The Classic, Historical Thriller of 1975 World Series Game Six

If you’re a baseball fan, more than likely you’ve heard a lot about Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Many think it was the greatest baseball game ever, not only in World Series play, but additionally in baseball history. For three days it had rained in Boston delaying the game at Fenway. Cincinnati was leading three games to two.

Longtime owner Tom Yawkey had dreamed of a World Series title all his forty-four years as sole owner of the Boston team. The rain may have delayed the game, but the rest that both of the Red Sox top starting pitchers, Luis Tiant and Bill Lee, had gotten during those days would allow them to return to the Series for the all-important final game against the Reds. They might just finally win it all.

Managers Sparky Anderson and Darrell Johnson greet each other before the game.jpg (30875 bytes)Fourth General Manager, Dick O’Connell, had revitalized the team, replacing the team’s dead wood with younger, more vital players. Under the tutelage and drill instructor style training of manager Dick Williams, the team had become a contender again, giving Boston fans a reason to return to Fenway. Their team had twice been close, winning the American League pennant in 1946, but losing the Series in seven games to St. Louis and again twenty years later in 1967 with the same 4-3 outcome against the Cardinals. After that near win, both Tom Yawkey and Fenway Park underwent dramatic changes. Yawkey’s obsession with winning the Series was renewed; the ballpark received a major facelift and the fans forgave them and returned.

The Cincinnati Reds had it all in 1975 – power, speed, defense. Second baseman, Joe Morgan was about to be named the National League MVP; the team had exceeded the National League record of regular season wins, the most since the 1909 Pirates. At one time during the season the Reds had gone fifteen straight games without an error. They also led the National League with fifty saves.

Cincinnati, like Boston, had tasted near victory previously in the World Series – waiting twenty years after their 1919 win before their next Series win, and later in 1961 a National League pennant again gave them hope. They knew too well how it felt to lose the Series, for they lost to the Yankees that year, and to the Baltimore Orioles in ’70, and to the Oakland A’s in 1972.

Now a six year veteran with the Reds, Manager Sparky Anderson had earlier in the season moved left fielder Pete Rose to third base, allowing George Foster, who seemed uncomfortable in both right and center fields, to move into Pete’s former position and newcomer Ken Griffey into right field. The new arrangement led the Reds into winning 96 of their last 138 games of the season and the team dusted the Pittsburgh Pirates in three games to win the National League Championship. The Reds led the National League in stolen bases (168) with a success rate of 82% and all the experts in the media heavily picked the Reds to win the Series.

Commissioner Bowie Kuhn blamed the third day’s rain delay on the groundskeepers, saying that they didn’t feel the field could be ready for play that night. In reality head groundskeeper, Joe Mooney, had worked tirelessly on the field, and had told Kuhn at noon, "Give me eight hours and we’ll have the field ready." Truth be told, it was more likely that Kuhn didn’t want the Series going head-to-head with ABC’s Monday Night Football.

The third day’s delay was going to cost NBC $150,000 more in additional hotel and living expenses alone, and that didn’t even account for any of the wages for the technicians and engineers that were now moving into triple time. Then too, no Series had ended with the sixth game since 1959. Odds are there would be a seventh.

Both team managers pondered their starting pitcher assignments when the rain delay came. Moving Tiant up from Game 7 to Game 6 was a no-brainer for Darrell Johnson of the Sox. Anderson’s decision was a bit more difficult, but he chose Nolan instead of Jack Billingham, even though Billingham had the most wins over the last three years, and had proven himself in this Series holding the Red Sox to a single earned run through six innings of Game Two. Anderson’s reasoning? Nolan’s arm was rested, but not enough to throw out of the bullpen, so his best choice would be to use him as the starter. Keeping Billingham in reserve was Anderson’s insurance in case Nolan faltered.

Boston's Fred Lynn bounces off the wall in the fifth inning trying for Ken Griffey's triple.jpg (19889 bytes)The Reds led off the game with third baseman Pete Rose who fouled out to left field. Anderson had struggled with his lineup for the second slot, but counting that his gut feeling was right, decided on Ken Griffey. Griffey’s on-base percentage had reached nearly .400 that year, and he had the speed to be driven in by the power hitters that came after him. Having worked on his patience while at bat, Griffey drew a walk. Joe Morgan, who was 2 out of 9 in hitting against Tiant and led the Majors in bases on balls, fouled out. Johnny Bench, one of the greatest fastball hitters of the game, and who had been ill with a cold as well as nursing a shoulder injury, struck out for the third.

For Boston first baseman Cecil Cooper, a solid hitter who was only 1 in 13 hits in the Series, stepped into the box first. He had earlier in the season been hit in the face by a pitch, so Nolan’s strategy was to intimidate him with inside fastballs. After two fastballs Cooper tried to adjust to a slower pitch in mid-swing, but the ball still hit his bat and became an easy fly out to center field.

Denny Doyle, a good bunter and one who could also hit, run and advance runners came up next. After the first fastball Doyle chopped a one-hopper to the right of first base, but the ball beat him there for the out. 36-year-old Carl Yastrzemski, considered one of the most dangerous hitters alive, now faced Nolan, who during Game 3 had kept the ball low and induced grounders from Yaz. Bench at catcher called for more of the same. The count reached 3-0 and the signal from the dugout was an unusual one for Yaz - to take the next pitch. So Yaz watched the fastball he knew he could hit sail past him for his first strike. Then Nolan threw another fastball that floated up and over the inside corner. Yaz let loose his powerful swing and sent the ball flying into right field for the game’s first hit.

Next up came Carlton Fisk, the Sox’s strong right-handed catcher, who at 6’2" still had cat-like reflexes. He had been the first player in the American League named 1972 Rookie of the Year by a unanimous vote. A severe knee injury had sidelined him in ’74, and when he returned to play, a pitch hit and fractured his right forearm, so he was sidelined again. Back in the game now, he was 4 hits in 18 against the Reds. Bench called for low and inside. Nolan’s fastball flew straight into the strike zone and WHACK – a single to left. Two on, two out.

Sparky gave the signal and Jack Billingham and Freddie Norman began to loosen up. Johnny Bench went out to the mound to calm Nolan down.

Fred Lynn was next at bat, the fourth left-hander to face Nolan. It was only Lynn’s second full year of professional baseball, after leading USC to three straight NCAA championships. He was strong, had an accurate throwing arm, and ran like a gazelle. The first pitch Lynn received was up and away, not the low and away Bench had called. The second fastball Nolan threw him flew belt-high over the center of the plate. The ball Lynn hit soared up and over Boston’s bullpen into the stands ten rows back in right field. Advantage Boston 3-0. After the excitement, third baseman Rico Petrocelli hit the final out of the inning.

If you were a fan attending the World Series, the next three innings were certainly not uneventful, but remained scoreless. Tony Perez, who Darrell Johnson of the Red Sox had identified as the man they had to stop to shut down the Big Red Machine, struck out.

George Foster, the Cincinnati Red least susceptible to Tiant’s complex style, had managed four of his hits in the Series against Tiant. But Foster’s deliberate fidgeting to throw off Tiant’s rhythm was unsuccessful as Tiant ended with a high off-speed pitch that Foster lofted out the right field line for a catch by Cecil Cooper.

Davey Concepcion had only managed one hit in eight against Tiant in the Series. Tiant threw him only three pitches. The first was a called strike, the second a fastball fouled back, and the third a fly ball out to center field.

Nolan returned to pitch the bottom of the 2nd, with Billingham and Norman still throwing in the bullpen. Dwight "Dewey" Evans, despite batting .353 in the first five games of the Series, struck out, the last one a called strike. Shortstop Rick Burleson, who led the team in the Series with .389, managed to hit the ball, but was out at first. The third out was pitcher Luis Tiant, called out on strikes.

In the bottom of the third inning left-hander Fred Norman, at 5’8" the shortest starting pitcher in baseball finally replaced Nolan, but not for long. Norman loaded the bases with Doyle, Fisk, and Lynn and with only one out, Sparky went to the mound and replaced him with Billingham. With a well-disguised curve ball, Petrocelli went down swinging for the final out.

Carl Yastrzemski, veteran Boston Red Sox slugger, takes his cuts in the batting cage during team workouts.jpg (17222 bytes)The Reds didn’t break through until the fifth. At the top of the fifth Geronimo flew out. Tiant walked Ed Armbrister, the pinch hitter for Billingham, and the Sox wanted to walk Pete Rose next. But Tiant was tiring. Rose could tell by Tiant’s form. On a full count Tiant threw his fastball low, but in the zone and Rose smacked it to centerfield. Armbrister had time to make it to third, now Rose was on first and Ken Griffey was up next. The count was 2-2 when Griffey hit a long one to the back of left center field. Fred Lynn thought he had it, but misjudged and smacked his back full force into the concrete wall, falling to the ground in a heap. Before Dwight Evans could rescue the ball, Armbrister and Rose both had scored and Griffey had made it to third. Although Lynn’s run-in with the wall appeared very serious, he eventually got up and walked off the field with the assistance of two of his teammates.

Joe Morgan was up next. He was looking for the pitch that he could loft high to give Griffey time to make it home. He did hit one, but it was right into the glove of Petrocelli at third. Two outs.

The Reds had noticed that Tiant was usually throwing fastballs on the first pitch, and most of the batters were waiting for them. The odds were with Johnny Bench, who smacked a first-pitch fastball that rocketed to left field where it hit the wall. Yastrzemski, knowing where the ball would rebound, caught it on the bounce and fired it to second holding Bench to a single. But Griffey sped home and tied the game.

When Tony Perez stepped to the plate, Sox pitchers began for the first time throwing in the bullpen. Now at a 2-2 count, Tiant summoned strength from within and struck Perez out with a waist-high fastball. The Reds had a new game now.

Sparky in the bottom of the fifth sent out Clay Carroll, one of his dedicated closers and the fourth to pitch in Game 6. Yastrzemski got a hit, but was forced out at second on a Fisk double-hopper that Rose bobbled when his spikes caught in the dirt. Lynn hit one to George Foster in short left field for the second out, and the third out was a forced out of Fisk at second after Petrocelli checked his swing on a slow curve ball which ended up in Concepcion’s glove at shortstop.

Darrell Johnson could see that Tiant was starting to tire and could no longer disguise his pitches. Johnson wanted to keep Tiant in as long as he could. He had gone through the same thoughts about him for Game 4 at Cincinnati, had given Tiant the starting position and Tiant had led them to a win. There was no question, he had to give the man who had brought the Red Sox this far, the benefit of the doubt.

The man they called El Tiante dodged another bullet that inning against Foster, Concepcion, and Terry Crowley pinch hitting for the Reds’ pitcher. Sparky Anderson changed to his fifth pitcher, Pedro Borbon, but the sixth inning remained scoreless.

Tiant started the seventh inning against Ken Griffey, who whacked the first-pitch fastball past Cecil Cooper in right field. With Griffey on base Joe Morgan stepped up to the plate. Morgan had improved in every aspect of his game, and was allowed to call his own shots both when at bat and when on base. On Tiant’s fifth straight now diminished-velocity fastball, Morgan lined it hard into left field; Griffey made it to second. Two on, no outs.

Manager Johnson and Catcher Fisk marched to the mound because Johnny Bench was coming to the plate, but they didn’t replace Tiant. They just wanted to go over how he should pitch to Bench … no fastballs. Tiant threw the pitch he had used to strike Bench out in the fourth, a sidearm curve. Johnny, pulling back, broke his wrists for the first called strike. He stretched for the next pitch, but just nicked the ball for a fly to Yaztrzemski. Griffey didn’t even get a chance to make it to third.

Tony Perez came to the plate. The Reds had their two fastest men on base. Their strategy was to drive the runners in with a power hit. Looking for Tiant’s first-pitch fastball, Perez swung but only nicked the ball for a fly. Griffey made it to third, but Morgan remained at first. Two outs.

Sparky Anderson and Catcher Johnny Bench on the mound waiting for another relief pitcher..jpg (17570 bytes)The last of the Reds’ heavy hitters, George Foster, came to the plate. The Red Sox had already decided that they would concede second base to Morgan and take their chances with Foster. When Foster hit a whopper deep to center field, Griffey and Morgan both scored and Foster made it to second before the ball even made it in to Burleson at shortstop. The Big Red Machine was ahead by two.

Unless Johnson wanted to make Tiant’s removal mandatory, he dare not go to the mound again, but he didn’t want to put his closer in with the Reds ahead anyway. So Tiant pitched to Concepcion, who hit a line drive to Burleson at short, and his throw to first beat the runner by just enough for the out.

The Reds took the field with a purpose with Pedro Borbon taking the mound. Red Sox second baseman Denny Doyle popped a weak fly to short for the first out. Yastrzemski hit a grounder towards second base for the second. Then Fisk too grounded out for the third. The somewhat stunned Red Sox knew that there were only two innings left for their rally.

Johnson sent Tiant back out to the mound to start the eighth. The hometown crowd was awkwardly silent as Geronimo stepped up to the plate where he clobbered the pitch he had been waiting for high and deep into the seats.

Darrell Johnson knew what he had to do, and as Tiant left the field, he received a standing ovation. The ball was now in the hands of left-hander Rogelio Moret, a 2-year member of the Red Sox with a 41-18 record overall with the team. Johnson hadn’t called on Moret since he had given up the winning hit in the tenth inning of Game 3, allowing the Reds to take their first lead in the Series.

Because Borbon was the best hitter of his relief pitchers, Sparky Anderson decided to let him do his own batting. Borbon managed to make a little contact with a fastball, but was thrown out at first. Next up was Pete Rose who grounded back to Moret for the Reds’ second out. Then came Griffey swinging on the first pitch, a fastball, and hitting a line drive for an end to the inning.

Borbon returned to the mound while McEnaney and Eastwick loosened up in the bullpen. The Sox realized they hadn’t scored a run since Fred Lynn’s homer in the first inning. Returning to the plate Lynn hit a line drive into Borbon’s shin and made it to first base. It was the first hit the Reds had gotten off Borbon. Then with a full count Borbon misplaced his sinker to Rico Petrocelli and he ended up with a walk.

bildeBernie Carbo belts a home run into the center field seats to drive in two and tie the game in the eighth inning..jpg (30387 bytes)Anderson sent Eastwick to the mound, the man who was the winner of record in both games Two and Three of the Series. Dewey Evans was at the plate. Another full count, then a swing and a miss for the strikeout. Rick Burleson was nowhere near the strike threat that Evans was. He would have to be satisfied with simply bringing one man home. Bench was looking for a ground ball and a double play, but Burleson hit a line drive that was easily caught by George Foster for the second out. Next came Bernie Carbo to pinch-hit for Moret. The plan was for several fastballs inside followed by a low and away ball Carbo would chase. After multiple and progressively worsening swings chasing Eastwick’s wicked pitches, Carbo just knew that Bench would call for a fastball next. He was ready. The pitch was dead over the plate with no movement and was belt high. Carbo with his home run delivered the game to within reach for Boston. A tough act to follow, Cooper took three swings for three misses to strike out.

Fans and teammates cheer pinch hitter Bernie Carbo after his homer in the eighth.jpg (28273 bytes)Top of the ninth, score tied. The number of television viewers spiked to an all-time high for a World Series game, and Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show was preempted by the game.

The Red Sox got a new pitcher, Dick Drago, a pure power fastball pitcher who thrived in stressful situations. Joe Morgan walked to the plate to face him. Yaz easily caught Morgan’s pop-up fly down the first base line. Time for Johnny Bench, the best-hitting catcher in the game, a great fastball pitcher against a great fastball hitter. Bench drove a ground ball to short and was thrown out at first. Two outs.

When Tony Perez was set, Drago led with a fastball for ball one. A slider for a ball, then another fastball that Perez popped up to Yaz for the third out. Bottom of the ninth, score tied.

Eastwick was back in to face the first batter, second baseman Denny Doyle, who knew his job was to get on base any way he could. At 3-1 Doyle got the take sign, and did so for ball four. Moving from Boston’s least dangerous batter to its most dangerous, Eastwick now faced Carl Yastrzemski. Although he hadn’t been called on to sacrifice bunt at all during the season, Anderson thought he might be and moved Rose and Perez in. But Yaz tipped his rare bunt foul. Now Sparky had to decide if he would try it again, or if the bunt was just a decoy to draw the infield in. Yaz swung heavy to foul his next pitch down the third base line. That answered Sparky’s question. Rose and Perez returned to their positions as Eastwick threw his third fastball in a row. Yastrzemski came through again with a strong hit into right field. Men on both third and first and no outs.

Fisk waving the ball fair.jpg (25442 bytes)With Carlton Fisk coming to the plate, Sparky had to call on his seventh pitcher, left-hander Will McEnaney. His orders? Walk Fisk and pitch carefully to Lynn. If he couldn’t strike Lynn out, at least cause him to hit a grounder for a forced out at home. Fisk took the walk for bases loaded nobody out. But Lynn hit a high fly ball. The third base coach yelled, "No, no, no!" at Doyle, but with the crowd noise Doyle heard, "Go, go, go!" and took off for home. After the catch when Foster threw the ball home, it bounced causing Bench to have to stretch for the ball in front of home plate. Doyle, only ten feet from scoring dove headfirst toward home where Bench spun around and tagged his shoulder mid-air before the collision. Doyle ended up on the ground right over home plate and Bench was on his hands and knees. The umpire signaled out. That made two.

Fisk was at first and Yaz was on third with Rico Petrocelli at bat. When he hit a grounder towards third, Fisk broke for second, but Rose scooped it up and cautiously threw to first where Petrocelli became the third out. Game Six would go into extra innings.

Although the Reds did threaten a couple times, the tenth and eleventh innings remained scoreless. Drago remained on the mound for the Red Sox; Anderson inserted his eighth pitcher, Pat Darcy during the tenth.

Carlton Fisk waves his hat as he runs the bases on his 12th-inning home run.jpg (17261 bytes)Rick Wise was chosen to pitch the twelfth inning for Boston, his first relief appearance all season. He faced Johnny Bench first. Bench popped out to catcher Carlton Fisk. Tony Perez smacked the fourth low pitch Wise threw him to center field for a single. Then Foster hit a single that fell in left field. Perez was now on second. Davey Concepcion came to the plate looking for anything he could hit to drive the men on base in. But Concepcion hit one right into Dwight Evans’ glove in right field for the second out.

Wise started Cesar Geronimo with a misplaced pitch, ball one. After a foul into the screen, another ball and then a swung strike, Wise threw an inside pitch that took Geronimo off guard for the out. The twelfth inning was over for the Reds.

It was now past midnight, and Game Six was now the second longest game in World Series history. Carlton Fisk batted first. Bench could see that Darcy’s pitch velocity was markedly slower. His first pitch was high and in and backed Fisk off the plate. But on the next pitch Fisk hit a low sinker down the left field line … If it stayed fair it would be a home run. The ball bounced off the left field foul pole into fair territory. The video of Fisk trying to wave the ball fair remains one of the game's most famous images. 7-6 Boston Red Sox. There would be a Game Seven.

In Game 7 the Red Sox were unable to maintain their 3-0 lead and lost 4-3 on a 9th inning single by Joe Morgan that sent Ken Griffey home to win the infamous 1975 World Series for Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine.

  • PHOTOS from top to bottom:

  • Managers Sparky Anderson and Darrell Johnson greet each other before the game.

  • Boston's Fred Lynn bounces off the wall in the fifth inning trying for Ken Griffey's triple.

  • Carl Yastrzemski, veteran Boston Red Sox slugger, takes his cuts in the batting cage during team workouts.

  • Sparky Anderson and Catcher Johnny Bench on the mound waiting for another relief pitcher.

  • Bernie Carbo belts a home run into the center field seats to drive in two and tie the game in the eighth inning.

  • Fans and teammates cheer pinch hitter Bernie Carbo after his homer in the eighth.

  • Fisk waving the ball fair.

  • Carlton Fisk waves his hat as he runs the bases on his 12th-inning home run.

For a more detailed description of Game 6, the 1975 World Series, and a great read, check out Game Six: Cincinnati, Boston, and the 1975 World Series: The Triumph of America’s Pastime by Mark Frost. The book is so well written, it’ll have you sitting on the edge of your seat as if you were at the game.