A World Series Game That Will Live Forever

Now it is done. Now the story ends. And there is no way to tell it. The art of fiction is dead. Reality has strangled invention. Only the utterly impossible, the inexpressibly fantastic, can ever be plausible again.

Those words were written by Red Smith, a great sportswriter of the last century, sixty years ago after the Giants beat the Dodgers in Game 3 of their tiebreaker series on Bobby Thomson's three-run walkoff home run.

Those words apply this morning as well. As Cubs fans, virtually all of us are unhappy that the Cardinals won Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. But as a baseball fan, I hope you recognize the greatness you saw Thursday night. If you are too young to remember Game 6 in 1991, or Game 6 in 1986, or Game 6 in 1975, all World Series games that are often held up as models of "greatest postseason game ever", this one was better. Twice, the Rangers were within one strike of being World Series champions, once in the ninth, once in the 10th, and failed both times. That's never happened before.

And I'm no fan of Joe Buck, but his "we'll see you tomorrow night" after David Freese's home run was a touching tribute to his dad's identical call, which happened 20 years and one day ago when Kirby Puckett hit his walkoff for the Twins in that famous Game 6 in 1991. Nicely done, Joe. For one night, you rose above.

Now ... go Rangers. Best World Series since 2001. This is why I love this game so much.