Right before the Pirates young stars took the next step to three consecutive division championships, they were embroiled in their most frustrating game before NLCS games against the Braves happened.

A svelte Barry Bonds led off the first inning with a walk, and about a half hour later, hit a three-run homer. Gary Redus, batting fifth, hit two separate RBI singles. Pitcher Bob Walk even got a hit. All in all, the Pirates batted eighteen, scoring ten runs.  And the Phillies deserved the shellacking after intentionally walking Jeff King(!) with one out to load the bases.  In the first inning.  Even Jose Lind's mood had to be great despite grounding out twice in the inning.

Pirates broadcaster Jim Rooker was in a good mood. He said on the air that if the Phillies came back and won the game, he'd walk home. Well, guess what?

Von Hayes hit a couple of two-run homers--no embarrassment there--to put the home team back in it. But then embarrassment did happen. Steve Jeltz, who had hit just two home runs in almost 2,000 plate appearances in the majors, blasted two homers.  Then the wheels fell completely off in the eighth inning, as the tying run scored on a wild pitch and after a few more hits, the Phillies took the lead 15-11.

The Pirates became the first team in history to lose a game after scoring ten runs in the first. Their win probability was 99% after the first inning and was still 78% while up 11-10 in the 8th.

The best part of the story is that announcer Jim Rooker stood by his words. After the season ended, he organized a charity event and walked the 300 miles.

Since then, the Royals (naturally) have duplicated the Pirates feat in 2006, scoring ten first-inning runs and losing to the Indians.

Billy Martin was a below average but serviceable infielder for the Yankees while they won four world series in the 50's.  He was traded during his age 29 season and bounced around to several teams, never staying anywhere longer than a year. His final year at age 33 was with the brand new Minnesota Twins.  In 108 games he played poorly and retired after the season.  Still young, he got hired as a scout for the Twins, then was promoted to coach.  In 1968 he got his first chance at being manager, leading the Twins affiliate Denver Bears at the end of their season.  In 1969, he replaced Cal Ermer as the manager for the big club.  It didn't take long for Billy to get a reputation as a manager with a cunning mind, even if he didn't always make the best decisions.  One of the first things he did as manager was tell Rod Carew to steal whenever and wherever he damned well please.

Carew obeyed.  On May 18th, the Twins were in 2nd place and had lost three consecutive games and facing a pretty good Tigers team.  Mickey Lolich was starting for the Tigers, Dave Boswell for the Twins.  Entering the bottom of the 3rd, the Twins were down 2-0.  Cesar Tovar singled, then moved to second on a balk.  Tovar promptly stole third before Rod Carew drew a walk.  Now, Harmon Killebrew was up with nobody out.  The double steal was pulled off, though I was unable to tell if it was a straight steal of home or if the throw went down to second first.  Either way, a double steal happened with Killebrew at the plate at nobody out.

Now, Carew is on second base.  Restless, he stole third base.  Now, Carew is on third base with Harmon Killebrew at the plate.  And there is still NOBODY OUT.  What's the logical thing to do?  Steal home!  Carew did so and the Twins tied the game.  Killebrew would strike out, and the Twins wouldn't score the rest of the game.  No word if Lolich whined about Carew not playing the game the right way.

Carew stole home seven times during the 69 season, twice with Killebrew at the plate.  The other time was with two outs, but Killebrew said that neither time did he know Carew was coming home.  This prompted a staff person with the Twins to write Carew's epitaph:

Here lies Rod Carew, lined to left by Killebrew.

The Twins would go on to win the division, losing to an amazing Orioles team in the brand new ALCS.  Billy Martin would punch out Dave Boswell in the parking lot and lose his job with the Twins at the end of the year.  And Rod Carew stopped stealing home so much.

Pixel Perfect Memories will come out tomorrow.  Tonight I'm in the mood to discuss baseball.  While not a scheduled feature, from time to time I would like to take a look at some of the more amazing, unlikely play-by-play moments in history.

One of the reasons I love the game so much is that at any moment something crazy can happen.  August 24, 1983 was one of those times.  The Orioles were battling the Blue Jays among others for the pennant, and on this day they played host, just one game ahead. Jim Clancy and Scott McGregor had pitched decent games, and entering the 9th the Jays were ahead by two.  Clancy put two men on with two out and was replaced.  Benny Ayala and Al Bumbry both hit clutch singles to tie the game.

Entering the 10th, however, the Orioles had a problem.  They had two catchers on their roster, Rick Dempsey and Joe Nolan.  Both had been pinch-hit for and now they needed someone to play there in the 10th.  Manager Joe Altobelli called on Lenn Sakata, second baseman, who had never played behind the plate in his life.  The first batter for the Blue Jays, Cliff Johnson, belted a solo shot to give the Jays a one-run lead.  Barry Bonnell singled.  Tippy Martinez came into pitch, and Bobby Cox decided to take advantage of Sakata's never-before tested ability to throw out base runners.  Here is what followed:

Barry Bonnell caught stealing (PO) 2B (P-1B)
Dave Collins walks
Collins picked off 1B (P-1B)
Willie Upshaw singled to 2B
Upshaw picked off 1B (P-1B).

That's right.  Martinez picked three consecutive men off first base to end the inning, and Sakata never broke a sweat.

To add insult to injury, Cal Ripken started off the bottom half of the 10th with a home run.  Then Sakata, the Orioles new catcher, hit a walk-off three run jack to win the game for the home team.  The Orioles, of course, would go on to win the pennant and the World Series, while the Jays would finish nine games back.  Sakata would never catch again.

Tippy would also win the next night.  He pitched 103 innings in relief, going 9-3 with a 2.35 ERA.  He would finish 27th in the MVP balloting.  His career would end on the Twins, pitching four innings for them in 1988.

I would pay money to watch this inning live, though I doubt MLB will ever allow me to do that.