October 7, 1998: The Chuck Knoblauch Game

Note the ball behind him.

October 7, 1998: Game 2 of the American League Championship Series is played at Yankee Stadium. In the top of the 12th inning, Travis Fryman bunts for the Cleveland Indians. New York Yankees 1st baseman Tino Martinez fields it, and throws to 2nd baseman Chuck Knoblauch covering 1st. Except the ball hits Fryman in the back, and he reaches base safely. That would have been bad enough.

Except Knoblauch argues that Fryman ran out of the baseline -- which he had. But the ball is still loose and in play, and Enrique Wilson (later a Yankee) notices this, and, even though he stumbles approaching the plate, scores the go-ahead run. The Indians score 2 more runs in the inning, and win 4-1.

I was watching this game on NBC, as a Yankee Fan. I had gotten up to get a drink, and missed what became known as "the Blauch-head Play." Had I seen it as it happened, I would have gone straight to Newark Airport, where the Yankees would have been heading to fly to Cleveland for the next 3 games, and beaten Knoblauch to a pulp with my bare hands. (Most likely, somebody would have stopped me.)

The starting pitcher for the Yankees was David Cone. He pitched 8 strong innings, but left with the game tied, 1-1. On April 30, 1990, pitching for the New York Mets against the Atlanta Braves, he had a similar incident. He covered 1st base on a throw from 2nd baseman Gregg Jeffries, which should have retired batter Mark Lemke. But umpire Charlie Williams mistakenly ruled Lemke safe. Arguing with Williams, and thinking time had been called, Cone held the ball while Dale Murphy and Ernie Whitt. 

The Braves were already leading, 2-1, with the Mets' run having come when Cone himself hit an RBI single. This made it 4-1, and the Braves, with John Smoltz starting, ended up winning, 7-4.

Eight years later, in a much bigger game, Knoblauch had put the Yankees' magnificent season in jeopardy. The Indians won Game 3, but the Yankees then did not lose again until the following April. Knoblauch was a key part of it: He started late-inning double plays in Games 4 and 5.

For his 1st at-bat in Game 6, the Yankee Fans gave him a standing ovation, and NBC announcer Bob Costas said, "Apparently, all is forgiven." He then hit a game-tying home run in Game 1 of the World Series, helping the Yankees sweep the San Diego Padres.

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October 7, 1998 was a Wednesday. Game 1 of the National League Championship Series was also played that day. The San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves, 3-2 at Turner Field in Atlanta. Ken Caminiti won the game with a home run in the top of the 10th inning. Tony Gwynn went 2-for-5 with an RBI. (After the Braves moved to suburban Truist Park in 2017, Turner Field was configured into Center Parc Stadium, a football stadium for Georgia State University.)