Thursday, October 27, 2005

A tale of 2 World Series Champions separated by 18 years to the day but still connected...

October 27th is an historic date for both the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox. On that date in 1986 the Mets won their second World Series title by beating the Red Sox in Game 7 of that fall classic 8-5. 18 years later to the day, the team that lost to the Mets, the Red Sox, would win their first World Series in 86 years with a 4-game sweep of the Cardinals just last year in 2004...

In 1986 the Mets World Series win was a bit anti-climactic because it followed the Buckner boot in Game 6. In 2004 the Red Sox World Series win was also anti-climactic in that they swept the Cardinals but more importantly because they had already done the impossible by beating the dreaded Yankees by becoming the first team in baseball history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in games...

Let's go back to this day one year ago to an event that was last done on September 11, 1918, the date the Red Sox won the World Series for the last time before winning it all on October 27, 2004. This was Red Sox play-by-play man Joe Castiglione's call: "swing and a ground ball, stabbed by Foulke. He has it. He underhands to first. And the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions. For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox have won baseball's World Championship. Can you believe it ?...

More on the fall classic follows in my commentary...

More October 27 Memories...

1858) Roland Macy opens Macy's Department Store in New York City (it was Macy's 8th business venture, the other 7 failed)...

1904) The first rapid transit subway system (the IRT) opens in New York City (while this was referred to as the "first" rapid transit system, it was the 3rd system established. London had the 1st subway system in 1863 which was followed by Boston's in 1897)...

1938) Du Pont announces a new synthetic yarn: nylon...

1954) Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, married on January 14, 1954, are divorced...

1960) Ben E. King records his first solo releases, "Spanish Harlem" and "Stand By Me"...

1964) The Supremes release "Come See About Me"...

1964) Sonny and Cher walk down the aisle...

1966) "96 Tears" by Question Mark & the Mysterians is #1...

1973) The Islanders beat the Rangers (3-2) for the first time in their young history...

1975) Bruce Springsteen appears on the cover of both 'Time' and 'Newsweek'...

1978) Sadat and Begin are named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize...

1985) The KC Royals become the 6th team to win the World Series after trailing 3 games to 1, beating the Cardinals...

1986) The Mets beat the Red Sox to win their 2nd World Series Championship (feature story)...

1987) Michael Jackson's "Bad" is #1...

1989) The World Series resumes after a 10-day delay due to an earthquake. The A's beat the Giants in Game 3, 13-7...

1991) The Minnesota Twins beat the Braves in Game 7 to win the World Series in one of the most thrilling fall classics of all time (5 of the 7 games are decided by 1 run, 4 in the last at-bat)...

1995) Gloria Estefan (who I had the pleasure to work with) performs for Pope John Paul II. She's the only pop artist to receive a call from the Pope to perform...

1995) Yolanda Saldivar is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Latina singer Selena...

1999) The Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves to win their 2nd consecutive World Series and 3 out of the last 4 years...

2000) Emmitt Smith breaks the NFL career rushing yardage record held by Walter Payton...

2003) Bank of America Corporation announces an agreement to buy FleetBoston Financial Corporation. The deal creates the second largest banking company in the U.S...

2004) Under the moon's reddish tint caused by a lunar eclipse, the Red Sox exorcise 86 years of agonizing losses by winning their 1st World Series since 1918 (feature story)...

2004) Barry Bonds 700th home run ball fetches $804,129 in an on-line auction. Steve Williams who came up with the ball in the bleachers on September 17 announces he's quitting his job as a broker's assistant...

Happy Birthday To...

1920) Nanette Fabray...

1922) Baseball Hall of Famer and Met broadcaster Ralph Kiner...

1924) Ruby Dee...

1939) John Cleese...

1952) Actor/director Roberto Benigni...

1958) Duran Duran's Simon LeBon...

1984) Kelly Osbourne...

Commentary...

One year to the day that the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years, Chicago, the other "Sox", win their first World Series in 88 years. Before winning in 2004, the Red Sox last won in 1918. Before winning last night in 2005, the White Sox last won in 1917...

This is also the 6th year in a row we have had a different team win the World Series which is proof that no longer are there 1 or 2 dominant teams in baseball, a good thing...

FYI, rooting for both the Mets and Red Sox (I know how weird that sounds) as I do it gave me great pleasure in writing today's feature story...