Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Touch 'Em All, Joe: Toronto Mike'd #1030

Episode Date: April 8, 2022

This Mikeumentary is all about Joe Carter's World Series clinching walk-off in 1993 and features stories from Jerry Howarth, Dan Shulman, Doug Smith, Scott Ferguson and Rod Black. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Canna Cabana, StickerYou, Ridley Funeral Home and Patrons like you.

Joe has had his moments. Welcome to episode 1030 of Toronto Mic'd. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, a fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times, and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. StickerU.com. Create custom stickers, labels, tattoos, and decals for your home and your business. Palma Pasta.

Enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Ridley Funeral Home. Pillars of the community since 1921. And Canna Cabana. The lowest prices on cannabis, guaranteed over 100 stores across the country. Learn more at cannacabana.com. In the 45-year history of the Toronto Blue Jays, fans have been lucky enough to witness some of the most dramatic home runs in post-season history. have been lucky enough to witness some of the most dramatic home runs in postseason history. There was Edwin Encarnacion's walk-off in the 2016 wildcard game against Baltimore. They're on their feet at the Rogers Center.

Jose Bautista on deck, but Edwin's the man of the hour. The infield drawn in. Edwin 0 for 3, walked intentionally his last time up. Travis at third, Donaldson at first, one out. The Jimenez pitch, fly ball deep left field. Yes, sir, the Blue that put a smile on everyone's face. The bat flip. One and one on Jose. Hey.

All eyes on the mound and the bearded Sam Dyson. Now he comes set. Kicks. The 1-1 pitch. Fly ball deep left field. Yes, sir. There she goes. But the most important of them all took place on October 23, 1993, in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6 of the World Series.

With the Jays down 6-5, two men on base, and one out, the Philadelphia Phillies erratic closer Mitch Williams faced slugger Joe Carter. Joe has had his moments. Trying to lay off that ball, low to the outside part of the plate,

and he just went after one. Two balls and two strikes on him. Here's the pitch on the way a swing and a belt left field way back Blue Jays win it the Blue Jays are World Series Champions as Joe Carter hits a three run home run in the ninth inning and the Blue Jays have repeated as World Series Champions touch Touch them all, Joe. You'll never hit a bigger home run in your life. It's one of only two series-winning home runs in World Series history, and it remains the last hit recorded by a Blue Jay in a World Series. In the long-storied history of baseball,

it sits among the most incredible moments of all time. Several Toronto-miked guests were in the building that night, and while they may not have all seen the moment, they all felt it, and they were kind enough to share their memories of it. I've compiled them all here in a Mikeumentary about the biggest

home run in Blue Jays history. Joe Carter's World Series walk-off. As with all Mikeumentaries, this episode would not exist without the awesome efforts of the VP of Sales, Tyler Campbell. While the late Tom Cheek was the voice of Joe Carter's home run,

the voice on the other two calls you heard off the top belonged to Jerry Howarth, belonged to Jerry Howarth, Tom's partner in the booth for 23 years. Jerry appeared on episode 454 of Toronto Mic'd. I played Tom's call for him to hear his reaction. He also shared his memories of that wild night at Skydome. Wow. Tell me about that moment, because you had the best seat in the house as they say well i was right down near the dugout to conduct a post-game interview and and actually with that clip it

starts off where tom is talking about joe not laying off that pitch down and away and when that pitch occurred my thought there near the camera bay was what philadelphia philly am i going to interview and then set up game seven with Pat Henkin pitching the next night against the Phillies and then the next pitch occurred and that was history and what was kind of neat is that uh the the best calls are the most spontaneous and when Joe said when Joe's jumping up and down going down to first base Tom said touch them all Joe you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life and the reason he said that was that he didn't want Joe to jump over the first base bag and then at the end be called out because he missed first base.

Right. And what was kind of neat, too, is my wife Mary was with his mom, and she said, Mrs. Carter, what do you think? And she said, my son the kangaroo. I love that in 92 and 93 that it's Joe Carter who has the moment jumping up and down for both of them because he was at first base when Timlin throws the ball. Before the Toronto Raptors existed,

Toronto star basketball writer Doug Smith was a sports writer with Canadian Press. He was in the press box to see Joe's home run and he joined me on episode 999 of Toronto Mic'd to talk about what he saw and to put it in context with another great Toronto sports moment. Kawhi Leonard's buzzer beater to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 championship run. Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 championship run. Tell me about what it's like covering that World Series. Like, just anything you remember from,

like, that's a big, big moment in Toronto sports history. The first one I sort of caught it, I sort of helped Steve in the regular season, caught the last two games in Atlanta. And, you know, you were so tied up, and you really didn't get the sense of the moment. The 93 one was absolutely, well, obviously memorable for the Carter home run, but

I remember sitting with Steve McAllister and two Associated Press writers, Ron Blum and, ooh, I can't think of the other, Ben Walker. And we had the front row seats because we were the wire services. And we had a pool on what Carter would do in that at-bat. And one guy picked a foul

fly to left. I had pop up to right. McAllister, I think, had a ground out to third. And the other guy, I think, had a foul fly ball to right field. And when he hit, when the ball went over the fence, we all looked at each other and went, oh, shit, now we've got to work. But no one won the pool.

Do you remember who was on deck? Ooh. No, I don't. I can't. I believe it was Alfredo Griffin. Could very well have been. He came back the end of that year. The funny thing was, it was such a hugely dramatic... The pressure of the moment

for a writer from a lawyer service was intense and incredible. So we get the stuff filed and the desk is held and it's usually dramatic the pressure of the moment for a writer and from a lawyer service was intense and incredible right and you know so we get the stuff filed and the desk is helping us write it and we're running downstairs it was a saturday night and we're running downstairs to walk to the clubhouse and i think somebody from usa today came by us and went that was one of the greatest moments in the history of sports and we all went off we're on deadline he had no paper on sunday he had nothing to do but relative the drama of it and we're like we're like shaking we're so crazed to get the right quotes get the right guy get the stuff on the wire because at midnight on saturday back in 93

there were no papers alive you were absolutely on a minute to minute deadline across the country you know you you know witnessing that moment to then uh later Kawhi Leonard's shot in that Game 7. Interesting. I mean, one ended the championship, so it was really tough to compare them because, you know, that's a rather significant detail. But still, two of the iconic moments in Toronto sports history, at least since Colour TV arrived. Yeah, well, since TV arrived, pretty much, of any kind. But yeah, that was, I don't think there

are too many of us in the building for both of them. And that was, that was, that was pretty impressive. But the Carter one was, you know,

like you said, a one championship was a huge moment. Right. But I still think they win that series anyway. I don't know if

they win the series anyway, if Kawhi shot doesn't win. I'm not sure they win in overtime, let alone go on to win the finals. You've got to be aware of the inbounder here if you're Philly. It's off to Leonard, defended by Simmons.

Is this the dagger? No! Game! Series! Toronto has won 15 fourth quarter points by Kawhi Leonard and the game winner 41 points 15 fourth quarter points by Kawhi Leonard. And the game winner, 41 points.

How about the bounce? And look at the fans in Toronto. They have had a lot of misery the last few years, and how about the validation for Toronto? Every once in a while on Toronto Mic'd, a guest shares a story that becomes a part of the canon, one that comes up on future episodes with other guests who might know it. Dan Schulman, the voice of the Blue Jays on Sportsnet, entered the Toronto Mic'd

cannon when he visited for episode 325 of Toronto Mic'd and told me where he was when Joe hit it out. You were there that night? Yes. What was it like? Because I've now heard from 600,000 Torontonians who were there, but you were really there. Okay, so

I'll tell you a funny story, which I guess you don't know, or you would preface this differently. So, my job, as I said, was doing the post-game show. Pre-game show, post-game show, 1993. I didn't have any responsibilities during the game, so I had, through the Blue Jays, I had purchased two tickets to every game.

So I'm sitting in the seats down the right field line. Philadelphia takes a 6-5 lead going to the bottom of the ninth. 50,000 people there. I've got to be in position in the lobby of the hotel, which is a different setup now than it is now. It's called the Sky Dome Hotel, I think. I can't remember what it was called, but it was in the lobby of the hotel out in center field. So as the game goes to the bottom of the ninth, as they, as the top of the ninth ends, I leave my seat and I start making my way towards the lobby of the hotel because I've

got to be in position. And there was this freight elevator that they would let us use to try to, to kind of avoid the crowds. And it was one freight elevator that they would let us use to try to, to kind of avoid the crowds. And it was one of these that has, you know, like the, it looks like a cage, like the door closes side to side and then the other one comes down. Is this how I get to Andrew Stokely when he's

doing audio? You probably do. Yeah. So I get in this elevator and it's, it's just not going anywhere. And you know, there's a big crank to close it and it just takes a couple of minutes to go anywhere.

And all of a sudden I feel this like an earthquake and I'm in the damn elevator when Joe Carter hits the home run that wins the World Series and didn't see it till for who knows how long. And there's no smartphones back then. No smartphones. You don't even get the real time alerts.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, Scott Ferguson was the host of Jay's Talk, the post-game wrap-up show on CJCL. Of course, Scott was there on October 23, 1993, and he shared his memory of that night, as well as his reaction to Dan's story on episode 639 of Toronto Mic'd. And then when they won it the next year in Toronto and Joe Carter's in from his home run, I couldn't believe that one. And I was supposed to go on the post-game show with Dan Schulman,

but it took me over half an hour to get from where our broadcast location was down through the Blue Jays dressing room and over to the hotel on the other side where Dan was. So I almost missed at least a third of his show because I couldn't get through the crowd. There were so many people there. And you remind me of a story Dan told me on this very show on Toronto Mic'd where Dan talked about being stuck in a Skydome elevator when Joe Carter hits that homer. Yeah, he had to get to a certain location to do his show and thought he'd leave a few minutes early,

catch the elevator, and the elevator jammed or something, and he was stuck in it. Wow. And I say, I think that's the first time I heard that story. It was on your show. Oh, good. I couldn't believe that. He didn't tell me that night.

I'm sure that he didn't. Of course, I couldn't let Jerry Howarth leave my basement without asking him if he was up to date on Dan Shulman's entry in the Toronto-miked cannon. Two things of interest I find like fun facts about that moment. One is, do you remember, Jerry, who was on deck? Yes, I do. That's a great trivia question. Because in my baseball background with the San Francisco Giants, the biggest and most famous question was who was on deck when Bobby Thompson

hit the home run off Ralph Brank at the shot heard around the world. And that was Willie Mays, a rookie. And Willie said later, I'm so glad I didn't have to come to the plate. Well, here it was Alfredo Griffin and he was ready to go. And I'm sure he was very happy too.

He did not have to come to the plate. Do you know where Dan Shulman was when Joe Carter hit that home run? No, I do not. He's been on the show and he tells the story. He was in a Skydome elevator, stuck in a Skydome elevator when the home run was hit. Yes, I have it on. I've recorded it. Absolutely.

So that's Dan Schulman. I think he's probably told that story many times now, but he tells it on his episode of Toronto Mic'd, but that's another fun fact about that moment. In 2021, broadcaster Rod Black made two legendary back-to-back appearances on Toronto Mic'd. Rod was there that night too, interviewing players in the Jays' clubhouse. there that night too, interviewing players in the Jays' clubhouse. In episode 800,

I played a clip for Rod of his post-game interview with East York's Rob Butler, and Rod shared his thoughts on that, and the scene at the Dome that night. I took all this effort to pull it, so this is just a little bit after

the 93 walk-off by the great joe carter who we'll talk about also in a moment here we go how does this feel butlerville's going crazy east jordan's going crazy all i want to say i love you all i love everybody butlerville i love everybody i love everybody in canada i know i know i talked to you earlier this season about your first major league rbi and i talked to you recently about season about your first Major League RBI. And I talked to you recently about what it was like to be in the series, to help contribute, to get a chance to play at the plate,

to know that you were here and to accomplish a dream. How does that all feel? It was a dream. It's all a dream that has come true. You know, I can't believe what I'm feeling. I can't keep my feet still. You know, partway through the game, I couldn't even watch. You know, I can't believe what I'm feeling. I can't keep my feet still. You know, I did a game that I couldn't even watch. You know, I was so nervous about the outcome. I saw you in the tunnel.

You didn't want to watch the game in the seventh. What did you think when Joe Carter put it out? I was sitting on the bench and I was saying, Joe, if there's any time to do it, baby, do it now. And he did. And it was just, oh, pandemonium. I can't even remember anything after that. Just running.

Family and friends watching. A kid grows up and dreams about being here. Talk a little bit about the emotion being felt in Butlerville right now and from your family and friends who are watching. And your brother. My brother, anyone who's always supported me. I wouldn't be here without them. To make it through all those days where you just want to give up. All those long bus rides, you're thinking, man, is it all worth it?

They've been there for me my whole career. You know, my brother and I have been out there practicing every day, making all this happen, and it has happened. Rich, whoa, I love you, Rich! Rob Butler, very happy. Enjoy yourself tonight. Jerry Dobson, back to you. Oh, that to me just gives me chills because, well, first of all, winning, you know, winning that World Series. I was there in 92 as the host. That was special. First time I'd ever been around a major championship like that.

Discounting, although it's still my favorite, is still the Bombers winning in 84. That was the first time I'd been around it. But to see the Blue Jays win and to be around it, it was in Atlanta, obviously, but I was right in the dugout in the tunnel area thinking that we're going to game seven. I remember Buck Martinez was there as well, working for TSN. We were broadcasting it. Dave Stewart comes out of the game

and whips the glove, and he's got that high-pitched voice, a blood-curdling scream comes like primal and whips his glove as he was cut, came out of the game, throws it down. I see Rob on the steps, head down almost like he was praying. It was not a good feeling until that ninth inning. And then of course the explosion afterwards and we all know what happened in the city and the country went crazy,

but you know what that was to me, it's most significant is that Rob Butler, um, became so close to me through the years afterwards because he became a coach for my kids. I took my kids to a Butler Academy, uh, and Rob and Rich Butler, I will tell you right now, I haven't seen Rob rich in years, but, um, I have two kids who are playing NCAA baseball in the United States. The only reason I will tell you that they're there is, well, number one is they love the game. Number two is because Rob and Rich were such great developers at a young age. They were like 10 and 11 when they went to the Butler Academy, and there's so many other kids who have been able to do that.

And I watched them coach kids. Rob and Rich Butler should be in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame as builders, as players too, but as builders. I mean, Rob Butler, how many Canadians have, you know, the number's grown a little bit, but how many Canadians have won a World Series ring? Rob Butler got a chance and contributed, especially in that one game when they were down and they came back.

He was significant in that. Rob Butler and Rich should be in the Canadian Baseball Hall of uh as builders because of what they can do and with young kids and i've watched them i've seen them develop kids um and again my both of my boys are playing south right now because of what they did um you know they had to go on to other elite programs after it's kind of a sad way a lot of players have to leave that program a little bit to get to travel programs. But that, listening to Rob there and the motion and knowing those two brothers, we're major league ballplayers together.

And to play, you know, where they play from and to know where they come from. Oh man, it almost brings a tear to my eye. It seems like yesterday, honestly, Mike, to me, broadcasting that event. But it's obviously a long time ago. And let's hope, I do think that we're getting closer. I'm going to tell you right now, I think within four years, we'll be celebrating another world championship in Toronto. is a hero in this city. He caught the final out in 1992, which made Toronto a championship city again. And when he touched them all in 1993, he cemented his legacy. He remained a Blue Jay until the end of the 1997 season and retired after one more season split between Baltimore and San Francisco. In 1999, he returned to Toronto as Rod Black's partner on Sportsnet's Blue Jays coverage. Joe and Rod became good friends, and on his second appearance on Toronto Mic'd, Rod told

me a story about another time that Joe might have touched them all. I tell the other guys, I just kind of thought it was my domain. Hey, what the heck? More the merrier. So, you know, I'm staying up a little bit watching the late Masters highlights. I think I was watching some baseball or basketball at the time. It's like one o'clock, still no Joe Carter, two o'clock. It's like three o'clock in the morning.

Rodney, sorry, we got lost. I said, he'll be there no Joe Carter, two o'clock. It's like three o'clock in the morning. Rodney saw we got lost. I said, he'll be there. I said, give him the address. This is kind of before the GPS is finally pulls up in our driveway, goes, oh man, this is a great place. He said, yeah, great man. Let's go get, find you guys a room. So we get in and of the eight rooms,

the ones that we had, had beds. The rest, there were no beds. I didn't know that. So there are no beds in the rooms. I'm feeling terrible, but I'm not giving up my bed. I don't care who it's for, but I was going to give it to Joe. I might have even slept with Joe. That would have made it very interesting. I did sleep with Joe once.

I could tell you that story later too. So I didn't know what to do. And then I thought the couch, you know, the couch is a pullout. Well, and it's beautiful, but it didn't know what to do. And then I thought the couch, you know, the couch is a pullout. Well, and it's beautiful, but there, it didn't pull out. So now here's the president of Toys R Us and Joe Carter, World Series hero, 1993, one of the greatest Blue Jays of all time. Great friend of mine. He goes, don't worry about it. This is a, this is typical Joe. We're good. We're covered. He goes out to his car and he pulls in an air mattress and they go in the dining room the dining room they put the air mattress down there's and they and they sleep in there and they sleep they put the covers up and they go sleep in the dining room right i think i thought man that that says a lot about you i mean okay no prima donna here anyway i go to bed it's like four o'clock and then i wake up in the morning and uh i'm not sure if it was weeksy or my producer go they're waking me right right there's this black man and a white man sleeping together in the dining room and one of them suspiciously looks like joe carter and i said

well it is joe carter what and they couldn't believe it so they go down there those two guys are snoring. They've been sleeping all night. Anyway, a long story short, Joe Carter stays with us. I think I did give up my bed after a while. We come back. He made pecan pies, peach pies for everybody. It says a lot about Joe Carter, the kind of guy he is that, you know, he would come in here's a again a world series hero comes in stays with a bunch of knuckleheads like us and still sleeps on on the dining room floor with his buddy

but it was a it was a classic and that's joe that's just joe's that kind of guy now rod the the version i got though from bob weeks has a different punch line uh i'll give you the punchline and then maybe touch them all, Joe. Oh, yeah. You cleaned up the story. That's okay. Yeah, we cleaned up that part. Yeah. Well, it ain't so funny when you lose your money and the Blue Jays bite

the dust. Like last year's racing when the Jays were chasing and the whole damn thing went bust. Then Giller got tired of standing back and his face made an evil grin. He said, if you don't give me a pennant this year, I'm going to trade your butts and win. And then he lost it. And then he put Tony on a bus to San Diego. And then he rang George's bell.

And then he called down to Cleveland. Oh, no, not Cleveland. And then, and then, and then. Along came Joe with Robbie and Devo moving to T.O. I hope it doesn't snow. Along came

Big Bad Bash and Joe Well, I won some tickets from Chum FM, so I went down to the game. We were down by one, and it weren't no fun, and I couldn't stand the pain. It was the bottom of the ninth when Devo White lit off with a big bass hit. Then a pitcher said, this is where I lower the boom. I'm going to end this lickety split. And then he spat. And then Robbie came to the plate.

And then they tied it up. And then Robbie came to the plate. And then they tied it up. And then Robbie stole third base. And then, and then, and then. Along came Joe. Sweet swinging Joe. Worry no more. Jays are gonna score. Along came Big Fat Fashion Joe Now we're number one and we're having fun

And the Jumbotron shows proof With replays of Big Joe and the Jays When they knock them through the roof The baseball world has a bright new face Cause the Jays are at the top Cito said If you want to see how baseball is played Watch the Blue Jays cause we're hot

And then we watched them And then The Jays, because we're hot. And then we watched them. And then. The Jays won it all. And then. They were dancing up Yonge Street. And then. Bo knows Canada. And then.

And then. Eh. And then. Along came Joe. Sweet swinging Joe. Leading the parade Grooving all the way Along came Big Bad Bass and Joe Along came Big Bad Bass and Joe

Along came Big Bad Bass and Joe Along came Big Bad Bass and Joe Along came Big Bad Bass and Joe And that brings us to the end of our 1030th show. end of our 1030th show. If you enjoyed this Mikeumentary, there are others in the archive. There's one on Harold Ballard.

There's one on the Team 1050 Radio Experiment. And there's one on the Pen Flip. Shout out to Dave Hodge. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery

are at Great Lakes Beer. Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta. Sticker U is at Sticker U. Ridley Funeral Home is at Ridley FH. And Canna Cabana are at Canna Cabana underscore. See you all next week. My UI check has just come in. Ah, where you been? Because everything is kind of rosy and green. Yeah, the wind is cold, but the snow wants me today. And your smile is fine, and it's just like mine, and it won't go away.

Because everything is rose and green Well you've been under my skin for more than eight years It's been eight years of laughter and eight years of tears And I don't know what the future can hold or do for me and you

But I'm a much better man for having known you Oh, you know that's true because Everything is coming up rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold but the smell of snow won't stay today And your smile is fine and it's just like mine Yeah, the wind is cold, but the smell of snow won't stay today. And your smile is fine, and it's just like mine, and it won't go away. Cause everything is rosy and gray. Well, I've been told that there's a sucker born every day. But I wonder who. day But I wonder who

Yeah, I wonder who Maybe the one who doesn't realize There's a thousand shades of gray Cause I know that's true Yes, I do I know it's true, yeah I know it's true How about you?

They're picking up trash and they're putting down roads They're brokering stocks, the class struggle explodes And I'll play this guitar just the best that I can Maybe I'm not. And maybe I am. Because everything is coming up. Rosie and gray. Yeah.

The wind is cold, but the smell of snow warms me today. And your smile is fine. And it's just like mine And it won't go away Cause everything is rosy and green Well I've kissed you in France And I've kissed you in Spain

And I've kissed you in places I better not name And I've seen the sun go down on Chaclacour But I like it much better going down on you Yeah, you know that's true Because everything is coming up Rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold

but the smell of snow warms us today and your smile is fine and it's just like mine and it won't go away cause everything is rosy now everything is rosy

yeah everything is rosy and everything is rosy and gray.