Memories of the 1986 ALCS

[sross1800]

Just curious, before Bill Buckner's error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, what memories do have from the 1986 ALCS, with manager John McNamara, and players like Jim Rice, Wade Boggs, Bill Buckner (again, before his error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series), Marty Barrett, Roger Clemens, Bruce Hurst, Dwight Evans, Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd, Calvin Schiraldi, Steve Crawford, Rich Gedman, Don Baylor, and Dave Henderson? Because, in my honest opinion, the difference between the "Curse of the Bambino" with the Red Sox and the "Curse of the Billy Goat" with the Cubs, at least with the "Curse of the Bambino", the Red Sox won pennants (not counting their pennant and World Series wins in 2004, 2007, and 2013), in 1946, 1967, 1975, and 1986! With the "Curse of the Billy Goat", the Cubs haven't won a pennant since 1945! :/

 

Thanks!

Sean

[mvp 78]

I only really remember game 5. Hendu was playing CF and knocked a warning track fly ball over the fence. I thought he'd be the goat. However, he redeemed himself with the biggest homerun of my childhood. His nice hop and spin heading to first will always be etched in my memory.

[sk7326]

Team I fell in love with - too young to realize what a bunch of weirdos a lot of those dudes were, and what a bad manager McNamara was. For me, the Curse was a curse because the Red Sox since 1967 have largely been good! Nobody talks about the curse of the Clippers - the team has just been poorly run, and for the most part that describes the Cubbies.

[Thunder]

I remember nothing. Almost exactly 12 years before my existence.

[Bellhorn04]

I remember Game 4. It was on a Saturday night and I was watching it in a bar while drinking heavily. Clemens was pitching for us and we had a 3-0 lead going to the 9th. For some reason the group I was with moved somewhere else and I stopped watching the game. Then, it must have been at least an hour later, I passed by a TV and saw that the game was still going on. I felt sick to my stomach. The Angels had scored 3 in the 9th and then they scored 1 in the 11th to go up 3-1 in the series.

[a700hitter]

Why would any Red Sox fan want to remember anything about that horror show? It was the low point of my life as a Red Sox fan-- by far. Everything else pales in comparison. The only memorable aspect of that World Series is that I went to game 1 at Shea Stadium. I have been to 2 World Series games -- 1986 Game 1 and 2013 Game 6.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

I'm lucky I got to witness 3 championships. Some Red Sox fans went their whole life without seeing them win once. It's a great time to be a Red Sox fan haha.

[seabeachfred]

I could tell you about it from my vantage point in 1986 but I promised VA Fan that I would refrain from saying anything about that year and making her sick to her stomach. You might ask her about it. She might be willing to tell you....AND THEN DUCK!!!!!!!!

[sk7326]

Why would any Red Sox fan want to remember anything about that horror show? It was the low point of my life as a Red Sox fan-- by far. Everything else pales in comparison. The only memorable aspect of that World Series is that I went to game 1 at Shea Stadium. I have been to 2 World Series games -- 1986 Game 1 and 2013 Game 6.

 

I say that about Butch Hobson's run as manager - why would I want to remember.

 

1986? Hendu's homerun in Game 5 was one of the greatest moments of my baseball lifetime. Down 3-1, win or go home - leading to a shocking comeback. The Mets Game 6 did not even bother me - I fell asleep as an 8 year old. Blowing the Game 7 after having a 3-0 lead ... with a special night to stay up? That is when the waterworks came.

 

I wish we had won - but I can't regret having a taste ... most teams don't even get that.

[Thunder]

I'm lucky I got to witness 3 championships. Some Red Sox fans went their whole life without seeing them win once. It's a great time to be a Red Sox fan haha.

 

Now I really feel left out about 2004. I was 6, and somehow only remember the ALCS comeback. Even that is a vague memory.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Thunder

[a700hitter]

I could tell you about it from my vantage point in 1986 but I promised VA Fan that I would refrain from saying anything about that year and making her sick to her stomach. You might ask her about it. She might be willing to tell you....AND THEN DUCK!!!!!!!!

LOL!! What restraint and deference to VA too.

[sk7326]

Now I really feel left out about 2004. I was 6, and somehow only remember the ALCS comeback. Even that is a vague memory.

 

Oh don't worry - everybody has their own memories. I'm 36. For me, Aaron Boone was really the first time I felt the curse as it were. In 1986, I was too young to think in those dire terms, and otherwise the losses were all very reasonable (better teams). 2003, we had that game won, and kicked it away. It was the first time I thought "never". But even for younger folks, the comeback in 2007 against Cleveland and Josh Beckett's heroics should not be discounted. That was a heck of a rally, including the JD Drew grand slam from nowhere. 2013 contained no real life and death moments (only trailed a series once and it was a 2-1 deficit), but still what a season.

[Thunder]

Oh don't worry - everybody has their own memories. I'm 36. For me, Aaron Boone was really the first time I felt the curse as it were. In 1986, I was too young to think in those dire terms, and otherwise the losses were all very reasonable (better teams). 2003, we had that game won, and kicked it away. It was the first time I thought "never". But even for younger folks, the comeback in 2007 against Cleveland and Josh Beckett's heroics should not be discounted. That was a heck of a rally, including the JD Drew grand slam from nowhere. 2013 contained no real life and death moments (only trailed a series once and it was a 2-1 deficit), but still what a season.

 

I missed all the good parts of the ALCS in 2007 because I was playing football. That was before the time of DVR. I do remember parts of that ALCS and most of the WS.

[InfernoOrangeSS]

He biggest thing I remember was the playoffs against the Angels. Henderson really made me go crazy! I thought the Sox were dead, and then KaPow! I felt great. (I was too young to feel the heart break of losing to the Reds, only being 7/8. I saw the sadness in my grandfather's eyes. Just resignation. He made me a Red Sox fan in a family full of Yankee fans.). Losing in the series in 1986, was my introduction to deep heartbreak. I was so fired up with Clemens/Hurst/Boyd. The wins in '04/'07/'13 all felt sweeter due to knowing what it was like to be apart of the curse.

[sk7326]

I missed all the good parts of the ALCS in 2007 because I was playing football. That was before the time of DVR. I do remember parts of that ALCS and most of the WS.

 

Well, Games 6 and 7 were on Saturday and Sunday night - I remember being at a watering hole to watch the Drew homer

[Thunder]

I'm just glad I have some mementos from each season.

[Bellhorn04]

My memories of 1986 are mostly good ones, except for the finish obviously.

 

I had a trip to Boston that year with some buddies that was the best trip I've ever had there.

 

We arrived on a Friday night. They lost the Friday game 14-3 to the Orioles, but Fenway was in a big party mood regardless. The next afternoon we spent several hours at the Cask N Flagon. There were 5 of us, a couple of them were former college football players who weighed over 250. We were all big beer drinkers. We drank so many beers that afternoon that when we were about to leave, the manager insisted that he have his picture taken with us.

[seabeachfred]

Why would any Red Sox fan want to remember anything about that horror show? It was the low point of my life as a Red Sox fan-- by far. Everything else pales in comparison. The only memorable aspect of that World Series is that I went to game 1 at Shea Stadium. I have been to 2 World Series games -- 1986 Game 1 and 2013 Game 6.

 

Why indeed Ted? Look, you and others know I've been a Red Sox fan for only 13 and a half years, but I have become an ardent and passionate one to the point of being called a psychotic by some of my friends in my neighborhood, but I know enough about our team that I don't know why anyone would want to reminisce about 1986 or even 1975. OK, '67 was the beginning of Red Sox Nation and that was a mini version of what 2013 became for us---a pennant totally unexpected after 21 years of disappointment and rot, but those other two? What we should all be reveling in IMHO are 2004, 2007, and 2013, for our own edification, pleasure and benefit but also for those million of Red Sox fans who never had the pleasure of seeing their beloved team win the big enchilada. Even if I had been a Red Sox fan before 2000 what the hell would 1986 mean to me? Nothing about disappointment. Forget that and move on.

[seabeachfred]

He biggest thing I remember was the playoffs against the Angels. Henderson really made me go crazy! I thought the Sox were dead, and then KaPow! I felt great. (I was too young to feel the heart break of losing to the Reds, only being 7/8. I saw the sadness in my grandfather's eyes. Just resignation. He made me a Red Sox fan in a family full of Yankee fans.). Losing in the series in 1986, was my introduction to deep heartbreak. I was so fired up with Clemens/Hurst/Boyd. The wins in '04/'07/'13 all felt sweeter due to knowing what it was like to be apart of the curse.

 

IOSS--here's a semi-quick vignette. I am a supreme Dodger hater who lives in a strong Dodger neighborhood in Arcadia, Calif, and when I got back after our Red Sox won the pennant and then the World Series I was ready to light into all the Bums fans around here until I noticed that every one of them---EVERYONE OF THEM were rooting for us in the World Series. They simply hated the Cardinals. I guess a lot of s*** went down when the played St. Louis in the NLCS. Contrast that with Angels fans. I don't know one who was rooting for us. Angels fans hate the Red Sox with a passion and for my 37 year old son-in-law it goes back to 1986's ALCS when the Red Sox rallied from being down 3-1. Combine that with 2004, 2007 and 2008, even their win over us in 2009's ALDS has not staunched their dislike of our team. That includes Scott's three brothers and their wives, his father and mother and most of their friends. They see me in Red Sox regalia, and they see me in nothing else most of the time, and you can see the sneers and even some spittle leaking from their mouths. So I guess, if there is a moral to this it depends on whose ax is getting gored. We do have something over the fans of all the other teams.....In the last ten seasons only one team has one three World Series and that is our ball club.

[mvp 78]

If you can't find any joy in the 86 ALCS (which OP is asking about), you are a miserable human being.

[a700hitter]

If you can't find any joy in the 86 ALCS (which OP is asking about), you are a miserable human being.

You are a miserable human being.

[seabeachfred]

If you can't find any joy in the 86 ALCS (which OP is asking about), you are a miserable human being.

 

That smart aleck remark was beneath even you. If you would get your head out of your ass for a minute you could have surmised that there was nothing for me to get joyful about the '86 ALCS for the damn simple reason I wasn't a Red Sox fan in 1986. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised by your tasteless blurb because you are a miserable and unhappy person.

[User Name]

Can a700 and Fred not f***ing read? Wow.

[mvp 78]

Can a700 and Fred not f***ing read? Wow.

 

Idk. Fred even said, if he were a Sox fan it would mean nothing to him, but his retort is "well I wasn't a fan."

 

I just like that this post asked a specific question about the ALCS and only had about 3 real responses to it.

[mvp 78]

I only really remember game 5. Hendu was playing CF and knocked a warning track fly ball over the fence. I thought he'd be the goat. However, he redeemed himself with the biggest homerun of my childhood. His nice hop and spin heading to first will always be etched in my memory.

 

^ miserable and unhappy person response

[User Name]

a700 can't read and neither can Fred. The answer didn't specifically single out Fred and clearly stated that the question was about the ALCS, to which a700 (who again, can't read apparently) responded with some dumb comment about the World Series. Wow.

[mvp 78]

Just remember kids, to be a true derpy Sox fan you must forget about every season that didn't end up with a ring. Throw your memories away!

 

1999 sucked! 2008 was a s***** season, turn the page! Oh, you saw a few regular season walkoffs and had lots of fun being at Fenway? Doesn't matter! Those seasons were horrible and you shouldn't have enjoyed them you dummy!

[a700hitter]

f*** off UN. I wish other poster didn't quote you so I could avoid you altogether.

[Bellhorn04]

Just remember kids, to be a true derpy Sox fan you must forget about every season that didn't end up with a ring. Throw your memories away!

 

1999 sucked! 2008 was a s***** season, turn the page! Oh, you saw a few regular season walkoffs and had lots of fun being at Fenway? Doesn't matter! Those seasons were horrible and you shouldn't have enjoyed them you dummy!

 

Very good.

[a700hitter]

Just remember kids, to be a true derpy Sox fan you must forget about every season that didn't end up with a ring. Throw your memories away!

 

1999 sucked! 2008 was a s***** season, turn the page! Oh, you saw a few regular season walkoffs and had lots of fun being at Fenway? Doesn't matter! Those seasons were horrible and you shouldn't have enjoyed them you dummy!

This is right up there with your all time stupidest posts. Has anyone posted anything close to that? So typical of you that you think you can read other people's minds and then criticize them for it. Miserable.