The 1975 Red Sox “Feel the Bern”

Bernie Carbo had the big hit for the Red Sox in the sixth game of the 1975 World Series that set the stage for Carlton Fisk.

The iconic moment from the Boston Red Sox venture into the 1975 World Series was the dramatic game six home run by Carlton Fisk. That ticket stub is one of the few pieces of baseball memorabilia I have ever retained – maybe someday I can find where I actually stashed it?

The video replay is etched into our Red Sox collective memories as Fisk urges his blast off Pat Darcy on a 1-0 pitch. High into the evening with the only doubt being if the ball will drift foul, and it didn’t, for a dramatic 7-6 win that was a baseball roller coaster ride with numerous game changing plays.

The real hidden gem within this contest was by a reserve outfielder named Bernie Carbo who pinch-hit for pitcher Roger Moret. In that bygone era the World Series excluded the designated hitter, so with Fred Lynn and Rico Petrocelli on base and two out, Carbo got the call.

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Rawly Eastwick a right-handed hurler laid one in on a 2-2 count and Carbo made a nice baseball deposit into the center field bleachers to tie up the score at 6-6 and resuscitate all hopes that the Red Sox may win both the game and the series. The game was won, but not the series. However, this is about Carbo – a most interesting player and person.

Carbo was actually playing against his former team, Cincinnati, who had traded him to the Cardinals and then the Cards traded Carbo to the Red Sox. Carbo’s best season was his rookie year in 1970 when he hit .310 for the Reds with 21 home runs, but that was never duplicated. Now for 1975.

The slash line for Carbo in 1975 was not statistically shattering as he finished .257/.409/.483 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI in 407 plate appearances, but what stood out for me was 319 at-bats. Carbo walked 83 times that season – the most on the team next to Carl Yastrzemski at 87 in 634 plate appearances.

Carbo played the outfield and a few stints at designated hitter, but with Lynn, Jim Rice and Dwight Evans in the outfield his path was blocked – that is the best Red Sox outfield I have seen and with Carbo as the fourth man it had some nice depth that was needed.

Where Carbo shined was in the World Series. His dramatic home run was his second pinch-hit home run of the series and his third hit of the series. During the regular season Carbo had only two pinch hits for a .167 average, so he saved the best for the series.

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Carbo was just one of many unique players and personalities on the Red Sox and they were the antithesis of the suddenly relevant New York Yankees. Carbo had a stuffed gorilla he would carry around and keep on the plane and the bat rack – Mighty Joe Young. Carbo also had that great incident where a game was delayed as he searched the outfield for his tobacco chaw. Each player seemed to have a unique quirkiness to them.

Carbo was one of the “free spirits” on the 1975 Red Sox with the most notable being the incredibly talented, extroverted and occasionally incendiary Bill Lee. The group had the affectionate name “Buffalo Heads” as their identity tag and in later years several in the group were responsible for having Carbo get assistance from the Baseball Recovery Program to deal with his addiction issues.

In his post career epiphany Carbo mentioned his alcohol use and drug use during the season and especially during the World Series, but Carbo admits his use was excessive with the end result his baseball career was shortened considerably.

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In later years Carbo became a “Born Again” and formed the Diamond Club Ministry and also had a few years stint as a manager in an Indy League. Carbo still remains active with the Diamond Club Ministry.

Sources:
Red Sox Nation by Peter Golenboch
Saving Bernie Carboby Bernie Carbo
Baseball-Reference
The Boys of October by Doug Hornig
Sportsprof Blog