With the Fall Classic set to kick off at the end of the week, I figured I would document my four favorite World Series moments involving the four ballplayers from Trust the Grind. From my diamond-obsessed lenses, no championship round in sports compares to the World Series. The rich history, sleek logos, and overall presentation in the best-of-seven-style series is impossible to match. Sure, the Super Bowl is quite the spectacle, but the influence that referees have on the outcome of any given play corrodes the product, which, in turn, tarnishes the fans’ relationship with the bright-light production. With baseball, the umpires can only influence the game so much, which, for viewers, makes the game much more enjoyable. Each October, we MLB enthusiasts bear witness to clutch home runs, game-saving defensive plays, big-time punch outs, and high-leverage moments where, due to the slight time lapse between each pitch, keep us on the edge of our seats with our hearts racing.
4. 39-Year-Old Tim Hudson Gives It His All (Game 7 of the 2014 World Series)
After 16 quality seasons in The Show, Tim Hudson was given the chance to perform on the biggest stage. Though he wasn’t in his prime, Hudson held his own against a scrappy Kansas City Royals offense. Following a solid Game 3 start, where the 4-time All-Star pitched into the 6th and gave up just three runs, Hudson was given the ball for the winner-take-all Game 7 match. When he took the slab, the 39-year-old became the oldest pitcher to start a Game 7.
While he didn’t have his best stuff, as he was pulled in the 2nd inning after giving up a pair of runs on three hits, Hudson’s shaky performance did set the stage for a Madison Bumgarner masterclass (on two days rest). So, even though he wasn’t the lead in the movie, his rocky opening scene played a pivotal part in the buildup to what would go down as a magical production.
3. Chipper Jones Gets Atlanta Going (Game 2 of the 1995 World Series)
Now this was a clash. Aside from the fact that the Braves and Indians finished with the best records in baseball, the matchup came with its fair share of fantasy-like storylines. Cleveland, who had won 100 of the 144 total games, ended their 41-year playoff drought and were looking to win their first championship since 1948. They were carried by their offense, which, despite playing in a shortened season, still managed to put up historical numbers. Cleveland’s three main stars, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, and Albert Belle, all hit over .300 with at least 25 home runs and an on-base percentage north of .400. At that time, the only other trio of teammates who had done that in MLB history were Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Bill Dickey, who matched those statistics in 1937 while suited up for the New York Yankees. Alongside Cleveland’s Big Three, their loaded lineup also consisted of Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, who hit 21 home runs, Kenny Lofton, who led the league in triples and steals, and Omar Vizquel, who won his third-straight Gold Glove Award at shortstop.
While there was no question that Cleveland’s offense in 1995 was potent, reigning supreme above all, Atlanta’s hitters were, in some ways, just as good. Though no one on the club reached the 30-home run mark, the Braves were the only team in baseball that had at least seven players hit 12 or more home runs. They were a complete offense, led by a pair of veterans, Fred McGriff and David Justice, and a duo of young stars, Chipper Jones and Ryan Klesko. On top of their wide range of talent at the plate, the Braves had something that the Indians lacked: dominant pitching (Smoltz, Glavine, and Maddux).
After winning Game 1, Atlanta got off to a slow start in the ensuing match. In the 2nd inning of Game 2, eventual Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine surrendered a 2-run home run to eventual Hall of Famer Eddie Murray. In need of a response, the Braves opened up the 3rd inning with a HBP and a single. Stepping up to the plate was a young Chipper Jones, who raked all postseason and finished the playoffs with a .364/.446/.618 slash line.
In this scenario, following a failed pickoff attempt, which put an Atlanta runner on 3rd, Jones, hitting in the 3-hole, came up big with a key sacrifice fly to put the Braves on the board. Atlanta ended up tying the game before the inning was over and took the lead for good in the bottom of the 6th on a Javy Lopez homer. 4-3 was the final, as the Braves got out to a nice 2-0 series lead and carried this momentum to the end.
2. 19-Year-Old Andruw Jones Clubs a Pair (Game 1 of the 1996 World Series)
I can’t imagine playing in a World Series game at just 19 years old. I also can’t imagine hitting a home run in my first at-bat in said event with said circumstances. It would be inconceivable for me to envision myself following that wondrous outcome up with another dinger in the very next inning. That’s what Andruw Jones did at 19 years and 180 days old in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series against the New York Yankees. To this day, he’s still the youngest person to ever homer in a World Series game.
1. Luis Gonzalez Wins It for Arizona (Game 7 of the 2001 World Series)
There’s a reason why Gonzo’s entire chapter in my book is centered around this moment, as the stakes don’t get any higher. Series deadlocked at 3 apiece. 9th inning of Game 7, with the score tied at 2. Squaring off against the game’s greatest closer in Mariano Rivera, Gonzalez sensed reality from the vantage point of every kid’s dream. With a chance to win the World Series, Gonzo came through in the clutch, as his bloop single gave the Diamondbacks their first championship in franchise history. Due to the magnitude of the moment, Gonzalez’s hit will be etched in the game’s history books until the end of time.