Oh, you.

I'm like a crazy person. I didn't sleep all night. If anyone at the office wants to talk about anything other than the game they can't hold my attention. I just walk away and ask the next person I see, "did you see it?!"

Tell me about it. I'm at work with my office door shut. I can't think about anything else. My friend who I went with and I keep texting each other reliving different moments. I don't want to let go.

Calvin Klein's "Obsession for Dodger Fans"

I know how you feel. I keep trying to find websites around the country so I can read about the game in as many different versions as possible.

The Neel column got me all choked up.

Try thinking about last night's Dodger game, instead.

Jon, it really is awesome of you to provide this forum for fans to experience this together. It would always have been a special night, but to share it with so many others who are feeling the same thing I am is just awesome. I've been thinking about this game all morning... while shaving, showering, driving, working..

5

can you link me to the neel column?

thanks!

Here's the Neel link.

http://tinyurl.com/m5j9w

BTW, since I was at the game so I did not see the PrimeTicket post-game show, did Kevin Kennedy mention that when he was managing he would always use his closer despite a four run lead.

Just trying to break up Jon.

8 Here you go.

http://tinyurl.com/p82mu

thanks guys!

Sorry, the link in 9 is to a different story. Here's the real link.

http://tinyurl.com/p82mu

10 - Kevin Kennedy did mention something from his managing days within the first five minutes.

Website columns about last night's game:
Eric Neel, page 2 ESPN.com
Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com
Joe Sheehan, Baseball Prospectus

Shows that I have heard replays of Steiner's HR calls:
Mike and Mike in the Morning, espnradio
Dan Patrick Show, espnradio
Morning show on XM MLB 175

I actually do think that there was no reason not to use Hoffman to start the ninth. He was warming up already and this was probably the most important game of the season. Someone on Dodgers Live mentioned that Bochy might have been saving Hoffman in case a save opportunity came up, so that he can then send him out there to notch up another save that brough him closer to the record. If that is remotely true, I'd be livid if I was a Padres fan.

The only thing that could have made life perfect as a Dodger fan was if the Giants were losing at the same time and their pitching was imploding, giving up, I don't know, 20 runs or something.

Kevin Kennedy said he predicted the Dodgers would hit the four consecutive HRs and win it on a Nomar walk-off... or something like that. vr, Xei

14 I think we should start a drinking game like "Hi Bob", it should be 1 shot for just saying managing, two shots for managing in the Dodgers Minor league system and then 3 shots if he talks about a specific incident with the Sox or the Rangers.

14 It made me smile when Kennedy was talking about Tracy and said that any former manager would love to come here and beat the Dodgers, and his Dodgers Live sidekick gave him a weird look like, Dude, you are a former manager here.

16 My friend at the game just thought it was stupid, if he was already warmed up why not use him in the most important game of the year.

The Padres are of course only a half game out but they don't play anyone else like they the Dodgers and after the previous two series with the Dodgers, the Padres have proceeded to lose the next series while the Dodgers have gone 24-2 (17-1, the first time, 7-1, the next time).

OMG, I just confused Kevin Kennedy with Bill Russell. I need a drink now.

I recently moved to NYC and didn't stay up to watch the game...Any word on Prime Ticket/ESPN Classic re-airing the game? Figured you guys on the West Coast would hear of something first.

We have a big screen TV here at work and I am taking my lunch at 1 today so that I can catch the last hour of the replay. I am pretty sure this will be one of the highest replays that FSN has shown.

23- that should be highest rated

18 - set up three shot glasses

22 - Isn't Prime Ticket showing the two-hour version right now? That's what I set my TiVo for, because last night's game was 3:53 and my recording cut off.

I came into work late today, babbling excitedly to my Tigers fan coworker about the game (he said, "And we hit into a triple play and it wasn't the top highlight of the day, thank God") when my Giants fan coworker said, "Don't you have work to do?!"

Hah.

Name the source of this quote (Jon should get it in 3 seconds):
"if this is a lecture on how we're all supposed to whatever and blah-blah-blah, well, you can save it, because we all know it by heart."

I'm at the office and can't get enough of this. I really need to get to work but I just can't. I just can't.

My girlfriend always makes fun of me, comparing me to Jimmy Fallon's character in Fever Pitch. Well, there's that scene in the movie where his buddy calls him that he missed one of the greatest games in Red Sox history. It was like that last night - one of the greatest games I've ever seen. The only differences with the movie - I was lucky enough to be at the Stadium and my girlfriend was jumping for joy right next to me.

25 - Didn't get news of the game until I got to work this morning, couldn't set Tivo....I am at work now (BOOOOO!)

Vinny's call of the 8th on is classic and some of his best work. Stayed up this morning to catch the replay and now it is on my DVR. Now if someday I can get my DVD recorder to tape something from my Time Warner DVR I'll have figured out something very important in my life. I need to send this to all my Dodger family that is now scattered throughout these United States so they can here the master call the game and watch it on the big screen. This might be the straw that makes me call the geek squad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSNV2cQanlU

Goose Bumps.

22 Yeah, the replay already ran early this morning. My TiVO had cut out as well, so I missed the ninth and tenth; so I set up my box to record all the beach volleyball and paid programming shows from 1:30-5:30am, and so I was able to watch the bottom of the ninth when I woke up this morning.

I'll get our office TV tuned to FSN in an hour, just in time for some fireworks. :)

I have now watched the ninth inning five times.

No sleep, total mess, kids not focused, me not focused. This may go down in history as my least productive working day in history.

And that's saying something.

28 I was recalling that scene in Fever Pitch, too. I went to sleep and missed the last three innings, but I was fortunately able to catch up on the game, relatively unspoiled.

Well. Bob's comment last night pretty much does it for me:

602. Bob Timmermann
Umm.... Umm.... Uhh.... What? Huh? Whaaa?

Like a lot of people, I went to bed before the game was over. I called three runs for the Dodgers in the bottom of the 8th, with Saito closing it out in the ninth. When it didn't happen, I figured my mojo ran out so I went to sleep. I woke up this morning and was flabbergasted. I read many of the comments, but then -- whoops -- I had to go to work because I had a class to teach. I setup my Tivo to tape Sportscenter, but I'm out of area so I can't get a FSN replay. I wanted to show the MLB highlights to my class, but couldn't find a way to tie it into a senior CS lecture.

This is like a dream to me, because there was no way that could happen. I still won't believe it fully until I can watch it myself, maybe by buying the game through MLB.

There is magic in baseball.

Was at the game last night...left in the middle of the 9th...Doh! Hey, I have to be at work at 5am. It was 11pm, they were down by four runs, Hoffman due to come in. The radio call helped the fact that we weren't inside jumping around like little girls. I can't stop talking about it, and I keep playing the replay of Nomar hitting the winning shot as loud as I can. It feels good, hopefully not short lived.

The middle of the 9th was only around 10:30.

I just watched the youtube... I am nearly crying and I thought that this would already be old hat. I am just staring off into space with the glassy look, if only had a dog to pet like Chris did.

Downloading the game now. The 2-year-old is asleep for the next hour. I'm watching the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I should add that I wouldn't really fault anyone for leaving early.

39 whatever time is was, it was at least two hours past my bed time!

Here's another thought. People are selling tickets to Saturday's Oaks Christian-St. Bonaventure HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL game on ebay for $81 a pair.

Jon, I saw a Plaschke column from Monday morning that you quoted -- and now it's not there? Did the Dodgers pull the column from their site, or did that not happen?

The game took just 3:53 for 10 innings, which is suprisingly short for a game that had so many baserunners. However, the managers made very mid-inning pitching changes. There were just two.

Embree and Adkins were both yanked early. All the other pitchers stuck out their innings.

"Seanez faced 2 batters in the 10th inning."

I'm watching it again from the beginning on the tivo right now. I don't know, I may just keep it on a continuous loop.

I really hope somebody frames the front page of today's Times and gives it to Marlon Anderson as a gift. That's something special.

28., 35. People are not allowed to watch the baseball version of Fever Pitch, it's not allowed. The soccer version of the movie isn't even that good, I can't even imagine how bad Jimmy Fallon made the baseball version.

I may have to develop a Marlon Anderson Fetish to replace the one I had before but I better not type because it led to misinterpretation.

I just watched the ninth inning again and now can't wait to get to work. What a glorious day!

49
The Jimmy Fallon version is not nearly as good as the Colin Firth version, which I think isn't half bad.

46 Okay Bob, UCLA/Gonzaga or last night, most improbable? I would have to say last night only because in basketball those types of comebacks are what the NCAA Tourney are all about. But both were very sweet and worth replaying over and over.

I have only one experience running back into the stadium, Game 3, 1986 ALCS, Boston with I believe a 3 run lead, bottom of the ninth. As the Angels made their comeback, a few of us gathered by someone's car listening as they tied it up. Once it was tied, we ran back in and saw the Angels ultimately win it a few innings later.

That only made what happened a few days later very painful.

53 I would say last night too, because besides what you said, in basketball - although it isn't easy to do so - it's easier to quickly score 3 points versus hitting a baseball out of the park - 4 times in a row no less. Both were pretty miraculous though.

I've always kind of thought the SD-LA rivalry was very one sided. We are their biggest rival, and SF is ours. Maybe that is why we've struggled of late so mightily against them.

My question is whether last night changes all of that?

You can't rewrite decades of history in one night. Bobby Thompson's shot still happened. But I must tell you I can't wait for the next LA v SD matchup.

Hopefully it comes this post season... with the dodgers holding the home field advantage.

53
The UCLA comeback against Gonzaga was also unlikely in that UCLA didn't make any three pointers nor did they deliberately foul during the comeback.

53 UCLA/Gonzaga, only because there is no life after a loss in March Madness. But I'm a Bruin so I may be biased.

As for last night, I went to bed after the eighth inning. The morning paper was sweet though!

56 Not me, I have seen enough of them for this year.

I'm watching the 9th now, preparing for the 10th ...

Oh to be the poor souls who had enough after 8, and to be the guy who just had to make sure his scorebook showed that he was there 'til the very end - where is Roger Angell when you need him?

50- Is there more than one way to interpret a desire to see John Wooden in chaps, spurs, and a bolo tie?

49, 52 Fever Pitch is one of my favorite books of all-time. There are some real truths in there, and even though it's about soccer, it's instantly relatable to any fan of any team in any sport the world over.

The Jimmy Fallon movie was technically "based on the book by Nick Hornby," but I knew going in that it really had nothing to do with the book. So with that mindset, I was ok with it. Plus, it was a romantic comedy that my then-girlfriend dragged me to see, and at least it had some baseball themes to keep me interested.

61 How about someone who calls government officials "lookers?" And please no jokes about typos.

I'm like a crazy person. I didn't sleep all night. If anyone at the office wants to talk about anything other than the game they can't hold my attention. I just walk away and ask the next person I see, "did you see it?!"

that was me as well, even my boss looked like a little kid in a candy store talking about last nights game.

UCLA vs Gonzaga almost caused me to have a heart attack. I was going absolutely insane during that game. My body went into overload of excitement.

Last night was just so improbable I was in a state of bliss. I was just walking around smiling, excited, but surprisingly calm.

I think last night's win was predestined. Everything fell into place even Saito's outing. If Saito didn't give up the extra 3 runs in the 9th to make it nonsave situation, then we would have faced Hoffman starting the 9th after he was properly warmed up. Having Hoffman come in when he had to warm up again probably contributed to the 2 pitch HR's to tie the game.

Sam in DC in the previous thread, #256 mentioned that "Josh's place" might have a transcript of Vin's call of the 9th/10th innings. Which site is that? And yeah, still not doing anything at work...well, unless trolling the Internets for information about the game is something...

what's frustrating about all this is that I'm stuck in NYC, where the only baseball news from last night, as far as they are concerned, happened at Shea Stadium. Got no one to talk about it with... thank goodness for DT. What I would have given to have been there last night...

btw, notice how all the features on the sports sites (yahoo sports, ESPN, si, etc.), are already back focusing on the mets and yankees? Because we can't devote more than half a day to a team not located in the East... sickening...

That movie was widely panned before anyone had ever seen it. I think that it was slightly miscast since most people who like baseball, semmingly hate Jimmy Fallon and probably don't really care too much about Drew Barrymore. That said, aside from the horrible horrible ending, the movie was actually pretty good. I can't really fault them for the ending, which they had to make up on the fly, the original ending was going to be more melancholy and bitter sweet. Still, it is a decent movie, no where near as bad as reported by many people who probably refused to watch it in the first place.

Todd -- was talking about Josh Rawitch, Dodgers head of Press Relations, who writes the Inside the Dodgers blog, linked at right. Look in the comments of the "Raise Your Hand" post.

63- I'm declaring Friday a day of peaceful rage against calling Mary Landrieu a looker. You may think I'm the only one who got honked up about that, but you may be surprised. . .

Nomar chats in half an hour:
http://tinyurl.com/esda7

69 - PS I met Nick Hornby and he was one of the coolest, most down to earth guys. The story is not a novel, it is autobiographical and tells about his life long obsession with Arsenal, AKA Osama Bin Ladin's soccer team (no joke).

Correction, Josh's title is "Director, Public Relations".

I have a really busy day today and all I can think about is watching the replay I'm recording. The youtube clip was great, just whetted my appetite.

71
I had always thought Andrew would be more of a Jennifer Granholm type, but maybe he prefers senators to governors.

"I'm sitting here with my seventh beer doing another round of interviews and I didn't even pitch!' Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe shrieked from the chair in front of his locker."

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9670490

76- Granholm does nothing for me, and I've never particularly understood why she did for anybody else. Now, Bonnie Garcia? Well. . . But don't ask me to explain why.

So...Does Marlon Anderson get the start again tonight??? Is Either now relegated to spot duty???? Stay tuned.

77 God bless Derek Lowe but I worry he's going to become the Barney (from the Simpsons) of the Dodgers if he isn't already.

"You didn't tell me your wife was so beeyoot{{BELCH}}tiful!"

Josh's blog says the lineup card and other items from the game are going to the Hall of Fame. Cool.

Im watching the replay. Interesting, after Marlon Anderson his the 4th homer, they cut to the bench and everybody is going crazy (as you'd expect). However, in the background, Jeff Kent is just sitting on the bench. Talk about self control.

I have to admit, I couldn't wait to get back from the game last night to see what you all had done to the board. The comments have been great, but how could written words adequately describe such a game as last night's?

When Furcal hit one out early in the game, I said to myself, "Man, Furcal's been tearing it up!"; When Marlon tripled in the eighth, I said "Man, that Marlon's been a pretty good pick up."; When Drew hit the second home run of the ninth, I said "Gee, that ball was way gone!"; When Marlon tied the game, I said "AAAAAAAAAYYYYyEEEE!"; when Nomar hit his walkoff, I cried.

69 - I've seen the movie several times on cable as I truly identify with the struggles of a fan like Jimmy Fallon's character. It is kind of endearing to be a fan of something you can't control, that is bigger than you. It is maddening to be a fan with the sometimes frustrating history of a team like the Red Sox or Dodgers. Teams like that are more true to life though, as they fail more times than they succeed in their quest to reach and then win a World Series making the few times the goal is reached that much sweeter. Fans of teams like the Yankees can get so spoiled by success that just reaching a LCS or WS is deemed a failure. I for the most part have enjoyed the rollercoaster ride the Dodgers have taken me on over the years, September pennant drives, the heart-breaking defeats, the exhilirating victories all a part of the ebb and flow of real life.

72

can you ask him why he dons't speak spanish if he is of Mex desent, why didn't his parent teach him & so forth. i've always wondered that.

77
Lots of great quotes from that article.

Or, as Drew said of his team's ninth- and 10th-inning attack: "That's just a lot of home runs saved up over the season. We've been saving them up for a game when we really needed them."

Kent is celebrating at the end of the game as he was on deck. Kent likely wasn't celebrating too much after Anderson's homer because he was aware that you can't win a baseball game with a 9-9 score.

David Ortiz's legacy is that all batters who hit game-ending home runs now flip off their helmets after they round third. Both Martin and Nomar did it.

I don't recall if Ramon Martinez did.

85 I'm in the same boat and I will never know why my parents didn't teach me either.

71 Before you go there, I invoke Jon's DT suggested guidelines 4-8 on myself so hopefully we can keep the karma. And I apologize for ever muttering those thoughts out loud.

77

my kind of guy

Hey did anyone here post what Marlon Anderson's OPS was last night? I'm too lazy and ig'nit to look it up.

After rewatching the last part of the game again myself (after downloading), I still get goosebumps. And a certain part of me, especially now that we've evened out the pain from that April game, wants the Padres to make the playoffs, too. As much as I don't like them, I respect them and would feel bad if this game ruined their psyche so much that they can't come back and make it, and they're better than they playoff pretenders.

I also was reminded of how much I love Vin Scully after rewatching.

91 3.600.

92 Hee. Thanks!

88
I carpool with a woman whose parents were second generation Mexican immigrants and spoke Spanish. They refused to let her speak Spanish growing up.

I think a lot of it has to do with a desire for assimilation.

One of my nephews, who was born in Guatemala, no longer speaks Spanish. He lost almost all of it within a year. I wish I had a young brain and could learn a new language that fast!

I would talk to him last year in Spanish (as a 7-year old) and try really hard to get the gender right for nouns and use the right tense. Now he talks to me on the phone like he's a Guatemalan Sir John Gielgud.

88

i heard that back in the 60's teachers didn't let you speak spanish at all i think that has something to do with it, i also heard they use too hit you with a ruler if you spoke spanish, now i have my opinion about that but i rather keep it to my self.

95
That is indeed correct. Spanish was not supposed to be spoken in the public or private schools in those days.

I would think that a further discussion of bilingual education will run as aground on the rocky reef of rule #5.

My grandparents did not pass their Italian language on to their kids as they grew up in the 40s and 50s. There has long been a strong pressure to assimilate in America, and it usually goes hand-in-hand with discrimination against those who don't.

I hope that the Padres lose out this season, and that forever after, last night's game is cited as the game that destroyed their collective psyche. That is what I truly wish.

I wouldnt be surprised if Kuo pitches a no hitter tonight. I mean after all the positive energy that engulfed chavez ravine last night, there is still enough "magic" left over for the no hitter.

I was thinking about past Momentous/Unbelievable baseball happenings, and I think I've only saw three things in my baseball viewing life that made me think, "I cant believe I just saw that".

#1. Halloween, 2001. Dbax-Yanks. For the 2nd nite in a row, Byung-Kim gives up a 2-out game tying HR to the Yankees. Given the backdrop of post 9-11, this is probably the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen. Game 3 was amazing but Game 4 was off the charts unbelievable bc no one was thinking it could happen two nites in a row. I was actually rooting for the Yankees, so when it happened it was exhilirating.

#2. Kirk Gibson's HR. Game 1, 1988. If only bc I had no hope the Dodgers could win down 2 outs, no one on, against Eck.

#3. Last nite's game.

Those are the 3 baseball moments that I've questioned what I'm really saying.

I'm wondering what other games that people have seen that have made them think the impossible had just happened.

Football/Basketball I've seen alot more, but baseball I think are these 3 games.

95 My grandmother, who's 79, tells stories about she and her classmates getting paddled pretty severely whenever they got caught speaking Spanish in school.

"That's just a lot of home runs saved up over the season. We've been saving them up for a game when we really needed them."

haha thats awesome.

99 So I saw you chastise yourself last night, what happened did you go out instead of watch the game.

100 I was in attendance at one of those three games. Unfortunately it wasn't the one that involved the Dodgers winning.

87 Ramon tossed his helmet too.

Marlon Anderson's reactions (as he ran the bases, as he high-fived after crossing home plate) remind me of Milton Bradley's energy after a big play.

100 you put 1 in front of 2? I don't think the Yanks, D-backs even comes close to Gibson's homer.

The 2004 clincher vs. The Giants was pretty special, but it was more like the Giants falling apart to me.

This is number two for me, next to Gibson's home run.

For your amusement: the Padres' fans game thread: http://forum.signonsandiego.com/showthread.php?t=65208&page=69&pp=15

After Nomar's HR, when they started playing "I Love LA," I got choked up.

102

the guy actually has a sense of humer. :o)

And here I still have all these photos I need to process. Sheesh.

I know what you mean, Jon.

Unbelievable ballgame! "The art of fiction is dead..."

I was up till 2:30 here on the East Coast, and I've been useless all day except when it came to writing that thing up for my site. If you haven't had enough yet:

http://tinyurl.com/l4nkj

99 - Just channel that positive energy into winning at least 5 of the next 6 on the homestand and 2 out of 3 in Colorado. We go 7-2 over the next 9, I think SD will be no better than 5-5 as they have 1 extra game to play in the same stretch, we can be 3 up with 3 to go in SF.

That is my wish anyway!!

Can't think of anything else, either.

Just finished watching the highlights ( again )

Whooo!

When Ryan Zimmerman beat the Yankees on Fathers' Day, he did the helmet toss thing.

David Ortiz's legacy is that all batters who hit game-ending home runs now flip off their helmets after they round third. Both Martin and Nomar did it.
David Ortiz wasn't the first to do it. It doesn't feel good to have your head banged on while wearing a helmet.

77- hilarious, though I hope that Lowe isn't relapsing.

Are we in any way in trouble of being on the wrong half of the half game we're up against SD? If we end up tying at the end of the season do we get the Wild Card because they spanked us so bad during the season?

Y'know, back this spring when that RBI Baseball version of Game 6 1986 came out, I remember thinking that between that game and the Gibson HR, would we (those of us who do not live in Dodgerland) ever hear the same type of dramatic end-of-a-game call from Mister Vin again?

So major major thanks go out to greenchris for 31!

106 Sure they do, if you are a yankee fan. It was an exhilerating series.

Strangely enough, one moment thet sticks out in my mind is when Kenny Lofton scored from second on a wild pitch during the 1997 world series. Now, that was an exciting series.

Gibson's homerun

The 2004 Finley game.

The 1974 (I think) 55-24 USC over Notre Dame after being down 24-0

The Horry shot against the Kings

OJ's 64 yard run to beat UCLA

For things I can't believe I heard on the radio:

Koufax' perfect game

Jerry West's 65 footer to tie the Knicks

117 Yes, if it turns out that both teams qualify for the post season, then the Padres would go as the division champions but if there is only a tie for the division, then there is a one game playoff and if there is a three team tie for two spots, the Dodgers would play the Padres for the division and then the loser would play the other team for the wild card.

100 As for other sports, I don't think I'll ever forget what happened at a certain game in Foxboro: January 19, 2002.

62. Oh I love the book, even though I don't care for Arsenal and think that English soccer fandom is completely overrated, but Jimmy Fallon is just awful. Nothing he ever does should be discussed. Discuss the book, discuss the original movie which actually did follow the book, but not the Jimmy Fallon version.

122 snow bowl?

Yeah. Snow bowl.

--Horry's shot
--Lakers down 15 in game 7 vs Blazers. That 4th quarter was crazy.
--Illinois down 15 with 4minuts left vs Arizona in 2005
--Rams win the Super Bowl, Mike Jones tackle on the 1yrd line, Warner to Bruce just befor that.
--Kordell Stewart hail mary vs Michigan
--Finley's HR
--Gibson's HR
--Yankees-Dbax game 4

Grady Little really is funny

"Hell, we missed the fourth one because we were over there in the dugout talking with Julio Lugo about bunting," drawled Little, who was in the process of sending Lugo up to hit for Wilson Betemit following the Anderson at-bat.

Kenny Lofton led off the bottom of the 10th by drawing a walk from Seanez, and. ... Little deadpanned: "When we get a leadoff hitter on, we always talk about whether we're going to bunt. After that inning, shoot, we weren't going to bunt."

112 Just read your story...really great stuff. Good thing you don't Rule #1 at your site!

I'm also on the East Coast and on a rare night I stay up with Gameday...tho last night I had other things to do, and went to bed with the score 4-2. Left Gameday on and checked it in the morning...and got the story.

Then went to Dodgers.com and looked at the highlights...they had pretty lengthy interviews with Kent, JD and Nomar. As a group I would have to say they are pretty inarticulate, tho at least Nomar seemed happy. JD did allow himself a smile or two. Kent -- man what a buzzkill. I can see why teammates let him sit in the corner with his music and cycle mags. But as long as he keeps hitting he is OK by me.

127 Good ol' Grady. Doesn't he mean "we missed the fifth one" though?

If you're interested, here's my write-up of the game last night:

http://www.celsius1414.com/node/1142

Thank goodness we stayed. :)

129 I think he's saying he missed watching the 4th one go out because he was talking to Lugo in case Anderson got on base.

129 No I think he means he and the coaches missed seeing Anderson's HR because they were talking to Lugo.

Ah gotcha, thanks. It was I who missed it - the point that is. ;-)

Is anyone else feeling unready for viewing a game tonight? I feel like I need a break and I'm just a fan. I worry about a letdown tonight... but hopefully Kuo will have his good stuff.

Most meaningful (to me) sports moments I've ever witnessed:

-The Kirk Gibson game.
-The Steve Finley game.
-The Marlon Anderson game.
-1988 NLCS Game 4 (the Mike Scioscia game).
-Lakers' 15-point comeback vs. Portland in Game 7.
-Horry's shot to beat the Kings.
-Fisher's shot to beat the Spurs.
-Kobe's 81-point game.
-1990 USC-UCLA football game (Todd Marinovich vs. Tommy Maddox).
-1995 UCLA-Missouri (the Tyus Edney game).
-2006 UCLA-Gonzaga (the Adam Morrison tearfest game).

77 Derek Lowe is my idol.

I've got 2 tickets available for tomorrows game. They're in section 2 of the Inner reserve, Row S, on the aisle. Face value of $38. Im in North Hollywood right now, but will be in Woodland Hills tonight. Email me at barkin.daniel37@gmail.com ASAP if interested.

133 I worry about a letdown too. I believe SD will be extra focused on their game because they'll want to put this behind them, so we better be ready to play tonight. That being said, I love September baseball almost more than October baseball even, so I can't wait for the game tonight.

70Thanks Sam!

I believe that there's one last thing to be decided:

What are we calling this? So far, I've seen The Four Homer Game (do I need a hyphen between "four" and "homer?") and The Marlon Anderson Game.

My vote, FWIW, is for The Marlon Anderson Game, but I will abide by the majority's decision.

139 - You have to encompass the four homers in there somehow, implicitly or explicitly. Singling out one player, despite his great game, won't cut it.

I am never going to forget Nomar fist-pumping with one hand still holding up his bat. And Marlon running the bases (it seemed at full speed- I don't think he did much trotting) after the 4th in a row. That is just awesome. Absolutely no work done at my desk today.

140 Hmm. Would you be in favor of:

The Marlon Anderson/4 Homers Game

I guess my question is: Is Marlon worth singling out for praise in the name of the game? As he is an unheralded player in the game of his life -- and, specifically, it was he who hit the historic fourth homer -- I think yes.

mp3 of Steiner's 5 HR calls via KFWB:

http://tinyurl.com/zva9j

Around lunchtime today I told my wife "I'm like all disoriented from the Dodger game and reading Dodger Thoughts."
"You let a Dodger game do that to you?" she asked with that debate-with-a-four-year-old look.
"Sweets, you can't buy this kind of high. They can do it to me anytime. And by the way, I'm hoping for a lot more disorientation the next few weeks."

Would hate to shortchange Kent who banged two balls off the CF fence and then started the comeback with one over the CF fence. PLus it seems it really should have the number 5 in it since it took a 5th to win the game. I think the Padre fans are already referring to it as the "meltdown":)

Pavillion5

If anyone is doing research on the emotional power of a web community, they should probably read the last two days of Dodger Thoughts.

134. Too young to have seen the "Miracle on Ice?"

Id just like to say that last nights game was BETTER than either big games from 2004 (the playoff win and finleys GS). The atmosphere in and around the stadium was as if they'ed just won a pennent.

When I was a teenager, the Lakers were my primary interest, not the Dodgers. But, somehow, despite devotedly following them throughout the ninties I had to work through Game 7 of the Conference Finals against Portland. I'd missed my favorite teams most dramatic game; a spirited comeback in a game with huge concequence. I'll always regret not being there for that. I won't anymore.

145 That's funny. I know why they're calling it The Meltdown, but really, both sides pitched equally poorly until Rudy Seanez pitched more poorly than Aaron Sele. If Seanez HAD managed to get three outs, Meltdown wouldn't really describe the game at all.

143

Steiner sounds like a maniac on that call, or maybe it's just that A.Martinez sounds so calm & collected?

This might sound ridiculous, but if Robles bunt play had been more routine, the Dodgers would have had runners at 2nd and 3rd and one out. A much better situation for the Dodgers than bases loaded with no outs. The latter gave the Padres more options to get outs, and that was exact what happened.

Of course, we would not have had the dramatic game ending.

Never mind...things happen they way they happen for a reason.

I could see the Tomato get a start on Thursday against Maholm but with 2 right handers on the mound, Grady repeats yesterday's lineup

Furcal, SS
Lofton, CF
Garciaparra, 1B
Kent, 2B
Drew, RF
Martin, C
Anderson, LF
Betemit, 3B
Kuo, P

151 No. Furcal grounded to second after the Robles bunt; Piazza couldn't get Furcal at first.

So if you assume the same result, it would have been first and third, one out, with Lofton up, and he'd still ground into the double play.

The Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back Comeback Game

151 Bases loaded no out is far better than second and third one out.

147 Its weird because I was around, I was watching it on a small tv during a scout meeting as Al Michaels said do you believe in miracles? But I rarely think about that when it comes to great upset wins. But of course it was possibly the biggest upset in the last 25 or so years.

For me, the only game that matches this one -- in terms of sheer momentum changes, from ecstasy and agony and back to exstasy again -- would be the Niners/Packers wildcard game in... I think it was '98. This was the one that ended with the amazing Young-to-TO touchdown, but it was such an amazing game from beginning to end. The Packers kept fighting back and taking the lead, and then the Niners would surge ahead. At the end, Brett Favre drove down the field in a wonderfully executed 2-min drill to throw the go-ahead touchdown with only a little over a minute remaining, and I remember thinking that somehow, Favre and the Pack had managed to get the better of the Niners again. Then the amazing final drive, capped off with TO cradling the ball with tears in his eyes.

But even that game, as wonderful as it was, didn't have anything to compare to 4 consecutive homers.

For kicks and giggles, I will say: vr, Xei
1. Miracle On Ice
2. Gibson HR
3. Horry shot.
4. LA Kings down 5-0 and winning vs Oilers.
5. Fisher shot.
6. 4 HR game
7. Lakers v Portland game 7 comeback
8. Tyus Edney layup
9. Cal/Stanford kickoff return debacle
10. Tom Watson holing out a chip to win US Open

Back-to-back²

140 The difficulty naming this game after one player is exactly what I love about it. Going back to a comment I posted before game 1, this is the first time in years I've rooted for such an enjoyable Dodger team. The vast majority of the current players are fun to watch do what they do. For a long time you had to hang your hat on Gagne, or Beltre, or Nomo, and deal with the fact that the rest of the team was mediocre, colorless and likely to be gone with the wind. The home-run parade was a perfect example: KentDrewMartinAnderson. Each one a perfect example of something:

Kent: The tough, crabby veteran who is demanding success because he knows his time is short;
Drew: the easygoing Southerner who quietly works his way into the middle of every successful game;
Martin: probably my favorite player, with his rookie maturity, his skill on both offense and defense, and his amazing dancing Dad;
Anderson, the quintessential journeyman, late-season pickup, taken for granted by baseball fans, who comes in and gives the team a crucial push.

Not to overlook what Nomar did, and Lofton playing the Mike Davis role.

And, not to overlook Penny's crucial recovery of his form after the poor first inning.

The other thing about this team: It's the first time I can recall that I actually like and respect the manager. I wasn't even an Alston fan, although he was obviously a good one. Lasorda was embarrassing and, later, detrimental. Russell, Johnson, Tracy...ugh. Little: Kinda cool. Sense of humor about himself. Owns up to mistakes. Pushes the right buttons (ach, the cliche!)

One more thing. You might want to consider naming this game after the bugaboo the Dodgers so definitively overcame: Trevor Hoffman. This was the Trevor Hoffman game. I believe if we say that enough times, he will no longer be a threat.

Sorry for the long post.

158. My list would like pretty much the same, only I'd try to fit last years SC/ND game. Its somewhat similar to last nites game. It was a fight back and forth all game, and USC made an impossible play to stay alive, nearly ruined it, only to win in walk of fasion.

Ahhhhh. It's coming over me again. YES! YEESSS! GO DODGERS YES!

It's been like this all day. I'm useless. I have a softball game tonight and I'm actually kind of worried that I'll hurt myself because I'm still so pumped up.

It was great being at the Steve Finley homerun game, but that games didn't have the sustained anguish that this game had. I really resigned myself to losing a couple of times last night. And it was just so surreal. I don't think I've ever honestly had the thought before that what was going on on the tv could not really be happening. And I definitely thought that last night.

157 Back when the mere mention of TO's name didn't inspire the outbreak of a rash. Yeah that was a great game.

And, well, you can't overlook the Red Sox defeat of the Yankees in the...uh..."Dave Roberts game."

And whenever I want to bug my relatives up north, all I have to say is: "Game 6." The Scott F-ing Spezio Game. That was exciting.

This one belongs with all those.

139 All I could come up with so far is "The Quartet" (sounds too... uh, jazzy) or "Four by Four" or... The Four-bag Foursome (sucks) or Miracle on Grass (kidding) or Flash of Four or... I give up.

In terms of football, you have to mention the greatest comeback ever, January 3, 1993, the Bills versus the Oilers in the AFC Wild Card game. I watched that game on TV and it was amazing.

159 I like this one better so far. But dzzrt is right, the best thing is it isn't just one player you can clearly single out (though Marlon and Kent had pretty great games) because so many came through by the end.

they haven't put up the Nomar live chat yet at dodgers.com

I think from every game on out, we get Mariano Duncan to tussle with the opposing pitcher in the early going.

Who's with me?!

How about "Quad-druple, Quad-cripple".
vr, Xei

163 The Spiezio HR nearly landed in my lap in the RF corner. As a result I can't find room in my top 5 sports moments for last night's game. Top 10 certainly.

The double double-double?

Four-sum and then sum?

First four in 40 FTW?

4-Jack attack?

I'm hungry.

163 Maybe it's just me, but I call the Dave Roberts game Big Papi Flips His Helmet.

How about "The Monday Night Miracle" since nothing special ever happened on a Monday in Dodger history?

163 Maybe it's just me, but I call the Scott Speizio game "Russ Ortiz Gets To Keep A Worthless Baseball"

Nomar and Four More

Blue Monday (Rick vs. MTL...but it was in the daytime)

I downloaded the game from MLB, so now I have this miserable DRM-encoded WMV file that I can't play on my non-Windows machines. I would much appreciate it if I could find a way to see the video for myself.

-4; -3; -3; -2; -2; E; E; E; E; E; E; E; E; E; -2; -1; -4; E; -1; +1

.....-4; E;.....

It even looks good this way.

178 Heckuva time to go +1 then.

Jon, any SI articles about the game? I would think this deserves an article, especially if it carries us to the playoffs.

177. Just watch it on YouTube. It shows the best parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSNV2cQanlU
vr, Xei

178 & 179 what does that mean?

Xei's "Quad-druple, Quad-cripple" gets the biggest laugh from me, but I like Monday Night Miracle - although it may make non-partisans think of football.

174
LOL

183

178 & 179 is last night's game by inning, top; bottom, and by the Dodger deficit.

So, checked ESPN's ticker last night in the 9th inning. Score was 7-5 Padres.

Said the heck with it. Went to bed. Feeling
bummed.

What a difference a good night's sleep makes!

177- If you think it's morally justifiable (I take no position on this), there are ways of getting what you want.

http://tinyurl.com/fqec8

back-to-back-to-back-to-back jacks is fun to say

The Mets are running the Lineup of Champions tonight

Anderson Hernandez - SS
Endy Chavez - CF
Lastings Milledge - LF
Julio Franco - 3B
Michael Tucker - 1B
Chris Woodward - 2B
Ricky Ledee - RF
Mike DiFelice - C
Tom Glavine - P

177 It doesn't work on Windows Media player for the Mac? I haven't tried it that way myself (have windows at work, mac at home) but I know I've been able to play WMV files on my mac's Windows Media player... if not, then, hm.

Flipping Marty's 154:

The Comeback-to-back-to-back-to-back.

Over 1400 posts since Jon put the pre-game article up around 11 or so yesterday morning.

At some point we need to get our game face back on for tonight but that has to be close some record for activity.

Finally, I believe Bob thought that for some reason, Monday would be the high day for posts, something about the weekend, blah, blah, blah.

77

7 beers and Lowe hadn't even showered yet! Wonder how many he polished by the time he got out of Chavez Ravine. I guess the "No Beer Sales after the 7th inning" rule doesn't apply in the clubhouse. Hope he had a ride home ...

I have to say what separates last night's game from other great sports moments for me is the incredible surreal feeling. This just doesn't happen. I've been stunned by losing before but it's rare to be stunned into such utter disbelief by winning, to the point that the joy of winning is overshadowed by disconnection from reality. It's like joy had taken a mixture of HGH and LSD. The only other sporting events that gave me the same feeling were The Miracle on Manchester and Ali/Foreman in Zaire.

177
anyone know if it's Vin's voice on the MLB.com download? I would imagine so, just checking before I plunk down the $4

193

It's like Kent said last night, something like, "it's only one game".

Are the Dodgers 2006 a team of destiny based on one game? Only time will tell ...

Hard to complain about tonight's line-up, though I naively expected they might put Loney in for Nomar tonight to give him a rest, but why muss with his newfound momentum, I suppose...?

Xian, you mean the MLBTV download of the whole TV broadcast? Yeah, it's definitely Vin, it's not the radio guys. I checked.

I like the "Monday Night Miracle", because years from now, most non-Dodger fans will think it refers to a football game. Only the hardcore Blue-bloods will know what it really refers to.

196

I bought the game and it is Vin calling. The best part comes with about 10 seconds left in the broadcast when he says "I forgot to tell you. The Dodgers are in frist".

I've watched it over and over and over and over and, finally, over.

"Classic and timeless"

Can we tell the Pirates, "Not tonight, I have a headache". Last night's game took alot out of emotionally and physically and was such a wonderful feeling. Who wants to bother with another game so soon. Like a good wine, I want to savior the taste a little longer. vr, Xei

Dang it! What good does it do to preview the comment if I don't fix the typos?

"I forgot to tell you. The Dodgers are in first".

203. Don't sweat it. Only Bob checks for typos. He has a spellchecking bot that automatically text messages his cellphone whenever there is a grammar mistake anywhere on the Toaster and perhaps the world. BigBob is watching! :)
vr, Xei

203 Hey, Senator/Doctor/Majority Leader Frist needs all the free pub he can get at the moment, so it's all good (if you like the guy).

From Wikipedia...

"The term Monday Night Miracle has been adopted in reference to at least two sporting contests. One was a 1986 St Lous Blues playoff victory in the NHL and the other was a 2000 New York Jets victory in the NFL."

Weak! LET'S TAKE IT!

206. It's taken! "Quad-druple, Quad-cripple" it is. :) Let the t-shirt printing begin! vr, Xei

190

So far the Mets are still the Mets (their SS homers to open the game).

"Martin goes long on the first pitch. The next pitch saw Marlon Anderson accomplish the most amazing feat that I have ever seen (or heard rather). Anderson homered to tie the game while Charlie Steiner gave birth to a healthy litter of kittens in the broadcast booth."

That quote from Dodger Hill by John Hill made me throw out lemonade from my nose. priceless.

205

Link, can I say fruck Frist on this website?

130

thanks for the great read

Andrew -- thanks. Underdog -- I haven't tried it on my Mac at home yet. Doesn't work on Linux so far, which is what I carry around all day.

I concur on 130. Great line at the end:

So what's the scorekeeping symbol for a miracle?

193

i hadn't even realised that. wow.

210. Rules #1 and #5 not withstanding.
Xei

212 Ah, gotcha, I forgot that there's something other than Windows and Mac. Sorry Linux users! Anyway, hopefully you can at least watch at home.

204
I turned offff my spelchceker a wuyle agao.

217 The crazy thing is how you got your handle to be misspelled. I mean, two Ns at the end of your name?! Ha! Who ever heard of such a thing?!

I just checked my cellphone messages- at 11:30 last night my brother left for me the rousing speech from "Aminal House":

"Over? Did you say 'over'? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

Priceless

What about "Home Run Monday?"

Meanwhile, we do have to play the Pirates shortly. And not to be a buzzkill or anything--I haven't felt this good in ages, and I have plenty of reasons (non-baseball related) to feel kinda lousy right now--but I hope this doesn't distract us from the matter at hand. It's a timeless game, last night's was, but we have to get it over the goal line. I respect the Padres immensely--at least when they play us, they look like a first class ballclub (admittedly I haven't watched them otherwise)--and I don't imagine they're gonna fall over automatically. We on the other hand...well, if momentum takes a side it's on ours at the time-of-writing, but I reckon this'll be a grind to the end and those final three in SF...will test the nerves, let's say.

210 Fine by me, but you'd better talk to the proprietor. I suspect not, though.

I'll be heading to tonight's game in a few minutes... I hope there's some magic left in the park.

202 LOL.

So, part of doing bedtime in my house is telling a story. It's actually pretty challenging, making up a ten minute story every day, no matter how tired, bored, angry, stressed, happy, whatever.

Tonight's story started like this: "This is a true story. It happened last night in Los Angeles. . . ."

It wasn't necessarily calming, but we had a lot of fun. The Marlon Anderson connection really doubled the excitement.

209 Either you or John Hill owe me a new monitor. I just sprayed beer through my nostrils all over mine while reading that.

89- Missed this the first time through; don't know if you'll check the old thread or not, but here goes: I'm sorry but it's too late. I can't call off the day of rage. Partly because none of the people who intend to participate in it, and for which I was going to take credit, pay any attention to me. Anyway, I will try to get a footnote put in the program.

226- I can't believe I missed an opportunity to insert rage-ohol into a conversation, but I seem to have. Rats.