What’s the worst that could happen?
“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?”- Bob Marley
The 1986 World Series featured the New York Mets, from the National League and the Boston Red Sox from the American League. The New York Mets would win the World Series 4 games to 3 over the Red Sox, despite the fact they were trailing in the Series 3 games to 2.
The 1986 World Series is best known for what occurred during Game 6. The game went into extra innings, and the Red Sox would score 2 runs in the 10th inning to take the lead 5–3. The Mets were down to their last out and last strike, and they would score 1 run to cut Boston’s lead to 5–4. Still trailing by a run and again down to their last strike, the Mets would score the tying run on a wild pitch.
The go-ahead run was now at second base, but the Red Sox were still one strike away from being able to close out the inning tied and send the game further into extra innings. On the 10th pitch of the at-bat, the Mets player hit a ground ball to the 1st base side of the infield and close to the foul line. The Red Sox 1st baseman moved over to the foul line to try to field the ball, but it rolled between his legs and into right field. The Mets player on 2nd base rounded third and scored without a play, and the Mets tied the series at three with their 6–5 victory.
Due to the Mets claiming the series in Game 7, the Game 6 collapse entered baseball lore as part of the Curse of the Bambino superstition used to explain the Red Sox’s championship drought after the 1918 World Series. Perhaps it was the Curse of the Bambino, but maybe, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Prior to Game 6, the Red Sox 1st Baseman (who misplayed the ball that led to the Mets winning Game 6) was asked what was the worst thing that could happen in the World Series, and his response was having a ball roll between his legs and letting up the winning run in the World Series. Unfortunately for the Red Sox 1st Baseman, he had predicted the future and his body reacted in the manner that he had predicted.
What we say to ourselves matters. We get to write our stories, we get to edit our stories, and we get to act out our stories. Forward, always!