Most Sox fans would consider Game 6 of the 86 World Series one of the highlights of Dan Shaughnessy's Curse. But within that fateful tenth inning, the curse seemed especially to doom or at least shorten the careers of four prime players in the two-out collapse. Calvin Schiraldi played one more year in Boston and was out of the majors by 1991. Bill Buckner, nearing the end of a generally successful 20-year career, bounced from the Sox to the Angels to the Royals and back to the Sox before calling it quits at the age of 41. Bob Stanley pitched three mediocre years in Fenway before injuries and age forced retirement. But the saddest case seems to me that of Rich Gedman, a two-time all-star whose career literally nosedived after that October night.
For those too young to remember, it was a pitch from Stanley that Geddy couldn't handle that plated the tying run for the Mets just before Buckner's gaffe. It was called a wild pitch, but many consider it a passed ball which should have been charged to the Sox catcher. But it matters little. Gedman would never be the same.
Up until that night, the 27-year-old seemed destined for an excellent career. Like Carlton Fisk, the Hall of Famer he replaced, Rich was a local guy, born in Worcester and starring at St Peter-Marian High. He was a bit of a late bloomer, but by 81 he was up with the Sox, hit .288 in 205 at bats and was named Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year. With the help of famed hitting coach Walt Hriniak, he was regular catcher by 84 and for the next three seasons caught an average of 130 games, with close to 30 doubles, 20 homers and a .275 mark. His career highlights include setting league records for putouts in a game and in consecutive contests as the receiver for Roger Clemens' first 20-strikeout performance. In 85 he hit for the cycle and drove in 7 runs in a game with Toronto. He also threw out a high percentage of baserunners.
But like some of his teammates, it was all downhill after October 25, 1986. In November, while practicing for a series between Major League and Japanese all-stars, he broke his cheekbone on a warmup pitch from the Tigers' Willie Hernandez. Two months later, he was one of ten free agents who failed to meet a midnight deadline and were not allowed to re-sign with their former clubs until May 1. Geddy did re-sign, but things never were the same. In late July 87, batting only .205, he tore ligaments in his left thumb and was gone for the year. Other injuries would follow.
A piece by Shaughnessy in February 88 entitled "Gedman Seeks a Fresh Start" quotes the catcher about his lost season. "It was brutal…it was the toughest thing I'd gone through in my career…I was bitter and angry and I let it distract me from my game. I was just ticked off at everybody around me, and that's not my style." It did not help that he had turned down a three-year $2.65 million contract, fairly high for that period. When no other team signed him or his fellow free agents, the Players Association sued, citing owner collusion. The result was that hometown hero Gedman was now branded greedy and selfish.
The comeback never came. By 89, he was replaced by Rick Cerone as regular catcher. He eventually played briefly in Houston, St Louis, and Oakland and did a stint in the minors. Post-86, he never batted above .231 and hit more than 9 homers. He retired with a .252 lifetime mark and 88 home runs. If ever someone seemed cursed by Game 6, it was Gedman.
Today Rich and his wife Sherry, also an excellent athlete, live in Sudbury. He has managed and coached in and out of the Boston organization. His three children have all played college sports, with his daughter Marissa excelling in women's ice hockey at Harvard. But I would not be surprised if he tells his kids to stay away from New York City in late October.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
