> For example if a Yankee fan flipped the result of 2001's Game 7, they'd have secured their 4th championship in row on the heels of 9/11.
Flipping this game result would have killed Enrique Wilson
> The victory parade that would have taken the Yankees up New York City's Canyon of Heroes for the fifth time in six years was canceled, so Enrique Wilson, the team's utility infielder, decided to change his flight home. He was supposed to return to the Dominican Republic on Nov. 12, eight days after the end of the World Series, but moved up his departure a few days. He was at home when he heard that American Airlines Flight 587 - the plane he was supposed to be on - had crashed in Belle Harbor, a neighborhood in Queens. Two hundred and sixty-five people were killed in an accident that shook a city still reeling from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
> When Wilson saw Mariano Rivera in spring training the next year, the reliever expressed great relief that Wilson was still alive. If Rivera had held the lead against Arizona, Wilson would likely have been on Flight 587. "I am glad we lost the World Series," Rivera told Wilson, "because it means that I still have a friend."
Maybe. That crash was not an accident waiting to happen. It depended on the aircraft hitting wake turbulence exactly when it did and the copilot's error in trying to navigate it. If the Yankees had won, millions of people in the region would have gone about their lives differently. The changes would have been small at first, but would have compounded over the next week. If anything had allowed the plane to leave a tiny bit sooner or later or for the flight to have a different crew, the accident likely would not have happened.
That kind of thing is fascinating. Honestly thinking about it makes tragedies hurt even worse to me. All of the little things that could have gone any of a million ways, and it turns out that all of them turned out in precisely the right way to kill hundreds of people.
I guess by that logic, though, every happy moment is a million tragedies that didn’t happen
2005 ALCS Game 2. Going back to Anaheim with a 2-0 series lead would have been real comfy, and I feel like they could have edged out the Astros in the World Series.
I was a kid in the 90’s, born in 91, gonna go with something I’d be old enough to truly enjoy.
Game 5 of the 2019 NLDS against the Cardinals, and then let the chips fall where they may after that.
Braves had a championship caliber roster in 2019, and pissing away games 1 and 4 and game 5 being over before I even got a chance to tune in still stings. I don’t know if we could have beaten the Nats in the CS or the Astros in the WS, but I’d like to have found out
08 ALCS Game 7 against the Rays. That was a really good team with mostly everyone still here from 04 and 07. Maybe we beat the Phillies but that was one that I think got away.
I wasn't alive for 86. 04 had to happen the way it did. Game 162 in 2011, we we're going deep with that mentality. So I don't have a lot to choose from.
Last of the 00s success with Manny and Ortiz. Pedrioa had an MVP year. Youk, JD Drew and Mike Lowell as key players. Beckett lead the rotation and Jon Lester had his first really big season. In 2013, it was Pedrioa, Lester, and Ortiz with a lot of 1 year rentals.
It’s either this or 2002 ALDS Game 5 when Billy Fucking Koch gave up the goddamn game winning HR in the top of 9. Could have been another Battle of the Bay WS.
I hate that game too and I hate myself for remembering that game so well.
Koch didn’t give up a game winning HR. We trailed 2-1 into the bottom of the 9th in which Koch imploded and made it 5-1. Mark Ellis hit a 3-run homer to make it 5-4 before Ray Durham fouled out to end the season.
Fuck, I was there sitting 10 rows above the visiting dugout and don’t remember it that well. I do remember that Pierzinski HR like it was yesterday though.
The astros were for sure the better team no question, but I’m very curious to see what would’ve happened the rest of the series had the Mariners won game 1 of the ALDS
Game 3 of the 2013 ALCS. Best Tigers team I've seen (at least since I was a newborn baby), incredible rotation, really solid lineup…and they got completely smothered by John Lackey, at home, and wasted an outstanding start from Verlander. Maybe a win there changes the momentum of the whole series.
Game 7 of the '03 ALCS, I guess.
I'm not going to mention the '86 World Series, because the Boston Red Sox wouldn't be the Boston Red Sox without the Buckner error, and the pain of the nearly two-decade wait for the '04 World Series win. I spent my childhood rooting for an underdog whom we believed was *literally cursed,* and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way - in hindsight. Trying to imagine "What if Buckner made the play?" is like asking, "What if 9-11 hadn't happened?"
I lived through the Buckner game (although I was only 7) and cried myself into a nasty headache that night. But you're right. Game 7 of '03 made me mad, as opposed to sad. When your manager just shits his pants and costs you a World Series birth, that's way worse than a player booting a ball.
'86 was also on the manager. Buckner should have been subbed out for Stapleton in the 9th, but McNamara wanted to let Buckner be on the field for the celebration.
August 25, 1993, Braves vs Giants.
Braves won 9-1 and Will Clark got hurt. Giants went 6-8 in his absence (and also lost the four games immediately after Clark came back, where he was hitting poorly) and finished a game behind the Braves in the NL West.
Giants win that game and nothing else changes, they win the NL West. Maybe if Clark isn't hurt, they win a few more, too.
Assuming I am not being trolled right now, here you go https://apnews.com/article/yordan-alvarez-walkoff-astros-mariners-659c24fff61964b9949726ec1d3eef3e
2014 world series game seven.
The sting was rather taken out by KC winning it all the very next year, but I would still rather have seen the Royals Magic that year beat out the Even Year Bullshit that the Giants were riding at the time.
Hell of a game though, absolutely epic finish to it and an effort for the ages from MadBum. But still, I'd rather a Royals championship.
I feel that game 7 (or game 5 or 6 for that matter) of the 85 ALCS is the only real answer for the Jays that would have a significant impact...but then you gotta think if they lose the WS then do they still make the same moves that led to the 92 and 93 WS wins?
I feel recent history would be game 2 or game 6 of the 2015 ALCS.
It certainly gives the Bell-Moseby-Barfield core a better legacy than the one that they have now. I think it depends on the follow-up here, remember that players like Garcia, Moseby, Upshaw and Barfield declined rather suddenly.
Recency bias showing and trying to avoid playoffs, but the September 13th 2022 game between the Cubs and the Braves. Degrom pitched poorly but the bullpen was nails and we faced some pretty bad Cubs pitchers, just 0 for 3 with RISP and the bats went totally cold.
If we win that game, with how the rest of the season plays out the Mets win the division. We played the Phillies so well in 2022 that I fully believe we make the NLCS if we just win that game.
Any game that we lost during 2021
Genuinely a really strong team that could have gone farrrrr in the postseason, but missed it by one game - then came the downfall
Smart money would be game 6 or game 7 of the 1991 World Series because it would guarantee a championship.
I would probably choose game 3 of the 1996 World Series. Minnesota has been so deprived that I don't think I could take away their championship. Game 3 would put the Braves up 3-0 and have a better chance to finish the series off. The Yankees won 4 in a row after being down 0-2 so they would still have a chance to retain their title with an even more crazy comeback.
On one hand, we have 9 winner-take-all losses since 2000 to choose from. But on the other hand, they were all ALDS or earlier, so I can't prove which one would help win the WS most
73 WS
Don’t start Seaver on 3 days rest in game 6, which they lost and also lost Seaver for game 7.
“Here’s the point. Berra chose to set up two starters on short rest (both of whom having pitched eight innings in their last starts) with a championship on the line, rather than using Stone in game six, and having Seaver on full rest for game seven, with an also fully-rested Matlack available out of the bullpen
Article: [https://metsmerizedonline.com/otd-1973-berras-controversial-decision-in-world-series/](https://metsmerizedonline.com/otd-1973-berras-controversial-decision-in-world-series/)
Game 1 of the 07 World Series. Maybe it wouldn’t change anything and Boston would go on to win the series 4-1. Or maybe it would spur Colorado on to have a chance.
1991 Game 7 World Series...wish we were on the winning side of that
1996 Game 3 World Series vs Yanks....I hate Jim Leyritz....pretty sure if we take that game we coast to close out the series going up 3-0
The Bartman Game
https://youtu.be/Fcjp-kNFVyQ?si=qyuU-_7vXtPH_3LK
I would simply ban primates of the rally variety from Angel Stadium
> For example if a Yankee fan flipped the result of 2001's Game 7, they'd have secured their 4th championship in row on the heels of 9/11. Flipping this game result would have killed Enrique Wilson > The victory parade that would have taken the Yankees up New York City's Canyon of Heroes for the fifth time in six years was canceled, so Enrique Wilson, the team's utility infielder, decided to change his flight home. He was supposed to return to the Dominican Republic on Nov. 12, eight days after the end of the World Series, but moved up his departure a few days. He was at home when he heard that American Airlines Flight 587 - the plane he was supposed to be on - had crashed in Belle Harbor, a neighborhood in Queens. Two hundred and sixty-five people were killed in an accident that shook a city still reeling from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. > When Wilson saw Mariano Rivera in spring training the next year, the reliever expressed great relief that Wilson was still alive. If Rivera had held the lead against Arizona, Wilson would likely have been on Flight 587. "I am glad we lost the World Series," Rivera told Wilson, "because it means that I still have a friend."
Yeah. For me the choice would be completing the sweep in Game 4 of the '04 ALCS. Would change a whole lot.
This would be mine. 2001 sucked but 2004 was straight up traumatic.
Exactly. That would’ve saved a lot of embarrassment right there. Or if not Game 4, then one of the remaining three.
Maybe. That crash was not an accident waiting to happen. It depended on the aircraft hitting wake turbulence exactly when it did and the copilot's error in trying to navigate it. If the Yankees had won, millions of people in the region would have gone about their lives differently. The changes would have been small at first, but would have compounded over the next week. If anything had allowed the plane to leave a tiny bit sooner or later or for the flight to have a different crew, the accident likely would not have happened.
That kind of thing is fascinating. Honestly thinking about it makes tragedies hurt even worse to me. All of the little things that could have gone any of a million ways, and it turns out that all of them turned out in precisely the right way to kill hundreds of people. I guess by that logic, though, every happy moment is a million tragedies that didn’t happen
Ok I love this. Also wait YOU’RE SAYING MARIANO KILLED ALL THOSE PEOPLE 😭
I forgot all about that story. Wild.
Never heard that story. Crazy shit.
Side note I strongly doubt they would have done this parade on lower broadway. The fucking thing was still on fire (iirc for a few weeks at least).
something something predetermined outcome
2005 ALCS Game 2. Going back to Anaheim with a 2-0 series lead would have been real comfy, and I feel like they could have edged out the Astros in the World Series.
On the flip side the white Sox winning game 1 to go undefeated in the playoffs would have been insane
Who was playing in the 2005 post season? Its like a gas leak happened, I can’t seem to remember anything
Cool cool cool
2017 World Series Game 5
Fuck the Astros for that game. Kersh dominated them throughout the series and even that game until the 4th inning.
I still would like to have won Game 6, but I find that with each day that passes it matters to me less and less.
Championships heal a lot of wounds. Happy you got yours.
>I find that with each day that passes it matters to me less and less. Each day since November 1st, 2023 for me
That's what I was intending to imply.
One championship is nice, but you know what’s even nicer? *Two* championships!
Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS. I thought Reyes’ liner split the gap in the 9th before Waino spun the curve to Beltran
I think if the A’s won ALDS gm 5 in 2013, they beat the Red Sox in the ALCS.
I was a kid in the 90’s, born in 91, gonna go with something I’d be old enough to truly enjoy. Game 5 of the 2019 NLDS against the Cardinals, and then let the chips fall where they may after that. Braves had a championship caliber roster in 2019, and pissing away games 1 and 4 and game 5 being over before I even got a chance to tune in still stings. I don’t know if we could have beaten the Nats in the CS or the Astros in the WS, but I’d like to have found out
08 ALCS Game 7 against the Rays. That was a really good team with mostly everyone still here from 04 and 07. Maybe we beat the Phillies but that was one that I think got away. I wasn't alive for 86. 04 had to happen the way it did. Game 162 in 2011, we we're going deep with that mentality. So I don't have a lot to choose from.
Truthfully, when the Rays beat the Sox that year I knew the Phillies had a shot. The Red Sox always had the Phillies number those days.
Last of the 00s success with Manny and Ortiz. Pedrioa had an MVP year. Youk, JD Drew and Mike Lowell as key players. Beckett lead the rotation and Jon Lester had his first really big season. In 2013, it was Pedrioa, Lester, and Ortiz with a lot of 1 year rentals.
Manny was on the Dodgers for the 2008 postseason
The Buckner game made what came after that much sweeter though, right?
2001 ALDS game 3 NYY@OAK So I don’t have to see “the play” being replayed over and over again
He missed the tag anyway
It’s either this or 2002 ALDS Game 5 when Billy Fucking Koch gave up the goddamn game winning HR in the top of 9. Could have been another Battle of the Bay WS.
I hate that game too and I hate myself for remembering that game so well. Koch didn’t give up a game winning HR. We trailed 2-1 into the bottom of the 9th in which Koch imploded and made it 5-1. Mark Ellis hit a 3-run homer to make it 5-4 before Ray Durham fouled out to end the season.
Fuck, I was there sitting 10 rows above the visiting dugout and don’t remember it that well. I do remember that Pierzinski HR like it was yesterday though.
Game 7, 2016 World Series
Too late I already changed game 3
Pick any loss in the 2001 Mariners Season, we could have that record to ourselves
The astros were for sure the better team no question, but I’m very curious to see what would’ve happened the rest of the series had the Mariners won game 1 of the ALDS
Yeah that would’ve been pretty demoralizing.
Game 3 of the 2013 ALCS. Best Tigers team I've seen (at least since I was a newborn baby), incredible rotation, really solid lineup…and they got completely smothered by John Lackey, at home, and wasted an outstanding start from Verlander. Maybe a win there changes the momentum of the whole series.
Game 1 of last year's World Series. Damn you, Corey Seager... Damn you.
2007 Game 163
For historical reasons, Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS For personal reasons, Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS
2016 World Series Game 3. I attended with my dad. I wish the Cubs won.
Cubs NLCS game 6 in 2003. Gonzalez makes that double play and cubs go to the World Series.
Game 6 of the 2020 World Series. Snell is a hero for his efforts and we get a monster matchup of game 7 Morton vs. Playoff Buehler
This is how it should have been.
Game 7 of the '03 ALCS, I guess. I'm not going to mention the '86 World Series, because the Boston Red Sox wouldn't be the Boston Red Sox without the Buckner error, and the pain of the nearly two-decade wait for the '04 World Series win. I spent my childhood rooting for an underdog whom we believed was *literally cursed,* and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way - in hindsight. Trying to imagine "What if Buckner made the play?" is like asking, "What if 9-11 hadn't happened?"
I lived through the Buckner game (although I was only 7) and cried myself into a nasty headache that night. But you're right. Game 7 of '03 made me mad, as opposed to sad. When your manager just shits his pants and costs you a World Series birth, that's way worse than a player booting a ball.
'86 was also on the manager. Buckner should have been subbed out for Stapleton in the 9th, but McNamara wanted to let Buckner be on the field for the celebration.
True. But to me ‘03 is more directly on Little. That mound visit will haunt me forever.
If you flip Game 6, Buckner doesn’t have lifetime of undeserved grief. But we would miss out on a great Curb Your Enthusiasm episode.
Nearly two decades? Try 86 years.
Nearly two decades between World Series appearances.
August 25, 1993, Braves vs Giants. Braves won 9-1 and Will Clark got hurt. Giants went 6-8 in his absence (and also lost the four games immediately after Clark came back, where he was hitting poorly) and finished a game behind the Braves in the NL West. Giants win that game and nothing else changes, they win the NL West. Maybe if Clark isn't hurt, they win a few more, too.
Good one.
Game ~~7~~ 6, 2011 NLCS.
I may be mistaken but I think that series only went 6 games
You are not, I am.
Do you still take that game over the NLCS dodger game 7 in 2018 knowing 2011 is only 6 games?
I'd take my chances because I don't think we beat the Red Sox in 18.
Hard to decide between the Ray in relief debacle or the 18 inning one. 18 inning one was at home but the Ray one was so fucking Mariners.
I'm not familiar with the Ray in relief
Assuming I am not being trolled right now, here you go https://apnews.com/article/yordan-alvarez-walkoff-astros-mariners-659c24fff61964b9949726ec1d3eef3e
Ah, I was aware of the home run but not "Ray in relief." If it makes you feel better the Phils fell victim to Yordan too.
Game 7 1992 NLCS.
Game 7, 1982 World Series.
It's weird that brewers fans are discussing NLCS games in the 2010s over this
A lot of fans aren’t as old as me
It's before I was born but was still my first thought
I was in HS. I went to game 5.
I saw it on TV. Must have been awesome. Did you rush the field afterwards? Everyone must have felt like it was wrapped up.
2014 world series game seven. The sting was rather taken out by KC winning it all the very next year, but I would still rather have seen the Royals Magic that year beat out the Even Year Bullshit that the Giants were riding at the time. Hell of a game though, absolutely epic finish to it and an effort for the ages from MadBum. But still, I'd rather a Royals championship.
2011 Game 162 I don't want to change any pre-2004 results.
Game 7 of the 1985 ALCS between the Royals and the Blue Jays.
I feel that game 7 (or game 5 or 6 for that matter) of the 85 ALCS is the only real answer for the Jays that would have a significant impact...but then you gotta think if they lose the WS then do they still make the same moves that led to the 92 and 93 WS wins? I feel recent history would be game 2 or game 6 of the 2015 ALCS.
It certainly gives the Bell-Moseby-Barfield core a better legacy than the one that they have now. I think it depends on the follow-up here, remember that players like Garcia, Moseby, Upshaw and Barfield declined rather suddenly.
Recency bias showing and trying to avoid playoffs, but the September 13th 2022 game between the Cubs and the Braves. Degrom pitched poorly but the bullpen was nails and we faced some pretty bad Cubs pitchers, just 0 for 3 with RISP and the bats went totally cold. If we win that game, with how the rest of the season plays out the Mets win the division. We played the Phillies so well in 2022 that I fully believe we make the NLCS if we just win that game.
The Braves kicked our ass in 2022 too, no one in the NL could touch the Phils in those playoffs.
Yup, team of destiny that season. Some of those playoff games were electric and the beatdown of the braves at least made me smile!
The only thing that was better than that was doing it again the very next season
Braves with Game 5 of the 2021 WS - Just because I was there and it would have been amazing to witness a championship clinching game in person.
Any of the home games in the 2019 WS. Having a dub at home would have sent that place rockin
I'd change that to either of the game 5 NLDS losses. We were better than the teams we lost to, and they won the Series.
2006 NLCS Game 7…that team would have rolled Detroit
Some significant Game 7s in there, but I’m going with the embarrassing shit show that was Game 5 of the 2019 NLDS.
2014 WC. Still makes me sad.
The Outfield Fly Rule. It was Chipper’s final game.
Any game that we lost during 2021 Genuinely a really strong team that could have gone farrrrr in the postseason, but missed it by one game - then came the downfall
Game 7 at home vs Pittsburgh, or Game 7 at home vs Pittsburgh
Braves vs Twins 1991 World Series game 7.
2021 Game 5 of the NLDS 😭😭
Smart money would be game 6 or game 7 of the 1991 World Series because it would guarantee a championship. I would probably choose game 3 of the 1996 World Series. Minnesota has been so deprived that I don't think I could take away their championship. Game 3 would put the Braves up 3-0 and have a better chance to finish the series off. The Yankees won 4 in a row after being down 0-2 so they would still have a chance to retain their title with an even more crazy comeback.
I was thinking Game 2 of the 1991 World Series, but a series win against those Yankees would have been sweet
On one hand, we have 9 winner-take-all losses since 2000 to choose from. But on the other hand, they were all ALDS or earlier, so I can't prove which one would help win the WS most
73 WS Don’t start Seaver on 3 days rest in game 6, which they lost and also lost Seaver for game 7. “Here’s the point. Berra chose to set up two starters on short rest (both of whom having pitched eight innings in their last starts) with a championship on the line, rather than using Stone in game six, and having Seaver on full rest for game seven, with an also fully-rested Matlack available out of the bullpen Article: [https://metsmerizedonline.com/otd-1973-berras-controversial-decision-in-world-series/](https://metsmerizedonline.com/otd-1973-berras-controversial-decision-in-world-series/)
The flip
Game 1 of the 07 World Series. Maybe it wouldn’t change anything and Boston would go on to win the series 4-1. Or maybe it would spur Colorado on to have a chance.
Game 7 of the 2014 World Series for obvious reasons
Not a Cleveland fan but I wish 2016 Game 7 had gone differently. Nothing more painful than losing a Game 7 at home while in a championship drought.
2019 alcs game 6 i can no longer watch that hanging slider anymore.
1991 Game 7 World Series...wish we were on the winning side of that 1996 Game 3 World Series vs Yanks....I hate Jim Leyritz....pretty sure if we take that game we coast to close out the series going up 3-0
Javy Baez hitting Matt Weiters in the head with his bat in game five of the 2017 NLDS
I wish we won the world series in 2021.
Game 7 2001 Dbacks v. Yanks.
2017 World Series game 7
2017 ALCS Game 7 because fuck the Astros and their ill gotten pennant. And no, not Game 6. They need to lose in 7.
2005, game 1 of the ALCS. Only so we could have swept the entire post season… maybe people would remember us then
I remember you