Bret Saberhagen is the last pitcher to bat in the Fall Classic in an American League game. He didn't fare so well at the dish. But he sure fared well on the mound. The designated hitter rules was first used in 1976 in the World Series. It would alternate every year. So 1977 had no DH, 1978, DH...
Saberhagen took the hill for the Kansas City Royals vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. But opposing him was John Tudor, who'd won both his starts, including game four. St. Louis had led three games to one after that, but Kansas refused to yield, and won the next two games. Could they pull it out for their adoring fans in game seven.
The answer was an emphatic, "Yes!". Tudor ran into trouble early, and Kansas just kept strafing 'em. You could certainly said that St. Louis never got going in this game. But as far as cooler heads were concerned, the Cards had none. St. Louis would come completely unraveled in this game. It was funny if you were a Kansas fan, and sad if you were a St. Louis fan.
Tudor got through the bottom of the first allowing just a hit. But Darrly Motley stroked a two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the frame. The floodgates had opened, early. Bret Saberhagen ended it momentary when he fanned to end the inning. But Saberhagen the pitcher, meanwhile, got through the first three innings, allowing just one hit. By the time he came to the dish in the bottom of the third, the game was effectively over.
Kansas came at Tudor with everything that inning. A bases-loaded walk by Frank White brought home a run to make it 3-0, and Tudor was gone. Bill Campbell came in and gave up a single to Steve Balboni to make 5-0. The route was on. Kansas loaded the bases with two out for Saberhagen. Now, in this case, you've gotta wanna come through. But Bret struck out.
The Royals them exploded for offence after Bret pitched a scoreless fifth following a 1-2-3 fourth. Jim Sundberg dispatched Campbell to the showers with a leadoff single, and then the fireworks began. Steve Balboni and Motley singled, making it 6-0. Things were about to get worse before they got better for St. Louis. Jeff Lahti, in relief of Campbell, seemed to settle down. He fanned the next batter, then faced Saberhagen with two on and one out. Saberhagen did the smart thing in this case. He bunted. However, it turned out that the Cards were thinking very much the same thing, and they Motley at second on the force/ There were two outs and runners on the corners, but the inning was far from over.
Lonnie Smith kept the rally going with a double, driving in two more. 8-0. Willie Wilson then singled to score Smith. 9-0. Ricky Horton came in to face George Brett, who singled. Joaquin Andujar came in to get that third out. Frank White was the first batter he faced. White went to 2-2, fouled off five straight pitches, took a ball, and singled to make it 10-0. When Sundberg took a 2-1 pitch inside and it was called a ball, Andujar was mad, and let home plate umpire Don Denkinger know it. The Cardinals felt it was a strike. Denkinger had blown at call at first in the ninth inning of game six, and that had led to Kansas scoring two runs to win. Whitey Herzog, the manager, came out and lit into Denkinger. Whitey got the old heave-ho. More Cardinals came in and tried to get at Denkinger, but order appeared to be restored. For one pitch. When the next pitch was also called a ball (four), Andujar got mad again and was ejected. Several Cardinals had to restrain him from really going at Denkinger. The Royals scored another run for good measure. 11-0.
Saberhagen complete the shutout, and the rest of the game passed without another incident. And it was a splendid five-hitter on his part. The final score was the same one it had been after five, 11-0.Bret fanned to end the sixth inning. The next year, and from ever one, the designated hitter is only used in the National League Parks in the Fall Classic. American League pitchers are in every way right there in the class of their National League counterparts, but have the luxury of the DH batting for him every game. That's always been a tough spot for the pitchers in the World Series, having to make that adjustment. Kind of favours the National League, eh?
References
Baseball Almanac, Inc. “Baseball Almanac: Baseball History, Baseball Records and Baseball Research. Baseball Almanac, Inc. Web. 5 May 2015, <http://www.baseball-almanac.com/>.
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.
Retrosheet. Web. 5 May. 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 5 May. 2015.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 5 May 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>.
Youtube. Web. 5 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/>.
Saberhagen took the hill for the Kansas City Royals vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. But opposing him was John Tudor, who'd won both his starts, including game four. St. Louis had led three games to one after that, but Kansas refused to yield, and won the next two games. Could they pull it out for their adoring fans in game seven.
The answer was an emphatic, "Yes!". Tudor ran into trouble early, and Kansas just kept strafing 'em. You could certainly said that St. Louis never got going in this game. But as far as cooler heads were concerned, the Cards had none. St. Louis would come completely unraveled in this game. It was funny if you were a Kansas fan, and sad if you were a St. Louis fan.
Tudor got through the bottom of the first allowing just a hit. But Darrly Motley stroked a two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the frame. The floodgates had opened, early. Bret Saberhagen ended it momentary when he fanned to end the inning. But Saberhagen the pitcher, meanwhile, got through the first three innings, allowing just one hit. By the time he came to the dish in the bottom of the third, the game was effectively over.
Kansas came at Tudor with everything that inning. A bases-loaded walk by Frank White brought home a run to make it 3-0, and Tudor was gone. Bill Campbell came in and gave up a single to Steve Balboni to make 5-0. The route was on. Kansas loaded the bases with two out for Saberhagen. Now, in this case, you've gotta wanna come through. But Bret struck out.
The Royals them exploded for offence after Bret pitched a scoreless fifth following a 1-2-3 fourth. Jim Sundberg dispatched Campbell to the showers with a leadoff single, and then the fireworks began. Steve Balboni and Motley singled, making it 6-0. Things were about to get worse before they got better for St. Louis. Jeff Lahti, in relief of Campbell, seemed to settle down. He fanned the next batter, then faced Saberhagen with two on and one out. Saberhagen did the smart thing in this case. He bunted. However, it turned out that the Cards were thinking very much the same thing, and they Motley at second on the force/ There were two outs and runners on the corners, but the inning was far from over.
Lonnie Smith kept the rally going with a double, driving in two more. 8-0. Willie Wilson then singled to score Smith. 9-0. Ricky Horton came in to face George Brett, who singled. Joaquin Andujar came in to get that third out. Frank White was the first batter he faced. White went to 2-2, fouled off five straight pitches, took a ball, and singled to make it 10-0. When Sundberg took a 2-1 pitch inside and it was called a ball, Andujar was mad, and let home plate umpire Don Denkinger know it. The Cardinals felt it was a strike. Denkinger had blown at call at first in the ninth inning of game six, and that had led to Kansas scoring two runs to win. Whitey Herzog, the manager, came out and lit into Denkinger. Whitey got the old heave-ho. More Cardinals came in and tried to get at Denkinger, but order appeared to be restored. For one pitch. When the next pitch was also called a ball (four), Andujar got mad again and was ejected. Several Cardinals had to restrain him from really going at Denkinger. The Royals scored another run for good measure. 11-0.
Saberhagen complete the shutout, and the rest of the game passed without another incident. And it was a splendid five-hitter on his part. The final score was the same one it had been after five, 11-0.Bret fanned to end the sixth inning. The next year, and from ever one, the designated hitter is only used in the National League Parks in the Fall Classic. American League pitchers are in every way right there in the class of their National League counterparts, but have the luxury of the DH batting for him every game. That's always been a tough spot for the pitchers in the World Series, having to make that adjustment. Kind of favours the National League, eh?
References
Baseball Almanac, Inc. “Baseball Almanac: Baseball History, Baseball Records and Baseball Research. Baseball Almanac, Inc. Web. 5 May 2015, <http://www.baseball-almanac.com/>.
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.
Retrosheet. Web. 5 May. 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 5 May. 2015.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 5 May 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>.
Youtube. Web. 5 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/>.
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