As much fun as I’ve had rooting for the Texas Rangers during these playoffs, I realized after last night’s gut-wrenching contest that I’m still not actually a true fan of the team. If I were, then this morning I would be more depressed and frustrated than I am abuzz about the absolute brilliance of those last few innings. In baseball, more than any other sport, it ain’t over ’til it’s over. Â It’s much of what makes the game great, even if it hurts something awful, as any Red Sox or Cubs fan can tell you.
But what a game. It’s inconceivable that a team would be down to its final strike twice in game 6 of the World Series and come back to win. It’s inconceivable that a team could come back from two-run deficits twice, in the ninth and 10th innings of game 6 of the World Series, and win. As with much of baseball, that stuff just doesn’t happen. Until it does.
So now that we have the distance of a few hours of fitful sleep, let’s talk about where that game ranks in baseball history, because there’s no doubt that we all witnessed last night one of the most amazing games ever played. Earlier this year, MLB Network ran a series ranking the 20 Greatest Games ever (in the television era, so they’d have some clips to broadcast).
After taking many points off for the many ugly errors that we saw by both the Rangers and the Cardinals last night, I’ve got to rank it No.3 on that list. Behind the famed Carlton Fisk home run game and Jack Morris vs. the Atlanta Braves in 1991. Â But ahead of the Bill Buckner game and (the game that’s most special to me personally) the Braves’ ninth-inning rally in the 1992 NLCS.
It was that good. I’m hoping Game 7 is just as good. (But I don’t blame diehard Rangers fans for preferring to see a 15-0 blowout.)
