Bruce Blast Brings Back Memories

The title is not only a celebration of old western gibberish, alliteration and cliches. It makes me sound like I'm way old school.  That I precede the term old school.

Well gosh darn it, I do.

I have covered the Reds pretty much on a daily basis starting with the 1992 season, including a lot of spring trainings but the only clinching game with as much drama was the 1972 NLCS victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates  at Riverfront Stadium.

Only one current Red was alive then, Arthur Rhodes born in October 1969 was two weeks from turning three on October 11, 1972.  The Reds and Pirates were 2-2 in the five game series.  The winner was to face Reggie Jackson and the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.

I was just out of Colerain High School myself and working to save money to go to college at the United Dairy Farmers in Harrison.  My regular store was in Mt. Airy but I covered in Harrison for extra hours. I was off at 2 P.M. and the game started at 3 P.M..

My father, tended bar at Wiggins Restaurant on the corner of Fifth and Vine, which is now the spot of the Westin Hotel.

I called my dad, Dick, to see if tickets were available.  "Gar, I was just about to call you because Mr.Russ had an extra ticket and asked if I could use it," dad said.

I was scheduled at 7pm at the Mt. Airy Dairy Farmers and called my boss Marie Brown and asked if she could cover until 8pm because I had a ticket.  A 3pm start and five hours should allow me to get there by then.  She agreed, willingly.  She was excited for me, actually.

The game was tight the entire way.  The Reds and Pirates went back and forth.  Pittsburgh held a 3-2 lead going into the Reds last at bat.

Johnny Bench led off the ninth.  He hit a long fly to right field.  Perhaps in the pre-Marty Brennaman you've heard the call by now, media star, Al Michaels.  "Back goes Clemente, its gone!"  (Hal McCoy, the Hall of Fame writer for the Dayton Daily News, was also a year away from taking over the Reds beat from Jim Ferguson.)

 Their ace reliever, Dave Giusti, was in his second inning of work.  Pittsburgh manager, Bill Virdon brought in Bob Moose after Tony Perez and Denis Menke followed with singles.  George Foster ran for Perez.
The Reds tied the score.  It wasn't a walk off home run like the one Bruce belted last night but set off a loud celebration.  The crowd sensing more excitement.

Hal McCrae was the batter.  Moose threw a pitch in the dirt that catcher, Manny Sanguillen couldn't block and Foster raced home with the pennant.

The lady sitting next to me hugged me.  I high fived her husband.  People were so excited the traffic stopped on the cut of the hill, for fear of an earthquake.

My car was parked at the fountain square garage.  Guess where the celebration was.  I called Marie and explained that I couldn't get out of the garage.  I thought I would be fired until she told me not to worry about it.  She had watched it on a 12" black and white TV set up on milk crates.  "Once, the run scored, I knew you wouldn't make it in," she explained.

Please post comments about the exciting games you have experienced.