World Series: Did You Know?

Four players from 1934 collected eleven hits, one shy of the then-record. Just can't make it a dozen, they couldn't. Funny, I would have guessed the 1945 Fall Classic, which yielded three players with exactly eleven hits would have been the record. We can safely say at there was at least one more October Classic with more.

The victorious St. Louis Cardinals had Pepper Martin, who'd collected a dozen hits in the 1931 Fall Classic. Pepper was back for more.

The poor Detroit Tigers got a dose of reality in the opening tilt. But they had Charlie Gehringer, didn't they. One awesome second basemen. Little attention must have been paid to Charlie. Detroit actually had home-field advantage in this World Series. However, St. Louis easily won the first game, 8-3. The crowd at Navin Field weren't happy. They wouldn't be in the seventh contest, either. Only thing is, their frustration had really escalated by then.

So, Pepper Martin was held to just one hit. However, his sixth inning single off Firbo Marberry scored a run. The big gun for the Cards on this day was Joe Medwick, the left fielder. Hits? Four. The big one was in the top of the fifth went he parked one off starting pitcher General Crowder. General, whose first name was actually Alvin, surrended first and third inning singles to Medwick. So Joe was 3-3 to start the day, and 4-4 going into the top of the eighth. It was there that Elon Hogsett got him to fly out. But a 4-5 day is a great display of bat speed. The out itself helped, as Jack Rothrock tagged from second and made it to third. Ripper Collins, who was on his way to eleven hits himself, couldn't get Rothrock home, alas, grounding out to second. Collins finished the contest with just one hit, but scored two runs.

The Big Three, Martin, Medwick and Collins had been devastating in this game when you put it all together. Six hits, five runs scored and three more driven in.

The Tigers had Charlie Gehringer collecting two hits and a run scored. It wasn't an easy task, you see. The Cardinals had some chap named Dizzy Dean pitching. They also had his brother, Paul. Pay attention to them, it will be hard not to notice.

Game two was better for the home team. It took extras, but a Charlie Gehringer walk started a rally in the bottom of the twelve with one away. Hank Greenberg followed suit and Goose Goslin's single resulted in the walk-off win.

Well, that was better for Detroit, right. But Charlie Gehringer only had one hit. Pepper Martin had two. Ripper Collins and Joe Medwick, one each. Not much of a game for the quartet. Meet my blog in St. Louis, Louis!

Well, there was Paul Dean at Sportsman's Park, delvering the home team to a 4-1 win. Charlie Gehringer had no problem with Dean first two times up: Singe, double

However, when it came time to deliever the big hit, Gehringer was unable to do so. In the top of the fourth, Charlie came up with the bases loaded. Paul Dean bore down and got Charlie to ground out to second.

Pepper Martin was game for this contest. He boomed a triple to get things going for St. Louis in the bottom of the first. The next batter, Jack Rothrock, sent one to to centre. The ball was caught by Jo-Jo White (Not to be confused with the Boston Celtics star of the 1970s) in centre. Martin tagged up and scored. The inning promised more, but it ended with Joe Medwick hitting into a double play.

The bottom line is, the Cards had the lead for good. Martin would add a double and a walk later, taking over the game. Joe Medwick had two hits, Ripper Collins two. However, this gets lost in the shuffle as Paul Dean pitched an amazing game. Plus, he collected an RBI. Was there anyone else playing in this 1934 World Series outside the Dean brothers?

Well, game four was all Detroit. The routed St. Louis 10-4. The hit total was close, however. The Tigers had thirteen, the Cardinals ten.

It seemed, at first, like the Cards were in for a good day. In the bottom of the second inning of a scoreless ballgame, it was Joe Medwick with a leadoff single. Ripper Collins doubled him to third. Bill DeLancey walked to load the bases.

This was the home team's chance to blow the game wide open. True, they got a run on a Ernie Orsatti sacrifice fly, but that was it (Neither Collins nor DeLacey would advance beyone first and second). Leo Durocher followed with a fly to right, but that did nothing. Tex Carleton, the St. Louis starting pitcher, forced Bill DeLancey at second. Carleton would not be around much longer in the ballgame.

True, he got the first two batters out in the top of the third, but that was it. Catcher Mickey Cochrane kept the Detroit half of the inning alive with a double. One of our boys, Charlie Gehringer, then looked at ball four. Goose Goslin followed suite. Bases loaded.

The two big hits of the ballgame followed. The first was by Billy Rogell, who singled home Cochrane and Gehringer. Hank Greenberg followed Rogell's single with one of his own. So when Goslin scored, it was 3-1, Detroit.

The visitors were just getting started. St. Louis got one run back in the bottom of the third to make it a one-run game. It was Ripper Collins with a single. And ironically, enough, the Cards watched as their first two men up were retired. The Tigers wasted no time and got the run back in the top of the fourth.

St. Louis would tie the game in their half of the inning. But it was a sort of last gasp on their part. It was Pepper Martin that drove in the tying run. However, he just grounded out to do that. 4-4. But no more for St. Louis.

Detroit, on the other hand, touched home six more times in the contest to turn it into a laugher.

It was Charlie Gehringer that started it all with a single in the top of the seventh. Scoring Detroit's fifth run of the contest, it was the Tigers on top for good with that. The team added five more runs in the top of the eighth to make it a 10-4 score. Pepper Martin did add a single in the last of the ninth, but it didn't help matters.

Detroit closed to within one game of a world crown when they won the fifth contest, 3-1. Charlie Gehringer only contributed one hit. But it was one, big, hit. A sixth inning four-bagger off Dizzy Dean. Dean pitched well, but got little offence. Pepper Martin had two hits, and Ripper Collins one. But none of those blows led to any scoring.

So, St. Louis now seemed down and out. Game six was in Detroit. Should the St. Louis win that, they'd somehow have to then win game seven, also in Detroit.

Well, the Cards dug deep and pulled it out somehow.

Joe Medwick got the visitors off on the right foot, as he singled home a run in the top of the first. Mickey Cochrane singled home a run off Paul Dean in the bottom of the third.

Leo Durocher's single started a rally in the top of the fifth. A bunt moved him into scoring position. The man at the plate was Pepper Martin. His singled broke the 1-1 ballgame. Martin would come around to score later in the inning.

Detroit, though, tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Charlie Gehringer came up with runners on the corners. He reached via an error by pitcher Paul Dean. Dean's error allowed a runner to score. Gehringer would later cross the plate on a Hank Greenberg single. This, however, proved to be the last run of the 1934 World Series for Detroit.

St. Louis would score the final run of game six. Paul Dean was looking for some redemption. He got it in the form of a single, which scored Leo Durocher. 4-3, St. Louis.

Detroit tried to come back. In the bottom of the eighth, it was Charlie Gehringer with a single. Goose Goslin then followed that with one of his own. Gehringer made it to third. Tying run ninety feet away. A fly or even a grounder that didn't result in the double play could tie it. So, too, could a wild pitch or passed ball.

But Paul Dean bared down. He got Billy Rogell out on a fly to second. Hank Greenberg hit into a force.

The Cardinals, sensing there was plenty of fight left in the home team, then looked to Pepper Martin for some insurance in the top of the ninth. They had runners on first and third, and two away. Here's where Martin usually came through. But not on this occasion. Schoolboy Rowe fanned him.

Rowe pitched a pretty good game. Why he batted with two away in the last of the ninth is beyond me. Paul Dean got him to fly out to Ernie Orsatti in centre.

Detroit might as well have mailed it in in the deciding game. St. Louis was every bit as dominating as Detroit had been in the fourth contest. Actually, it was even more dominating.

It all started in the top of the third. Dizzy Dean was pitching a gem of a ballgame for St. Louis. Here, he was about to get more offence than he would need.

Dean wanted to help his own cause, evidentially. Boy, did he ever!

One out, and the Cardinals' pitcher doubled of his counterpart, Elden Auker. Pepper Martin singled him to third. Then, Martin stole second. Two runners in scoring position. Jack Rothrock walked to load the bases. Frankie Frisch doubled home all three men. It was, essentially, game over for the Tigers.

The inning itself would take forever to complete. While Joe Medwick (Who'd have quite an unexpected adventure in this game seven) grounded out, St. Louis wasn't done. Schoolboy Rowe was the new pitcher, but would not have himself a good game.

Nope, Rowe gave up a single to Ripper Collins. 4-0. Bill DeLancey doubled Collins home. Dizzy Dean would add a run-scoring single of another relief pitcher, Elon Hogsett. Pepper Martin would add a bases-loaded walk. All told, St. Louis scored seven runs on seven hits. The champagne was ready.

But this is baseball, where just when "You've seen it all", there is more. Much more.

For starters, the Cardinals had more scoring to do. Elden Auker had allowed four runs on six hits. Schoolboy Rowe had allowed two more runs on two hits in just a third of an inning. Elon Hogsett, who'd pitched well in this Fall Classic prior to game seven, was shelled for a run, two hits and two walks without retiring a batter. Can you say the St. Louis bats were hot? Dizzy Dean was 2-2 himself at the dish. And he wasn't about to let Detroit score any runs.

Ripper Collins stroked a meaningless single in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the frame, it was Charlie Gehringer with a futile hit. Charlie would add another in the last of the ninth, but it didn't matter.

But Pepper Martin's sixth inning single did matter. He was the first batter in the sixth inning. And because this was Pepper, you knew the Cardinals were up to something. Though the next two batters were retired, the inning was not over. Sure enough, it was Joe Medwick with a triple to score Martin. Then Ripper Collins scored Medwick with a single. Detroit ought to have forfeited the contest. The scored was 9-0, St. Louis.

The home crowd was mad. And, now they had someone to target as Medwick had slid hard into Detroit third basemen Marv Owen. When Medwick took up his position in left in the bottom of the sixth, the Detroit crowd let him have it. They threw everything but the kitchen sink at him. Fruit, vegetables. That was the least what was thrown at Joe. This thing was really getting out of hand! For his own safety, the commissioner of baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, made sure Medwick was removed from the ballgame. Given the score in the contest, it was clearly the right thing to do.

The rest of the game passed uneventful, but the Cardinals seemed to be energized more than Detroit after that showmanship. They added two more tallies in the top of the seventh. Pepper Martin was sort of involved. But the tenth run only scored because of an error on his grounder. Jack Rothrock would later double Martin home. 11-0, final score. (Ironically, 41 years later, the Cardinals were on the other side of that score in game seven of the World Series)

The Dean brothers. Ripper Collins. Joe Medwick. Pepper Martin. This St. Louis Cardinals machine was awesome, devastating. Dubbed, "The Gashouse Gang", they'd given Detroit and their fans a painful lesson of "The longer the World Series goes, the better we get!"

The Tigers still got eleven hits by Charlie Gehringer, who was giving it his all. Apart from Charlie, the rest of the Detroit batters got but four hits off Dizzy Dean. Gehringer's efforts pushed his batting average to .379. On the other hand, Joe Medwick's 1-4 game seven performance took his batting average down to .379. Each finished the Fall Classic 11-29.

Where Gehringer stood out among his peers was his Series-leading .438 on-base percentage. It was sort of overshadowed by teammate Hank Greenberg. Hank topped all batters in the 1934 Fall Classic with seven RBI. It must have been tough on him to lose a game seven like that. Detroit came back the next year and beat the Chicago Cubs in six games, though.

St. Louis looked like they might have a dynasty going, with the Deans and all. However, it didn't quite work out that way. The Deans both had a fine 1935 season, but it proved to be a sort of last hurrah for Paul. Injuries took their tool on him in the coming years and he never again won more than five games in a season.

Dizzy was rolling along through the end of the 1936 season. Only 26 years old, his lifetime record stood at 121-65. And his 1937 season started out just fine. Then came the All-Star game. It was there that he was hit in the foot on a ball off the bat of Earl Averill. A broken toe was the result. This didn't necessary end his career, but it made it tough for him to pitch the rest of the season. He'd never quite be able to turn in a full campaign. Despite finishing the 1937 season with a 13-10 record and a fine 2.69 earned run average, Dizzy would find himself on a new team the next season. It was time to take the act to Wrigley Field.

When he could pitch, Dean was great. Although he only appeared in thirteen games (Ten starts), there was something about him you had to admire. This wasn't a prime Dizzy anymore, but that ERA was amazing, 1.81. Maybe not everyone was enamored with the charismatic pitcher, but Chicago Cubs fans sure warmed up to him. Dean tried his best in the Fall Classic against the powerful New York Yankees, but the Bronx Bombers were just too tough.

Dean had one more decent season in 1939, then really couldn't do much on the mound. He took his act elsewhere, like behind the mic. Dizzy became one colourful play-by-play announcer.

But when you think back to the 1934 World Series, the Dean brothers certainly stick out. Dizzy's ERA was just 1.73, while Paul's was even better, 1.00 (Topps among all pitchers with nine or more innings pitched). The Cardinals also got stellar pitching from Bill Hallahan, who in his only start gave up just two runs over eight and two-thirds innings pitched. The Tigers also had good pitching, as reliever Elon Hogsett allowed the Cardinals just one run over seven and a third innings pitched. General Crowder got into two games, allowing one earned run himself over six frames.

Now, having said all that, what does that tell you about this quartet of awesome hitters? Certainly Pepper Martin, Joe Medwick, Ripper Collins and Charlie Gehringer hit well in this Fall Classic. But eleven hits each against such good pitching? It kind of elevates their performance. Despite an 8-3, 10-4 and 11-0 game, the World Series of 1934 will be remembered as a well-pitched Fall Classic. But that's not to say there weren't four guys who came through again, and again!

References

Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. 

Morissey, Scott C. 114 World Series in 1 Book. Updated ed., Pandamonium Publishing House, 2020. 

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992.

-------------The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. 

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.



Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, https://sabr.org/. 30 Jan. 2023.

Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 30 Jan. 2023.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 30 Jan. 2023.

World Series: Did You Know?

Kiko Garcia averaged an RBI a game in 1979. The Fall Classic that year between Garcia's Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates went seven games. Kiko got into six of those contests. However, looking how it unfolded, there never should have been a seventh game.

And maybe Garcia should only have played in four games.

The Orioles won the first game at home. That was good news. However, Kiko Garcia did not contribute. In fact, he didn't even play. I feel compelled at this point to explain a few things.

Kiko had been in the big leagues for four seasons, but had not quite played a full season. A shortstop who could also play some second and third, there didn't appear to be any room for Garcia to stay in the lineup. The Baltimore Orioles had Rich Dauer at second and Doug DeCinces at third. The O's had used Mark Belanger at short for what seemed like forever.

Belanger first joined Baltimore in 1965, and by 1969 was a regular. He was a classic "All field, no hit" player. Mark's career batting average was just .228. But next to him, at third base was Brooks Robinson. Robinson won sixteen Gold Glove Awards, but Mark Belanger was not overshadowed by the third basemen when it came to the glove. Belanger won Gold Gloves of his own in 1969 in 1971 before embarking on a remarkable run. From 1973-1978, Mark won the Gold Glove award every year at short.

The Orioles, having once been the St. Louis Browns until moving after the 1953 season, saw plenty of success with Brooks and Mark. The team, managed by Earl Weaver, seemed to be better than their 1966 edition which had gone all the way.

With Robinson and Belanger's gloves stopping grounders galore, things were amazing in Baltimore. They made it to the World Series three years in a row (1969-1971). From there, they stayed in contention, but didn't make it back to the Fall Classic until 1979.

Robinson retired after the 1977 season, but Belanger was still around two seasons later. But his bat wasn't outweighing his glove anymore. Although Mark had hit .270 in 1976, Belanger's bat was heading in the wrong direction the next two seasons, .206, .213.

It's not like you could move him to another positon. After playing 26 games at second and 2 at third in 1967, Mark's fielding was strictly shortstop until a one-game appearance at second in 1982.

In the Orioles fifth regular season game in 1979, it was Kiko Garcia that started the game in left field, and later moved to second base. Then, an injury to Doug DeCinces in May forced Baltimore to move Rich Dauer to third base. That opened up a hole at second which Billy Smith would step in and play. Garcia got some action there, but found more work at shortstop, his more natural position.

The break Kiko was waiting for came when Mark Belanger suffered a broken finger that June. Garcia went on a tear, hitting .294 from June 1st to July 7th, a span of 33 games. His bat might have cooled off a bit as the season moved on, but Garcia had won over the Orioles' brass. When the season concluded, Kiko Garcia had played 113 games at shortstop. Had he upended Mark Belanger? There was also the possibility that he could play second base, too. Garcia got into 25 games at second.

Kiko had to wait to play in the American League Championship Series against the California Angels. He managed one hit. Mark Belanger actually started the game at short. Garcia was back in game two, collecting two RBIs. The Series lasted four games, with Baltimore beating California 3-1. Mark Belanger appeared in three of the four games and hit a solid .273. But still, who could expected what happened in the Fall Classic.

Well, Baltimore opposed Pittsburgh in a rematch of the World Series from eight years earlier (Which went seven games). The Orioles would again have home-field advantage. It was Mike Flanagan who started on the mound. And it was Mark Belanger back at short. The Orioles won, 5-4. Kiko Garcia was back in the second contest, but had to wait even there to play.

Belanger started at short in another tight contest. It was Baltimore's veteran Jim Palmer on the hill. Palmer gave up two runs over seven innings, with both touches of home coming in the top of the second. With the score tied 2-2, Pat Kelly batted for Palmer in the bottom of the seventh. Kelly drew a walk, putting runners on first and second with one away. After Al Bumbry fanned, another pinch hitter appeared. Terry Crowley batted for Mark Belanger. Crowley also drew a walk, loading the bases with two away. Ken Singleton, later a broadcaster for the Montreal Expos, was next. But he, too, fanned.

The Orioles did a double switch the next inning. The switch enabled Kiko Garcia to play shortstop, but bat ninth. Garcia replaced Terry Crowley, but now new pitcher Tippy Martinez would bat in Belanger's spot (Which was second in the order). The move was an interesting one by manager Earl Weaver.

However, it didn't help Baltimore. Kiko Garcia would bat only once, in the bottom of the ninth. Pittsburgh ace reliever Ken Tekulve got him to look at strike three. So the Pirates ended up winning the second contest, 3-2. The 1979 World Series was shaping up to be a classic. The Orioles were undeterred at this setback, however. They went on the road, determined to come back home with a Series lead. They did just that.

However, Baltimore manager Earl Weaver had a tough decision to make in this World Series. It was tied one-game all. The next three games would be played at Three Rivers Stadium. The other important thing to note at this point was, the format the Fall Classic was played at.

With the introduction of the designated hitter in the American League in 1973, the World Series obviously had to be played under interesting rules. For the first three Fall Classics (1973-1975) with the AL incorporating the DH, the Junior Circuit was at a handicap. Pitchers had to bat in all games played in the World Series, regardless of what league the home team was from. Then, in 1976, the designated hitter would alternate in Fall Classic between use / no use.

So in 1977, the New York Yankees won the Fall Classic with no designated hitter used. Then in '78, the Yankees repeated with the DH used in all six games. But now, in 1979, the Baltimore Orioles were down a man, with no designated hitter, and their manager was using a very light-hitting shortstop.

To be fair to Mark Belanger, he'd had a not-so bad World Series with the bat the last time Baltimore met Pittsburgh in the Fall Classic. He'd hit .238 in 1971, but added five walks. The gave him an on-base percentage of .385 in the 1971 World Series. But here, eight years later, Belanger had just a walk to show for seven times up at the plate. Two games in, and the Baltimore shortstop wasn't getting on base. His career batting average in the Fall Classic was now at .164.

It was time for a change.

Garcia was destined for greatness with the bat in this Fall Classic. The fact that Mark Belanger was 0-6 in games one and two combined signaled the end for him with the bat in this Fall Classic. Maybe this was a no-brainer to use Kiko, after all. As for Mark Belanger, he would never come to bat again in the 1979 World Series. Earl Weaver was going with Kiko Garcia, except for late in the game when Belanger would come in for defensive purposes. 

Game three was won by Baltimore, 8-4. The star of the game? Why our boy! Garica was 4-4. Four RBIs, and an added walk, meaning he reached base all five times up at the dish. Kiko's triple in the top of the fourth was impressive, as he fell behind in the count 0-2. After fouling off a pitch and taking a ball inside, Garcia found the gap in right centre, clearing the bases.

That turned a 3-2 Pirate lead into a 5-3 game in the Orioles' favour. The shortstop added a run-scoring single in the top of the seventh.

It seemed like the surprising hero was made for tough situtations. Game four again went to the visitors. But, again, Pittsburgh lead Baltimore. 4-0 for the home team after two frames. However, here came our boy again. Back up to the dish, back to be clutch. Kiko's two-run double to left off Jim Bibby narrowed the lead to 4-2. Garcia himself then scored on Ken Singleton's double to left. 

The Pirates' hitters weren't exactly co-operative in games three, four and five at home. The upped the ante in this contest. By the time the Orioles batted in the top of the eighth the lead was widened to 6-3. The Orioles pitching of Dennis Martinez, Sammy Stewart and Steve Stone were hit hard. The Bucs were six outs away from squaring this.

Garcia led off. Fell behind 0-2. Where have we seen this before? Ball one. Foul. Foul. And then Kiko sent one to right that Dave Parker seemed to play poorly. He backup up, and then broke in too late. The single was crucial for the O's cause. A huge inning followed. But it had been Kiko that started it. The innings ended with Baltimore scoring six times.

The Orioles went on to win the ballgame, 9-6. Suddenly, Baltimore was just one win away from their second World Championship of the decade.

However, Pittsburgh was about to up the ante again. Baltimore got off on the right foot in game five, as the Orioles looked to clinch it in enemy territory. Mike Flanagan blanked the Pirates through five, and the O's got on the board first. Kiko Garcia didn't have anything to do with it. The run came in the top of the fifth on a double play. Garcia ended the inning by hitting into a force with two man on.

The Orioles needed more offence in this game, as their fifth inning tally was all she wrote for them. The Pirates scored seven times over innings six, seven and eight. Kiko Garcia ended the game 0-4.

There was still obviously a chance for Baltimore to close the books on the 1979 Fall Classic in games six or seven. Jim Palmer started game six, and the O's pitcher seemed like he had it going a lot better than in the second contest.

Kiko Garcia tried to get a rally going right there in the bottom of the first. Leading off the game for Baltimore, he singled to centre.  The shortstop was now 7-15 at the dish (.467). And, up in the ABC broadcast booth, Keith Jackson noted that Kiko was "...very much in the running for the MVP."

But the bats of Baltimore were stifled on this night. John Candelaria would have a much better outing than he'd had in the third contest. Kiko made it to second on a one-out, one-bagger by Ken Singleton. However, the inning ended as Eddie Murray hit into a double play.

The game was still scoreless when Garcia batted in the bottom of the third. Rick Dempsey had led off the Orioles half the same way Kiko Garcia had in the first, he singled. Howard Cosell, always colourful, was right next to Keith Jackson in the broadcast booth. For his part, Cosell thought that the Baltimore catcher was in line for the Most Valuable Player Award, too. "...if I had to vote for the [World Series'] MVP right now, and the Birds win [the Series], I would vote for Rick Dempsey." It almost seemed like Dempsey heard those words, as Rick (On cue), singled just to the right of second base. That boasted the Baltimore's shorstop's batting average to .375.

Jim Palmer batted for himself, and tried to get Dempsey over to second. Palmer's attempt at bunting failed. He was a strikeout victim as he tried to lay one down with two strikes, only fouling it.

But Kiko Garcia would now come to bat, with one on and one away. His sizzling bat was not going unnoticed by the Baltimore contingient. A chant of "Kiko...Kiko...Kiko..." broke out. Garcia gave it his all. He made solid contact. But all Kiko could do was fly out to Dave Parker in left. 

Kiko made another bid for a hit, leading off the bottom of the sixth. But his sinking liner to short centre was caught by Omar Moreno.

The Orioles stayed in this one a long way, as the Bucs were blanked by Jim Palmer through six innings. Pittsburgh seemed ripe for the taking, but it was the visiting Pirates who won, 4-0. Like in the fourth contest, Kiko Garcia was didn't finish the contest. Earl Weaver pinch hit for him. An odd move considering Kiko's sizzling bat.

So it all came down to the seventh contest. As had been the case in games one and five, Baltimore scored first. But it had been a while, fifteen frames, between runs by the Orioles. Rich Dauer's third inning home run was the only run of the contest, for a while.

Garica, for his part, grounded out in the bottom of the first. In the third, however, Kiko connected for a single, boasting his batting average to .421. The Orioles were sensing victory. If their bats could just get going, there was a strong possibility they'd win it. Scott McGregor was keeping the Bucs off the scoreboard in the early going, just as Jim Palmer had the day before.

But the bats of the Pirates, in particular Willie Stargell, would not be denied. Pops launched a two-run home run off McGregor in the top of the sixth, and the visitors were up, 2-1. It was a lead Pittsburgh would not relinquish.

Down went Baltimore 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame. Kiko Garcia was the first one retired, popping up to second. This was Kiko's last plate appearance in the 1979 Fall Classic. He was scheduled to bat in the bottom of the eight, as the Orioles got two on with just one away. But Garcia was removed for a pinch hitter. Baltimore eventually loaded the bases with two out, but did not score.

Pittsburgh pushed across two more runs in the ninth, and Ken Tekulve retired Baltimore in order in the bottom of the inning. It was a heart-breaking loss for the Orioles. Their bats had gone silent after game four.

It was easy to forget about Kiko Garcia's performance in the World Series. Willie Stargell was the MVP, as he'd been in the National League Championship Series and regular season. Ken Tekulve tied a then-World Series record with three saves for the Pirates. The leading hitter in the 1979 World Series, forgotten by many, was the Pirates' second basemen,  Phil Gardner (.500).

Garcia would sadly never see action again in the October Finale. Although on the postseason roster for the 1983 Philadelphia Phillies (Who, ironically, lost to the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series), Kiko was on the bench for all five Fall Classic contests.

But in 1979, Garcia hit .400, drove in six, and scored four runs. All three of those stats were tops on all Baltimore regulars in this exciting, albeit tough, Fall Classic. 

References

American Broadcast Company (ABC). “1979 WORLD SERIES GAME 4.” YouTube, uploaded by Stephen  Alexander, 20 Nov. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPbyuPRzl1g. Accessed 23 Jan. 2023.

American Broadcast Company (ABC). “1979 WORLD SERIES GAME 6.” YouTube, uploaded by Stephen Alexander, 19 Nov. 2017, https://youtu.be/UgK0skKaR70?t=904 . Accessed 23 Jan. 2023. (Quote appears at 15:04-15:06)


American Broadcast Company (ABC), Alexander, Ibid. (Quote appears at 35:38-35:44)


American Broadcast Company (ABC), Alexander, Ibid. (Event happends at 39:20-39:26)


Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

“Home.” Burns, Ken, director. Baseball, PBS, 28 Sept. 1994. 

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

------------------------. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. 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.

Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group, 1992. Print.


Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 23 Jan. 2023.

Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.