I was 10 years old, the 1968 World Series was the first one I remember being glued to and picking a team.. The Detroit Tigers! Mickey Lolich joined the ranks of Superman, Batman and every other super hero of the day in my eyes...
My mother was driving me back from a piano lesson on Mound Rd. with radio on when game 7 ended. They played day games back then. All of a sudden people started honking their horns, waving arms out of windows and several pulled over to jump up and down, waving arms. It was pure jubilation !
This was the highlight of my childhood at 13 years old. I have the record album, "Detroit Tigers 1968, The Year of the Tiger." I still have it even on CD, which I play in the car on long trips. I remember where I was on just about every highlight. Most of the games were on the radio at that time. Some nights i took a trasistor radio to bed (on school nights). One of those nights was when Don Wert singled in Al Kaline to clinch the American League pennant (two "household" names for real - "WERT" they sequence of keys on the typewriter and Al Kaline like alkaline batteries). I enjoyed listening to the play-by-play by legendary broadcaster, Ernie Harwell assisted by Ray Lane. My father and I went to the 4th game of the Series at Tiger Stadium. Not only did Bob Gibson pitch a great game, he hit a home run. I came home from school (8th grade) to see the rest of Game 7. As soon as Bill Freehan made that catch, the sirens went off all over Detroit. Later that evening I joined the celebration on Woodward Ave. with thousands of other fans.
Didn’t they seem to come from behind all season long? That’s what I remember the most from the ‘68 Tigers. Out of all the Tiger moments, there was NOTHING like being at a Fidrych game. All Detroit was electrified on the days he pitched.
What I recall the most from the ‘68 season is that the Tigers seemed to ALWAYS come from behind to win games. And true to form, they got behind in the World Series and came back to win. (National Media seemed to always favor Detroit’s opponents). Detroit fans are a unique breed & the most loyal anywhere!
The joy this man brought to my life ! He was a pitchers pitcher ! What he did in the 1968 World Series will never be duplicated Number 29 should be on Comerica's wall and in the Hall of Fame !
Thank you. I was ten years old in 1968 and this team was MY team. They are still MY team. I cried and laughed while watching this. A beautiful tribute especially with the updated interviews including the voice of "God" Ernie Harwell. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
I was 9 yrs. old in 68’, a kid from Los Angeles but 68’ was the first year I followed a WS. I adopted the Tigers for some reason and took my transistor radio to school as a 3rd grader and listened to the game secretly during class and at recess. I knew all the players, had all their cards. It was the greatest World Series I’ve ever seen and I’ll never forget it. PS: I went to all the Dodgers home games in the 81’ and 88’ World Series and those series were not as great as the 68’ series. I cried too at watching this!!!
what a time for sure .i was 13 yrs old and i was from the upper peninsula and got to see the 67 ending game when mac hit into a double play to end the season,than the 68 team,i was in 8th grade at a catholic school and the game 7 was in the day time,so i brought my transistor radio to school and had to keep lifting my desktop up to check the score,so i asked to go to the bathroom and i made my way upstairs to the highschool and ran in to a sister who was from st.louis and we ducked into the principals office and i got to hear northrup's hit over flood's head and the tiger's win,i will never forget it.
The nuns at my Catholic school near Grand Rapids stopped classes every afternoon in time to roll a portable TV into each classroom to watch our beloved Tigers. 2 dozen students and a nun crowded around a 19" TV in my 7th grade classroom. Good times!
I was a die hard oriole fan, but after the tigers won the 68 world series, i fell in love with the tigers. In my mind, the greatest team ever in detroit
Not 1 comment about the MVP of 68 Tigers, Dick McCaulife. Suspended 6 games n the Tigers lost 5 and the 6th was tied in xtra innings and suspended. He came back n the Tigers went on an 8 game winning streak. Am I the only one who remembers this?
Mccauliff was tuff as nails. His on base percentage was tops in the league. Never hit into a double play the entire season. They always threw at him because he was a tuff out! One of my favorite Tigers!
Our 68 little league Chalmers cubs won championship that year my family gets sick of me saying we won same year but I'll never get sick of saying it rip Tom Schmid
I was a 10 year old Cincinnati Reds fan, but all I wanted to see in 68 was for the Tigers to beat the Cardinals. 67 and 68 were the only years I rooted for an AL team in the Series. I followed Denny McLain's season in the newspaper, and I actually got to meet Denny just a few weeks ago. That was very cool. I realize Lolich won 3 games, but the game Denny won he got a Northrup grand slam. I think during the season Northrup hit two grand slams in one game in support of Denny - the team scored for him. Back then I hated the Cardinals because they tended to beat the crap out of the Reds - who otherwise were in contention but could not beat the Cardinals. I can look back with respect for the Cardinals, the Red Sox of 67, and the Tigers of 68.
I was heartbroken in ‘67 when the bosox won the pennant in a tight race with the chisox and the tigers. The tigers had to win a series with the angels, but couldn’t. Joe Northrop hit two grand slams in one game and came up to bat an additional time with the bases loaded. Very exciting, but also disappointing that the tigers lost the series with the angels. In ‘68, I was happy to see the tigers get off to a good start and take a commanding lead in the pennant race. The World Series was icing on the cake.
So many improbable things happened in that series starting with Freehan blocking Brock of at the plate in game five to Gibson losing game seven on threes consecutive pitches with two out. If Brock had slid he would have scored easily .I believe he was trying to bowl over Freehan as payback for being thrown out on a steal attempt on pitchout earlier in the game. Big mistake
2:55 - I heard McCarver do an interview once, and he said that he heard an audible grunt from Horton on that pitch. Horton thought the ball was going to hit him. That is how on Gibson was that day.
actually he went to the washington senators first,i talked to him at a card show once,and he said that was like going to hell,because he went from a number one team to a last place team.
The thing I loved about that team is that the star players for Detroit were white. Willey Horton was good,He was colored, but he was not the impact type player that Cash, Kline, and Freehan were.This is a great video. Love seeing those players from a better time on the field. Not trying to be mean spirited, but Bob Gibson chocked. Much like Tiger Woods does all the time, and like Mike Tyson. Good old Johnny U, never did. And Left handed Mickey showed what white character was all about.
That's the thing that you loved about this team? All the "star players" were white? First of all, what difference does it make what color their skin was? Second of all...you're wrong and know nothing about baseball if your opinion is that "all" the star players where white. Willie Horton ( "the "colored' Man you mention by name...welcome to 2018 by the way...the term is "African-American") "was not the impact of player that Cash, Kaline (not Kline you idiot) or Freehan were"...really? Horton LED THE TEAM in home runs with 36. Are home runs kind of impactful in a baseball game? Freehan and Cash had 25 each. Kaline had 10. Horton also made what was probably the KEY play in the World Series combined with Freehan when he pegged a throw from left field on the fly to Freehan to throw out Lou Brock at the plate trying to score from 2nd base. That play turned that game around, which then turned the Series around. What about that other "colored guy", gates Brown....who will go down in history as the greatest pinch hitter in the history of the game! In a year that was totally dominated by overpowering pitching which resulted in low batting averages across the league, the Gator hit .370 (highest avg. on the tigers) and that's coming off the bench and into pressure situations! Guess that didn't make an impact either, huh? I could go on about your ridiculous post but I have wasted too much time on you already. And don't even get me going on that Tiger Woods guy and the way he "chokes" "all the time". He has 79 wins on the PGA tour with 14 major championships. Not exactly the kind of numbers that equate with a choker. By the way, I still think Nicklaus was a greater golfer (based primarily on the fact that he played with far inferior equipment than Tiger and put up similar numbers), but that being said...Jack had 73 wins. So, Tiger has won more tournaments than the great Jack Nicklaus. yet Tiger is a choker? By the way, not that it matters, but I am white. This is not some "colored" guy trying to stand up for his brothers. This is a sports fan trying to set you straight. Sue Barker...you should not speak of sports in public posts, because you, simply put for your understanding benefit...are a fucking idiot.
![The Who & The Small Faces | The Most Controversial Tour of 1968 [mini-documentary]](/img/1.gif)
Thanks AL Kaline, for being the class guy you are. And, a world series champ!
I was 10 years old, the 1968 World Series was the first one I remember being glued to and picking a team.. The Detroit Tigers! Mickey Lolich joined the ranks of Superman, Batman and every other super hero of the day in my eyes...
My mother was driving me back from a piano lesson on Mound Rd. with radio on when game 7 ended. They played day games back then. All of a sudden people started honking their horns, waving arms out of windows and several pulled over to jump up and down, waving arms. It was pure jubilation !
@@edwardmorzak8208 wow and my mom was driving me home from ballet practice when the Tigers were playing in the 7th game...not!!!
I was 8 years old and worshiped these guys. Thank you for the terrific tribute to Mickey and the team. Bless you.
This was the highlight of my childhood at 13 years old. I have the record album, "Detroit Tigers 1968, The Year of the Tiger." I still have it even on CD, which I play in the car on long trips. I remember where I was on just about every highlight. Most of the games were on the radio at that time. Some nights i took a trasistor radio to bed (on school nights). One of those nights was when Don Wert singled in Al Kaline to clinch the American League pennant (two "household" names for real - "WERT" they sequence of keys on the typewriter and Al Kaline like alkaline batteries). I enjoyed listening to the play-by-play by legendary broadcaster, Ernie Harwell assisted by Ray Lane. My father and I went to the 4th game of the Series at Tiger Stadium. Not only did Bob Gibson pitch a great game, he hit a home run. I came home from school (8th grade) to see the rest of Game 7. As soon as Bill Freehan made that catch, the sirens went off all over Detroit. Later that evening I joined the celebration on Woodward Ave. with thousands of other fans.
Didn’t they seem to come from behind all season long? That’s what I remember the most from the ‘68 Tigers. Out of all the Tiger moments, there was NOTHING like being at a Fidrych game. All Detroit was electrified on the days he pitched.
What I recall the most from the ‘68 season is that the Tigers seemed to ALWAYS come from behind to win games. And true to form, they got behind in the World Series and came back to win. (National Media seemed to always favor Detroit’s opponents). Detroit fans are a unique breed & the most loyal anywhere!
The joy this man brought to my life ! He was a pitchers pitcher !
What he did in the 1968 World Series will never be duplicated
Number 29 should be on Comerica's wall and in the Hall of Fame !
Thank you. I was ten years old in 1968 and this team was MY team. They are still MY team. I cried and laughed while watching this. A beautiful tribute especially with the updated interviews including the voice of "God" Ernie Harwell. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
I was 9 yrs. old in 68’, a kid from Los Angeles but 68’ was the first year I followed a WS. I adopted the Tigers for some reason and took my transistor radio to school as a 3rd grader and listened to the game secretly during class and at recess. I knew all the players, had all their cards. It was the greatest World Series I’ve ever seen and I’ll never forget it.
PS: I went to all the Dodgers home games in the 81’ and 88’ World Series and those series were not as great as the 68’ series. I cried too at watching this!!!
what a time for sure .i was 13 yrs old and i was from the upper peninsula and got to see the 67 ending game when mac hit into a double play to end the season,than the 68 team,i was in 8th grade at a catholic school and the game 7 was in the day time,so i brought my transistor radio to school and had to keep lifting my desktop up to check the score,so i asked to go to the bathroom and i made my way upstairs to the highschool and ran in to a sister who was from st.louis and we ducked into the principals office and i got to hear northrup's hit over flood's head and the tiger's win,i will never forget it.
The nuns at my Catholic school near Grand Rapids stopped classes every afternoon in time to roll a portable TV into each classroom to watch our beloved Tigers. 2 dozen students and a nun crowded around a 19" TV in my 7th grade classroom. Good times!
@@robertflowers6621 you were lucky
I was a die hard oriole fan, but after the tigers won the 68 world series, i fell in love with the tigers. In my mind, the greatest team ever in detroit
This is WJR the great voice of the Great Lakes power station for TIGER NIGHT BASEBALL
Lolich may have been the most underated pitcher in baseball history.
How true! I will never understand why Lolich isn't in the Hall of Fame!
I have often thought Lolich should be in Cooperstown. . Without Mickey the 68 Tigers do not win the World Series .
Should be in the Hall of Fame. He was one of if not best left handed pitcher of his time.
@@jackstubbington387 Amen, Jack!
We was the greatest in the league in September(?) of 1968
Not 1 comment about the MVP of 68 Tigers, Dick McCaulife. Suspended 6 games n the Tigers lost 5 and the 6th was tied in xtra innings and suspended. He came back n the Tigers went on an 8 game winning streak. Am I the only one who remembers this?
Mccauliff was tuff as nails. His on base percentage was tops in the league. Never hit into a double play the entire season. They always threw at him because he was a tuff out! One of my favorite Tigers!
1968 Tigers are the best all time Tiger team ... best combination of talent and heart ...
The greatest summer of my childhood....my lifetime.
Robert Howe Same here,dude!!!
What a team the 68 Tigers were. Something we will never forget.
Curt Gowdy announcing was so great! We were in school and we had the game on the radio! We were hanging on to every bat!
Bill bonds, al Kaline , ernie harwell three voices of my youth I will always remember
Great memories! A+++
Our 68 little league Chalmers cubs won championship that year my family gets sick of me saying we won same year but I'll never get sick of saying it rip Tom Schmid
I always have been a Dodger fan but in 68 my little league was the Tigers. So I also followed the Tigers that season. What a year!
I was a 10 year old Cincinnati Reds fan, but all I wanted to see in 68 was for the Tigers to beat the Cardinals. 67 and 68 were the only years I rooted for an AL team in the Series. I followed Denny McLain's season in the newspaper, and I actually got to meet Denny just a few weeks ago. That was very cool. I realize Lolich won 3 games, but the game Denny won he got a Northrup grand slam. I think during the season Northrup hit two grand slams in one game in support of Denny - the team scored for him. Back then I hated the Cardinals because they tended to beat the crap out of the Reds - who otherwise were in contention but could not beat the Cardinals. I can look back with respect for the Cardinals, the Red Sox of 67, and the Tigers of 68.
Lolich only HR of his career was in this series.
Great team.
I was heartbroken in ‘67 when the bosox won the pennant in a tight race with the chisox and the tigers. The tigers had to win a series with the angels, but couldn’t. Joe Northrop hit two grand slams in one game and came up to bat an additional time with the bases loaded. Very exciting, but also disappointing that the tigers lost the series with the angels. In ‘68, I was happy to see the tigers get off to a good start and take a commanding lead in the pennant race. The World Series was icing on the cake.
Great memory.
So many improbable things happened in that series starting with Freehan blocking Brock of at the plate in game five to Gibson losing game seven on threes consecutive pitches with two out.
If Brock had slid he would have scored easily .I believe he was trying to bowl over Freehan as payback for being thrown out on a steal attempt on pitchout earlier in the game. Big mistake
I listened to games under my bed covers at night.
I thought those games were all day games back then
That last pitch to Horton in game #1 was not a strike. Tigers were on the verge of a comeback.
true. I remember that.
Lou Brock batted .464 with 13 hits and they still lose.
2:55 - I heard McCarver do an interview once, and he said that he heard an audible grunt from Horton on that pitch. Horton thought the ball was going to hit him. That is how on Gibson was that day.
Tiger Stadium. "Heaven For Hitters. Hell For Pitchers". Who said that?
Give credit to Denny McClain. The press was trying to bait him concerning Gibson and Lolich about who was the better pitcher and why.
He played for the mets! I remember him saying he drank a case of cola a day!
McClain is the one who drank a case of cola Pepsi not Mickey
The beginning of white flight!!!
And then....Denny McLain had one more decent year and went to prison.
actually he went to the washington senators first,i talked to him at a card show once,and he said that was like going to hell,because he went from a number one team to a last place team.
Decent year? He won 24games.
They don't even mention the fact that Lolich also hit a 3 run homer off of Gibson.
Norm Ca$h needed the $500 for booze on his boat. RIP
The thing I loved about that team is that the star players for Detroit were white. Willey Horton was good,He was colored, but he was not the impact type player that Cash, Kline, and Freehan were.This is a great video. Love seeing those players from a better time on the field. Not trying to be mean spirited, but Bob Gibson chocked. Much like Tiger Woods does all the time, and like Mike Tyson. Good old Johnny U, never did. And Left handed Mickey showed what white character was all about.
sue barker jesus, you're a piece of work.
sue barker = a couple of fries short of a Happy Meal.
sue barker That's probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.
That's the thing that you loved about this team? All the "star players" were white? First of all, what difference does it make what color their skin was? Second of all...you're wrong and know nothing about baseball if your opinion is that "all" the star players where white. Willie Horton ( "the "colored' Man you mention by name...welcome to 2018 by the way...the term is "African-American") "was not the impact of player that Cash, Kaline (not Kline you idiot) or Freehan were"...really? Horton LED THE TEAM in home runs with 36. Are home runs kind of impactful in a baseball game? Freehan and Cash had 25 each. Kaline had 10. Horton also made what was probably the KEY play in the World Series combined with Freehan when he pegged a throw from left field on the fly to Freehan to throw out Lou Brock at the plate trying to score from 2nd base. That play turned that game around, which then turned the Series around. What about that other "colored guy", gates Brown....who will go down in history as the greatest pinch hitter in the history of the game! In a year that was totally dominated by overpowering pitching which resulted in low batting averages across the league, the Gator hit .370 (highest avg. on the tigers) and that's coming off the bench and into pressure situations! Guess that didn't make an impact either, huh? I could go on about your ridiculous post but I have wasted too much time on you already. And don't even get me going on that Tiger Woods guy and the way he "chokes" "all the time". He has 79 wins on the PGA tour with 14 major championships. Not exactly the kind of numbers that equate with a choker. By the way, I still think Nicklaus was a greater golfer (based primarily on the fact that he played with far inferior equipment than Tiger and put up similar numbers), but that being said...Jack had 73 wins. So, Tiger has won more tournaments than the great Jack Nicklaus. yet Tiger is a choker? By the way, not that it matters, but I am white. This is not some "colored" guy trying to stand up for his brothers. This is a sports fan trying to set you straight. Sue Barker...you should not speak of sports in public posts, because you, simply put for your understanding benefit...are a fucking idiot.
It's hard to believe that there are racists still like you ! I'm sure you also voted for Trump and watch Fox News right?