The Secret to the Most Dramatic Home Run Ever
A Dodger Scout Gave Kirk Gibson a Specific Tip on Dennis Eckersley
Mar 25, 2009
Dodger scout Mel Didier's words were in Kirk Gibson's mind as he stepped out of the batter's box with a full count in the bottom of the ninth of 1988 World Series game one. There was a man on base. The Dodgers were behind 4 to 3, and there were 2 outs,
As pointed out in the article The Most Dramatic Home Run Ever, Gibson was too injured to play in that game. But nevertheless, manager Tommy Lasorda put him in as a pinch hitter. So what were those words that Kirk heard as though Didier were speaking to him directly?
The Scouting Tip
Didier had observed a habit of pitcher Dennis Eckersley, the Oakland Athletics star closer that was repeated without fail. When the Oakland reliever ran up a full count on a left handed power hitter, his next pitch would be a back door slider.
Kirk Gibson was a left handed power hitter. As he said after the game, he heard those words as though they were coming from Mel Didier's distinctive southern drawl. And he heard the tip as he stood outside the batter's box with a full count, 3 balls and 2 strikes. The next pitch was delivered as anticipated, and Kirk jumped all over it for the game-winning home run.
What Is a Back Door Slider?
A slider is similar to a curve ball. It is faster than a curve ball, but not as fast as a fastball. So the break or curve is not as dramatic as a curve ball. It's just that it may appear to be a non-breaking or curving pitch because it can be almost as fast as a fast ball. Then it breaks suddenly as it approaches the plate at a good speed.
Which way it breaks depends on which arm the pitcher uses. Hall of famer Dennis Eckersley threw right handed. So his slider would normally break to his left. From a left handed batter's perspective, it would break in toward him. A back door slider is a pitch that appears to be outside the strike zone as it approaches, then breaks in over the plate.
This Scout Earned His Pay
Mel Didier had given this tip to Kirk Gibson as a sure thing. Didier had been observing Eckersley's tendencies for several games. It was a sure thing, a "lock" in gamblers' parlance. Funny how even the greats continue with certain habits while they're being observed.
Of course, not everyone can execute successfully even with a good scouting tip. But as injured as Kirk Gibson was that night, this was his time to shine. The pitch didn't fool him. He was expecting it. And it wound up in his "wheel house", low and over the inside part of the plate. The "wheel house" is where a batter generates his peak power. Maybe Eckersley didn't have this scouting tip: avoid low and over the inside part of the plate to Kirk Gibson!
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