10 of the most memorable World Series moments from the last decade
A 162-game regular season and the gauntlet that is the postseason all led to this: The World Series. For the winning team, the Series becomes a piece of lore not just for club itself, but for the fans that follow them and the cities they call home. Every moment is amplified and will resonate for generations.
Before the Cubs and Indians start the 2016 Fall Classic and look to create some of their own legends, with first pitch at 8 p.m. ET tonight on FOX, let's look back at the 10 most memorable World Series moments from the last decade.
10.
One year prior, the Royals lost a heartbreaking Game 7 to the Giants. When the Royals returned to the Fall Classic in 2015, they trailed the Mets, 4-3, in the bottom of the ninth of Game 1.
His opponent, Mets closer Jeurys Familia, had pitched 9 2/3 innings in the postseason while surrendering only two hits and one run before the game, but on a 1-1 count, Familia tried to quick pitch Gordon. That was the wrong choice as the left fielder was somehow ready for a 97-mph offering, and he launched a game-tying solo shot to center field.
9. David Eckstein's strange double(s) - Game 4, 2006 World Series
In a series that featured Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds and
Game 4 certainly helped his case. With his Cardinals up two games to one over the Tigers, Eckstein went 4-for-5 in the victory. He singled in the first, hit an RBI double in the third, doubled and scored the tying run in the seventh and doubled again to drive in the winning run in the eighth.
Of course, he got a little luck in the form of
8.
The edge in Game 1 seemed to belong to the Tigers as Detroit had Justin Verlander starting the series just one year after his MVP Award-winning campaign, while the Giants countered with Barry Zito. (Madison Bumgarner was not yet the one we all know and fear.)
Sandoval wasn't impressed, though. He homered to start the scoring in the bottom of the first, he hit a two-run shot in the third and he finished off his day with another in the fifth. That performance made him just the fourth player to hit three homers in a World Series game.
Playing in the pitcher-friendly AT&T Park, whose cold sea breezes kill fly balls, Sandoval's shots were no easy homers, either -- two went to center and one just crested over the wall in left. His last one was perhaps the most impressive and most memorable. Look how low he had to go down to get this ball:
7.
With over 100 years of World Series games, you'd think every possible game-ending scenario has been played out. But somehow, none had ended with a pickoff until 2013.
With the Red Sox leading the Cardinals, 4-2, in Game 4, Kolten Wong was on first base with postseason legend Carlos Beltran at the plate. Red Sox closer Koji Uehara wouldn't need to use his splitter to finish this one, though.
As Wong took an extra step off the bag, the bullpen ace fired to first. Wong's foot slipped and that was it. Not exactly flashy, but certainly strange. It also meant it was time for Uehara's incredibly earnest high fives.
6.
With the Phillies and Rays tied at 3 in the top of the seventh after a Rocco Baldelli home run, Jason Bartlett was on second base with two outs when Akinori Iwamura hit a difficult ground ball up the middle. Utley made a great play to glove the ball with a backhand, but he wasn't done yet. For most infielders, they'd either try to make the difficult, off-balance throw to first, or pocket the ball and leave runners at the corners.
But Utley had a third idea: He faked the throw to first to goad Barlett into taking off for home. Making an awkward, hopping toss, Utley nabbed Bartlett. That play, and the World Series championship the Phillies eventually won, became crucial in the deification of the second baseman in the Philadelphia-area.
5. Hosmer sprints home - Game 5, 2015 World Series
With the Mets holding a 2-1 lead over the Royals in the top of the ninth, the Mets brought the infield in with Eric Hosmer at third base. Salvador Perez then hit an inside-out hopper that David Wright moved to his left to corral and, after looking Hosmer back, made the throw to first base.
That was a mistake. With no one actually on third, Hosmer was ready to take off. Still, if he was wrong or a step too slow, it was game over. He wasn't wrong.
Sure, a better throw may have nailed Hosmer, but part of the brilliance was in doing something that the Mets weren't ready for -- increasing the chances of a wild throw springing forth.
4. The Cardinals have some bullpen confusion - Game 5, 2011 World Series
With the Cardinals and Rangers tied at 2 in the top of the seventh, Octavio Dotel started the frame by giving up a leadoff double to Michael Young. So, manager Tony La Russa called his bullpen coach to get lefty Marc Rzepczynski and closer Jason Motte up. Only problem? The coach only heard Rzepczynski's name. When La Russa noticed this, he called again. Somehow the wires were crossed again, and Lance Lynn, who threw 47 pitches in Game 3, started getting loose.
That meant that after La Russa brought in Rzepczynski for Dotel -- who gave up the go-ahead hit to Mike Napoli -- La Russa came back out and called for the righty.
Only problem? It was Lynn and not Motte. With the rules stating Lynn would have to face at least one batter before he could be lifted, La Russa instructed him to intentionally walk the next batter, so the manager could make the switch he wanted all along.
3. The obstruction call - Game 3, 2013 World Series
Apparently all weird moments from the last decade involve the Cardinals. With Boston and St. Louis tied at 4 in the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals had runners at second and third with one out when
The Red Sox were rewarded for bringing their infield in as Dustin Pedroia made a great dive to his backhand side to stab Jay's grounder and get Yadier Molina at home. But the play didn't end there.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia then threw to third to nab Allen Craig running, but his throw went wide. Third baseman Will Middlebrooks missed the ball, and his legs became tangled with Craig's as the Cardinal took off for home, tripping him. That gave the Red Sox the opportunity to throw the ball home and tag Craig for the out.
Just one problem: That's against the rules.
Umpire Jim Joyce made the correct call in real time: Middlebrooks was called for obstruction, and the game-winning run scored
At the very least, the moment provided an excellent reaction GIF for the next time you brought the guac, but your friends forgot the chips.
2. Madison Bumgarner strikes out Salvador Perez with high heat - Game 7, 2014 World Series
The final Royals-Giants matchup of the 2014 Fall Classic had a finish that you won't soon forget. After Alex Gordon singled and advanced to third thanks to Gregor Blanco's error (inspiring baseball's greatest conspiracy theory: "Gordon should have gone home"), Salvador Perez came to the plate to face Bumgarner, who simply did not allow runs that postseason.
After entering in relief in the fifth inning -- having started just three days prior -- the lefty was running on fumes. But the scouting report on Perez said throw high fastballs, so that's what Bumgarner did -- hardly even bothering to come near the strike zone. Just look at the placement of those pitches:
On the sixth pitch of the at-bat -- and Bumgarner's 68th of the game -- Perez popped out to end it and give San Francisco its third World Series championship since 2010.
Up three games to two, it looked like the Rangers would win their first World Series title with Texas holding a 7-5 lead over St. Louis in the ninth inning. With two on and two out, the red-hot, NLCS MVP-winning David Freese stepped to the plate. After falling behind in the count, 1-2 -- leaving the Rangers one strike away from the crown -- Freese lined Neftali Feliz's pitch deep to right field.
In the 10th inning, the Rangers took another lead thanks to a two-run shot by
One inning later, after a game of back and forths, it came down to Freese once again. Working a full count against Mark Lowe, Freese sent the payoff pitch deep into the night. It saved the Cardinals, made him a cult hero in St. Louis and wrote him into the Fall Classic history books.
Tune in to FOX to watch the Cubs and Indians look to make their own history in Game 1 of the World Series at 8 p.m. ET.
