"In the late summer of 1977, I was staying with family friends in New York. The ‘Son of Sam’ serial killer was on the loose and I had a creepy feeling the whole time, so when he was caught a mile from where we were staying — he’d filled up his car with automatic weapons and was on his way to a disco to take out as many people as he could — I decided to get out of there.
"I went to Los Angeles, where my brother Charlie [Sheen] was, and that fall we sat and watched the World Series between the Yankees and the Dodgers. The Dodgers had also left New York behind, albeit many years before. That’s how this rivalry started. I rooted for the Yankees because I was born in New York. Charlie’s a Cincinnati Reds fan, but sided with me.
"The two respective coaches didn’t care for each other much. Bill Martin, the Yankees coach, was a notoriously fiery character, while Tommy Lasorda, the Dodgers coach, could also fly off the handle. They’d constantly be in each other’s faces during a game. It was guaranteed high drama.
"And it turned out to be a classic — the embodiment of a great rivalry. We felt confident having Reggie Jackson batting for us. He was sort of our Babe Ruth — he’d basically just point his bat at where he was going to hit it and boom, it was out of the park.
"The Dodgers had a few stars themselves. Steve Garvey was a big hero to most baseball fans, but not Yankees supporters. And defensively the Dodgers were ruthless — their infield was almost too good.
"The first game of the best-of-seven series was an even tussle and took a late winner, a single run, to establish a lead. The Dodgers came back and creamed us 6-1 in the second game, before we won the third and fourth. When we were taken apart 10-4 in the fifth game, though, we knew that victory was anything but secure, despite us only needing one more win to claim the World Series.
"Yankee Stadium was full to capacity. The crowd could sense that something special was going to take place and they knew who’d make it happen: Reggie Jackson. They chanted his name until it became a trance-like mantra. He responded by hitting three consecutive home runs [the third of which is pictured above]. He decimated the Dodgers and won us the World Series.I’ve never really played the game. I was actually offered Eight Men Out before Charlie, but turned it down because of my baseball inability. It’s much easier watching."
The Way is at cinemas nationwide from 13 May
(Images: Getty, Rex Features)
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