The Bucky Dent Home Run

Lore & Background

In 1978, Dent is widely remembered for hitting a three-run home run that gave the Yankees a 3–2 lead in the AL East division tie-breaker game against the Boston Red Sox. This was all the more remarkable because Dent was not a power hitter; his seventh-inning home run was one of only 40 he hit in his entire 12-year career. Further, Dent occupied the ninth spot in the batting order, not generally considered a power slot, and did it with a bat borrowed from center fielder Mickey Rivers. The Yankees went on to win the game 5–4 for the division title; Boston was left out of the playoffs, after squandering one of the largest July leads in major league history. Generations of Red Sox fans have since referred to him as 'Bucky Fucking Dent'.

In Their Own Story

The October air at Fenway was biting cold, smelling faintly of damp grass and popcorn. Inside the dugout, the Yankees huddled quietly, aware that one mistake meant elimination. When Bucky Dent stepped to the plate with two outs and a runner on first, the stadium seemed to hold its breath. The pitch came in—a fastball slightly inside—and Dent swung with a desperation he rarely showed. The ball soared high, clearing the iconic Green Monster as if it were made of paper, sending a shockwave through the crowd that silenced the Red Sox faithful instantly.

Reader's Guide

The home run occurred in a one-game tie-breaker for the AL East division title, not a game within the American League Championship Series. The Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals in the 1978 ALCS, then went on to win the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dent was voted the World Series Most Valuable Player Award in 1978.

Did You Know?

• Dent's home run was one of only 40 he hit in his entire 12-year career.
• Dent borrowed the bat from center fielder Mickey Rivers before hitting the home run.
• Dent batted ninth in the order during that game.
• The Yankees won the game 5–4 to clinch the division title.