Eddie Watt had a career 0-3 record despite posting an earned run average of 2.53.
Make no mistakes, Watt was certainly an excellent relief pitcher. His rookie year of 1966 saw him do a lot more than merely just contribute. He excelled! Well, at least for a while.
Coming out to pitch out of the Orioles' bullpen, it seemed almost too easy. After getting a win and a save in his only two April appearances, May was a great month for Watt: He went 4-1 with a save and a hold... And an ERA of just 1.56 for the month.
June was a little rough. His earned run average climbed. However, he picked up another win, two more saves and another hold. The next month saw Watt make it into the starter's role. His last three July appearances were starts, and when then month concluded his win-loss record was 8-2. In his new role, Eddie Watt went 2-1 with a 2.63 earned run average.
However, the rest of the year was disappointing. Watt went 1-5 with a 4.94 ERA in August and September. Though Baltimore included him on the postseason roster, he did not appear. The Orioles swept the Los Angeles Dodgers, and their rookie pitcher had to be content with his 9-7 record and no postseason experience.
But the O's were destined to return to the Fall Classic.
It took another three years, but Baltimore was back in 1969. They won 109 games and had the ingredients to win it all again. There was first basemen Boog Powell with 37 home runs and 121. There was centre fielder Paul Blair. Blair could do it all. An excellent fielder, he hit .285 with 26 HR and 76 RBI. Add to that 102 runs scored. The unrelated Brooks and Frank Robinson were awesome. Brooks was the best fielding third basemen of his time, and he knew how to hit: In 1969, he 23 HR and had 84 RBIs. Frank won the Triple Crown in 1966, and was still feared three years later. Check out his stats: .308, 32 HR, 100 RBI, 111 runs scored!
So it seemed the World Series was a sure thing. The Orioles swept the Minnesota Twins in the inaugural American League Championship Series, 3-0. Next up for Baltimore was the surprising New York Mets!
I probably shouldn't call them upstarts. The Mets, you see, won exactly 100 games. The thing is, seven years earlier, New York was an expansion team, finishing the 1962 season with only 40 wins (Against 120 losses). The team did slowly improve, but it was not until 1966 that the Mets failed to lose at least 109 games, going 66-95. The next year, the team lost 101 games, winning just 61. 1968 was better. They won a franchise-best (To that point) 73 games. It marked just the second time New York had finished higher than ninth place.
The Mets didn't really have the one great player. But they had several good ones. They had Tommie Agee in centre, with 26 home runs. Next to Agee in left was Cleon Jones, who hit .340 in 1969. But how about New York's pitching? That was truly one of their strengths.
Tom Seaver won 23 games. Jerry Koosman won 17 himself. Gary Gentry won 13. Don Cardwell was only 8-10, but his earned run average was just 3.01.
The bullpen was awesome. Canadian Ron Taylor was 9-4. And those four losses were the most by any Mets reliever in '69. Taylor split the closer role with Tug McGraw. McGraw saved a dozen games and Taylor, 13. Tug had a better ERA than Taylor (2.24 to 2.72) and also a better W% (McGraw went 9-3).
Now how about the rest of the bullpen? It would seem pretty tough to top those two. Some kid named Nolan Ryan would end up a better pitcher than either of those two men. But in 1969, Ryan was only a spot starter (25 games pitched, 10 starts), and his earned run average was 3.53. Nolan to this point was sub .500 pitcher (12-13) with a high ERA 3.42. His 1969 performance gave little indication that he was a legend in the making. The Ryan Express was 6-3 that season with 92 strikeouts in only 89 1/3 innings pitched.
There were two other pitchers in the Mets bullpen. Cal Koonce had a high ERA (4.99) but still went 6-3. Jack DiLauro, probably the most forgotten pitcher that was named to the World Series roster, had an impressive year in any event. His 1-4 record is really the only negative stat. DiLauro's 2.40 ERA was excellent in 63 2/3 innings of work.
The New York Mets first had to get by the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series in 1969. The Mets overcame a strong performance by Hank Aaron (Who hit three home runs) and fifteen total runs allowed to sweep the Braves aside.
So in the Fall Classic, New York had to start it all out on the road. Baltimore were most unwelcoming guests in the first contest. New York didn't score off Mike Cuellar in the top of the first. It took two pitches for Baltimore to do that in the bottom of the frame. Don Buford smacked a solo home run to get things off on the right foot for the Orioles. They didn't stop there. The O's added three more in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-0 for the home team. The visiting Mets got one run back against Cuellar in the top of the seventh, but that was it. The 4-1 got Baltimore off on the right foot, and improved their postseason record that season to a perfect 4-0.
However, despite four runs, the Orioles got only six hits (As did the Mets, by the way). Maybe New York wasn't such pushover?
The visiting team pulled out game two, 2-1. Jerry Koosman pitched awesome for the New York Mets. He allowed just two hits, but needed help from Canadian Ron Taylor to get the last out. After getting two quick outs in the last of the ninth, Koosman struggled. First, he walked Frank Robinson. Then, Boog Powell followed suit. The tying run was in scoring position. If a ball got by the outfield, Baltimore would win. Ron Taylor got Brooks Robinson to ground out.
New York came home and won game three. They scored five runs and Baltimore was shutout. Actually, I'm being a tad cruel to the O's. They hit the ball well. But it was Tommie Agee in centre field who made not one, but two fine catches.
Watt didn't get into a game of the 1969 World Series until the fourth contest. Eddie's Orioles tied the game in the top of the ninth. However, you should have seen the catch Ron Swoboda made in that inning off Brooks Robinson. Frank Robinson, who'd stroked a one out single, was on third when Ron made the great catch. Though Robinson scored, the catch stopped the Orioles from taking the lead.
Watt pitched well. However, he was kind of pitching against a team of destiny. New York didn't do much with him in this contest. Eddie pitched two innings, allowed two hits and no runs. Alas, the Mets won it in the last of the tenth.
Eddie was back for game five, and Baltimore looked to take the World Series back home to Memorial Stadium. Dave McNally didn't look like he needed Eddie Watt to relieve him. Actually, McNally didn't look like he needed any relief. Through five innings, the New York Mets were really struggling to hit him. They had three hits and no runs.
Then, there was the matter of McNally's bat.
In the top of the third in a scoreless deadlock, McNally noted Mark Belanger on first after a leadoff single. However, Dave wasn't about to bunt the man to second. Instead, he took his counterpart on the Mets (Jerry Koosman), out of the park. The Mets' pitcher was shaken up, for sure. Before the inning was over, Frank Robinson hit a home run of his own. 3-0, visitors.
The Mets caught a break in the last of the sixth. Cleon Jones got hit by a pitch. The home team at Shea Stadium had their skipper, Gil Hodges, show the umpire the evidence. Good old shoe polish. Seizing the moment, it was Don Clendenon who rifled one to left. Outta here! 3-2.
Al Weiss, who was not a dangerous hitter, allowed himself to get into the home run trot on this day by tying it with a blast in the last of the seventh. McNally left after that inning despite a fine outing.
And then, the Orioles sort of lost it for Eddie Watt.
Pitching the last of the eighth, and trying to stop the bleeding, it was Baltimore, as a team, that came undone.
Cleon Jones got it all going again. A double. An out later, it was Ron Swoboda with a two-bagger of his own. 4-3, New York Mets. Some insurance came, it wasn't earned. Jerry Groat smashed one to first, where Boog Powell was slow coming up with it. In covering first, Watt dropped the toss for good measure. Now the Mets led, 5-3.
Koosman allowed one baserunner in the ninth, but closed the door on Baltimore. They'd have to wait at least one more year to try and prove that their 1966 World Series win was no fluke.
But back then came in 1970. The Mets were nowhere in sight come World Series time. But the Cincinnati Reds were no slouches, either. This time, the breaks went the Orioles' way. Brooks Robinson's amazing fielding helped Baltimore win the first three games. They weren't all easy except the third one. Eddie Watt would be needed as the word, "Sweep" was dancing in both teams' heads.
But again, Cincinnati wasn't gonna make things easy. Then again, it was 5-3 Baltimore after eight innings. Don Gullett of Cincy had no luck in keeping Baltimore at bay.
However, the top of the eighth changed things. Jim Palmer had been pitching well, but here came the Reds. Almost like magic. Tony Perez walked. Johnny Bench singled. Two on, no outs. Eddie Watt was needed. But man, was he greeted!
Lee May blasted a three-run home run to make it 6-5, Reds. There would be no comeback for the Orioles.
For the last game in Baltimore (And with games six and seven back in Riverfront Stadium), Cincinnati looked for some more miracles. Maybe they didn't need any as they put a "3" on the board in the top of the first.
The Orioles had seen this before. Up three in game five, trying to send the World Series back home. They made short work of the deficit. They scored two in the last of the first. Two more in the second. And again two in the bottom of the third. It was 6-3 for the O's. The final score was 9-3. The game four loss proved to be Eddie Watt's only appearance. The way Mike Cuellar pitched in the fifth contest (Sans the first inning, of course), meant Baltimore did not need a bullpen to clinch it.
Well, Baltimore might not have needed a bullpen period in 1971. They had four twenty-game winners in Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson and Dave McNally. Impressively, they swept the Oakland Athletics 3-0 in the American League Championship Series.
Now only the Pittsburgh Pirates awaited.
The World Series started in Baltimore. Dave McNally was awesome. He seemed to always pitch well when it mattered. Still, it was a close 5-3 win for the Orioles over the Pirates. Game two was a little easier. Jim Palmer had the bat and the ball. At the dish, he twice walked with the bases loaded. Pitching was his real forte. When it was over, Palmer had an 11-3 win to his name.
The Pirates were tough at home, alas. Steve Blass got the better of Mike Cuellar in the first game at Three Rivers Stadium. The final score was 5-1 for Pittsburgh. But the Bucks only got seven hits, total. The bullpen did the job for the Baltimore Orioles as Tom Dukes and Eddie Watt faced three batters each. And they got 'em all out.
But in game five, it was the home team whose bullpen earned top marks. The Orioles looked ready to steal one from the Pirate ship when they scored three times in the top of the first inning. It was a quick night for Pittsburgh starter Luke Walker. He lasted 2/3 of an inning. But then came in Bruce Kison and Dave Giusti to stop the O's. They combined for 8 1/3 innings, allowing no runs and just one hit.
Eddie Watt pitched in the game. Baltimore saw their 3-0 lead evaporate quickly. Pittsburgh answered the visitors salvo with a little ammo of their own. By the end of the first, it was just a one-run game. By the third, it was all tied.
Watt was needed in the bottom of the seventh. Pat Dobson had looked in trouble all game long it seemed. Still, he stranded two Pirates' baserunners in the fourth. In the fifth, the Pirates failed to score despite loading the bases. In the sixth, they loaded 'em up again. And again were blanked. Pittsburgh managed to get Dobson out of the game, but Grant Jackson put out the Pirates' fire.
Eddie Watt fanned Al Oliver to start the last of the eighth. But from there, Pittsburgh turned on their offence on him. Truth be told, all three hits they got in that frame were singles. But it was enough to break the 3-3 deadlock. Paul Blair had made a rare error. He was usually a sure-handed outfielder. It just wasn't Baltimore's day. Watt retired the first batter to face him in the eighth, but then Roberto Clemente singled. Pete Richert came in and doused the Pirates. However, it was too little, too late. Pittsburgh won the game, 4-3.
Dave McNally tried to send it back to Memorial Stadium with the Orioles up 3-2. But it was the Pirates with a 4-0 win in game five. McNally had a rare bad postseason start. He lasted but four innings, allowing seven hits and four runs. Baltimore got better bullpen stuff then the previous game, but it didn't help matters. Dave Leonhard went one impressive inning. Tom Dukes then shut out Pittsburgh for three innings. But now, maybe the Orioles had the bullpen working, but not the offence? Nelson Briles, who'd once pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, was splendid! Two hits and no runs for Pittsburgh in a complete-game victory. With the Cards, it seemed like Briles had always taken a back seat to Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton and even Ray Washburn at times. Here, he was as good as any of them. Or any of the Pirates' and Orioles' hurlers. Not Pittsburgh starter had a better ERA than Nelson did in 1971.
So it was a bit ironic that now the Orioles had run into a team whose pitching staff evidentially was as good as theirs.
The Baltimore Orioles squeaked out one back home. The O's had to fight hard to provide their adoring fans at home with a win. Jim Palmer was back on the hill and looking for another win. Pittsburgh was looking to do better than they had last time out against the great Palmer. They scored twice. A run in the top of the second, and another an inning later. So they did worse.
Well, maybe. Jim had gone eight innings in the second contest. He'd walked eight. He'd fanned ten. He'd given up seven hits. Here, Palmer went eight again. And again allowed seven hits. But Jim only fanned five. Pittsburgh was only able to coax one walk off him. Bob Moose, the Pirate starter, did not allow him to reach first. The Orioles starter managed to bunt a man over. The other time Moose faced him, Palmer fanned.
Neither Moose, who went five inning, nor Palmer got a decision. Moose pitched well. Carrying a 2-0 lead into the last of the sixth, Bob looked poised to bring it all home. The first batter changed all that thought. Don Buford smacked a home run. Davey Johnson reached on an error. Boog Powell singled. The Baltimore bats were waking up. Bob Johnson came in and stopped the Orioles.
But Baltimore wasn't finished. They tied it the next inning. Palmer had a 1-2-3 seventh, eighth and ninth. But, he had to go. Removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth, Jim would be left with a no decision as the game continued into extras. Dave McNally got the home team out a mess Pat Dobson had created in the tenth. In the bottom of the frame, the O's pulled it out in dramatic fashion.
That fleet-footed outfielder of theirs, Frank Robinson watched as Boog Powell was retired by Bob Miller to start it all off. Robinson drew a walk. Merv Rettenmund singled to centre. Frank Robinson motored to third. The other Robinson, Brooks (No relation) flied out to Vic Davalillo in short centre. He'd batted for for Dave Giusti in the top of the frame. But his throw home was too late. This thing was going to a seventh and deciding game.
It could have gone either way. Both starting pitchers, Steve Blass and Mike Cuellar were great. It was the visiting Pirates who got off to a 2-0 lead (Clemente smacked a home run to break the ice). Baltimore had to wait until the bottom of the eighth to finally tally. They trailed 2-1 after 8 1/2. It seemed cruel, as once again their bullpen came through. Cuellar himself went eight innings, allowing just four hits and two runs. Pat Dobson was shaky in the ninth. He got two outs, but put two men on. Dave McNally was needed again. Again, he did the job. Willie Stargell faced McNally. All Pops could do was ground out to second.
But Baltimore was retired 1-2-3 by the inspired Blass in the bottom of the frame. Steve finished with a four-hitter. Baltimore had to wait another eight years to make it back to the World Series. Watt had hung 'em up in 1978 after three years of pitching in the minor leagues.
References
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Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-Play Of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed., St. Martin's Press, 1990. Print.
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Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 28 May. 2021. Web.
Thorn, John. The Relief Pitcher: Baseball's New Hero. E P Dutton, 1979. Print.
Nemec, David, and et al. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle. Collector's Edition ed., Publications International, Ltd, 1993.
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