Did You See That Game Last Night?
New York Yankees vs. San Diego Padres
World Series - Game 3
October 1998
by Michael Walls

Dude. Did you see that game last night? Oh man.... This game was one of the greatest baseball games I have ever seen.

This game wasn't one of those Yankee blow-out, home-run-a-thon games. Which are good, but don't have the drama and theatrics of a game like last night. Last night was pure Hollywood. Now, I know you may have read about it, but I'm gonna give you my version.

It started off as a pitching duel between David Cone of the Yankees and Sterling Hitchcock (tell me that's not a Hollywood name!) of the Padres. Both pitchers were pitching great, throwing a one-hitter up through the sixth inning. Then in the sixth, Cone has to bat (national league park) and gets a single. Eventually the Yanks load 'em up and things are getting exciting. Cone's on third base, itchin' to score. But then Hitchcock gets out of the jam and the Yanks strand three guys on base. Then, I swear five minutes later, Cone is on the mound, and all the roles are reversed. Hitchcock gets a single and the next guy walks. (I mean, were watching a pitching duel all night, nobody seems to be able to hit off these two pitchers, then WHAM, the two pitchers hit off each other!) Before you know it, San Diego gets three guys in and the Yankee's are down 0-3.

San Diego is going crazy. That stadium is supposed to be the loudest stadium in baseball, 'cause of the way it's built. And the fans were going nuts, but as one commentator noted as a couple of beach balls landed on the field, "see, now, if this were Yankee Stadium, you wouldn't get beach balls....you'd get bowling balls!"

So, the Yanks are down. The stadium is rocking. None of the usual heroes seem to want to step up and take care of the problem. So Scott Brosius gets to the plate and belts one outta the park for a solo homerun. Beautiful. 1-3. The Padres and the fans stir a bit, but it doesn't look to be a problem. Except that Shane "homerun dispenser" Spencer almost belts the next pitch outta the park, but settles for a center field double. Then gets to third on a wild pitch. Due up to the plate, David Cone. But, Chili Davis, Designated Ball Crusher, steps up to pinch hit for Cone. WHAM! In field single, to score Spencer. 2-3.

Now San Diego and their fans are starting to cover their eyes in fear. Top of the eighth. The Padres go for a pitcher change. Relief pitcher Randy Myers steps in and promptly walks Paul O'Neal to first base. Hey, thanks Randy! Now have a seat...

Now this is when things start getting Hollywood. All night long, the commentators have been talking about the San Diego Padres closing superstar pitcher name Trevor Hoffman (another Hollywood name). Apparently, this guy has saved 54 of 55 games in the regular season, is the number one rated closer in the National League, has pitches that spontaneously combust, eats rodents for breakfast and has a third nipple. A real nasty guy.

Well, since the Padres are leading 2-3, they decide to bring in Satan the Pitcher to finish off the Yanks. I tell ya, I've never seen anything like it. They announce Trevor Hoffman and the place goes ballistic. The bullpen doors open up out in right field, and walking out, to the sound of 65,000 screaming Padre fanatics and the music of AC/DC's Hell's Bells, is Trevor "Satan Boy" Hoffman.

He walks all the way through the outfield to the pitcher's mound and when the camera zooms in on him, you can' t even see his eyes. His hat is perfectly rounded and shielding his eyes. All you see is his long, narrow, pinched nose, above thin lips, surrounded by a gnarly mustache and goatee. He's completely composed and looks like he wants to take a bite out of the baseball.

He goes to work on Bernie and pops him out. Crowd gets louder. He walks Tino. Then comes Brosius. He works over Brosius with two huge strikes. Crowd loves it. He tries to get him to swing at some bad pitches. Brosius doesn't bite. Hoffman has filled up the count. There's two on, two outs and two strikes. Hoffman knows he has to throw a fastball strike. The Yanks know it's coming. The crowd knows it's coming. I know it's coming. Brosius knows it's coming.

Brosius crushes the 3-2 fastball over the center wall for a second time tonight, giving the Yanks the 5-3 lead in the eighth inning.

It seemed like the only sound in the whole friggin' stadium was the sound of Brosius trotting around the bases.

I tell ya though, as excited as I was, this game was still not over. Hoffman pitched out of the inning. Then the Yanks brought in their own Trevor Hoffman in the form of Mariano Rivera. Ace closer.

Rivera ran into some trouble in the top of the eighth. Slugger Tony Gwynn gets on first base. Then, just as if some Hollywood scriptwriter had a brain spasm, guess who they put in as a pinch runner for Gwynn. Rubin Rivera! Mariano Rivera's Cousin! So, Mariano throws a couple of pitches over to first base to keep his cousin from stealing. But eventually San Diego was able to get a man home on a sac fly, making it 5-4, Yanks.

Scene 9: Top of the ninth. Yanks go down in order. One, two, three.

Bottom of the ninth. Score is still 5-4 Yankees. The Yanks are three outs from a third win.

Mariano Rivera strikes out the number one batter.

He gets the number two batter.

But then, BAM, single to left. Then, BAM, single to right. Runners on first and third.

Two on, two out, two strikes.

All San Diego needs is a freakin' single. Anything. A drop in the gap. A bouncer out of the infield. A dribbler in the infield. A bobbled catch. Anything....

The pitch.

The swing.

The miss.

Yankees win.

(Michael Walls is a volunteer staff writer for 2 Walls Webzine)