Dennis Eckersley And Kirk Gibson, 30 Years After World Series Home Run

When I met you I was thinking about it last night before I knew I was going to do this. I met you in '79 if you remember, but I met you in '79 and everyone knows that in Boston. Daisy Buchanan's. I mean, sure, fried, oh. I agree, I remember it vividly, yes. 79 you walked in, you were like a stud that does the right thing, you were like the new kid that Mickey Mantle Sparky left you, did he do it? I don't know if that was good or bad for you, it was an honor, that fell on us, but it probably didn't help me, yeah, oh, yeah, anyway, so I met you then and I was on top of my game at that time.

I remember 79. I didn't shoot. him so when I saw you probably, if I remember correctly, I was probably a little bit cocky back then a little bit a little bit you were cocky you're cocky in '95 yeah you're cocky not only was I oh okay one more thing I have to remember because there's only a few times that we know we talked after I was on the mound, I hit you and he accidentally hit you on the wrist, right on the wrist and you got mad and you went to first base and you know. I turned to you and I like to say you know I didn't mean it I'm sorry man and he looked at me don't you remember this day he looked at me he said if you say say one word I'll kick you I think I would, I don't know but I said, " "It's okay, we're connected." I mean, we're connected forever.

I mean, we're like a family and the reason I say that is because they've been calling me Gibson for 30

years

. I mean, I've been living with this for 30

years

and it's gotten less painful as the years have gone by. I mean, let's face it, you had the most fun with anyone. 88 to 92. I think so, your recovery years. you won the World Series the next year you got into the Hall of Fame God so I prayed you know I feel like I'm really sorry I feel lucky that you know it was a bump in the road but it was a big bump at the time and sometimes.

At that time I was on top of the

world

, we had just beaten the Red Sox four in a row and I got my second MVP title in the playoffs. I thought I was the man and you guys had a tough

series

against the Mets, yeah, seven, yeah, you had a great one. The

series

got hurt, let's get to this and you got hurt in that series so no one thought you were going to play when you came out of the dugout, it was like Matt went crazy, that's one of the things in my statement that I said when I came . outside the dugout that 57,000 fans will regenerate me now I won't have anything you thought it was a while it took me to get there oh it took a while it seems like an eternity you know when your pitcher at that moment because you're as eager as can be, you know, nibbling on a little and I saw, yeah, well, whatever, yeah, I'm fine because I knew you were fighting, we had a meeting, your name came up, he says, ah, just don't seriously imagine this hasn't lost the room. fastballs like that, there's a good game plan, but they didn't think you were going to play and I didn't pay attention either, so when they hit you, you went up, I knew it wasn't really you, yeah.

Saying yes, but when I went Oh, too fast, what were you thinking? Thinking, oh, this guy's toes, I don't know, you had a funky swing on a couple of them, what he lacked, yeah, it was amazing and I don't want to get into that. a pitch by pitch, but until then you hit a little scribbler right at the end of the line, as we call him a little lover, a little fool and I was standing there in front of me and McGuire and I fell and it was a foul and I think it was almost Fair, I know, but it's like looking back.

Oh, it was fair anyway, we'll get to the field. Meanwhile, he had stolen second base. Okay, and I'm just thinking, now I steal an impromptu shot during the brief silence. Thinking well, that's what I'm thinking, I'm thinking all you're trying to do is make contact I was just fighting, you fought, I had, I called that total emergency, I declared it nine-one-one right now, looking back, can you believe it? How far did you hit that ball? If you showed the swing there's someone ahead and you said they wouldn't say it comes out, it was amazing and you supplied all the power to that heavy object or slider.

What's with all the explorer folklore? report, you were the one who said it, you heard it right, I have no idea, right, Mel Didier, right, I mean, he told me, as sure as I'm here breathing, you'll see a comeback course 3-2 later and I know there's a little bit, a lot of people have tried to dismiss that, but you're the one who said it now, if you look at it, you came ready and I came out. I remember yes, you came and said there were three. You come ready and I. He said timeout, that was Doug Harvey, they did, oh God, yes, yes, and the other thing is he looked at the element and when Davis stole the base, I kind of went over the plate, he could have called me for interference, but he didn't. did.

Obviously, the view, yes, he thought he was outside. You're trying to get it to bite you. Setting up that tailgate slider. I was just trying to throw a strike. You know I didn't because yours is invincible from the Boston series in your mind. I'm thinking just turn one here and he'll come out front, but you're in emergency mode and I just want to say he was on I I to this day, all I can remember is looking up. I knew you were a little embarrassed for talking to me. a couple of years ago, you know the excitement you had when you got to second base, yeah guys, they bring people out to celebrate, I mean, I deal with it with that, but you did it, I mean, you thought you gave me You were being disrespectful, I mean, that's the best time of the day.

Don't have emotions, you know, that's why I don't have a problem with emotions. Anyway, I was an emotional guy, so for you to do something like that, I didn't think anything, you're so happy and I'm so sad. man, go get it, you know, I didn't have a problem with it and I never wanted you to think I was. Oh, I guess I'm glad you said that, although I mean you didn't have to, but I appreciate it. that, but no, totally, I had a lot of respect for you anyway, anybody that plays the level that you played at, you know as hard as you played, I respect that, you know that and you know, I gave up a lot of

home

runs and you know, you know that. something after 30 years it's like, I don't want to say I'm proud that he came out of it, you know, but I was supposed to be there, I was supposed to be a part of it and I can accept that, you know, I mean.

I really can and I've been blessed, you know, I really have my career.