This puzzle is special to me - once you're done with it come back here, scroll down, and read about why!
25 years ago today, I was a baseball-obsessed four year old down in Boise, Idaho. I had no idea that the Mariners had sucked for almost two decades straight, no context for just how miraculous their regular season comeback was, and no idea that there was a decent chance they'd leave Seattle. All I knew was that they were the baseball team on TV every night, therefore, I adored the Mariners. I don't know how often I got to stay up late and watch the first few innings, but it was often enough to vaguely stick in my mind. I loved baseball and I loved the Mariners.
In my opinion. the 1995 ALDS is one of the most bonkers postseason series baseball has seen. I believe it still holds the record today for most home runs in a series, and it was only a 5-game set. The M's dropped the first two games to the Yankees, but bounced back in games 3 and 4 to set up a winner-take-all Game 5 at the Kingdome. I was lucky enough to experience it with the wide-eyed wonder that only an innocent child can have.
I honestly couldn't tell you if four-year-old-me stayed up late enough to watch Edgar's iconic double. I do know that over the course of the next few years, I relived that moment over and over and over again, whether watching the 1995 season highlight video I got for Christmas, or replaying if over endless games of backyard wiffleball. "The Double" will always remain my favorite sports moment, and I only hope that after another 20 years of futility, the Mariners can recapture some of that 1995 magic.
So, tonight at 4:09, I am going to sit down with my own four year old, pull open YouTube, and watch Game 5 for the umpteenth time. There's a good chance that a few hours later (okay lets be real I have two young kids, some skipping ahead will probably be in store) I'll get to watch him jump and shout for joy and odds are good that a tear or two will trickle down my own cheek. Very excited for it.
If you'd like to watch the entire game, you can do so here. When the game gets into the bottom of the 11th, I highly recommend switching to Dave Niehaus's call. "My Oh My", the 1995 highlight video, can be seen here.
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