1990 World Series - I have questions...You have answers?

[caeasso]

Hello Reds Fans!

I'm doing a little fact-checking/research for a book I'm writing, and I need your help.

I have a character leaving Columbus on Saturday , October 20, 1990 for a cross-country trek to LA (for a job). As a parting gift, so to speak, she leaves as the game plays on the crap radio of her Uhaul truck.

My questions are:

1. What time was game 4 in Oakland? How long was it? Conditions: Rain, morming fog, clear night sky?
(BTW: The quake in San Francisco shook the series a year earlier, so returning to Oakland/Bay Area was a big deal.)

2. Approximately how far into the game was victory assured. (ie. When were the 2 runs scored, Oakland's 1.)

3. Bonus question : Who called the game for radio? Any chance it was Bob Costas?

Though this is just for a small transition section of an unpublished novel about a girl, I am grateful to anyone who can help with any or all of these questions. Still, feel free to add any reflections or color commentary (on the short side) about baseball that year, for example: World Series victory vs. P. Rose's shutout from the HOF.

Fans feel it. I want my readers to feel a bit of it, too.

Thank you SO much!

[Captain13]

1. You can find all those answers by looking up the old boxscore on baseball-reference.com. I'm at work and can't access the site from here.

2. In a 2-1 game victory is not assured until the final out is recorded.

3. Any fan (Ohioan) worth anything listened to the game on WLW, and Marty and Joe called the game for The Big One.

Marty instead of his traditional "and this one belongs to the Reds" went instead with and the 1990 World Championship belongs to the Reds" when Todd Benzinger cought a foul pop up.

The great run and WS helped Cincy heal from the Pete banishment, I don't remember it being brought up a lot during the series. He wouldn't have been eligible for the Hall yet.

The bigger stories were the "wire-to-wire" Reds still being underdogs to the mighty A's, and the A's going to thier third consecutive WS.

Hope some of this helps.

[texasdave]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bo...99010200.shtml
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/baseballs_bes...0ws_gm4_cinoak
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/yr1990ws.shtml

In addition to his Dodger broadcasts, the multi-talented broadcaster called play-by-play for National Football League games and PGA Tour events on CBS-TV from 1975-82 and play-by-play for Major League Baseball’s Game of the Week, three World Series and four All-Star Games on NBC-TV from 1983-89. Vin Scully also called play-by-play for the World Series on CBS Radio from 1990-97. In all, he has called 25 World Series and 12 All-Star Games.

Game four of the series information. Michael Bolton sang the national anthem.

[LeDoux]

Originally Posted by texasdave

Michael Bolton sang the national anthem.

I had successfully forgotten about this. You have brought contamination into my memories!

[Red Raindog]

Originally Posted by LeDoux

I had successfully forgotten about this. You have brought contamination into my memories!

Yes -- some things are best forgotten

ugh

[caeasso]

BIG THANKS for your speedy responses.

Originally Posted by Captain13

1. You can find all those answers by looking up the old boxscore on baseball-reference.com. I'm at work and can't access the site from here.

2. In a 2-1 game victory is not assured until the final out is recorded.

3. Any fan (Ohioan) worth anything listened to the game on WLW, and Marty and Joe called the game for The Big One.

1.) Marty instead of his traditional "and this one belongs to the Reds" went instead with and the 1990 World Championship belongs to the Reds" when Todd Benzinger cought a foul pop up.

The great run and WS helped Cincy heal from the Pete banishment, I don't remember it being brought up a lot during the series. He wouldn't have been eligible for the Hall yet.

2.) The bigger stories were the "wire-to-wire" Reds still being underdogs to the mighty A's, and the A's going to thier third consecutive WS.

Hope some of this helps.

Captain - It all helps! I looked at a box score site before I came here, but it didn't have the details your provided. The time, etc. PERFECT.
The details (1&2) are EXACTLY what I am looking for.

As for the Pete Rose situation. I suppose I was thinking about the sad irony of having the team achieve such great successs (with talent Rose likely cultivated) while he sat in jail for 5 months. As if he held them back.

Originally Posted by texasdave

Game four of the series information. Michael Bolton sang the national anthem.

Texas Dave - Very Cool!!
My character takes a few potshots at goldilocks earlier in the book. That he sings the Anthem during game 4 is just the right dash of salt in her wounds. Thanks!!

Originally Posted by LeDoux

I had successfully forgotten about this. You have brought contamination into my memories!

Originally Posted by Old Righthander

Yes -- some things are best forgotten, ugh

LeDoux & ORH - Sorry for the bad acid-washed trip down memory lane! Mullets for everyone!

You guys are GREAT! Thanks.

[brad1176]

That series was literally David vs Goliath. The A's were the powerhouse of baseball. In game one, Eric Davis blasted a two run homer in the first inniing that really set the tone for the rest of the series. The Reds seemed to believe that they could beat the A's after that homer.

[Red Raindog]

Originally Posted by brad1176

That series was literally David vs Goliath. The A's were the powerhouse of baseball. In game one, Eric Davis blasted a two run homer in the first inniing that really set the tone for the rest of the series. The Reds seemed to believe that they could beat the A's after that homer.

I attended the 2 games in Cincy & had tickets for the other 2 games that were expected to be played in Cincy --- they sold tickets in a strip that were good for all the games with the same seat locations --- all of us in the stands expected to back in our seats in a few days because none of us had an inkling that the series would be over so quickly.

Man that was fun!

[brad1176]

Originally Posted by Old Righthander

I attended the 2 games in Cincy & had tickets for the other 2 games that were expected to be played in Cincy --- they sold tickets in a strip that were good for all the games with the same seat locations --- all of us in the stands expected to back in our seats in a few days because none of us had an inkling that the series would be over so quickly.

Man that was fun!

Wow, I bet that was fun! I would've loved to have been there! I was 14, my friends and I were huddled around an old black and white tv watching it. None of us really thought the Reds had a chance against the A's, they just had too many weapons. When Davis hit that homer off of Dave Stewart we were going crazy! I guess it made us believe that they could win it too!

[UPRedsFan]

I was 22 and remember the same reaction when Davis hit the homerun. I didn't really believe they could win until that homerun. Wonder if that was the same reaction many on the team had.

The other most memorable play from that post season was when Davis threw out Bonilla trying to stretch a triple in the playoffs. My girlfriend, now wife, thought I was a little over the top cheering in the car listening to the radio.

[smixsell]

Originally Posted by brad1176

That series was literally David vs Goliath. The A's were the powerhouse of baseball. In game one, Eric Davis blasted a two run homer in the first inniing that really set the tone for the rest of the series. The Reds seemed to believe that they could beat the A's after that homer.

Spot on. What a moment!!!! Dave Stewart had won like 6 or 7 stright postseason games with a miniscule ERA over that span, and ED's 2 out 2-run BLAST to DEEP centerfield smashed both the A's and Steweart's myth of invincibility from the get go. I was sitting in the upper deck in staightaway centerfield and knew the ball was gone when the ball reached it's apex and looked like a basketball to me because it was already so close. The ball was out in nearly straightawy CF by about 60-100 feet. WHAT A BLAST!!!!

PS The Reds beating the "invincible" Dennis Eckersly (like 44-1 in save opportunities that year IIRC) the next night sealed the Reds' belief.

PPS Although Vegas had the A's at prohibitive 3-1 favorites for that series, a poll of the head scouts of all major league teams taken prior to game 1 actually had a majority of head scouts picking the Reds to win (as I did <smile>). The scout's obviously knew, as I did (smile), that the Reds actually matched up well against the "Mighty A's." One of the reasons the A's dominated the AL during that period was they were an "NL style" team (speed, base stealing, power pitching) playing in the AL. The Reds were WELL equipped to face this type of team, whereas the typical AL teams weren't, making the A's seem much more powerful and dominant than they actually were IMO.

[smixsell]

Originally Posted by UPRedsFan

I was 22 and remember the same reaction when Davis hit the homerun. I didn't really believe they could win until that homerun. Wonder if that was the same reaction many on the team had.

The other most memorable play from that post season was when Davis threw out Bonilla trying to stretch a triple in the playoffs. My girlfriend, now wife, thought I was a little over the top cheering in the car listening to the radio.

Awesone play! And also, another awesome and perhaps an even more crucial play was O'neill fairly late in game 2 throwing out Bonds (i think) at 3rd base after catching a fairly deep flyball to right with no outs and the Red's up only 2-1. I remember thinking that he had ZERO chance of throwing out Bonds, but he made one of the best throws I've ever seen to nail him at 3rd. The 1990 Reds turned in one of the "tightest" post seasons in MLB history that year. Many great defensive plays and virtually no mistakes. 1990 post season, what baseball clinic put on by the Reds, and WHAT A RIDE for the fans!

[smixsell]

Originally Posted by brad1176

Wow, I bet that was fun! I would've loved to have been there! I was 14, my friends and I were huddled around an old black and white tv watching it. None of us really thought the Reds had a chance against the A's, they just had too many weapons. When Davis hit that homer off of Dave Stewart we were going crazy! I guess it made us believe that they could win it too!

It was a BLAST! Myself, my sister, and her (now) husband (a Reds fan romance ) flew in from South Florida to Cincy for games 1 and 2 of the NLCS, and drove from FLA to Cincy for the World Series. We had a blast in games 1 and 2, went to visit relatives in Chicago while the series was in "ChOAKland" expecting to come back for games 6 and 7 in Cincy, but instead stopped back in Cincy for the celebration in Fountain Square.

PS I knew it was a good sign when we were late for game 1 of the WS, were rushing through some kind of parking garage close to Riverfront, and bumped in to REDS GREAT Mario Soto, who was also racing to get into the stadium before first pitch. We all yelled "Hey Mario, you were the BEST!" He smiled, waved, and kept on "fast walking" toward the stdium.

[Captain13]

Originally Posted by smixsell

Awesone play! And also, another awesome and perhaps an even more crucial play was O'neill fairly late in game 2 throwing out Bonds (i think) at 3rd base after catching a fairly deep flyball to right with no outs and the Red's up only 2-1. I remember thinking that he had ZERO chance of throwing out Bonds, but he made one of the best throws I've ever seen to nail him at 3rd. The 1990 Reds turned in one of the "tightest" post seasons in MLB history that year. Many great defensive plays and virtually no mistakes. 1990 post season, what baseball clinic put on by the Reds, and WHAT A RIDE for the fans!

I have forgotten about that play. From that series I always remember Glen Braggs going above the fence to bring one back.

I forgot how good that team was defensively. Wow.

[Brisco]

The best part of the series for me was game 2 in the tenth inning when the player any Reds fan would have voted least likely to get a hit against Dennis eckersley, Billy Bates, hit a ball that hit home plate and then rolled into the infield. All series the announcers kept talking about Bates' speed even though he was a utility IF because he had raced a cheetah earlier that year. Bates beat the throw to first, Sabo singled him to third and Oliver drove him in.

Without that infield hit by Bates v Eck I think we see a totally different series