Way-Back Playback: Kirk Gibson hits limp-off homer in 1988 World Series
Kirk Gibson defined his legacy on a pair of wobbly legs.
He could barely walk, let alone swing. He suffered pain in both legs, a result of injuries sustained during the NCLS. When no one was looking, he would use his bat as a cane to make his way around the dugout.
Gibson was in the first of three years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, having spent the previous nine years of his career in Detroit. Yet he'll be forever remembered in Dodgers Blue for this moment.
It was Oct. 15, Game 1 of the 1988 World Series versus the Oakland Athletics. Gibson wasn't expected to see the field.
In the bottom of the ninth, the A's brought in MLB saves leader Dennis Eckersley to seal a 4-3 win.
Eckersley got the first two outs but walked light-hitting pinch hitter Mike Davis. That set the stage for Gibson, who hobbled out of the dugout to the roar of Dodger Stadium.
What happened next has become baseball lore:
The Dodgers went on to win their sixth World Series title in five games.