Watch "1986: A Postseason To Remember," Featuring Your Worst Nightmares

by Ben Buchanan on Nov 9, 2011 5:42 PM EST

Hm...I wonder what Roger Clemens is up to these days. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Want to relive one of the worst debacles in Red Sox history, replete with finger pointing a-plenty?

You bet you do!

MLB Network will be airing "1986: A Postseason To Remember" tonight (Wednesday, November 9) at 9 PM EST. As the show's title suggests, you may recall 1986 as "that year where Bill Buckner tested our collective faith," but of course there's a great deal more to that story. Beyond just the exciting ALCS that brought the Red Sox to that point and the Sox' bullpen failures, there were the man who had left the Sox in that position to begin with: Roger Clemens and John McNamara.

Or...at least one of them had.

The story goes in two different directions depending on who you ask, and "A Postseason To Remember" gives each one of them the chance to tell their side of the story straight to the camera.

For Clemens, the story is one of managerial failure:

I think I was getting ready to hit and, if I'm not mistaken, McNamera pinch hit Mike Greenwell for me.

McNamara recalls it...rather differently:

We were waiting there at the steps to congratulate him, y'know, getting out of the seventh. And he came down the steps and he said "That's all I can pitch." Quote, unquote. And my answer to him was "You gotta be shittin' me."

It is, to be sure, a "he said, he said" situation. And one that we may never know who is truly to blame for. There's more from McNamara and Clemens on the show, as well as some insight from other former members of the team. And, of course, they hit on all the various other tragedies that marked that particular installment of the fall classic.

So if you want to catch up on old, bad memories and remember that, yes, this most recent travesty could still be coming up 25 years from now, tune in tonight.

(Seriously, though, it's interesting stuff! They're only paying me with a screener and the therapy that can only come from remembering "hey, it's been worse.")

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Oh Jesus Roger

That tie, ye gods.

by Sean O on Nov 9, 2011 7:53 PM EST reply actions

Oh, God.

I’m watching this. Why am I watching this? Why am I putting myself through this again?

"If your happiness depends on Boston winning or losing, you have to get a life." Manny Somebody-or-other

by Tessie's Dad on Nov 9, 2011 10:15 PM EST reply actions

Let's see, do I think McNamara is lying or Clemens?

Really, is there any question? McNamara might not have been the greatest manger in history, but if your competition in the field of honesty is Roger Clemens, you need to a special case to lose, we are talking Benedict Arnold, Bernie Madoff, Barry Bonds level dishonest.

Speaking of Roger Clemens and Sox tragedies, how is it that the Roger Clemens Fried Chicken chain has not come up more in the last two months? Am i the only one who remembers that?

Finally, while we are on the subject, game 7 in ’86 occurred on October 27th 1986, also known as the day Matt turned seven. This would be harder to cope with were it not for October 27, 2004. That was a good day. I guess somebody up there likes me

- Matt Sullivan
"I would change policy, bring back natural grass and nickel beer. Baseball is the belly-button of our society. Straighten out baseball, and you straighten out the rest of the world." Bill "Spaceman" Lee
www.overthemonster.com
www.spacemanspancakes.wordpress.com

by Mattsullivan on Nov 9, 2011 10:52 PM EST reply actions