Every baseball fan on the planet has seen or heard it a dozen times or more. The date was October 15, 1988. The place was Dodger Stadium. It was Game-1 of the 1988 World Series, the last World Series won by the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was 31 years ago:

“And look who’s comin’ up!

All year long, they looked to him to light the fire, and all year long, he answered the demands, until he was physically unable to start tonight – with two bad legs: the bad left hamstring, and the swollen right knee. And, with two out, you talk about a roll of the dice … this is it.

If he hits the ball on the ground, I would imagine he would be running 50 percent to first base. So, the Dodgers trying to catch lightning right now!

Fouled away.

He was, you know, complaining about the fact that, with the left knee bothering him, he can’t push off. Well, now, he can’t push off and he can’t land.

4-3 A’s, two out, ninth inning, not a bad opening act!

Mike Davis, by the way, has stolen 7 out of 10, if you’re wondering about Lasorda throwing the dice again.

0-and-1.

Fouled away again. 0-and-2 to Gibson, the infield is back, with two out and Davis at first.

Now Gibson, during the year, not necessarily in this spot, but he was a threat to bunt. No way tonight, no wheels.

No balls, two strikes, two out.

Little nubber … foul – and, it had to be an effort to run that far.

Gibson was so banged up, he was not introduced; he did not come out onto the field before the game. It’s one thing to favor one leg, but you can’t favor two.

0-and-2 to Gibson.

Ball one.

And, a throw down to first, Davis just did get back. Good play by Ron Hassey using Gibson as a screen; he took a shot at the runner, and Mike Davis didn’t see it for that split-second and that made it close.

There goes Davis, and it’s fouled away!

So, Mike Davis, who had stolen 7 out of 10, and carrying the tying run, was on the move.

Gibson, shaking his left leg, making it quiver, like a horse trying to get rid of a troublesome fly.

2-and-2! Tony LaRussa is one out away from win number one.

Two balls and two strikes, with two out.

There he goes! Waaay outside, he’s stolen it!

So, Mike Davis, the tying run, is at second base with two out. Now, the Dodgers don’t need the muscle of Gibson, as much as a base hit, and on deck is the lead-off man, Steve Sax.

3-and-2. Sax waiting on deck, but the game right now is at the plate.

High fly ball into right field!

She is GONE!!“

This is, of course, the word-for-word call by Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully of the single greatest home run in Dodgers – and baseball – history; that of baseball legend Kirk Gibson.

Scully would conclude his epic and historic call by saying:

“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!”

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On Tuesday night, July 2, 2019, ‘the impossible’ happened again at Dodger stadium.

It wasn’t a walk-off home run or even a walk-off base hit. It was, of all things, a walk-off walk, which has happened many times over the 150-year history of Major League Baseball. But what hasn’t happened during those 150 years, not ever, is five consecutive walks – including the game-winner – with a team down to their final out … not ever.

Four of the walks were issued by Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed closer Derick Holland to Messrs. Chris Taylor, Russell Martin, Alex Verdugo and Matt Beaty, with the game-winning walk issued by Dbacks left-hander T.J. McFarland to 2019 NL MVP front-runner Cody Bellinger.

Here’s what it looked like on MLB’s Gameday:

“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!”

In addition to winning the first game of the brief two-game series with the Dbacks, it was the Dodgers fourth consecutive walk-off win. The last team with four consecutive walk-off wins were the Oakland A’s in 2004, and the last National League team the Philadelphia Phillies in 1991.

Just a walk in the park.

Play Ball!

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