Dennis Eckersley had a handful of memorable moments during his time with the Athletics, but none were quiet like the one that took place in late October of 1989.
And that’s taking into account the memorable MLB season the A’s and Eckersley experienced in 1988.
The legendary closer sat down with NBC Sports California’s Dave Stewart on the latest episode of "All A’s” to reflect on his greatest moments as an Athletic.
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“When we had it going on in ‘88, I think we won 14 in a row, remember that?” Eckersley asked Stewart. “And we took off and there’s nobody who is going to catch us, right? It’s not like we were grinding.”
Two years into what ended up being a nine-year stay in Oakland, Eckersley returned to his one-time home in Fenway Park on a mission.
Eckersley wanted to take the A’s to the World Series for the first time since 1981.
Along with Stewart and Co., the closer did that, logging four consecutive saves against the Boston Red Sox, which earned him ALCS MVP honors and a ticket to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Oakland Athletics
“And then we played Boston,” Eckersley added. “It was a big deal for me because I played for Boston. That’s huge, man.
“Go to Fenway [Park]. We took two there. We came back here and took two. And we’re going to the World Series against the Dodgers. That was huge going against the Red Sox, but then we went to the Dodgers.”
Favorites going in, the A’s had a one-run advantage on the Dodgers with two outs during Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
“And in a matter of all that, up there, digging it to the first game of the World Series,” Eckersley said. “You started. You go eight; toss the ball to me. No big deal. We have a one-run lead.”
That was until Kirk Gibson’s famous walk-off home run.
“Hooray, we have Kirk Gibson and that whole thing, which was unbelievable,” Eckersley said. “To this day, it’s like, ‘Wow, how did that happen? It’s like a miracle.’ ”
Despite the World Series loss to the Dodgers, Eckersley and the A’s would return with vengeance. And this time, Oakland would walk away from the historic “Bay Bridge Series” World Series champions in 1989.
It was the last out of that historic series that goes down as Eckersley’s ultimate career highlight.
“Those moments make you who you are when it’s all said and done,” Eckersley concluded. “You live with it, right. Because you have to live with the bad as well as the good. The good came back the next year, thank God.
“… How lucky was I to get the last out at Candlestick Park? Last out, tag the base, which wasn’t an easy play.
“There’s my highlight. All this stuff: saves, 20-win season, no-hitter. That is everything. You know it. That’s everything, getting that last out.”