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.
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