Bernie Carbo was nearly a World Series hero. Facing elimination and a three-run deficit in the 8th inning of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, the Red Sox outfielder slugged a pinch-hit home run to even the score at Fenway Park. Carlton Fisk went on to seal the victory in the 12th inning, but Boston would fall to the Cincinnati Reds in Game 7.
What makes Carbo's feat even more impressive is his recent admission that he was on all sorts of drugs when he hit the three-run shot. "I probably smoked two joints, drank about three or four beers, got to the ballpark, took some [amphetamines], took a pain pill, drank a cup of coffee, chewed some tobacco, had a cigarette, and got up to the plate and hit,''he told the Boston Globe.
Carbo's stunning interview encompasses far more than the 1975 World Series. The Red Sox Hall of Famer says he "was addicted to anything you could possibly be addicted to. I played the out field sometimes where it looked like the stars were falling from the sky."
The Globe article chronicles the devastating consequences of his addiction as well as his eventual recovery. Click here for all of the amazing details.
Carbo is not the only former ballplayer who claims to have accomplished a major on-field triumph while high. Dock Ellis says his no-hitter for the Pirates occurred after he had taken LSD.
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