Jim Northrup triple - Game 7 1968 World Series - Tigers vs. Cardinals

[MickeyMorandini1]

Big time upset. Bob Gibson losing game 7 at home ? That almost as big of an upset as the Miracle On Ice. Should be talked about more.

[RRaquello]

When I was about 11, I went to a Yankee—Tiger game at the old Yankee Stadium. This was before they redid the stadium in 1973 and in the bleachers you sat along the fence right by the bullpen. Bill Freehan was in the Tigers bullpen. I was talking to my brother about something and Freehan turns around & gives me a look like "you are one dumb kid." I don't even remember what I said or did to get that response. To this day it's the only social interaction I've ever had with a major league player.

[PRican522]

harry caray

[BilliusEllison]

I watched every game, I was 9 and lived along 8 mile

[b0swell]

@BilliusEllison I was also 9 and lived in Livonia near Farmington and Schoolcraft. I remember watching the first half of this game at school and then running home to see the ending.

[PeterMayer]

I lived in Detroit in 68. What a classic!

[PeterMayer]

I lived in Detroit in 68. What a classic!

[joefax530]

It was a fantastic series, and I was a Cardinals fan, too....never expected Lolich to outduel Gibson.

[coolsouthernrain75]

I've always wondered why this World Series hasn't received the acclaim that some of the other have. I was pulling for the Cardinals but regardless, it was a great Series.

[GregDad100]

A painful moment in Cardinals' history, but it was slightly made up for in 2006. By the way, congratulations, Redbirds!

[mikeytoospikeyishot]

bob is a legend

[asarge61]

Anybody notice the announcer with Kurt Gowdy is Harry Caray.

[graciemaemarie11]

how about that crazy 10 run inning in game six? i come home from school in bottom of third inning, and my mother says detroit is ahead,12-0 !

[bluestingray67]

Maybe this is why McCarver is so biased against the Tigers, he's still pissed about getting his ass kicked in '68 !

[bezzarguy]

I always felt this was one of the greatest World Series ever. To this day folks talk about the '69 Mets series, and this one is barely mentioned.On the road facing the fearsome Gibson, Mickey Lolich on 2 days rest, out-pitched him. I might add they were down 3 games to 1, winning the last 2 at Busch stadium. The '11 Tigers just beat Texas to bring the series to 3 to 2. If the Tigers can win these last 2 games in Texas, perhaps more people will remember the '68 Tigers, and their great season.

[huskyjerk]

Gibson relied too much on his curve ball and Detroit was sitting on it. It appears that Gibson was tiring and didn't have his usual fastball, so he went breaking stuff. He really labored in that inning. Very unusual to see Gibson not being the fireballer. He should have thrown Freehan another fastball, for Freehan looked bad on those previous fastballs. Instead, he hung him a curve and another hit ensued.

[1400deadwood]

BIG time old schooler here ~ many say we needed a DH & smaller strike zone because baseball was too slow, boring, & unexciting. Anyone who feels that way needs to watch the 67, 68, 69 world Series. Baseball was FAR better then than today - each game was roughly 2 hours long with all that excitement packed into a shorter game. How I long for baseball to be that way again.

[graciemaemarie11]

@1400deadwood so right, now days, 3,4 hour games, multi-commercials berween innings, and your so right, those were great series, even 65, 64,56,57, 58,70...

[bobtnner]

One of the truly great World Series you never hear about. Everybody talks about the 75 and 86 series but this one had more excitement and drama. 2 brilliant aces in Gibson and 31 game winner Denny McClain, Mayo Smith moving gold glove center fielder Mickey Stanley to shortstop, unbelievable. Lou Brock's failue to slide in game 5 likely costing the Cards the series, Mickey Lolich's brilliant performances both pitching and hitting and beating Gibson in game 7 on 2 rest...I could go on and on.

[mindspring57]

The 1968 World Series was one of the greatest ever played. Detroit recovered from a 3-1 deficit, winning three consecutive games, in order to win the World Championship. Tiger Mickey Lolich pitched and won three games, the third on only two days' rest. Yet, this Series barely gets mentioned in Ken Burns' video, "Baseball," except to point out that Gibson struck out 17 in the first game.

[mindspring57]

@HowBrownPhiladelphia A person from Mars watching Ken Burns' "Baseball" would think that baseball was played only in New York and Boston, that the only thing anyone worried about was whether blacks could play baseball, and that in 1958, the Dodgers and the Giants moved to some place called "California" and were never heard from again. If New York was in a World Series, we got a play-by-play account. The 1968 series not mentioned except to point out the Gibson struck out 17 in the first game.

[graciemaemarie11]

@mindspring57 i agree with you, i guess 'history' is written as it goes along, but there is way more to baseball then yankees, boston, blacks,etc,etc, you said it best

[loyaldude10]

this was one of the best world series ever. Gibson was absolutely brilliant and overpowering (never saw such a dominant performance as him in game 1, w/ 17 K's). Must have tired when Tigers started gettign all of those hits, although Northrop's hit should have been caught by Flood.

[bezzarguy]

@loyaldude10 Just for the record, that ball was 40 feet over Flood's head, with a perfect jump, he still would have had absolutely no chance to make that catch.

[1776freedom]

Stormin Norman Cash. No Helmet. A good ballplayer, fun guy and great teammate.

[generalbullmoose]

Freehan would be in the HOF if he had played in any other era. He was great defensively, a leader on & off the field, and was good offensively. But in any era but this one he would have put up HOF worthy offensive numbers.

[curt8789]

@generalbullmoose I agree with you. Had he played in NY, he would already be in. Lets hope that a future Old-Timers selection process will finally give him his due.

[GGE47]

I was so glad Al Kaline finally got to play in a World Series and played a great series.

[GGE47]

Micky Lolich pitched this game on two days rest and came within one out of a shutout.Today's pitchers have a hard time on three.Gibson nor Lolich would have pitched game 7 and whoever did would not have pitched past the 7th inning.Gibson beat the Yankees in game 7 in '64 and beat the Red Sox in game 7 in '67,but could not beat the Tigers in game 7 in '68.Denny McClain won 31 games that year and it will never happen in today's system.

[mjoanc]

What though the radiance which was once so bright

Be now for ever taken from my sight,

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower;

We will grieve not, rather find

Strength in what remains behind...

[jakejackjoe]

RIP

[Nicknackems94]

May God Bless your soul Jim.

Thank you for the memories!

[generalbullmoose]

RIP Jim

[rogerjab]

Flood couldn't of caught that ball if he was in starter blocks, he may of held him to two, but that's about it. RIP Jim!

[mjrose08]

RIP Jim Northrup

I have heard many stories about the '68 Series from my family in Detroit.

Beauty double Jim!

[oldredbarnman]

And that 2 out, World Series clinching rally was started by my all time favorite player, Stormin' Norman Cash!! The heroes of my youth.....Go Get 'em Tigers!!!!! R.I.P. Jim

[treebuck]

Thanks to Jim and all of the '68 Tigers for giving this old man such wonderful memories to cherish.

[JustAintthatWay]

t/y for this

man the tigers had to be good

besting the single toughest pitcher i ever saw

poor flood even the best can stumble

and northrup r-i-p