710 Classic Picks: Tom Wassell has baseball, football and hoops memories from the way-back machine

Apr 9, 2020, 12:53 AM | Updated: Apr 15, 2020, 9:50 am

Former Mariner Dave Henderson lives on in Red Sox lore. (Getty - T. G. Higgins/Allsport)

(Getty - T. G. Higgins/Allsport)

Seattle Sports

With the sports world at a standstill, we’re checking in with the cast of characters from 710 ESPN Seattle and 710Sports.com to find out what they’ve been watching or reading to get their sports fix, or what sports memories they have that other fans in the Seattle area (and beyond) might connect with.

Full schedule: Classic Mariners games air at 7 every night on 710

Here’s what Tom Wassell, co-host of 710 ESPN Seattle’s Tom, Jake and Stacy, has picked out.

1. 1986 ALCS Game 5: Red Sox at California Angels (full game)

It might be the first baseball game I ever sat down and watched, but I’m not sure. I had no idea about curses at the time, all I knew was that it was an insane game that came down to the last strike before Dave Henderson completely changed the fortunes of the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth. Al Michaels doing play-by-play for ABC just adds to the legend of this game.

2. 2002 South Regional semis – No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 1 Duke (full game)

I was still living in Bloomington, Ind., at the time, and nobody expected much from this pesky IU squad heading into the tournament. After they knocked off top-seeded Duke in this Sweet 16 matchup, the entire town was drunk for the next week and a half. All I remember is a pigpile on the floor with my friends on top of me!

3. Victor Cruz goes for 99 yards vs. the Jets (highlight)

In 2011, the soon-to-be champion Giants were 7-7 going into a game against the Jets on Christmas Eve. Backed up at their own goal line, things looked bleak until Victor Cruz went for 99 to the house. From that moment on, everything went NY’s way en route to its fourth Super Bowl Championship. I could watch this all day.

8 years ago today, Victor Cruz went 99 yards and sparked a Super Bowl run.

(via @Giants)pic.twitter.com/el8r34QE2O

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 24, 2019

4. 1999 ALDS Game 5: Red Sox at Indians – Troy O’Leary’s 7 RBIs

If I don’t bring this up, nobody will ever know about it. In the 90s, the Red Sox won a lot of games with rag-tag players who you may have heard about, or maybe not. One such player was Troy O’Leary, who in a wild back and forth affair at Jacobs Field came up huge with a grand slam and a decisive three-run homer to cap off a comeback from down 2-0 against a juggernaut Cleveland team.

5. 1987 World Series Game 6: Twins vs. Cardinals – Hrbek’s Grand Slam

When you’re a kid, sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason to the things you like and dislike. I sat there on the couch watching this game with my father, and as I saw Kent Hrbek put his hands in the air after the grand slam, he became my favorite player. You should see the amount of Twins/Hrbek memorabilia I have at my parents’ house. For a little while there, I was obsessed with the Twins and they rewarded my dedication with another championship in 1991.