One Fall Day

The best thing about memories is making them.

Some days are just made to be remembered forever with a smile.

Some days remind us of one of the most basic fundamentals in the game of living life.

You are better off collecting moments than things.

When you gather moments rather than things, you build relationships with others, whether it be your family or a group of random concertgoers.

Special moments are priceless.

On October 15, 1988, my dad and I made a special memory by combining two of our favorite pastimes together.

Notre Dame Football and Major League Baseball.

If you know your sports history, October 15, 1988 ranked as one of the most memorable sports Saturdays ever.

South Bend Indiana

?Americans who own only a passing familiarity with it claim that South Bend is a down-home, dilapidated, industrial, stunning, Catholic sort of place.

Essentially a college town, but with significant poverty.

For the folks belonging to the Notre Dame Nation, we see it a bit differently.

The National Cathedral of college football.

Home of the Fighting Irish.

After flying into Chicago from NYC the prior evening, my dad and I left the village of Hoffman Estates in Illinois at dawn on October 15, 1988 to begin our trek to Mecca.

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Catholics versus Convicts

After securing our tickets from a scalper for a princely sum, my dad and I found our way to our end zone seats under the shadows of Touchdown Jesus about one hour before kickoff.

Little did we know that we would witness the biggest football game in Notre Dame’s storied history.

The matchup pitted the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes and their 36-game regular season?winning streak on the line against the No. 4 ranked Notre Dame.

In college football in the 1980s, Miami was unquestionably the bully, with Notre Dame serving as the "little brother."

The palpable electricity on the field combined with serious bad blood between the two schools produced a pre-game brawl in the end zone.

The Touchdown Jesus End Zone.

The Indiana State Highway Patrol, coaches, trainers, officials, and refs all participated in the effort to divide the teams.

As Notre Dame receiver Raghib Ismael noted, “It was like a scene out of Braveheart.”

The Fighting Irish had just given Jimmy Johnson and the Hurricanes official notice.

Notre Dame would not be intimidated anymore.

The Fighting Irish won a close, physical, bitter game 31-30.

They eventually won the college football championship a few months later.

After my Dad and I celebrated in the stands, we found our way to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus to attend post game mass.

The October 15, 1988 game became a treasured annual father-son tradition only to be interrupted by 9-11.

In a 2005 poll conducted by the University of Notre Dame, the 31–30 win over Miami was voted the Greatest Victory in Notre Dame Stadium history.

Kirk Gibson

Our original plan was to make it to Chicago in time to make a reservation at Harry Caray’s to enjoy pork chops, cold beer, and the World Series game.

But the crowded Mass and the post-game traffic out of South Bend put a wrinkle in those plans.

During the car ride back to the Windy City, we found Game 1 of the World Series on the radio.

After defeating our beloved Mets, the Dodgers faced the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. Oakland had compiled a 104–58 (.642) regular season record (the best in the Majors), and boasted a powerful lineup led by sluggers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire.

Somewhere around the seventh inning, our appetite for pizza and baseball overtook the desire to keep driving.

So we pulled off the highway into some small Indiana town and found a sports bar.

Little did we know that we were going to watch one of the greatest moments in World Series history together.

Due to significant leg injuries, the Dodger’s star Kirk Gibson was initially unable to play in Game 1.

However, when he was called upon to pinch hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against Oakland Athletics pitcher Dennis Eckersley, Gibson miraculously hit a two-run, walk-off home run by only using his arms.

The Dodgers won the game 5-4 and ultimately the 1988 World Series.

The Gibson at bat in the bottom of the ninth inning on October 15, 1988, became legendary and is generally regarded as the greatest home run in a World Series game.

Moments

Experiences tend to be brief, but the memories from these moments can last a lifetime.

Notre Dame & Kirk Gibson provided the kernel to a memorable day. But my most treasured memory was experiencing it all with my father.

Thank goodness that I did not have a cell phone in my pocket on October 15, 1988.

On one fall day in 1988, from dawn to dusk, we experienced a day together free of distractions and chock full of lasting and loving memories.

They call today the present because it is a gift.

I am looking to create those moments with my family and friends.

All the best in finding yours.

Peace & Love

Patrick McGarry

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

8/03/2022

This story was written in memory of Vin Scully who provided the voice to some of my best baseball memories and to my dad who always seemed to be at my side during major sporting events.