MLB Vault: MLB 1986-ALCS Game 5-Boston Red Sox @ Anaheim Angels: Full Game

Source:MLB Vault- Boston Red Sox OF Dave Henderson's game winning HR, against the Anaheim Angels in game 5.

Source:The New Democrat

"Boston Red Sox 7 at California Angels 6, F/11 -- The Angels needed only one more out to earn their first World Series appearance, but it was the Red Sox who had destiny on their side. Angels closer Donnie Moore pushed Dave Henderson and the Red Sox one strike away from elimination, but Henderson earned redemption for an earlier fielding miscue by hitting Moore's second 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence to give the Red Sox a 6-5 lead. The Angels tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, but Henderson's sacrifice fly off Moore in the eleventh gave the Red Sox the lead and they went on to win the series in seven games."

From MLB Vault

Perhaps the best MLB playoff game at least in my lifetime. And the biggest choke in my lifetime at least in MLB with the Angels blowing a 3-1 series lead with the opportunity to win the American League Championship at home with their offense, defense and pitching. And they simply didn’t close the door to a team they probably should’ve beaten at least in six games if not five. 

Wally Joyner not in the Angels lineup certainly hurt them in-game 5. But you got to know that they had the Red Sox beat in the ninth inning with their closer Donnie Moore who was lights out most of the 1986 season on the mound. He makes a bad pitch to Dave Henderson and that forces the game to extra innings. But Joyner would’ve been a big force in the Angels lineup in-game 6 and 7, when the Red Sox blew out the Angels at Fenway Park. 

NBC Sports: MLB 1979-All Star Game-National League @ American League: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports- Cincinnati Reds 2B Joe Morgan.

Source:The New Democrat

“1979 MLB All-Star Game (Seattle) Original Broadcast”

From Classic MLB 

Playing an all-star baseball game at a football stadium. The Kingdome despite being fairly close to the action for baseball and a very loud stadium for both baseball and football, was basically a football stadium, because of its size, sixty-five thousand seats for football. And in the high fifty-thousands for baseball.

This was a great game where Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Dave Parker who was a five-tool player up until the mid 1980s, throws out a baserunner from the outfield wall unassisted. Perhaps the best defensive play in MLB All Star game history.

For all the talk about this game being a slugfest with the lineups that both teams had and the stadium they were playing at, this game could’ve been played at Shea Stadium in New York, or Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City. Because this was a pitchers duel with the Americans beating the Nationals 3-2.

Goes to show you that great pitching, especially when that great pitching throws hard with control, will beat great hitting. Especially if those great hitters are expecting a big game because of the ballpark that they are playing at. 

NBC Sports: MLB 1984- Detroit Tigers @ Chicago White Sox: Jack Morris No-Hitter

Source:NBC Sports- Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson.

Source:The New Democrat 

"1984 04 07 NBC GOW Tigers at White Sox Morris no hitter"

From Classic MLB  

Floyd Bannister and the Chicago White Sox taking on the Detroit Tigers in April, 1984 in Chicago. During the early and mid 1980s, Bannister was one of the better pitchers in Major League Baseball, at least in the American League and then he wore out and became a mediocre pitcher.

Source:NBC Sports- The Detroit Tigers vs the Chicago White Sox in 1984.

Here’s one example of why Jack Morris should be in the MLB Hall of Fame, because when he was on, he could be very dominant, because he threw hard and then throw in his devastating forkball and he could fool you. One of the last pitchers especially of his era that you wanted to fall behind, because of his forkball and he wouldn’t need to throw strikes to get you out. 

The 1984 Detroit Tigers are about as a complete and great baseball team that MLB has had, at least since 1969 when divisional play started. They were very good defensively, had a very good, deep and all around lineup offensively. And had very good pitching, both starting and in the bullpen. And Jack Morris was a big part of that and should get more credit for it.

NBC Sports: MLB 1986-5-03-GOW-Anaheim Angels @ Milwaukee Brewers: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports- MLB Game of The Week.

Source:The Daily Journal

“1986 05 03 NBC GOW California Angels At Milwaukee Brewers”

From NBC Sports

The 1986 Angels were a very good, if not great all around team: hitting, pitching, and defense that should’ve at least gotten to the World Series. But of course lost three straight games in the ALCS after having a 3-1 lead in that series.

The Angels, who contended both in 84 and 85 in the AL West, which was back before the wildcard came into both leagues, looked like the team to beat in the AL West both seasons. 1986, they weren’t expected to win the AL West, especially the way that they did by being in first place most of the season. But in 86, they put it together for the whole season, both with their offense and pitching. And managed to avoid fading in August and September like they did in 84 and 85.

The 1986 Brewers, were somewhat in transition. Especially with their pitching and weren’t contenders at all and about a 500 ball club.

NBC Sports: MLB 1985-GOW-6/22-New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports- Phil Neikro and the New York Yankees, vs the Detroit Tigers, at Yankee Stadium in 1985.

Source:The Daily Journal

"1985 06 15 NBC GOW Tigers at Yankees"

From NBC Sports

1985 is the perfect example of why MLB should’ve went to the three division format in both the American and National League with the playoff wildcards well before 1994. Because you had four ninety win teams in 1985 and each division champion would’ve had at least ninety wins. The Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, Kansas City Royals in the AL Central, and the Anaheim Angels in the AL West.

The New York Yankees as a wildcard team in 85 would’ve have more wins than every division winner except for the Blue Jays. If you go with two wild cards in each league, the Detroit Tigers would’ve just barely misses the AL Playoffs in 85 with 84 wins, a game behind the Chicago White Sox.

1985 was a great year for MLB and the Yankees and Tigers were both in the playoff race that year. And played each other on NBC which is this game.

ABC Sports: MLB 1981- ALDS Game 3- Kansas City Royals @ Oakland Athletics: Full Game

Source:ABC Sports- Kansas City Royals 3B George Brett.

Source:The Daily Journal

"1981 ALDS Game 3 - Royals at Athletics" 

From F1 Nut

The expanded MLB Playoffs is not the problem I have with the MLB Playoffs in 1981 in the American League and National League. It's how they did it which is the problem with the teams having the best records in first and second halves of the season in each division qualifying for the playoffs in each league. Which meant four teams making the playoffs in both leagues, which is how MLB did it from 1995-2011. Which again I don’t have a problem with, but how they did it.

Instead of having the teams that had the best records in their divisions for the entire season and have the two second place teams in each league qualifying as wildcards in each league, they had the best teams in the first halves of the season, play the teams with the best record of the second half of the season. Which meant teams like the Cincinnati Reds who had the best overall record in the NL West in 1981, missed the NL Playoffs because they didn’t have the best record in their division in either the first or second half of 1981.

Detroit Tigers TV: MLB 1990- Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland Indians: Full Game

Source:GI Bomber- the Tigers and Indians in 1990.

"Missing 7th and 8th inning, with no scoring." 

From GI Bomber

A chance to see a baseball game from Cleveland Municipal Stadium. I know that it was nicknamed the mistake by the lake and the Cleveland Indians for the most part were never good there and played in front of empty crowds, where you might feel like you are at a A or AA minor league baseball game. But this was a good looking park for baseball. Fans were right on top the action, with very little territory and the place looked good for baseball. 

The problem with Cleveland Municipal Stadium was the Browns also played there and were always popular there and the place was so damn big as a result. But if the park was 50-55 thousand for baseball and the Browns had their own stadium, I think this would've been one of the better looking ballparks in MLB, similar to Milwaukee County Stadium or Baltimore Memorial Stadium.