One Play, Two First Basemen and the Elusive Third Out

Buckner stood at first base, watching Stanley warm up. Back in the Mets clubhouse, Hernandez nervously chain-smoked from his manager’s chair.

Even in hindsight the story is hard to fathom. The New York Mets came to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning, at home, trailing the Boston Red Sox 5-3 in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. They were three outs away from losing the Series. Hold on, this isn’t the story you’re thinking it is.