Kirk Gibson Walk-Off Home Run, May 26, 1995

[@daveconleyportfolio5192]

It's a kiss of death to be hyped as "a young Mickey Mantle," but Kirk Gibson managed to leave his own unique mark on the game. So many unforgettable moments.

[@Nhamp2000]

The curse of the Sparky hype 😂

[@bobbenbrown123]

Many walk off/ game winning homers

[@HolyShnikeez_1975]

Not in the HOF but definitely many HOF moments

[@tonyalynne3380]

The man was was a f'ing animal at the plate. I love him forever.. 💋😘

[@christopherherrig7320]

I love these moments, when a player whose best days are behind him is able to summon the old magic one more time.

[@airfish8216]

What a stadium, an what players. We were truly blessed. My 1st ever tigers game was 1984 world series, game 5, I was 9, Gibby parked that 2nd homer, never and til this day an I'm 45 yrs old have I heard a roar like that.

[@LongieR8er]

I’m a Dodgers fan and always loved Old Tigers stadium over wrigley or Fenway

[@MrBmick79]

that 84 team had some gamers

[@airfish8216]

@@LongieR8er 2 stadiums id love to visit

[@GK-ev5rd]

I was in the stands when he was a raw rookie. He struck out and looked so bad at times both at the plate and on the field. But when he hit a winning HR against NY fastballer Ron Davis to win a game, it just seemed to spark him and he went on to do some marvelous things that only a kid can dream about. His two majestic HR's in two different World Series Games is just so sensational, and to be in the limelight twice like that is astounding. He retired later that year (1995) and I watched his final game and at bat. He took three straight strikes down the pipe and walked back to the Tiger Dugout. In my heart, I knew something was wrong. He sat down next to Sparky and said, "I am finished." He knew it was the end as the old Gibby would have either struck out swinging or pumped one into the seats or off the wall when he still had all the tools. He was something else....call him brash, bold, but a WINNER!

[@UberKrispy]

I too follow the Tigers closely in the early '80s. Power pitchers would blow it right by Gibby, and also Gibby would chase breaking balls 2 feet off the plate with 2 strikes and look like a fool. Then in late 81 I believe Kirk injured his wrist and miss the last 60 games. What little sports talk radio there was back then was buzzing, " Is Gibson a bust? He's talented but always hurt & can't hit breaking balls"... Goose Gossage later said that he faced Gibson something like 15 times prior to that and struck him out 14 times, and I believe him. When Gibson hit that bomb in 84 Game 6, that was like watching a journey fulfilled. For those of us who watched him develop as a ballplayer. Long live Kirk Gibson!

[@esteban1487]

His first at bat was against Goose Gossage and he struck out on 3 pitches but it's everything he did in between those at bats that made him great.

[@crocks2871]

I remember watching that game. Ricky Peters got ejected from the game right before that for arguing a foul tip strikeout call and Sparky went nuts and took it out on all the umpires then Gibby hits the game winner into the back of the right centerfield bleachers. Thats what seemed to spark him a little bit.

[@2bad2twist]

Who's watching this 2024? Always loved this guy...I still can't watch the '84 World Series H.R. w/o crying for the guy

[@AlicePearlJam]

I’ve seen the ‘88 walkoff so much it’s strange seeing Gibson trot around 2nd base without limping and not doing the double reverse jab. Also ironic Franklin Stubbs was on deck, teammates in ‘88. Thank you Kirk for giving me great childhood memories.

[@dadadruma]

That is so awesome how he got to be able to retire with the team he started with # 23 forever

[@ubilo]

Kirk Gibson and Magic Johnson. Wonderful Michigan State memories.

[@selloutasaurus]

Go Green!

[@Mark-xl1ze]

1988 was a pretty good year for the both of them. In LA.

[@randyjames693]

Dude may not have had HOF career stats, but damn if he didn't have a HOF career.

[@JamieSmith-fz2mz]

Wonder where that ball is now. Probably sat on a dresser in a bedroom for years. Got packed away. The owner moved to an apartment. Then a house. Held onto it for a while. Then played catch with his nephew with it. It got scuffed up, and then ended up in the toy box on the back porch. Then someone left it out in the rain. But for 45 seconds of its life, a couple thousand people cheered it in flight. I have way too much time on my hands.

[@DoubleStar92]

Jamie Smith lol but that was awesome and probably most of it true.

[@dougg2012]

This is about you isn’t it

[@VanillaGorilla1977]

I was seven years old then. I was just getting into sports. I fell in love with these Tigers. I still get full body chills reliving this. "He don't wanna walk you.....use these"

[@nameanking]

1995.....I'm watching in 2019...how the hell did I just get goosebumps watching that!?!?!?

[@perryegolson833]

Right there with you. Walk off home runs are the best.

[@therealbs2000]

Because the bump on your head was all healed by then?

[@derekjones5234]

2022 I'm also getting goosebumps he crushed ittt

[@RandyDuffy-s3v]

Many don't know Gibby was also a great wide receiver at Waterford Kettering high school and then at Michigan State. What a competitor. Kirk Gibson will always be remembered by sports fans in Michigan.

[@RichardWingate-c2q]

Gibson lit that ball on fire, like he always does

[@marbanak]

Whoa! The pitch and the stroke look just like the famous Worlds Series shot against Eckersley.

[@mickjones8757]

i miss old tiger stadium the smell of moldy piss and stale beer

[@tomjohnson1135]

I have much better memories than those!!

[@treetrunkthompson4537]

Man i miss that old ballpark!

[@anothermonday5664]

Sure it wasn't moldy beer and stale piss? 🤣🤣

[@joeschimpf5650]

Just like old Comiskey Park in Chitcago.

[@darkjester2713]

I was the Luckiest kid ..My neighbor Dave Alonzo worked grounds crew for the Tigers and gave my Dad and I free passes for a ton of games between 1976 and 1985 when he retired. We became good friends with Aurelio Senior Smoke Lopez and Aurelio Rodriguez..My grandfather would give them jarred Jalapeno's and they loved em.. Great memories..The Bird Mark Friedrich, Kevin Saucier ,Jim Lentine ,Milt May, Tim Cochran , Johnny B. Wockenfuss . John Hiller, Dave Bergman, Diving Freddy Lynn ...man I could go on forever..Bless you Boys

[@georgemallory797]

I went to school K-12 with Ken Hiller. He was John Hiller's nephew.

[@tomlee432]

Hey did you grow up in the corridor? I knew a dave alonzo. We were at tiger stadium for half the season. And a few of my buddies did clean up in the stands and a couple did concessions. I lived down the street on Trumbull and canfield. I did security for intercontinental. I was at every 84 home game and all the playoffs. I was up in the pressbox.

[@leilanirocks]

I still remember getting Milt May’s autograph down at The Corner when I was a kid.

[@mbeff75]

My favorite player of all time

[@michaelalpine4198]

He was the definition of "clutch".

[@Knightmessenger]

I was at this game, in row 4 behind the White Sox on deck circle. Apparently some kid who was a fan of the visitors was yelling something like "Gibby can't do it, he's gonna make the last out." So after the last pitch, one of the adults I'm with told me he said "Have a nice trip back to Chicago."

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

I was at this game too. In the 8th inning I turned to my friend and said, "Gibby's gonna pinch hit in the 9th and win it with a HR." A rare prediction coming true!

[@inquizition9672]

Why would the kid tell the person you were with to have a nice trip back to Chicago? I thought the kid was from Chicago, not the person you were with?

[@Knightmessenger]

@@inquizition9672 the adult relayed the story of how he told the kid to have a nice trip back to chicago.

[@inquizition9672]

@@Knightmessenger Oh, duh. I get it now

[@nicholasgiordano9155]

Gibby...you gotta love him

[@remolalougarou6512]

How many times he’s gonna do this. Priceless

[@joeschimpf5650]

Saw him hit a homer out of old Comiskey Park in Chitcago. Hugely strong man...................football player in college.

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

This *WAS* in 1995. It was Gibson's seventh and final career regular season Walk-Off Home Run

[@bishopaz]

Gosh I miss Tiger Stadium

[@oldiesmusic76]

1988, 1995....WOW!!

[@Truth_whisperer]

The celebrations were so mild compared to now, I love baseball no matter how you do it

[@dimakariya1991]

Great moment!

[@userpoetaforever]

He hit the first walk-off in 1988 against of Oakland and look at him again

[@robertwestling2467]

One if my favorite Tiger memories.

[@Neotron2001]

I'm a Dodgers fan and I'm forever grateful of Gibby. Mr. Clutch indeed.

[@superdopeimmaculateshow3491]

Best in the clutch of all time.

[@toddbrisette4070]

I would be in total agreement with you if it weren't for one certain guy. .his name is David Ortiz.

[@CardShark_Chris]

Love me some Gibby! B1G Champion, All American, World Series Champion. Michigan badass.

[@marylawson6060]

Beautiful. Loved 1988 when he hit the grand slam. He was hurting and gave a miracle. Great job.

[@budbundy4014]

In 1988 World Series he hit a walk off 2 run homer with 2 outs and a full count bottom of the ninth

[@marylawson6060]

@@budbundy4014 I thought bases were loaded but I still love watching this here. Watched this on TV when they were playing. Took over 9 minutes until Kirk hit the home run. I cried lol. Love my Dodgers.

[@budbundy4014]

@@marylawson6060 greatest home run ever

[@marylawson6060]

@@budbundy4014 Amen

[@mojoboo41]

Hose Canseco hit the grand slam.

[@dt2phillips]

Fred McLeod with the call. That home run almost hit the roof!

[@jimkennedy5202]

My hero as a kid

[@buggybunny5769]

One of mine too.

[@leilanirocks]

Yep! Goosebumps after all these years. Well… ya saw where the catcher was setup…. that was the proper target. Gibby feasted on mistakes like that. ⚾️ 💥 Gonna watch this again… because I can.

[@cindyinnew]

Classic moment with the King of the Clutch

[@imheartotellthetruth7165]

Impressive to hit the ball that far with that swing strong

[@gregwddriver]

I like the Roy Hobbs reference.

[@jimmykoplin1807]

gregwddriver , yes he is the real life Roy Hopps

[@matro951]

Yes he was

[@depaola63]

The fuck'n guy was BIG TIME " Clutch !! "

[@wilde.coyote6618]

Still batting.338

[@HolyShnikeez_1975]

PASS sports network...wow that brought back a flood of memories

[@richardoki8320]

Kirk is one strong dude

[@PInk77W1]

That ball went far

[@DonTrump-sv1si]

The alpha, stud, gigga chad, i always wish I was

[@Milordvega]

He could still do it

[@kevinmiller6380]

1988 all over again.

[@jonnaabate5001]

Gibby. Gibby

[@harryknutts8428]

i think every kid who played little league or just a neighborhood game in the detroit area in the 80s and maybe 90s dreamed of being kirk gibson,

[@mikewynne7131]

I forgot Gibby came back to the Tigers.

[@stevenj2817]

I remember the game in 1985 where Gibby hit one completely out of the old Comiskey Park in Chicago off of the late Tom Seaver. That was a moonshot!

[@peterz22thomas5]

How many guys can say he has hit the biggest HR in franchise history for 2 different teams? Gibby can.

[@StFidjnr]

1 in each league

[@willrogan955]

Some ball players shine brighter than the HOF. Gibby was one of em.

[@Whatt787]

Goose Gossage really Blew it

[@Whatt787]

sorry, wrong game

[@gmoneys818]

Roy Hobbs in person!

[@denniscassley2569]

May GOD DAMN Parkinson's Disease...claiming and affecting SO many wonderful people...

[@desmondwilliams4068]

Did he come back to the tigers after the dodgers. Obviously so, but I do not remember...

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

Yes indeed. He went to the Pirates in 1991, the Royals in 1992 and came back to the Tigers in 1993. He retired at the end of the 1995 season

[@KevinMiller-xn5vu]

Tiger Stadium no less.

[@SeahawksBamBamKam]

Hmm with his big huge moments its hard to fathom he is not in the HOF I guess his numbers were just short

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

He played 17 years and was injured for a lot of it. He only accumulated 1500 hits and his career AVG/OB/SLG is pretty low... (.268/.352/.463). He had a couple of big moments in the World Series which is what gets the attention, but lots of average players have had big World Series moments.

[@michaelhillman4654]

That ball was in Gibby’s wheelhouse. When he got em there he just punished the crap out of them. I was at MSU for his senior year on the 78 football team. I still say to this day, he chose the wrong sport. He was one of the greatest wide receivers I ever saw. However clips like these remind that he did indeed make a good choice. A marvelous athlete.

[@hugecrystalgaylefan]

My all time favourite Tiger, Gibby since the '84 World Series.

[@daveyvane]

I watch him play golf, alone, just about every day. He is hobbled and swings like he did in baseball

[@dadadruma]

Gibby still is my hero!!

[@wolfiethedog76]

RIP Fred Mcleod....

[@richardwarren1718]

Another Tiger Stadium memory. I sure hope that there is no curse or jinx on the current Tigers organization for tearing her down. 🤔

[@miguelciriaco7041]

The same wolrd series 1988

[@jimoathout7543]

No dancing, no preening, no posing. Just baseball.

[@udhoop]

Name another non HOFer that had more big moments than Gibby.

[@billyidol2115]

You might have to change the caption I'm pretty sure this was 1985 not 1995. Gibson left the Tigers and went to play with the Dodgers in the late eighties

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

It's 1995. Gibson came back to the Tigers in 1993 and retired after the 1995 season. Here is the box score from the game www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET199505260.shtml

[@DETROIT1948]

#23

[@Gustamegillgetaguyskitty-ti6ox]

Hitting .338 as a broken down old man. Gibby kicked so much ass.

[@Mike-g1p]

Didn't these folks see the '89 World Series?

[@oldiesmusic76]

88

[@softshoes]

Short porch? Who needs a short porch?

[@RyansColoradoRailProductions]

Assuming you recorded the full game, could you upload it in its entirety? It’s nowhere else on KZbin, as is the case with most games from the ‘90s.

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

The recording begins mid-way through the bottom of the 3rd inning. I have not digitized the whole game, just this at bat.

[@KB-eo9bu]

Roy Hobbs At it Again! 🏟⚾️

[@brianjohnson6861]

They won't let them celebrate like that now. Terrible world we live in

[@MrDuds1984]

Roy Hobbs II

[@tyryztoll]

"Remember the home run off the Eck in the World Series?" No, we don't remember that. Really?

[@mysticakhenaton1701]

👍👍👍👍

[@mattwatters5702]

Just flipped the bat at it and it goes 2nd deck.

[@3dbadboy1]

Lol he looked like he hardly swung at it. I guess if the pitcher throws it that hard you don't need to.

[@kenbaum9035]

He couldnt have retired much longer after this

[@workingclassrunner]

Indeed, this was his last season. And while he was raking in May... he hit a couple bombs in a loss two days later, then only hit one more HR the rest of the year. After the 2 HR game he only hit 209/324/304 the rest of the season. He was definitely done for not long after this.

[@crazydumb]

@@workingclassrunner he retired mid season

[@tolopo99]

Gibby best in a Dodgers uniform

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

Not really. He only played with the Dodgers for three years. His final two seasons he played less than half of their scheduled games. And his 1988 MVP season with the Dodgers was probably his fourth or fifth best statistical season. (His best overall season statistically was in 1985 with Detroit) Yeah, he won the MVP in 1988 with the Dodgers, but when you look at the rest of their lineup, there wasn't much competition for him. He was their best hitter, but that wasn't saying a whole lot. The highest RBI total in the lineup was Mike Marshall with 86. Gibby had 72 and only three players on the roster hit more than 10 HRs. Their starters and bullpen were what carried them to that World Series title. Gibby gets the spotlight for the home run off Eckersley, but that was his only at bat the whole series. That sweep of the A's was largely due to Hersheiser and the rest of the staff holding the Bash Brothers at bay.

[@freddycuenca4980]

Corregir no fue en 1995 sino en 1985

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

Estás equivocado. Gibson regresó y jugó con los Tigres de 1993 a 1995. Roberto Hernández no comenzó a jugar en las Major Leagues hasta 1991.

[@AndrewLale-mr9jm]

When men were men.

[@LIE11Bldg7]

85?

[@dzucch]

LIE/11 NanoThermite Nope, this was 1995. He was back with the Tigers then. He was having a huge season before the strike happened. Then he retired.

[@LIE11Bldg7]

@@dzucch Okay I see Ozzie Virgil I got it now Ozzie Guillen Ozzie Guillen not Virgil.. I've been following baseball many decades

[@JimA-pp2nu]

the stupid term "walk off" didn't exist back then. It was game wining home run you fucking child!

[@kevinkelly1327]

85 not 95

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

No, it's 1995. www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET199505260.shtml

[@mikerussell1859]

0:51 "You remember the home run off the Eck in the World Series?" That was 1988.

[@Gustamegillgetaguyskitty-ti6ox]

This clutch MFer, AGAIN?

[@DinduSumthin]

Never give Gibby anything low dummies