The Reds beat the Pirates in Game 5 of the the best of five NLCS.
For those who weren’t around, the Pirates were the defending World Series champs and considered the best team in baseball.
They were three outs away from going to their consecutive World Series. Up comes Johnny Bench who hits a lead off home run against the best reliever in the National League (Dave Guisti) to tie the game. Guisti then loses it. He gives up two singles. Virdon pulls him in favor of Bob Moose. He gets the next two batters out and then uncorks a wild pitch to give the Reds the NL Championship and a trip to the Series.
It was the most devastating loss I’ve experienced as a Pittsburgh fan. Unknown to all at the time, it was Clemente’s last game.
In my opinion, it symbolically started the shift from Pittsburgh being a baseball town to a football town. In the next couple of months, the Immaculate Reception happened and the death of Clemente sealed it…
For those who weren’t around, the Pirates were the defending World Series champs and considered the best team in baseball.
They were three outs away from going to their consecutive World Series. Up comes Johnny Bench who hits a lead off home run against the best reliever in the National League (Dave Guisti) to tie the game. Guisti then loses it. He gives up two singles. Virdon pulls him in favor of Bob Moose. He gets the next two batters out and then uncorks a wild pitch to give the Reds the NL Championship and a trip to the Series.
It was the most devastating loss I’ve experienced as a Pittsburgh fan. Unknown to all at the time, it was Clemente’s last game.
In my opinion, it symbolically started the shift from Pittsburgh being a baseball town to a football town. In the next couple of months, the Immaculate Reception happened and the death of Clemente sealed it…
Last edited: