Bases loaded. Two outs. Game 7. Carlos Beltran at the plate, with a trip to the World Series still within reach. Adam Wainwright throws a curveball, Beltran never swings, and an entire stadium goes silent.

Twenty years later, Mets fans are still looking at that pitch. And looking for someone to blame.

Frank “the Tank” Fleming joins me to relive the final out of the 2006 NLCS, and if you think you know what he’s going to say about Beltran, you might want to hear him out. We watch the at-bat, revisit Endy Chavez’s incredible catch, and get into the missed opportunity Frank thinks really cost the Mets the game. For a man with a list of his most hated Mets, he has a surprising amount of understanding for the guy who kept the bat on his shoulder.

Then we climb the Mets misery ladder. Tom Glavine and the 2007 collapse. Kenny Rogers walking in the winning run. Luis Castillo dropping the pop-up that sent Frank’s kitchen table flying. Matt Harvey going back out for the ninth. And yes, Frank has thoughts about letting Pete Alonso walk.

But we also talk about the kid who carried the burden of the Mets’ 1988 NLCS loss for years, the life Frank has built around being a fan, and whether he would trade any of it to make the frustration go away.

Welcome to Episode 021 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here.

00:00 Intro

01:34 Carlos Beltran caught looking

02:34 Frank the Tank joins REAL DEAL

03:16 Where Frank watched Game 7

04:40 The injuries that changed the 2006 Mets

06:09 Simply Irresistible: Wainwright’s curveball

08:32 The other side of the story: Wainwright and Molina

10:08 Endy Chavez’s catch and the opportunity the Mets wasted

12:01 Why wasn’t Billy Wagner pitching the ninth?

15:25 Bases loaded, two outs, Beltran at the plate

17:27 Rewatching Beltran’s final at-bat

18:39 Why Frank doesn’t blame Beltran

19:15 Beltran, Gary Carter and retiring Mets numbers

22:08 A great pitch or a hitter choking?

22:47 Piazza, Clemens and the 2000 World Series

25:32 Frank on Mets fandom: “I’m beyond anger”

26:50 Why letting Pete Alonso walk infuriates Frank

28:20 The Mets misery ladder

29:17 Tom Glavine and the 2007 collapse

30:39 Was sending Matt Harvey back out the right call?

31:20 Kenny Rogers walks in the winning run

32:24 Luis Castillo’s dropped pop-up and Frank’s flipped table

33:27 Trading Tom Seaver and the Generation K disappointment

35:46 Frank called the Pete Crow-Armstrong trade

36:30 Pete Alonso, “Pink Pony Club” and Edwin Diaz

37:09 The childhood Mets loss that still hurts

39:18 Would Frank trade away his Mets fandom?

40:16 Frank’s wish for Edwin Diaz and the Dodgers

41:08 How Frank’s life and relationship with sports have changed

42:31 Frank’s weight loss and feeling better at 50

43:30 Frank’s REAL DEAL gift

43:45 Tony’s final thought: Who gets the blame?

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February 4, 2018. Fourth and goal. Thirty-eight seconds before halftime. Nick Foles walks over to Doug Pederson and asks, “You want Philly Philly?” His proposal: let a tight end throw a touchdown pass to a backup quarterback who has never caught a ball in his NFL career. In the Super Bowl. Against Bill Belichick. Pederson stares at him for 2.23 seconds. Then he says yes.

The great Peter King joins me to relive the Philly Special and the little details that made something so preposterous possible. Why Foles couldn’t smile in the huddle. Why Trey Burton had to keep his glove on. And why Foles turned down $150,000 before playing the greatest game of his life. Tom Brady threw for 505 yards that night. Nick Foles went home with the trophy. Eventually, even Mick Jagger had something to say about it.

Peter’s new book, THE GAME, which is out today, brings together stories from 40 years covering the NFL, and we get into a few more of them: Peyton Manning’s tanning-bed preparation for the combine, the inside help Dak Prescott got before his Cowboys interview, and the quarterback San Francisco picked instead of Tom Brady who became an actual goat farmer. Plus, Peter makes his case for the perfect football career. Brady? Manning? Madden? His answer might surprise you.

Welcome to Episode 020 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here.

Subscribe to REAL DEAL with Tony Reali for more unforgettable sports moments and the people who bring them to life.

0:00 The Philly Special
0:52 Peter King joins REAL DEAL
2:11 Why this play still amazes Peter
4:35 Doug Pederson’s 2.23-second decision
7:24 Don’t smile. Don’t take off the glove.
9:26 How the Eagles fooled the Patriots
11:04 Nick Foles’ focus and the $150,000 he turned down
13:55 Mick Jagger’s shoutout to Nick Foles
15:44 How the NFL became a year-round obsession
18:17 Peter’s case against an 18th game
20:12 The trust between quarterback and coach
22:58 Mahomes and Reid vs. Brady and Belichick
24:26 What fans don’t know about the NFL
26:46 Story time: Picking up Boomer Esiason
27:59 Peyton Manning’s bizarre combine preparation
29:33 How Dak Prescott got the answers to the test
31:00 The 49ers picked a future goat farmer over Tom Brady
32:53 The Seahawks’ prank on Marshawn Lynch
34:22 Peter’s favorite story: Paul Tagliabue after 9/11
37:53 Who had the perfect football career?
42:03 Peter’s Philly Special gift
43:18 Tony’s final thought on Peter King

Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Fifteen strikeouts. A playoff win. And a strike zone that still makes you wonder what, exactly, you’re watching.

Let’s go back to Game 5 of the 1997 NLCS. Livan Hernandez is on the mound for the Florida Marlins, Greg Maddux is pitching for the Atlanta Braves, and Eric Gregg is behind home plate. As the game goes on, pitches outside become strikes, Braves hitters start swinging at balls they can barely reach, and Hernandez finishes with 15 strikeouts. Then comes the final pitch to Fred McGriff. Watch it and tell me: HOW is that a strike?

Joey Duffield from Baseball Doesn’t Exist joins me to relive one of the most baffling games in baseball history. We watch the calls, debate how much credit Hernandez deserves, and argue over whether the Braves choked or got absolutely hosed. Joey has some conspiracy theories. I have some objections.

Then we take on a bigger question: Is baseball actually better with mistakes? From Jeffrey Maier’s catch to Armando Galarraga’s stolen perfect game and George Brett’s pine tar eruption, we revisit the calls that got it wrong and gave us stories we’ll never forget.

Welcome to Episode 019 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here.

Were the Braves robbed? And which blown call in baseball history still bothers you? Tell us in the comments.

00:00 Intro
01:34 The Pitch That Still Makes No Sense
02:34 Joey Duffield from Baseball Doesn’t Exist Joins
03:57 Setting the Scene: The 1997 NLCS
04:38 The Numbers Behind Livan Hernandez’s 15 Strikeouts
07:33 Growing Up a Braves Fan
10:47 Rewatching the Infamous Eric Gregg Game
12:58 Eric Gregg’s Strike Zone and Career Fallout
14:00 Can an Umpire Have His Own Strike Zone?
15:04 The Theories Behind the Eric Gregg Game
18:14 How Much Credit Does Livan Hernandez Deserve?
20:07 Why Didn’t the Braves Argue More?
21:32 Were the Braves Robbed?
23:26 The Braves Dynasty That Could Have Been
28:05 Is Baseball Better with Mistakes?
28:20 Jeffrey Maier’s Controversial Catch
29:53 Armando Galarraga’s Stolen Perfect Game
32:05 Did Matt Holliday Touch Home Plate?
32:58 George Brett’s Pine Tar Eruption
34:33 Don Denkinger’s Blown World Series Call
35:59 Joey’s Final Verdict on Eric Gregg
37:18 Joey’s REAL DEAL Phone Case
37:42 Tony’s Final Take: Leaving Room for Human Error

Subscribe to Tony Reali’s channel for more REAL DEAL. You can also listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.