1975 World Series Game 6

Lore & Background

The sixth game of the World Series was a 12-inning classic at Boston's Fenway Park, which culminated with a walk-off home run by Carlton Fisk to extend the series to seven games. The Reds rallied from a 3–0 deficit to win the seventh and deciding game of the series on a ninth-inning single by Joe Morgan after being seven outs away from elimination.

In Their Own Story

The lights at Riverfront Stadium hummed with a tension that felt heavier than the humid Ohio air. The crowd was a roar of red and white, but one man stood apart from the chaos. Carlton Fisk watched the ball spiral through the night sky, his body twisting instinctively toward the foul pole. He waved his arms, a desperate plea to physics itself: 'Stay fair! Stay fair!' For a heartbeat that stretched into eternity, the ball hung suspended against the dark backdrop of the stadium lights. Then, it kissed the white line and bounced away from the stands. The roar shifted instantly from confusion to eruption as Fisk ran, his face a mask of disbelief and triumph, chasing down a moment that would outlive them all.

Reader's Guide

This was the fourth time in five years that a seven-game World Series winner (following Pittsburgh in 1971, and Oakland in 1972 and 1973) was outscored. Reds third baseman Pete Rose was named World Series MVP. Rose batted .370 with 10 hits and two RBIs and scored 3 runs. None of the six umpires in this World Series worked a previous Fall Classic, and two, Art Frantz and George Maloney, would not umpire in another.

Did You Know?

• In 2003, ESPN ranked it the second-greatest World Series ever played, trailing only the 1991 series.
• In 2020, Sam Miller of ESPN named it the best World Series ever.
• The Reds recorded a franchise-high 108 victories in 1975 and won the NL West division by 20 games.
• The Red Sox swept the three-time defending World Series champion Oakland Athletics in the ALCS to win their first pennant in eight years.