Tom Brunansky caught the ball. That was on tape. Mickey Tettleton hit the home run. That was live.
And in the age of satellite dishes and television scoreboards, baseball pennant races never will be the same.
Pity the Toronto Blue Jays. They lost twice last night at Memorial Stadium. Flashed before their eyes on the scoreboard was Brunansky's game-saving catch, the one in Fenway Park that gave the Boston Red Sox a 3-1 win and the American League East title. And moments later, live, Tettleton struck his two-out, bases-empty, ninth-inning home run that lifted the Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 victory in the final regular-season game of 1990.
"It hit us right in the face," Toronto outfielder Mookie Wilson said. "That was reality, Brunansky making the catch and the Red Sox winning. The damage was already done. And then Tettleton hit the home run."
Yes, Tettleton -- the potential free agent, the catcher-designated hitter who happened to strike out 160 times in 1990, one season after turning Froot Loops into a power breakfast. Tettleton heard boos throughout the summer, but last night, he was cheered by the crowd of 26,913, which roared for an encore.
"I was thinking as I ran around the bases that I always wanted to do something like that, win a game with a homer, end a season with a homer," Tettleton said.
The home run -- his 15th of the season -- left the Orioles in fifth place in the American League East with a 76-85 record. The Blue Jays (86-76) finished second for the third time in four seasons.
It was a remarkable finish to a divisional race that careened into the final day of the regular season. The Blue Jays needed a win and a Red Sox loss to force a divisional playoff in Toronto. The Orioles provided a difficult obstacle, winning two of the three games in the final series.
"This kind of win doesn't make the season any better in itself," Orioles manager Frank Robinson said. "It's nice to finish on a positive note. But next year is next year. This is over. We'll go from April 1991. There is no carry-over."
Gregg Olson (6-5) won the game in relief, retiring one batter after Ben McDonald gave way in a superb 8 2/3 -inning effort. McDonald allowed 10 hits and struck out a career high of nine batters.
"I felt like I was in command," McDonald said. "It was exciting. There was a real pennant race out there. I hope one day I'm on the mound and we're in the other position, trying to win a title."
