Waiting for Gouda

Halfway through the T’s, the Silly Music Project brought me a moment of unexpected joy earlier today, and oddly enough, it has nothing to do with music. Something popped up on the old iPod that I’d forgotten was on there.

It’s probably my favorite bit of non-music audio of all time. Better than Armstrong on the moon, better than Dr. King’s speech, better than any single comedy or spoken word bit.

It’s the immortal radio call from Russ Hodges of The Shot Heard ‘Round the World, Bobby Thomson’s home run to win the NL pennant for the New York Giants in 1951. Without a doubt one of the most joyful and exuberant play-by-play calls in history, it never fails to make me happy.

Take a listen, if you’re so inclined.

Every time I listen to it, these weird waves of nostalgia flow over me, even though I was about negative 22 years old when the event took place. Plus, how could you not get chills when Hodges screams THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! over and over again?

Because you’re a heartless automaton, that’s how. Or maybe you just don’t like sports.

Also, I think that Hodges saying “I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!” is sort of the spiritual predecessor of another of my all-time favorite baseball calls: Jack Buck’s radio call of Kirk Gibson’s pinch hit homer to close out Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. You know, that’s the one where Gibson limped around the bases and pretended like he was trying to start a chainsaw or something.

Now that one carries a bit more legitimate nostalgia for me as I was actually present for the game. Even though I didn’t hear the call at the time, I remember watching it on the television at my grandparents’ house and NBC’s Vin Scully didn’t say a word as Gibson circled the bases, preferring to let the crowd tell the story. I actually was rooting against the Dodgers at the time, because Orel frickin’ Hershiser and the rest of them had just downed my New York Mets in the NLCS. But still, it was a pretty great baseball moment.

In addition to the “I don’t believe what I just saw!”s, and his checking with his broadcast partner, Bill, to make sure that he was not hallucinating, the best thing about Buck’s call is that toward the end I think he realizes he might be overdoing it, and throws a couple awkward qualifiers:

“I’ve seen a lot of dramatic finishes in a lot of sports, but this one… might top… almost every other one.”

You can actually watch video clips of both of these plays here, if you don’t mind first being pelted with a commercial for stinkin’ Phillies merchandise.

Ah, good times. Only about 14 weeks ’til pitchers and catchers report!