The 1980 Philadelphia Phillies not only won it all for the first time ever, they also did something else. They won a World Series game on the road for the first time ever! It was a great World Series, as it pitted the Phillies' Mike Schmidt against the Kansas City Royals' George Brett. Two of the finest third basemen of all time!
Having won just one game in 1915 (that being game one, but at home) and none in 1950, the Phillies needed one on the road in 1980, or it was going to take seven games to win it. Philly won the first two games at home in the '80 Fall Classic, but then lost the next two at Kansas, so game five was crucial. A loss here by Philadelphia would force them to win games six and seven at home.
The game was tied for the first three innings, but Philly was on the move in the top of the fourth. Facing the Royals' Larry Gura, Pete Rose grounded out for the first out. Then it looked like there were going to be two outs as Bake McBride hit a comebacker to Gura. Gura tossed to first, but Willie Aikens dropped the ball. It proved to be a costly mistake. Instead of two outs and nobody on, there was only one out and one on. Mike Schmidt made Kansas pay for that mistake with a two-run home run. Philly was up, 2-0. But Kansas had a great third basemen of their own, don't forget!
In the bottom of the fifth, the Kansas City Royals got a run back. The first two men singled. Frank White got 'em both into scoring position with a bunt. George Brett grounded out, but a run scored. The next innning, the Royals really got 'er going!
Amos Ortis, the first batter, went yard off Marty Bystrom to tie things. Clint Hurdle and Darrel Porter hit singles to finish off Bystrom. Ron Reed came in. But he could not stop Kansas from taking the lead. U.L. Washington hit a sac fly to score a run. Willie Wilson hit a double, but Porter was out at the plate. Frank White popped out to Schmidt. The Royals had the lead, 3-2.
Each team put two runners on in the seventh inning but failed to score. And in the top of the ninth, with Dan Quisenberry on the hill, the Phillies were three outs away from going down three games to two. It also looked like Philadelphia's third straight loss.
Schmidt and his mates had other ideas. Mike singled to start things off. Del Unser hit a double, scoring Schmidt and tying this one at three. A bunt moved Unser to second. A ground out and Del was on third. But now there were two outs. Manny Trillo then did what a lot of kids dream about: he stroked a clutch two-out hit to give his team the lead!
So suddenly, it was Philadelphia that was three outs away from going up three games to two! But the bottom of the frame proved to be almost equally as intense as the top of it was.
With Tug McGraw in to nail it down for the Phillies, Frank White led off with a walk. George Brett fanned. But Willie Aikens walked as well. Onix Concepcion came in to run for Aikens. Hal McRae forced Concepcion at second, but the tying run was ninety feet away. A double would score the winning run! Amos Ortis upped the ante by walking. The bases were loaded and a single would win it. McGraw faced Jose Cardenal, who had entered the game in the seventh as a pinch hitter and stayed in the game.
With a 1-2 count on him, Jose fouled off a pitch to stay alive. But McGraw got hit swinging on the next one to make it a 4-3 Philly final. They also would win game six to win their first ever World Series.
Winning a Fall Classic game on the road is never easy. The Phillies of 1915 and 1950 would have probably put up a better fight had they managed to do so. Here, in 1980, they needed a win against a great team on the road to make things easier. They had to scratch and claw, but they got it done!
Brenner, Richard J. The World Series: The Great Contests. East End Publishing, 1989. Print.
Having won just one game in 1915 (that being game one, but at home) and none in 1950, the Phillies needed one on the road in 1980, or it was going to take seven games to win it. Philly won the first two games at home in the '80 Fall Classic, but then lost the next two at Kansas, so game five was crucial. A loss here by Philadelphia would force them to win games six and seven at home.
The game was tied for the first three innings, but Philly was on the move in the top of the fourth. Facing the Royals' Larry Gura, Pete Rose grounded out for the first out. Then it looked like there were going to be two outs as Bake McBride hit a comebacker to Gura. Gura tossed to first, but Willie Aikens dropped the ball. It proved to be a costly mistake. Instead of two outs and nobody on, there was only one out and one on. Mike Schmidt made Kansas pay for that mistake with a two-run home run. Philly was up, 2-0. But Kansas had a great third basemen of their own, don't forget!
In the bottom of the fifth, the Kansas City Royals got a run back. The first two men singled. Frank White got 'em both into scoring position with a bunt. George Brett grounded out, but a run scored. The next innning, the Royals really got 'er going!
Amos Ortis, the first batter, went yard off Marty Bystrom to tie things. Clint Hurdle and Darrel Porter hit singles to finish off Bystrom. Ron Reed came in. But he could not stop Kansas from taking the lead. U.L. Washington hit a sac fly to score a run. Willie Wilson hit a double, but Porter was out at the plate. Frank White popped out to Schmidt. The Royals had the lead, 3-2.
Each team put two runners on in the seventh inning but failed to score. And in the top of the ninth, with Dan Quisenberry on the hill, the Phillies were three outs away from going down three games to two. It also looked like Philadelphia's third straight loss.
Schmidt and his mates had other ideas. Mike singled to start things off. Del Unser hit a double, scoring Schmidt and tying this one at three. A bunt moved Unser to second. A ground out and Del was on third. But now there were two outs. Manny Trillo then did what a lot of kids dream about: he stroked a clutch two-out hit to give his team the lead!
So suddenly, it was Philadelphia that was three outs away from going up three games to two! But the bottom of the frame proved to be almost equally as intense as the top of it was.
With Tug McGraw in to nail it down for the Phillies, Frank White led off with a walk. George Brett fanned. But Willie Aikens walked as well. Onix Concepcion came in to run for Aikens. Hal McRae forced Concepcion at second, but the tying run was ninety feet away. A double would score the winning run! Amos Ortis upped the ante by walking. The bases were loaded and a single would win it. McGraw faced Jose Cardenal, who had entered the game in the seventh as a pinch hitter and stayed in the game.
With a 1-2 count on him, Jose fouled off a pitch to stay alive. But McGraw got hit swinging on the next one to make it a 4-3 Philly final. They also would win game six to win their first ever World Series.
Winning a Fall Classic game on the road is never easy. The Phillies of 1915 and 1950 would have probably put up a better fight had they managed to do so. Here, in 1980, they needed a win against a great team on the road to make things easier. They had to scratch and claw, but they got it done!
References
Brenner, Richard J. The World Series: The Great Contests. East End Publishing, 1989. Print.
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 09 Jun. 2014.
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