Keeping Score: 1980 World Series Game 6

The 2011 season starts today (tomorrow if you are a Phillies fan), so I wanted to wrap up this 1980 championship "keeping score" series. It's been fun re-watching these games 30+ years later. Even though I was only a high school freshman when it actually happened, I can still remember what I was doing and how I was feeling during this magical time.

When the modern-day World Series began in 1903, the National and American Leagues each had eight teams. With their victory in the 1980 World Series, the Phillies became the last of the "Original Sixteen" franchises to win a Series (although it should be noted that the St. Louis Browns never won a Series in St. Louis, having to wait until 1966, twelve years after they had become the Baltimore Orioles).

If you ask a Phillies fan what he/she remembers most about Game 6 of the 1980 World Series, more than 90% of them will tell you something about Tug McGraw striking out Willie Wilson to clinch the title. However, after watching and scoring this game the real story of the game was Steve Carlton. Unlike his performance in Game #2 (where he struggled with his control and threw almost 160 pitches), Lefty was in complete control of this game until Dallas Green for some reason decided to take him out in the 8th inning. He had a shutout going, had only given up 2 hits, was barely over 100 pitches, and was facing his first real challenge when the Royals got the first two batters on in the 8th. Dallas was clearly nervous about blowing the lead and went immediately to Tug McGraw for the last 6 outs of the series. Tug was not nearly as sharp as Carlton and had to face the game tying or winning runs a couple of times.

This game was much different than every other game between these two teams. For the first time all series, the Phillies didn't have to battle back when they took an early lead as Mike Schmidt drove in both Bob Boone and Lonnie Smith with a clutch single to right center field in the 3rd inning of of Royals starter Rich Gale. Those two runs proved to be all the Phillies needed although they added single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to take a comfortable 4-0 lead.

One of the most spectacular plays you will ever see happened in the bottom of the 9th. After one out, the pesky Royals had once again loaded the bases on Tug McGraw. Facing Frank White, Tug was clearly tired. He got White to pop the ball into foul territory in front of the Phillies dugout. Bob Boone looked like he had it all the way, but the ball popped out of his glove. For a split second, the pain and agony of the 1976 sweep by the Reds and the 1977 & 1978 playoff losses to the Dodgers jumped into my heart and head, but Pete Rose was in place to grab the ball before it hit the turf. Instead of a groin kick, there were two outs and Tug had the slumping Willie Wilson to face. No one single moment in Pete Rose's incredible baseball career defines him more. He hustled to get into to the ball, just in case, and saved the series for the Phillies.

Of course Tug struck out Willie Wilson, turned and waited (as they discussed before the game) for Mike Schmidt to hug and jump on him, and the Phillies dog-piled themselves into an entire generation of fans.

Royals Game 6 scorecard

Phillies Game 6 scorecard

World Champs!

Keeping Score: 1980 World Series Game 5

Sunday, October 19th, 1980. As often happens in the race to win four games in a seven game series -- game number five ends up being the most important. The Phillies had won their first two games at home. The Royals held serve and won the next two games in Kansas City. Game Five was critical for both teams, the winner would have all the momentum and be only one game away from the world championship.

Rookie Marty Bystrom started for the Phils and Larry Gura took the mound again for the Royals. Both cruised through the first three innings. Mike Schmidt broke the seal in the top of the fourth inning when he blasted a Larry Gura fastball over the right center field fence for a two run home run. Bake McBride scored in front of him after reaching first on an error by Royals 1B Willie Mays Aikens, who failed to put his foot on the bag while waiting for an easy throw from the pitcher. Up until that point, Aikens had been the star of the series with 4 HRs and a 10th inning walk off hit in Game #3. After that error, Aikens was mentally done and did not get another hit in the series.

After a George Brett RBI, an Amos Otis HR and a UL Washington sacrifice fly RBI, the Royals had clawed back to take a 3-2 lead heading into the top of the ninth inning. Things were looking pretty good for Kansas City with their closer Dan Quisenberry on the mound and only three outs needed to take the series lead.

However, these Phillies continued to deliver cardiac rallies. The inning started with Mike Schmidt smashing a line drive off of 3B George Brett's glove. For some reason Brett was drawn in, afraid the Schmidt would bunt. Imagine the NL HR champion (with 48 non-juiced bombs) causing a third baseman to worry about a bunt in the ninth inning of a critical World Series game. I doubt you will ever see that again. Pinch-hitter extraordinaire Dell Unser continued his magical run with a signature double down the right field line, scoring the surprisingly speedy Schmidt from first. Score tied 3-3. Keith Moreland laid down a picture perfect sacrifice bunt down the first base line to move Unser to 3rd with one out. Garry Maddox failed to drive him in, but Manny Trillo screamed a 0-2 pitch off of Quisenberry's glove and just beat a desperate throw by Brett to score Unser -- and the Phils took heart stopping 4-3 lead.

Tug McGraw made things interesting in the ninth inning, walking Frank White, striking out George Brett (on three pitches) and then walking Willie Mays Aikens. Hal McRae hit a very long and scary (for Phillies fans) foul ball down the left field line before grounding out. Amos Otis was unintentionally -intentionally walked to bring up Jose Cardenal. Tug struck out Jose to finish the game and secure the Phils 3-2 series lead.

PHILLIES SCOREBOOK

ROYALS SCOREBOOK

YA GOTTA BELIEVE...

Keeping Score: 1980 World Series Game 2

Here is the next game in my "keeping score" feature on the 1980 World Series. This game was played on October 15th, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

Game 2 began as a pitchers' duel between left-handers Larry Gura of the Kansas City Royals and Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies. Gura had a perfect game going for the first four innings and neither team scored a run until the 5th inning.

The Phillies had a 2-1 lead, and Carlton, while not as sharp as he typically was, looked in control. The Royals looked like they were facing an uphill battle after their all-star 3B George Brett had to be removed in the middle of the game because of hemorrhoids. However, with his pitch count closing in on 150, Carlton loaded the bases in the 7th inning on three walks. Royals CF Amos Otis continued his hot streak when he ripped a double into the left field corner driving in two, and eventually scored Kansas City's fourth (and final run).

Down 4–2 in the bottom of the 8th, the Phillies rallied on Dan Quisenberry to take a 6-4 lead. The big hits in this inning came on a game-tying pinch-hit RBI double by Del Unser and a go ahead chopped single by Bake McBride past the drawn in infield. Mike Schmidt drove in an insurance run with a double off the right-center field wall to score McBride just before the throw reached the plate. Ron Reed pitched the 9th inning and picked up the save as Philadelphia went up 2–0 heading to Kansas City.

ROYALS SCOREBOOK

PHILLIES SCOREBOOK

Keeping Score: 1980 World Series Game 1

A couple of weeks ago I obtained all six games of the 1980 World Series on DVD. I have owned Game #6 (the final series clincher) for many years, but until now had been unable to get my hands on the first five games. In preparation for the upcoming season, I have decided to watch the four Phillies 1980 World Series wins from start to finish while keeping score on the iPad baseball scorebook app I have. On Saturday I watched Game #1:

Prior to 1980, the Philadelphia Phillies hadn't won a World Series game since Game 1 of the 1915 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. The Phillies pitching staff was exhausted from the NLCS against the Astros and needed to start rookie Bob Walk. Walk became only the third rookie in MLB history to start a World Series game. The Royals jumped on him early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third. The Phillies responded In their half of the third and rallied to take the lead, sparked by a Larry Bowa steal of second and capped with a three run homer by Bake McBride. The Phils would add two more runs late to extend their lead. Willie Mays Aikens hit another two run homer to knock Bob Walk out of the game in the 8th and cut the lead to one, but Tug McGraw came in and was able to save the Phillies 7–6 victory.

Royals score card
Phillies score card
McBride HR for some reason the sound is about 2 seconds ahead of the video. Sorry.