Obit of the Day: A Rat, A Cameraman, and The Red Sox
Some fans consider it the greatest game in World Series history. A twelve-inning nail biter that featured the Cincinnati Reds against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park. The Reds were leading the series three games to two, winning game six would earn them the title.
At 12:34 a.m. EST, four hours after the game began, Carlton Fisk stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the twelfth. Pat Darcy was on the mound for the Reds. On the second pitch, Fisk pulled the ball down the left field line towards the famous Green Monster. The moment the ball glanced off the foul pole the Red Sox won, 7-6.
The dramatic home run would have earned a place in history based on circumstance. But Lou Gerard, a cameraman who was behind the Fenway Park scoreboard, gave the moment additional drama when he focused on Fisk hopping down the first base line waving the ball fair.
It was not because Mr. Gerard was looking for that special shot. It was because he was looking at a rat. A rat “that’s as big as a cat” was on Mr. Gerard’s leg and so he and his producer decided to stay on Fisk rather than follow the ball. The forced choice was the best one and the images captured by Mr. Gerard are as famous as the home run itself.
Lou Gerard died on February 8, 2013 at the age of 86.
Sources: NY Post, Sporting News, Retrosheet.org, Wikipedia
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