they've been so wretched this month.
Amazingly, you understated the depths of the 2011 Red Sox collapse. Even with the improbable loss to the Orioles, a Rays loss would have meant a one game playoff for the wild card spot, and the Rays had fallen behind against the Yankees, 7-0, ... but they came back with 6 in the eighth, 1 more in the ninth on a two out, two strike Dan Johnson pinch home run, and then they walked it off on a Longoria homer in the 12th. Johnson had an OPS+ of 11!
And to top it off, the games concluded within a few minutes of one another. Watching that sequence unfold in real time was surreal.
For what it's worth, even as a Red Sox fan, I think that day absolutely belongs in the book.
You are exactly right about the sonic slam inning.
Two instances of big leads blown where the team didn't really collapse, their opponent just played insanely well happened to the Dodgers. 1951 is famous, of course. 70-35 after 105 games (8/11), up 13 games on the Giants. They go 26-23 the rest of the way, which isn't really a collapse, but the Giants go 37-7 to catch them. Less famous, but equally as deflating, was 1942. On 8/5 the Dodgers were up 10 games at 74-30, go 30-20 the rest of the way, a nice .600 winning percentage, and finish 2 games out, because the Cardinals go 43-9 the rest of the way. And yes, the Dodgers won 104 games and didn't make the playoffs that year.
That's amazing, but there were no Playoffs in 1942.
“Listen, can we skip ‘42? Everyone always asks me what happened in ‘42. What do you mean, what happened in ‘42? We won 104 games, didn’t we? That’s pretty damn good isn’t it? Only problem is, the Cards won 106.”
-Billy Herman, as quoted in “Baseball When the Grass was Real.”
For that matter, you could probably put the ‘93 Giants in the same category; had a big lead mid-summer, lost it down the stretch, before losing the final game of the season with a chance to salvage a tie.
Baseball is the best game. And what’s great about it is we can discuss it every day and still have something new to talk about tomorrow. Thanks, Joe!