This date in Astros history:
1989 -
Rafael Ramirez gets a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Cubs, 6-5.
Glenn Davis scores after doubling home
Bill Doran. Davis had homered the inning before.
Dave Smith is the surprise winner.
Billy Hatcher is traded to Pittsburgh for outfielder
Glenn Wilson.
While I was sad to see Hatcher leave - although watching Glenn Wilson hose guys with that cannon of an arm was great - this is one of the greatest games in Astros history for me.
I was 15 and went to the game with my parents. My dad started razzing Jim Clancy early and often. Clancy had been brought over from Toronto to "replace" Nolan Ryan by going 7-14 with a 5.08 ERA. He replaced Nolan in this game by giving up 5 runs in 4 innings and during the 4th inning, when the Astros had a conference on the mound, my dad stood up and yelled "PUT IN ORBIT! CANT BE ANY ******* WORSE!"
Back then, my dad was still smoking 2 packs a day, and probably would have smoked 8 packs a day if there simply enough hours. They had banned smoking in the Dome a few years back, and we might have left early but the team fought back to down 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth.
Almost 3 hours without a cancer stick were wearing my dad down by the bottom of the ninth when Glenn Davis doubled in Bill Doran to tie it at 5-5. With two outs, the Cubs intentionally walked both Kevin Bass and Harry Spilman to loaded the bases for Rafael Ramirez.
My dad, now facing the prospect of extra innings without a cigarette, stood up and started screaming and clapping for Ramirez like it was Game 7 of the World Series and the Astros' opponent was Nazi Germany.
Incredibly, Ramirez, drew a 5-pitch walkoff walk in a season where he walked 29 times in 575 plate appearances to win the game 6-5.
My dad screamed and shouted, "WAY TO GO, BABE!" and led the charge up the pavilion stairs to the sweet blissful embrace of Mother Nicotine.
My dad locked in on Ramirez as his favorite player for the rest of his time with the Astros, continually calling him "Babe" whenever he saw him batting on TV or in person.