Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Buck, A Drunk NYY Fan, & A Loss 20 Years Ago

Blotto Yankee Fan Robs Red Sox Of Win
Since Buck Showalter is in town, it's fitting that we cite a Red Sox-related event involving the Orioles manager that happened twenty years ago tonight. Back then, Showalter was managing another team you may have heard of—the New York Yankees. In 1993, both the Yankees and the Red Sox were pathetic also-rans (much like the Yankees this year), but the rivalry was still meaningful. On September 18th, The Carmine Hose held a 3-1 edge on The Bronx Embalmers in the bottom of the ninth at the original Yankee Stadium. As Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times recounts, ambidextrous Greg Harris was on the mound for Boston and easily got the first two outs. Then he hit a batter, and then Mike Stanley hit a routine fly ball to left-fielder Mike Greenwell. Game over, right? Wrong, Pine Tar Breath! A moronic, drunken Yankee fan ran onto the field just as Harris delivered his pitch—so the umpire called time. No play. Re-do. Of course, Stanley roped a single. Next up was—of course—Wade Boggs. He singled (what else is new?). 3-2 Red Sox. You know what's coming, right? Don Mattingly singled in the game-winning runs and Boston lost, 4-3. Thanks to a drunk Yankee fan. So, not much has changed. You can watch the whole fiasco HERE.