Among the many well-worn sayings -- or cliches, depending on your fondness for the game -- surrounding baseball is one that states each trip to the ballpark will bring something that you've never seen before. Within the finite mathematics of 27 outs per team, 90 feet separating the bases, and 60 feet 6 inches between home plate and the pitcher's mound, there are seemingly infinite variations. And, surely, Game 6 of the 2011 World Series brought a few unexpected things that had to be seen to be believed .
Whether it was the St. Louis Cardinals twice rallying from their last strike and scoring runs in the ninth, 10th and 11 innings for the win, the Plasticine manipulation of Mike Napoli's ankle as he awkwardly rolled over second base in fourth inning or the sight of Rangers pitcher Derek Holland -- resplendent in his windbreaker -- scoring his first ever run in the Majors, there were several thrills, spills and unintentionally funny moments from Thursday night's game that bore out the truth in that baseball sentiment.
It was, however, an uncanny echo of a famous moment that we all have seen before that will likely prove the most lasting memory of the game. Not only was the climatic play of Game 6 reminiscent of another classic October moment, but the way it was described to us was nearly identical.
When David Freese's walk-off home run cleared the fence in center field in the bottom of the 11th inning, FOX announcer Joe Buck said, "Freese hits it in the air to center. We.. will see you tomorrow night!"
WATCH VIDEO OF DAVID FREESE HOME RUN ABOVE
The home run itself and the call from the broadcast booth both transported viewers -- at least those old enough to know what a "homer hankie" is -- back to the 1991 World Series. In the 11th inning of Game 6 in the '91 Fall Classic, Minnesota Twins star Kirby Puckett launched a walk-off home run to force a Game 7. In the booth for that game was Tim McCarver and Jack Buck, Joe's dad. As Puckett's shot cleared the fence in left-center field, the elder Buck delivered one of the most famous home run calls of all time, simply saying, "Into deep left center, from Mitchell.. And, we'll see you tomorrow night!"