clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

YouTube Gold: Kirk Gibson’s Golden Moment

After 32 years, still an amazing thing to see

By JD King
1988 World Series GM 1 - Oakland Athletics v Los Angeles Dodgers
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 15: Kirk Gibson #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates as he trots around the bases after hitting a game winning pitch-hit solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of game one against the Oakland Athletics during the 1988 World Series, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers won the series 4-1.
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images

We saw a video of Red Auerbach tonight saying that if one of his guys had the courage to take a critical shot, whether he hit or missed it, he saw him as a hero because he was willing to take that chance.

Clutch play is an amazing thing in sports. You see guys do things that are amazing and, at times, beyond any reasonable expectation.

Take the 1988 World Series. Kirk Gibson had an injured hamstring and a swollen knee and wasn’t supposed to play. He still came up to pinch hit with the LA Dodgers down 7-6 to the Oakland A’s in the bottom of the 9th with two outs.

It looked impossible and on several pitches, you could really see that Gibson was hurting.

But the faith that Tommy Lasorda had in his star paid off when Gibson knocked it out of the park and he and Mike Davis, who was on base, both came home.

It’s one of the greatest clutch plays in sports history and as a bonus here, Vin Scully is on the call.

More From Duke Basketball Report