15 Years After Loss, Phillies' 'Wild Thing' Forgiven

NPR

Published October 29, 2008 at 2:05 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies last played in the World Series in 1993. They faced the world champion Toronto Blue Jays.

Game 6 in Toronto: Phillies up by one in the bottom of the ninth. On the mound, their closer, Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams; two runners on base; Toronto slugger Joe Carter at the plate. Announcer Tom Cheek at the microphone.

"Two balls and two strikes on it. Here's a pitch on the way — a swing and a belt! Left field, way back! Blue Jays win it! The Blue Jays are World Series champions!"

And the Phillies? They went home and took another 15 years to get to the series. And Williams — "The Wild Thing" — also went home. He's now a sports broadcaster in Philadelphia.

Williams tells Robert Siegel that 15 years after that game, fans have forgiven him, if not quite forgotten about his role in it.

"I've been forgiven for it, I think," he says. "But I still hear about it every day. When you give up a home run to lose a World Series, it's not going away overnight."

Williams also praises the 2008 Phillies, comparing them to his own team.

"I've watched this team down 7-nothing in the sixth inning and come back and win games," he says. "They never quit."

The Phillies lead the series against the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1.