Editorials

Dodgers: Kirk Gibson and Justin Turner Share Iconic October Moments

October 15th should seriously be a holiday for Dodger fans. There have been many amazing Dodger moments throughout the legendary franchse. There are two distinct post-season moments though, that will live in Dodger lore forever.

And the more recent one:

Kirk’s Limp Off Home Run vs. Eckersley

Let’s start with the most historic moment in sports history. Not the most historic moment in Dodgers history. Not the most historic moment in baseball history. Sports History. It is voted as much in most polls, and just watching the moment–it’s hard to deny. I was almost 4 years old. I have the faintest of memories of this moment. I think the only reason I remember any of it is because my normally stoic father celebrated in a way I had never seen. Kirk Gibson was hobbled. It was his only at-bat in the entire series. Wait, I really don’t even need to break this down, do I? People who were born 10 years after this moment know as much about this as I do. Here, just watch it with Vin Scully’s voice in all his glory.

There can never be enough said about the brilliance of Vin Scully. A man of his experience and skill could have contrived a beautiful script as Kirk Gibson rounded the bases. Vin Scully was too good for this. He says nothing after Kirk Gibson’s ball leaves the stands. He lets the crowd noise bathe the moment. It is iconic. It is beautiful. It is perfection. There is nothing that tops this moment, particularly called by Vin Scully.

Justin Turner’s Walk-Off

I was sitting on my couch. I live in Tennessee, so the fact that my wife was staying up with me to watch the 9th inning was a special treat. It was past her bed time. My daughter was asleep upstairs. I distinctly remember saying to out loud that Chris Taylor just needs to single, or have a good at bat and walk, and that JT would take care of the rest. Chris Taylor worked a beautiful full-count walk, and up came Justin Turner. The first pitch was some sort of off speed/slider in the dirt that JT didn’t swing at. The 2nd pitch was a 92 MPH sinker that JT crushed into the night. All of this was from memory. Watch the video yourself.

Not to rub too much salt into our wounds, but at this moment I truly believed the Dodgers were going to win the 2017 World Series. I celebrated this moment outside my house (tried not to wake my daughter, after all) for quite a while. Justin Turner will forever be etched into my heart as a Dodger great. The 2017 season in general will always hold a special place in my heart, and the hearts of many others. There’s only one game I wish hadn’t happened.

The Next Dodger Moment?

The painful question remains. When is the next great postseason Dodger moment going to happen? Will it finally happen in 2020, or will we have to wait?

AJ Gonzalez

AJ is a lifelong Dodgers and Lakers fan who grew up in California. His whole family is also lifelong Dodgers fans. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, two kids, his guitars, and beagle Kobe.

2 Comments

  1. That clip is 47 seconds long because that’s the number for foundation. 88 is the death number representing the death of the old era Dodgers. Foundation of franchise and brand officially solidified with 33 years of historical moments ‘55-‘88. 33 is the number of the masons who control your sports entertainment

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