Donnie Moore
Donnie Ray Moore (
February 13 1954 –
July 18 1989) was an
American relief pitcher in
Major League Baseball who played for the
Chicago Cubs (1975, 1977-79),
St. Louis Cardinals (1980),
Milwaukee Brewers (1981),
Atlanta Braves (1982-84) and
California Angels (1985-88).
In a 14-season career, Moore posted a 43-40 record with 89
saves, 416
strikeouts, and a 3.67
ERA in 655
innings. He was selected as an
All-Star in
1985.
A native of
Lubbock, Texas, Moore is unfortunately most remembered for the
home run he gave up as an Angel during Game 5 of the
1986 American League Championship Series with only one more strike needed to clinch the team's first-ever pennant, and subsequently received the majority of the blame for his team failing to enter the
1986 World Series after the
Boston Red Sox came back and won. Moore, who had long battled depression, was dealt a severe mental blow from this event, and sports fans and the sports media never forgot it.
Moore was battling injury at the time of that game, and indeed was never able to remain injury-free following it. After saving only nine more games in 41 appearances over the next two seasons, Moore was let go by the Angels. He signed with the
Kansas City Royals for the
1989 season, but played only in the
minor leagues before being released in June of that year, ending his 14-year career in baseball.
On
July 18,
1989, all of the repercussions of the 1986 loss—the decline and now end of his baseball career and serious marital and financial difficulties—along with his battle with
alcoholism,
drug abuse, and severe
depression, finally overcame him. During an argument with his wife Tonya, Moore shot her three times, the incident occurring in witness of their three children. Tonya Moore and daughter Demetria, then 17 years of age, fled from the house and Demetria drove her mother to the hospital and survived from shooting.
Back inside the house, still in the presence of one of his sons, Moore then shot himself. He would die of his wound at the age of 35.
When he was cut by Kansas City, he'd really been depressed about that. I mean, here he is, the high-life career . . . then all of a sudden, it's gone. He comes back home . . . and the marriage, the family, is all destroyed. I mean, what else does he have left?:— Demetria Moore on what drove her father to his final acts of desparation
The game took place on
October 12,
1986 in Anaheim. The Angels held a 3 games to 1 lead of a best-of-seven against the
Boston Red Sox. In the game, the Angels held a 5-2 lead going into the ninth inning. Boston scored two runs on a hit by
Bill Buckner and a home run by
Don Baylor, closing the gap to 5-4.
When Moore came in to shut down the rally, there were two outs, and a runner on first base (
Rich Gedman, who had been
hit by a pitch). The Angels were one out from getting into the
World Series. But
Dave Henderson hit a 2-2 pitch off Moore for a home run, giving the Red Sox a 6-5 lead. The Angels were able to score a run in the bottom of the ninth, pushing the game into extra innings.
"The pitch . . . Deep to left and Downing goes back. And it's gone! Unbelievable! You're looking at one for the ages here. Astonishing! Anaheim Stadium was one strike away from turning into Fantasyland! And now the Red Sox lead 6-5! The Red Sox get four runs in the ninth on a pair of two-run homers by Don Baylor and Dave Henderson." --
Al Michaels,
ABC-TV.
Moore remained in the game for the Angels; he was able to stifle a 10
th inning Red Sox rally by getting
Jim Rice to ground into a
double play. Nevertheless, the Red Sox were able to score off Moore in the 11th inning via a
sacrifice fly by Henderson. The Angels could not score in the bottom of the 11th, and lost the game 7-6.
The defeat still left the Angels in a 3 games to 2 advantage, with two more games to play at
Fenway Park. However, the Angels were not able to close it out, losing both games by wide margins, 10-4 and 8-1. And so the pitch that Moore gave up for a home run, the point at which they were closest to advancing to the World Series (The Angels would win the World Series in
2002), was ultimately blamed for the shortcoming.
In the public perception, Moore became indelibly associated with the Angels' loss of the pennant, in much the same manner that
Bill Buckner became associated with the Red Sox' subsequent loss of the World Series.
*
THE OBIT FOR DONNIE MOORE*
Retrosheet Boxscore: 1986 ALCS Game Five*
Sporting News' Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS
