Scapegoat to hero
Twice gave Sox late inning lead
In must-win Game 5
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| 1989 Topps #527 Dave Henderson |
"Hendu" is mostly remembered for his dramatic home run in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS against the Angels, but that was only part of the story. Henderson was originally on the bench, but came in when starting center fielder Tony Armas sprained his ankle. In the 6th inning, the Red Sox had a 2-1 lead, but with a man on, the Angels' Booby Grich hit a fly ball to center. Henderson timed the catch perfectly, leapt and made the catch....only to hit the wall with his wrist and have the ball go over the fence for a two run home run. Redemption came in the top of the 9th. The Angels were literally one strike away from their first ever World Series appearance when Henderson hit a go-ahead two run home run off Donnie Moore. What many people forget is that the Angels tied the game in the bottom of the 9th and it went to extra innings. Henderson once again came through in the 11th inning, hitting a sacrifice fly to score what would be the winning run.
I don't remember much of his playing career, but I did listen to him on the Mariners broadcasts (both radio and television) for years. I really liked what he brought to the table, and loved the pairing of him and Dave Niehaus.
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