Paul Blair was the last out for Baltimore in games three and four in 1969. The Orioles could have used a hit or a walk in those situations, but it wasn't to be.
Blair's Baltimore Orioles were fresh off a sweep of the Minnesota Twins in the very first American League Championship Series. They kept the momentum going as the World Series started. The O's were up against the surprising New York Mets. Two at home at Memorial Stadium to start this thing. Three years earlier, Paul Blair had hit a home run in the first World Series game played there. Baltimore beat Los Angeles 1-0 in games three and four of the 1966 October Finale, completing a sweep.
But New York had won 100 games in '69, so the 4-1 didn't discourage them. They bounced back with an impressive 2-1 win in the second contest. The win was crucial. Not only did it square the 1969 Fall Classic at one game all, but it sort of changed the momentum. The Orioles would not return home, much to Blair's chagrin.
Blair should have had at least one hit in the third game at Shea Stadium. He was facing a relief pitcher by the name of Nolan Ryan. The game was seemingly over, as the Mets had forged ahead, 4-0. However, it's not like Baltimore wasn't getting their bats on the ball. Tommie Agee (Whose home run in the bottom of the first off Jim Palmer started the Mets on their way) had made a great catch off Elrod Hendricks in the top of the fourth.
So, after two quick outs in the top of the seventh, there didn't seem to be much chance of Blair getting to bat. But New York's starting pitcher was beginning to have control problems here. The previous six innings had gone by with Gary Gentry issuing just two free passes. But with two outs and the bases empty, Gary was wild. A walk. Another. Make it three in a row! Bases filled, two away.
So Paul Blair was the batter and now Nolan Ryan was the pitcher. With the count 0-2, the Orioles' centre fielder got a good pitch to hit. Hit it, Paul did. It seemed like a gapper to cut the Mets' lead to 4-3. At least that's what it appeared to be. Tommie Agee wasn't about to be upstaged in this game. He made it two great catches to go along with a longball as he slide face first, and snared it!
A big play, no doubt, as momentum appeared to be shifting towards Baltimore. It was New York that would tack on still another run (Courtesy of an Ed Kranepool home run the bottom of the eighth), putting the home team up five runs. The Orioles weren't saying, "Let's just give up and come back tomorrow," however. In the top of the eighth, Frank Robinson hit a 3-2 pitch off Ryan to the gap in left. Tommie Agee got over and made a catch that wasn't spectacular, but he had his back almost against the wall when he did it.
Nolan Ryan was on to preserve the win in the ninth. He begane to experience the same issues Gary Gentry had two innings prior.
It seemed awfully familiar situation. There seemed to be no chance of Paul Blair coming up, as the first two batters were retired. A walk to Mark Belanger, who was not a difficult out, extended the game. Clay Dalrymple didn't walk, he did better! His single moved Belanger to second. And Paul Blair into the on-deck circle. Chico Salmon ran for Belanger. But if Ryan could retire Don Buford, Blair would not bat. Nolan Ryan managed to hit the strike zone once in the five pitches thrown to Buford. The bases on balls loaded 'em up.
So Paul Blair was back up again. Again with the bases loaded. Would Nolan Ryan stay in the game? Both Tug McGraw and Ron Taylor were throwing in the Mets' bullpen. Gil Hodges came out to the mound, and decided to stick with the hard-thrower from Refugio, Texas.
So it was down to the stuff of dreams: The big strikeout pitcher vs. the terrific slugger! Bases loaded, two outs. But Nolan reached back for his best stuff, fanning Blair on just three pitches, the third a nice 12-6 curve that the batter never even swung at!
The 5-0 win was big for the New York Mets. They were up in the 1969 World Series, 2-1. Plus, they had their ace, Tom Seaver, going in the fourth contest.
Well, the fourth contest was a gem of a pitcher's duel. Mike Cuellar was just as good as Seaver. He kept Baltimore in it, but trailed 1-0 in the top of the seventh. That's when his manager, Earl Weaver, pinch hit for him.
But Tom Seaver fanned Dave May, and had a 1-2-3 seventh. Eddie Watt pitched the bottom of the eighth and held the Mets at bay. This enabled the visiting Orioles to tie it in the top of the ninth. With any luck, they'd have gotten more. But there was right fielder Ron Swoboda, robbing Brooks Robinson of a double with a diving catch. Brooks had to settle for a sac fly.
Swoboda wasn't done tormenting Baltimore. With two away in the bottom of the ninth, Ron singled Cleon Jones to third. But pinch hitter Art Shamsky grounded out to second basemen Davey Johnson.
Johnson would then lead off the tenth, and just send a grounder to third. Wayne Garrett had come in for Ed Charles, who Art Shamsky had batted for. Garrett could not come up with it, and the home side had a problem.
With a man on, Mark Belanger tried to bunt, but popped to the catcher on the second pitch. Clay Dalrymple hit for Eddie Watt and delivered a single. It was conference time on the mound as bullpen activity was in full force. Both Tug McGraw and Ron Taylor were throwing. Pitching coach Rube Walker conversed with Tom Seaver, who ended up staying in the game.
Ron Swoboda was still in right, and the batter, Don Buford. Buford sent one Swoboda's way. Ron caught the ball on the warning track. Davey Johnson went to third after the catch. Paul Blair was next.
Two on, two outs. Seaver threw the first pitch, Blair swung and missed. A slider was then swung on and missed. Seaver was doing to Blair what Nolan Ryan had done one day and one inning earlier. Tom missed high, 1-2. But a breaking pitch was then missed by Blair.
The Mets would pull it out with some controversy. With runners on first and second, J.C. Martin was sent up to hit for Tom Seaver. Martin bunted, and as he ran to first, appeared to be to have exited the running lane to the left. When the throw from new pitcher Pete Richert hit Martin, it allowed the winning run to score. Baltimore had a strong case for interference. But their protest was to no avail.
Blair wasn't able to do much in game five, either. His team, however, appeared to get back on track. Blair fanned against Jerry Koosman in the top of the third, but that was about the only thing the Mets' pitcher did right that half inning (Jerry hit a double in the bottom of the frame, only to be stranded). Both Dave McNally and Frank Robinson hit home runs, and it was 3-0, Baltimore.
In the top of the sixth inning, Blair send a Koosman offering to deep centre. Tommie had a beat on it, appeared to misjudged it, but then reached out to his left and grab it. Another well-hit ball that Paul's counterpart in centre just gobbled up.
Koosman settled down after that. The New York Mets were a team of destiny, that overcame a great Orioles team. The Mets put together three rallies, scoring twice in the sixth and eighth frames, and one more time in the seventh. The 5-3 win game the underdogs a surprising Fall Classic.
As for Paul Blair, he'd be back in 1970. This time, Baltimore came out on top against Cincinnati. A year later, the Orioles came up just short against the Pirates (In the fourth contest, Blair was the first hitter in a World Series first, as the contest started at night). His experience in four Fall Classics (1966, 1969-1971) with Baltimore would come in handy years later. Maybe he'd lost to a New York team in the World Series. But he'd get on one by the time 1977 rolled around. Blair helped the New York Yankees win world championships in 1977 and '78.
The Dodgers actually got a total of four home runs from unlikely sources in 1988. Well, maybe in a sense they were the type of player heroics would not have surprised you from if you look at from another angle.
Obviously, Kirk Gibson is the big one. Hobbled by bad knees, he reached down and pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Actually, he just hit a slider to deep right for a walk-off home run. But who would have thought, after all he'd gone through that season? And against Dennis Eckersley, Mr. Lights Out?
Gibson had to wait on the bench for game one until that awesome ninth inning. But in actuality, it's not as if the opening tilt to the '88 Fall Classic had lacked drama up to that point. Indeed, the game had enough exiciting moments prior to Gibby waving his magic wand, that Vince Scully, the great broadcaster, had declared game one, "...Not a bad opening act!" as the teams fought hard to draw first blood.
It had all started wat back in the bottom of the first. The Los Angeles Dodgers were up against the powerful Oakland Athletics. It seemed like the presence of sluggers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire would be tough enough. The A's also had a slugger in Dave Henderson (Not related to Ricky, who Oakland would acquire the next season). Dave didn't have that one amazing year where he hit 30, let alone 40, long balls in one season. However, Henderson had four seasons with at least 20. His career year, you guessed it, was in 1988. 24 HR, 94 RBI.
But Oakland had a strong pitching staff, too. Their best starter was Dave Stewart, who'd not only won twenty games that year, but added two more "W's" in the American League Championship Series vs. Boston. And, the Athletics had Dennis Eckersley, one of the all-time great closers.
The poor LA Dodgers would have to find a way to get to both Stew and Eck, in all likelihood, if they had any intention of winning this Fall Classic.
So Los Angeles, playing at home, would feel a possible test of what was to come in the top of the first. Tim Belcher, just a rookie, was looking at a night of having his hands full. It didn't help that, with Dave Henderson on first (Having singled), he hit Jose Canseco. There was one out. Dave Parker, who'd won a World Series with Pittsburgh in 1988, flied out to centre. But the next batter was Mark McGwire.
Belcher quickly got ahead 0-2, but perhaps pitched too carefully to McGwire the rest of the plate appearance. Mark walked to load the bases. Terry Steinbach hit one just to the left of centre, but it was caught by John Shelby. This escape with no damage proved to be crucial.
Dave Stewart retaliated in the bottom of the first for the hitting of Jose Canseco. Stew himself hit leadoff batter Steve Sax. Franklin Stubbs flied out. The next batter was Mickey Hatcher. The big question going into this Fall Classic was, "What would Oakland would see of Mickey?"
Hatcher had hit a solid .295 in the regular season, but just .238 in the National League Championship Series vs. the New York Mets. Mickey's career high in home runs was nine, which he'd hit in 1983 with Minnesota. Traded to Los Angeles for 1987, Hatcher hit seven more. But in 1988, he'd had but one.
Before Hatcher could do anything, Dave Stewart made a mistake. A balk would suddenly move Steve Sax into scoring position. Things were now a little easier for Mickey. However, Hatcher would surprise everyone by belting Stewart's 0-1 offering to deep left. Into the stands! Mickey was so excited he motored around the bases, which soon prompted Joe Garagiola to quip, "...He [Hatcher] hasn't hit that many [home runs], [so] he doesn't even know how to run out [a home run]. He ran in [Around the bases] like they [Los Angeles] thought they were going to take it off the scoreboard. He really circled those bases in a hurry."
Hatcher, looking back on his tone-setting home run in the World Series twenty-nine years later, explained what he'd said to the pitcher who surrendered the four-bagger. "Dave Stewart was an old teammate of mine [They both started out in the Dodgers' organization in the late 1970s] and I told him before the game (We were joking around), I was gonna hit a home run off him my first at bat. He said, " 'Not if I throw it at your head.' "
The problem is, the 2-0 Los Angeles lead was quickly turned into a 4-2 Oakland edge. I mentioned Jose Canseco earlier. The second time he came up, in the top of the second frame, Jose hit a grand slam. Tim Belcher stayed in the game, although it sudden seemed like the Athletics had all the offence they would need.
Hatcher drew a two-out walk in the third, but was unable to contribute more in this opening contest. The Dodgers scored a third run in the bottom of the sixth, but still trailed 4-3.
So Dennis Eckersley came on to pitch the last of the ninth, and wasted little time in getting Mike Scioscia and Jeff Hamilton out. Alfredo Griffin was due up, but Mike Davis came to bat. Mike was trying to atone for a poor regular season. He'd hit just .196 with two home runs and seventeen runs driven in. It was all up to Davis to keep Los Angeles alive.
Davis worked well. After taking a strike, Davis would look at four straight balls from his old Oakland teammate.
Enter Kirk Gibson.
Crippled by injuries to both his legs, it seemed like a desperation move by manager Tommy Lasorda. Eck's control was much better against Gibson than Mike Davis. At least at first. Quickly it was 0-2. But the two strikes were foul balls, so Kirk Gibson was catching up to Dennis Eckersley's offerings. Mike Davis was still at first.
And what was on his mind was no doubt to steal. At least give Gibby a look at a runner in scoring position. Eckersley was also aware of this. Oakland did try and get Davis at first. Gibson hit a foul down the first base line, barely getting anything good on the ball. Gibby was a fighter, and brought the count full, 3-2. On ball three, the ever daring Davis stole second! Things were suddenly just a bit easier for Kirk Gibson. But no one expected him to do what he did on the next (Eighth) pitch of the at-bat.
It was a slider. But Gibson hit it over Jose Canseco's head in right. And over the fence! An incredible 5-4 LA win.
There is much that can be said about the Gibson home run, however, one thing that is obvious is this was just the opening contest. Los Angeles needed three more wins to get the World Crown. However, that is not to say that Gibby's heroics didn't give the Dodgers a lift in the same way that Dusty Rhodes had with his walk-off back in 1954. Both were hit in the opening tilt. The Oakland Athletics were able to halt the Los Angeles' momentum come the third contest. Rhodes' New York Giants would go on to a sweep.
They had Orel Hershiser ready to pitch the second game. But for this contest, there would be no Kirk Gibson or Mike Davis, the two men who had helped so much.
Mickey Hatcher did play in this game, but sort of took a backseat to Hershiser. Orel, you see, went out and pitched a three-hit shutout. And then there was Hershiser's bat. He went 3-3 at the dish.
But it's not like Mickey Hatcher just stared at an ineffective bat all game long. Far from that. He singled in the first, but was stranded. Mickey would get another hit, that coming in the in the third. The Dodgers had broken the ice. Their 1-0 was widened to 2-0 courtesy of a Hatcher bouncer that scored Steve Sax and also moved Franklin Stubbs to third. Mickey would then take second as the throw from centre was an attempt to nail Stubbs. But LA now had two more runners on base. There was just one out. A three-run home run by Mike Marshall made it 5-0.
Hatcher had helped again, and now the Dodgers were up 2-0 as the World Series shifted to Oakland for the next three games.
LA's magic appeared to run out as Oakland won the third contest, 2-1. In the fifth, Mickey Hatcher had a chance to drive in the go-ahead run with the score knotted at one. But all he did was hit a liner back to the pitcher.
But still, Mickey found ways to contribute. The game was a lost cause in more ways than one. First, starting pitcher John Tudor, who'd been a great veteran presence on the team (Not to mention his ten wins and 2.32 ERA), had to leave after just 1 1/3 innings. The game was shaping up to be a dominant one for John, as he retired all four batters that faced him. Poor Tudor would not appear again in the Fall Classic, ever. Tim Leary took over on the hill.
So LA was down a pitcher. Their left fielder, Mickey Hatcher was giving it his all out there. Soon, out there, would practically be the entire outfield.
First, there was his superb play on a carom. Glenn Hubbard lead off the bottom of the third for Oakland, and sent one past Hatcher in left. A sure double. At least it appeared to be two bases. That's when Mickey Hatcher played it perfectly off the wall and got off a good throw to Steve Sax, who was standing right on second base. Alas, Hubbard stole second, and made it to third on a throwing error. The Athletics would cash the man in.
More bad news would come to Los Angeles an inning later.
First, they failed to score in the top of the fourth.
Mike Marshall was having back issues, so Tommy Lasorda sent up Danny Heep to hit for him. Heep was retired. John Shelby walked and stole second. Mike Davis came up. He sent one to the gap in left. But it was playable. The long out advanced Shelby to third. The next batter, Mike Scioscia, took strike three to end the threat.
Heep would take up position in left in the bottom of the frame, meaning Mickey Hatcher replaced Marshall in right.
Jose Canseco would test this (forced) move by Lasorda. He only got a piece of an inside offering, but sent a sinking shot to right. It appeared to be a hit. But there was Mickey Hatcher, making a fine diving catch.
The Dodgers had a golden opportunity to break the game wide open in the top of the sixth. Mike Davis came up with two men on. He walked. Bases loaded. No one out. However, Mike Scioscia went down by sending a popup into foul territory. Then Jeff Hamilton forced Danny Heep at home on a force. When Alfredo Griffin grounded out to first, a potential huge inning for the Dodgers had ended. With no runs scored.
Though the Dodgers lost the game, Mickey Hatcher had done his best. He would start game four back in left, but this meant Mike Davis, who'd been only the designated hitter in the third contest, would be playing right field in the fourth game.
Neither Hatcher nor Davis were able to contribute what they might have liked to in probably the biggest game of the 1988 World Series. A win in game four by Oakland and the Series was tied 2-2. But an LA win, and the Dodgers would be up 3-1. Even if Los Angeles lost the subsequent fifth contest, they'd play the sixth (And possibly seventh) game at home.
So, LA wasted little time in getting ahead of Oakland. Steve Sax faced off against Dave Stewart in the top of the first and walked. Getting the leadoff man on payed dividends for the Dodgers. With one out, and with Sax on the run, Mickey Hatcher singled through the hole created between first and second. The hit obviously did not produce an RBI, but Steve Sax being on third ended up being huge. It gave Mike Davis a chance to drive him home.
A passed ball by Terry Steinbach scored Sax, but advanced Mickey Hatcher into scoring position. Mike Davis send a grounder towards second that Glen Hubbard couldn't come up with. Runners on the corners. Mike Davis hadn't actually done much, however, he was about to do something crucial on the bases, just like in the opening tilt.
Davis stole second on the third pitch to John Shelby, and now the visiting team, ahead 1-0, had two more runners in scoring position. And little chance for a double play. Shelby hit a 1-2 pitch that Dave Stewart got a piece of. The ball still went to Glenn Hubbard at second, who made no mistake and got John Shelby by an eyelash at first. It seemed like more bad luck for Los Angeles, however, as Shelby pulled up lame. Shelby would stay in the game.
The first inning two-run rally put Oakland in a bad spot. They got one run back in the first, but Los Angeles went back on the attack two innings later. Franklin Stubbs doubled with one away. Mickey Hatcher was staring at a runner in scoring position. All he could do was send one to short left on the first pitch from Dave Stewart. Mike Davis also had an RBI chance. But all he could do was send one in the air to short. The ball ticked off Walt Weiss' glove and continued on into left field. Stubbs took off from second on contact, and continued on around third, crossing the plate. A crucial run.
Oakland got the run back again, but it merely narrowed the margin to 3-2 for the visitors in the bottom of the sixth. Tracy Woodson would quickly restore the two-run lead in the seventh for Los Angeles. The Dodgers looked for more as Steve Sax was on second. With two out, it was Mickey Hatcher back at the plate, with a chance to put to rest any doubt of the game's outcome.
Hatcher gave it a ride to the gap in left, but Dave Henderson was there. The Athletics, to their credit, clawed back with a run to make it a one-run game in the bottom of the seventh. But it was the visiting Dodgers grabbing a 3-1 lead in this Fall Classic.
Orel Hershiser looked like his game two self in the fifth contest for the first two innings. Los Angeles wanted it right here, right now. Mickey Hatcher helped Hershiser by hitting a two-run home run in the top of the first. Mike Davis walked in the top of the second, but was stranded.
Hatcher then came up in the top of the third. The scored was 2-0 for the visitors, and Steve Sax was at first. Poor Hatcher was unable to finish his plate appearance as Sax was a dead duck at second on an attempted steal.
Oakland scored a run, plus got runners to second and third in the bottom of the third. It appeared as though Hershiser wasn't the same as he'd been in game two. More offence would be needed.
Mickey Hatcher hadn't quite been able to put the game away himself the previous contest, yet came up in the top of the fourth, trying to restore the two-run lead. Mike Davis and him would do better than that.
Hatcher got it all going with a single. Although Storm Davis fanned the next two batters, there was still Mike Davis to deal with. It appeared as though Mike was going to draw a walk off Storm (No relation). Yet behind in the count 3-0, Storm threw a bad pitch, a fastball not where he wanted it. Mike Davis rocked a home run to right. The two-run shot put the visiting Dodgers up, 4-1.
And the fifth inning appeared to be another multi-run frame for the Dodgers. Would Hershiser ever have runs to work with! Jeff Hamilton led off, and hit a tough grounder to third. Alas, Carney Lansford made an excellent diving stop, and nailed Hamilton at first. Alfredo Griffin fanned against Storm Davis, who Tony La Russa was sticking with. By retiring the first two batters, Storm Davis may have kept the game reasonable at 4-1, Los Angeles. However, when Steve Sax singled to keep the inning alive, Storm would go where there was water raining down, but no thunder: The showers!
New pitcher Greg Cadaret was greeted with a single by Franklin Stubbs. Two on, two out. The batter was one of our boys, Mickey Hatcher. The Athletics brought in Gene Nelson to face Hatcher. Mickey was up to seven hits at this point. But he'd stay there as Nelson got him to ground out.
With a 4-1, and Orel Hershiser cruising along, there was little more run support needed. Orel breezed through the fifth, sixth and seventh, retiring all nine men to face him. As for the Dodgers, they had another run up their sleeves.
Gene Nelson retired the first two men to face him the top of the sixth. But Los Angeles still had Mike Davis. With the count 2-1, Mike popped it up to the seats in left behind third, near the bullpen. And near where commissioner Peter Ueberroth was sitting. Carney Lansford could not catch it. With the count 2-2, Davis gave it a thought at swinging at a low offering, but held the bat back. 3-2. Davis' patience paid off again. The count was full, and Davis looked at ball four. It was Mike's Series-leading fourth bases on balls.
Rick Dempsey had played in the 1979 and 1983 World Series with Baltimore. Here, as a Los Angeles Dodger, the catcher stroked a 1-2 pitch to right for two bases. Mike Davis had taken off on the pitch, and would cross home. The run proved crucial. There was no more magic from Mickey Hatcher and Mike Davis on this night. Davis grounded out in the top of the eighth to strand John Shelby.
Orel Hershiser did have some trouble in the bottom of the frame. Not only did Oakland score a run, but they got runners to second and third. The big inning didn't materialize, as Dave Parker went down on strikes. It wasn't quite the last moment of tension for Los Angeles, at Carney Lansford singled with two away in the last of the ninth. He took second and third on defensive indifference. Orel Hershiser made sure Lansford did not score. When he fanned Tony Phillips, the 1988 World Series belonged to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
References
Bodziner, Robert, and Roy Epstein. 1988 World Series Film. Major League Baseball Productions, 2006.
Brenner, Richard J. “A Team of Destiny.” The World Series: The Great Contests, East End Pub., Syosset, NY, 1989, pp. 110–120.
Coyle, Harry, director. 1988 World Series, Season 42, NBC, 1988. (Viewed on Youtube)
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005.
KCAL News, "Former Dodger Mickey Hatcher On World Series Then And Now". Youtube, KCAL News, 22 Oct. 2017, https://youtu.be/qQPO61RT0MI?t=35 Accessed 12 Feb. 2023. (Quote appears at 0:35-0:56)
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball 1992. St. Martin's Press, 1992.
--------------. The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1990.
Nemec, et al. The Baseball Chronicle: Year-By-Year History of Major League Baseball. Publications International, Ltd., 2008.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995.
1934 saw one of the first great performances by a relief pitcher. It seemed to come as a surprise.
The pitcher in question was Elon Hogsett of the Detroit Tigers. Elon had reached the bigs in 1929, making four appearances. All four were as a starter, and Hogsett posted an earned run average of 2.83.
Progress could be said to have been made, depending on what stats we are talking about. Elon won nine games in 1930, but had a high ERA, and made only seventeen starts. That year sort of started him on a trek that would see Hogsett pitch a lot, but mostly in relief.
Come 1934, though, Elon Hogsett was playing a huge role with Detroit. He was pretty much the go-to man of the bullpen, despite his earned run average of 4.29. There was Firpo Marberry, bullpen ace of the Washington Senators, and now primarily a starter. Marberry started nineteen of his thirty-eight appearances with Detroit in '34, winning fifteen and losing just five.
So the one-time ace of the Sens, who went 1-0 with two saves in the 1924 World Series (Four appearances, one start) was now in the rotation more often than not, and a big winner. Elon Hogsett had to contend with just a 3-2 record in twenty-six appearances, being used exclusively out of the bullpen.
Reality hit home for Detroit in the World Series vs. St. Louis. The Cardinals wasted little time in making it clear to the Tigers who the better team was. Detroit had the home field advantage. Did it matter? The St. Louis Cardinals had Dizzy and Paul Dean. That seemed to be the only thing that mattered.
The visitors were rude in the opening tilt. General Crowder was routed in his five innings of work. The Tigers made an odd move and brought in Firpo Marberry to pitch the sixth inning instead of Elon Hogsett. This move by catcher / manager Mickey Cochrane was one that I guess you'd expect a rookie to make. It was, indeed, Cochrane's first year as skipper.
Well, this move was a bad one. Marberry lasted 2/3 of an inning, giving up four hits. It was only the top of the sixth, but the score was already 6-1 and runners were on the corners. Finally, the call went for Elon Hogsett. But he started off rusty. Bill DeLancey greeted him with a double that scored Joe Medwick and Ripper Collins. The game was obviously over, 8-1.
Ernie Orsatti grounded out, so the top of the sixth was finally over. But there was still 3 1/2 innings to play, so it wasn't as if there couldn't be some entertainment left in this contest. Goose Goslin did single home a run in the last of the sixth to make it a little closer. The Cardinals had gotten ten hits off General Crowder and Firpo Marberry in just 5 2/3 innings. They had still another hit off Elon Hogsett in just a third of an inning.
But to Hogsett's credit, he bore down. St. Louis was retired 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, not even getting the ball out of the infield. Jack Rothrock started the top of the eighth inning off for St. Louis with a single. A bunt moved him to second. There, Rothrock stayed. All Jack saw was Elon Hogsett retire Joe Medwick on a fly (Which actually got Rothrock to third) and Ripper Collins on a grounder.
So the score remained 8-2 for the Cards. Hank Greenberg hit a solo home run in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-3. Hogsett retired the side in the ninth, allowing just one hit and no runs.
It didn't seem to matter much, as Dizzy Dean also allowed just one hit in a scoreless ninth. The Tigers won the second contest, but Elon Hogsett did not appear. That fine 3 1/3 scoreless inning relief stint in the first contest must have impressed manager Mickey Cochrane. In game three, things got tough for Detroit. And this time, the manager made sure Hogsett was the first call out off the 'pen.
It was 4-0 for the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the fifth inning at Sportsman's Park. The fans were really enjoying this one. Tommy Bridges, the Detroit starting pitcher, had allowed three straight hits by St. Louis that inning before he was yanked.
Well, our boy Hogsett came in, and with an inherited runner at first. Joe Medwick hit into a double play. Ripper Collins then reached on an error, but inning ended as he tried to steal second. Mickey Cochrane gunned him out.
After a rather uneventful sixth inning in which Elon retired the Cards 1-2-3, the seventh frame looked like a potential big inning for St. Louis. With one out, Pepper Martin walked. An error by shortstop Billy Rogell (His second in three innings) put two on.
But again, our boy did the trick. Martin tried to swipe third, but was gunner out. Frankie Frisch hit one back to the mound, which resulted in a 1-3 putout.
All this fine pitching had kept Detroit somewhat in this contest. However, St. Louis still led 4-0 going into the bottom of the eighth. Ripper Collins got a hit off Hogsett, but nothing came of it. The superb relief outing by the Detroit reliever told a great story: Four innings pitched, no runs, one hit, one walk and two strikeouts!
The Tigers finally pried a run off Paul Dean in the top of the ninth, but the contest ended 4-1 for the Cardinals. The 1934 World Series would see-saw from there, however Detroit actually led 3-2 after five games. A 4-3 win by St. Louis in the sixth contest would be the last drama for this Fall Classic.
Game seven was settled quickly. For two innings it was scoreless. But then came the top of the top of th third. The wheels really came off the chariot for the Tigers. The Cardinals knocked starter Elden Auker out of the ballgame with three hits. Frankie Frisch provided the knockout blow with a three-run double. St. Louis was ahead for good.
Schoolboy Rowe came in. He retired one batter, and then gave up a single to Ripper Collins that scored Frisch. A double by Bill DeLancey scored another run, and Rowe was sent to the showers. Finally, Elon Hogsett was brought in.
It was too late. The Cards led 5-0. Hodgett faced four batters. A walk. A single. A double. Another walk. By the time new pitcher Tommy Bridges got the side retired, St. Louis had scored seven runs on seven hits and three walks.
There wasn't much that went on after that, although St. Louis added four more runs. A triple by Joe Medwick in the top of the sixth resulted in him sliding hard into Detroit's third basemen Marv Owen. That didn't go unnoticed. And the Tigers' fans didn't take the losing and slide with good grace, believe me. The pelted Medwick in the outfield with everything they could grab (Fruit, vegetables, bottles). Medwick had to be removed from the game for his own protection. It mattered little in a contest that ended 11-0 for the Cardinals.
The Deans, Dizzy and Paul, had each won two games. They had almost single-handedly beaten Detroit. Because of that, and some stellar performances from Pepper Martin, Ripper Collins and Medwick (Plus his antics) made St. Louis look like a powerhouse. The Tigers got some amazing performances from Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer. Little attention was paid to the Detroit pitching, since each Dean brother was so dominating. Paul posted an earned run average of just 1.00 in his two starts. Dizzy went 2-1 and had an ERA of 1.73 himself.
Schoolboy Rowe led all Tigers' pitchers (Min. 9 IP) with an ERA of 2.95 in the 1934 World Series. Yet, the best pitcher was probably Elon Hogsett. Elon had made three appearances, pitched 7 1/3 innings, posting a 1.23 earned run average. Elon's efforts were not in vain. While Detroit lost this Fall Classic, they would not be denied the next year, besting the Chicago Cubs in six games. And while Hogsett was only 63-87 with a 5.02 ERA, he added a scoreless appearance in the 1935 World Series. For his postseason career, Elon's earned run average was just 1.08
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball 1992. St. Martin's Press, 1992.
--------------. The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1990.
Nemec, et al. The Baseball Chronicle: Year-By-Year History of Major League Baseball. Publications International, Ltd., 2008.
Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, https://sabr.org/. 06 Feb. 2023.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995.
Al Weis out-hit everyone (Min. 10 PA) in 1969. The Miracle Mets of 1969 had guys stepping up their performances in that Fall Classic vs. the Baltimore Orioles, but none more so than this Weis one!
Al made it into 103 games for New York that season, but hit only .215. Nor did he have much power. Just two home runs in 1969. New York had to beat a formidable Atlanta Braves' team in the inaugural National League Championship Series. Though Weis didn't start any of the contests, it was his team with a three-game sweep (The LCS was not extended to a best-of-seven until 1985). Al must have been a tad frustrated with his lack of contribution. He played in all three games a substitute, but only came to bat once.
Still, there he was, starting at second base in game one vs. Baltimore (Who not only had won the World Series in 1966, but were starting a stretch of three straight Fall Classic appearances), for the World Championship. But the Orioles, at home, made life miserable for the visiting New York Mets. The first batter, for the home team, smacked a Tom Seaver offering over the fence. The Orioles were ahead for good.
It was 4-0, Baltimore in the top of the seventh. A potential game-tying rally was started when Donn Clendenon led off with a single. Ron Swoboda walked. Ed Charles flew out, but then Jerry Grote singled. The bases were loaded.
And up came Al Weis, representing the tying run. Mike Cuellar was pitching a gem of a ballgame for Baltimore. He bore down and induced a flyball from Weis. However, the result ended up being a sacrifice fly. At least the shutout was broken. However, this proved to be New York's lone tally in the game.
A 4-1 loss in this contest didn't deflate Al Weis and his teammates. Baltimore had won 109 games that year. But Weis' team had exactly 100 in '69. They weren't exactly chopped liver. Tom Seaver could sense confidence in the New York Mets when they reached the clubhouse.
"We didn't feel defeated in the clubhouse at all." Tom would say years later. "It was more like, 'Hey, we can play on the same field as these guys.' " The Mets, you see, had come a long way in just seven years. Early on, they struggled to win games. The first season for the team had been tough, even under the guidance of brilliant Casey Stengel. The team was just 40-120. Things did get better in the coming years, but their attendance was amazing, even if the team wasn't. Stengel's boys grew up to be men. Stengel left in 1965, and eventually, Gil Hodges was the fourth skipper in franchise history. Gil was no stranger to "First time, ever". Fourteen years earlier, he'd helped get the Brooklyn Dodgers to their first world crown. Hodges just so happened to play for the 1962 Mets. He'd seen this team at their very worst, and was about to see this confident team at their very best!
Jerry Koosman went out for the Mets in game two and pitched a splendid ballgame. But, of course, would New York give him any run support.
Al Weis tried to get a rally going. Leading off the top of the third in a scoreless contest, he stroked a waist-high fastball into centre for a single. Bud Harrelson drew a two-out walk. But from scoring position at second, Weis could only watch as Cleon Jones was retired on a liner to left.
Dave McNally surrendered a home run to Don Clendenon the next inning, but settled down. He struck out the side in the fifth (Weis among the victims). He had a 1-2-3 sixth as well. The Orioles would tie the game in the last of the seventh. This set up a dramatic finish that Al Weis was a big part of.
McNally quickly retired the first two batters to face him in the ninth. One more out and the O's would have a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth. The Mets, however, had some late-inning heroics up their sleeves.
Two singles put runners on the corners for Al Weis. Weis collected his second hit on the ballgame, and New York scored their second run of the contest.
The Mets would make that lead stand up.
So the 1969 World Series would next be played at Shea Stadium for the third, fourth and fifth contest. New York was going to have to work for their victories.
The pitching and defence kept Baltimore at bay in game three. Al Weis didn't see any action until the eighth inning. The Mets had scored four runs, the Orioles, none. Weis watched as Nolan Ryan picked up two strikeouts that inning.
Ed Kranepool added a solo home run in the bottom of the frame, putting the game out of reach. Two flyballs in the ninth, two quick outs by the Orioles. However, Baltimore didn't quit. Mark Belanger drew a walk. This set up a situation where Al Weis would be tested on the field.
Clay Dalrymple batted for pitcher Dave Leonhard. He sent a hopper to the right of second base. Weis got there with a nice dive, and tossed to Bud Harrelson for the game-ending force. In a cloud of dust, Mark Belanger was...Safe! So instead of a force out at second, the Orioles had two on with two out. The Orioles would get still another runner on as Nolan Ryan walked Damon Buford (The Mets pitching would issue seven bases on balls in the contest).
Ryan managed to fan Paul Blair, fortunately, ending the contest. This would prove to be the only game where New York had things easy with Baltimore.
Mike Cuellar was back to face Tom Seaver in a rematch of game one. Both pitched well. Weis was put back in the starting lineup by manager Gil Hodges. And Gil was about to look like a genuis.
With New York up 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Weis was the right man to lead off. He singled. With one away, the Mets actual leadoff man, Tommie Agee, singled. But Mike Cuellar settled down. Much like Dave McNally in the second contest, his pitching would keep Baltimore in the game.
Weis singled again in the last of the fifth, only to then be erased by a double play. Cuellar would leave after seven innings, but Weis had no luck with new pitcher Eddie Watt in the eighth. Watt retired Weis, Tom Seaver and Tommie Agee in succession to stop New York that inning.
And Baltimore tied it in the top of the ninth. Actually, only a great catch by Ron Swoboda in right stopped them from doing more. The home team tried to capitalize on this opportunity in the bottom of the frame. They put runners on the corners, so the winning-run was ninety feet away. Eddie Watt was again too tough, getting pinch hitter Art Shamsky to ground out.
The Orioles nearly made the Mets pay for that missed opportunity. For a while it looked like Al Weis might not come to bat again in this contest.
An error by shortstop Bud Harrelson put Davey Johnson on. One out later, a single moved him to second. A deep fly to right by Don Buford put the Orioles in the same situation as the Mets an inning earlier. Tom Seaver fanned Paul Blair to end the threat. It was on to the last of the tenth, and Al Weis was the second man due up.
And it was time for the home team to pull this one out. New York would catch a break. A double by Jerry Grote off new pitcher Dick Hall gave Al Weis a chance to win it. But Baltimore and Hall took the bat out of Weis' hands. The Orioles walked Al intentionally to set up a double play. It seemed like Earl Weaver was the genius, now. Tom Seaver was due up. Gil Hodges set up a pinch hitter, J.C. Martin. Martin would lay down a bunt, and turn on the jets.
As he neared first, Martin was running not just inside the foul line, but also to the left of the running lane. The peg from Dick Hall hit him. Since J.C. was not inside the lane, interference should have been called, sending Jerry Grote back to second, and Al Weis back to first. That is not how any of the umpires saw it. So when Dick Grote touched home, it meant a 2-1 New York win. And a 3-1 advantage in the 1969 World Series.
But the Fall Classic was far from over. Baltimore must have been a little bit discouraged by this turn of events, but it seemed like their slumping bats woke up in the fifth contest.
The Orioles proved they were far from finished as their starting pitcher, Dave McNally, hit a two-run home run off Jerry Koosman in the top of the third. Before the inning was over, Frank Robinson smashed another Koosman offering over the wall in left-centre. 3-0, visitors.
The New York Mets were staring at going to Baltimore for a sixth game. McNally was as good if not better than he'd been in the second contest there. Five innings, no runs, three hits. Al Weis himself was 0-3.
The Mets had caught a break the previous game, and they caught two more in the fifth contest. In the top of the sixth, the O's looked for more. Frank Robinson was back up with one away. He appeared to take one for the team. Koosman hit him. The home plate umpire, Lou DiMuro, thought it hit Robinson's bat first, then touched him. The Orioles didn't score in the top of the sixth (Or for the rest of the game).
But the Mets sure did that inning. Cleon Jones did something Frank Robinson couldn't. Cleon was able to persuade Lou Dimuro via shoe polish, that he was indeed hit by a pitch.
Donn Clendenon, the next batter, launched one to left. The home run cut the margin to 3-2. New York didn't score again in the sixth, but momentum was back on their side. They didn't need any more favourable calls.
The had Al Weis, right?
Weis got into the home run trot that was becoming familiar this afternoon. His solo shot in the seventh tied the game!
The Mets were inspired by all this. Jerry Koosman had settled down, getting the Orioles 1-2-3 in the seventh and eighth. New pitcher Eddie Watt wasn't so lucky in the last of the eight.
Cleon Jones got it all going again with a double. A single. Two Oriole errors. 5-3, New York. Al Weis had a chance to keep the inning going. Watt fanned him. It didn't matter. Koosman retired the side in the ninth with no damage, and the Mets had an improbable World Series win!
All Al Weis did was go 5-11 at the plate for a Series-leading .455 batting average. Even the big bat of Don Clendenon couldn't quite match that, despite three home runs, four RBIs and a .357 batting average. The rest of the New York Mets' regulars were not so good. Jerry Grote hit just .211. Bud Harrelson, .176. Baltimore had tough pitching, just like New York. There wasn't too many men on the team to pick up the slack if Weis or Clendenon failed.
Perhaps some Mets forgot to wise-up. But their second basemen sure hit 'em when they needed to against the Orioles.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball 1992. St. Martin's Press, 1992.
--------------. The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1990.
Nemec, et al. The Baseball Chronicle: Year-By-Year History of Major League Baseball. Publications International, Ltd., 2008.
Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball, Carol Pub. Group, Secaucus, NJ, 1992, pp. 182–183, 241–242, 244.
Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, https://sabr.org/. 02 Feb. 2023.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995.
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.
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.
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.
Juan Guzman never gave up the longball in the Fall Classic. It could be argued that Guzman was Toronto's top pitcher in both the 1992 and '93 World Series. And it's not like his heroics were limited to just the Fall Classic. Juan was simply warming up for the big stage in the regular season and ALCS both years.
Juan had also won the only contest the Blue Jays won against the Minnesota Twins in the 1991 ALCS. So very early Guzman seemed to be the hurler that was clutch for Toronto. He wasn't alone, as Jimmy Key pitched well in his lone start vs. Minny, and had also won the only game Toronto won two years earlier in the 1989 ALCS.
But come 1992, Key was not the same. At least for a while. Guzman had it going all season long. Sixteen wins. Just five losses. His earned run average was under three. Key struggled, and was just 8-13 late in the season. He got knocked out early in an August 28th game that Toronto lost 22-2 to Milwaukee.
Guzman, on the other hand, just kept right on plugging along. Late in the season, Toronto added David Cone to their roster. While Cone pitched well, his record with the Blue Jays was just 4-3. Still, he got Toronto on track in the American League Championship Series vs. Oakland. By winning game two, Cone squared the best-of-seven affair. Guzman took over from there and the Blue Jays were off to their very first World Series thanks to Juan's two wins against the Athletics.
Well, Guzman had to wait to pitch. Jack Morris started game one versus Atlanta and took a 3-1 loss. David Cone started game two and didn't even make to the end of the fifth innings. The Bleu Jays eventually won 5-4, but their starting pitching was looking a little questionable. Juan Guzman would start game three.
Well, the Braves nearly had a home run early, as Dave Justice smacked one to dead centre in the top of the fourth. But along came Devon White in centre. The awesome outfielder robbed Justice, and the team nearly turned a triple play! The important thing was Atlanta did not score. Toronto had been hancuffed by Steve Avery in the first three frames. Joe Carter hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth to break the ice.
Okay, the Braves couldn't hit the longball. They'd scored four times off David Cone in just 4 1/3 innings in game two. But against a determined Juan Guzman here in the third contest, scoring wasn't going to come easy. Atlanta got a leadoff single by Sid Bream in the top of the third, but Juan came right at the next two batters. And struck 'em both out. Mark Lemke grounded out to Roberto Alomar at second to end that threat.
Atlanta was still undaunted. Steve Avery stopped Toronto until the bottom of the eighth, and gave the visiting team a chance to tie it. In the top of the sixth, the Braves did just that on a double by Deion Sanders, and singles by Terry Pendleton and Dave Justice.
In the top of the eight, the Braves took the lead. You couldn't really fault Juan Guzman. Otis Nixon reached via an error by Kelly Gruber (Who would be heard from in the bottom of the frame, just wait). Nixon stole second. Deion Sanders was looking for another hit, as he was 3-3. But this time, Guzman retired him on a pop out. Terry Pendleton was also having a great game at the dish, 2-3, but here, Guzman stopped him on a grounder.
The bad news was, the go-ahead run was just 90 feet away. And another tough out in Dave Justice was up. Toronto was sticking with Juan Guzman, but it made all the sense in the world not to pitch to Justice, who was a dangerous left-handed hitting batter. So, the Blue Jays put him on. The next batter was a righty, but an experienced one in Lonnie Smith. Smith wasn't exactly having himself a Fall Classic to write home about, but had been on this stage before.
Smith was hitting just .143 (1-7) with a walk to this point in the 1992 World Series. But the first time the Toronto Blue Jays made it to the postseason, there was Lonnie Smith with the Kansas City Royals. The Royals trailed the 1985 ALCS 3-1 to the Blue Jays, but rallied to win. They did the same to the St. Louis Cardinals in the Fall Classic that year.
And that was only Lonnie's second tour of duty with Kanas. He'd appeared in the 1980 Fall Classic with them. Then, two years later, as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, Smith drank champange after they beat Milwaukee in seven in the World Series.
Like several members of the 1992 Atlanta Braves, Lonnie Smith had been part of the team that dropped a heart-breaking seven-game affair to Minnesota the year before. But now, against Toronto, Lonnie was clutch as he smacked a Juan Guzman pitch to left, scoring Otis Nixon and breaking the tie. Dave Justice got a little to aggresive on the basepaths, after seeing Candy Maldonado misplay the ball. But Maldonado, the Blue Jays' left fielder, recovered and nailed Justice at third for the final out.
Guzman was now done for the night, but what an outing. Eight innings, eight hits and just one earned run allowed. Yet out of all this, the pitcher trailed 2-1. Up came Kelly Gruber in the bottom of the eighth, looking for some redemption after that costly error. Kelly was as clutch as Lonnie as he tied the game with a solo home run off Steve Avery.
Well, both starters had really pitched well. Duane Ward held the Braves scoreless in the top of the ninth, so this thing was going down to the wire. Toronto won it on a walk-off single by Candy Maldonado off Jeff Reardon in the bottom of the ninth.
I ragged on Jimmy Key a bit earlier, but he pitched amazing in game four, winning it 2-1 over Tom Glavine. Lonnie Smith kept Atlanta afloat with a grand slam in game five off Jack Morris. The 7-2 win sent it back to Atlanta. David Cone and the Toronto bullpen helped the Blue Jays to a 4-3 win in ten innings.
So Juan had just that one game to show for his World Series debut. But, outside of Key (Who got the win in the clinching game, in relief), there wasn't a better pitcher on Toronto in that 1992 Fall Classic. Jack Morris was 0-2. David Cone struggled in his first outing but pitched a great game in the sixth contest. Toronto won both of Cone's starts, so I guess that counts for something. Guzman had a better earned run average, however. Juan's was 1.13 and David's was 3.48.
One year later and Toronto was back in the World Series. There were some new faces on the Blue Jays. Gone was Jimmy Key and David Cone. Dave Stewart came over from Oakland, brining his 6-0 record in the American League Championship Series with him.
Juan Guzman wasn't quite the pitcher he'd use to be, though. His earned run average climbed to 3.99. That was the bad part. However, he won fourteen, lost only three, and was starting the first game of the ALCS vs. Chicago.
There were pitchers that were with the Toronto organization that were finally healthy and able to contribute to the Jays in 1993, Pat Hentgen and Al Leiter. Both were just kids. Hentgen had gone 5-2 in 1992 until and injury put him on the shelf for the postseason. Leiter had battled injuries since his 1993 acquisition from the New York Yankees. Both really came through in 1993. Henten won nineteen games. Leiter was 9-6 as he filled in for Dave Stewart, who started the '93 campaign sidelined (Al Leiter took over for Stewart in the rotation). Todd Stottlemyre was only 11-12. Jack Morris struggled, too, going just 7-12.
The search for a starting pitcher with a good earned run average yielded little. Hentgen had the best among any Toronto starter, 3.87.
But while Dave Stewart had struggled in the season with a win one, lose one record for a while, he turned in on in September. Stew went 4-0 in his last four outings, posting a microscopic earned run average of 1.44 in those games. Juan Guzman didn't wait until September. A July 20th loss to the Chicago White Sox dropped Juan's record to 7-3. But that was the last Juan he lost. From July 31st until the end of the year, Guzman was in beast mode: 7-0, 3.22 earned run average!
So both Stewart and Guzman were there when the team needed them the most. That continued over in the American League Championship Series. The poor Chicago White Sox would most assuredly agree with my assement.
Guzman won game one. Stewart game two. Chicago got back into the series win over Pat Hentgen and Todd Stottlemyre. But Juan Guzman was back with a 5-3 win in the fifth contest. That's decieving if it looks close. Juanderful was Guzman in the contest. First thirteen batters were retired. The Skydome crowd saw Toronto take a 4-0 lead after four. Ellis Burks hit a home run with one away in the top of the fourth. It would be the only postseason home run Guzman ever surrendered. The Toronto Blue Jays headed to Chicago, where Dave Stewart wrapped it up in game six, 6-3.
So, Guzman and Stewart were 2-0 in the 1993 ALCS. For their respected careers, Juan Guzman was 5-0 at that stange. Dave Stewart was a little better: 8-0!
Guzman was given the ball vs. Philadelphia to start the World Series. He had a rough outing. The Phillies were rude guest at the Skydome. Two runs in the top of the first. It just wasn't quite his day. Philadelphia scored five runs off him in as many innings. But no home runs. Toronto still won, 8-5.
Dave Stewart tried to keep the momentum going in the second contest. If he could have one inning back, it'd be the top of the third. Philadelphia scored five times off him, capped by Jim Eisenreich's three-run home run. Other than that, the Phillies were shutout by Stewart. The game was another slugfest like game one, only this time the visitors took it by a score of 6-4.
Pat Hentgen breezed in game three. He wasn't going to let Toronto down a second time in the postseason. He may not have reached twenty wins in the regular season, but his 10-3 win over Philly in the third contest gave him that total if you tack on all that went down in October. Pat went six innings at Veterans Stadium, allowing just one earned run.
Todd Stottlemyre didn't pitch well in the fourth contest, but it seemed all pitchers failed in that game. Toronto won it, 15-14. There seemed to be something about playing in Philadelphia that the Toronto liked.
Well, it looked as though the Blue Jays would get it all done in game five. 3-1 series lead. Curt Schilling looked to atone for his game one outing for the home team. Juan Guzman again had something to prove after a tough outing of his own in the first contest.
Well, Philly was ready for this one more than Toronto. Schilling got through the top of the first without a run, despite a walk to Roberto Alomar. Guzman was not so lucky. You don't want to walk the leadoff hitter, but that's was happened as Lenny Dykstra drew a bases on balls. Lenny, who had some wheels, stole second and took third on catcher Pat Border's bad thrown. Mariano Duncan flied out. John Kruk grounded out, but Dykstra scored. Philadelphia had the only run they needed
Darren Daulton, the Philly catcher, gave his battery mate some breathing room in the last of the second inning. His leadoff double set the stage for the game's second and final run. Jim Eisenreich grounded out to first basemen John Olerud, who made the putout himself. This got Daulton to third.
The situation here was interesting. Kevin Stocker, a left-handed hitter was next. Stocker was the number eight hitter in the lineup. First base was open. On deck, pitcher Curt Schilling. Schilling was a .155 hitter lifetime to that point.
But Stocker was a rookie, although his .324 batting average suggested he was one tough out. Guzman pitched to Stocker, who smacked a double to right to cash in Darren Daulton. It was 2-0, Phillies. Schilling then batted. Guzman needed exactly three pitches to strike him out.
Schilling might not have hit well on that day, but his pitching was something else. His control was pretty sharp. Just three walks. Hits allowed? Try just five. Guzman didn't exactly let the situation leave him overmatched. By the time he departed for a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth, Juan had gotten it all together. The defence by both teams was pretty sharp on this day, as each team committed only one error. Toronto had a to work a little harder, as Guzman walked four batters to Schilling's three. Guzman fanned six, as many as Schilling managed in his complete game.
Guzman threw 105 pitches in seven, while Schilling had 147 to his name when the smoke cleared. Danny Cox's fine eight inning, which included three strikeouts and two walks, kept the score 2-0, Philly. Remarkably enough, you kinda figured Toronto would do something amazing and pull it out in the ninth, but that was a game early. Curt Schilling got Joe Carter, John Olerud and Paul Molitor out in order.
So Juan Guzman took a tough loss. He certainly improved his game one performance (Schilling, by the way, was tagged with the loss in the first contest, so he merely evened his record at 1-1). But really, this Fall Classic is always going to be remembered for Joe Carter winning it walk-off fashion in the sixth game.
Well, Pat Hentgen had a win and a 1.50 earned run average, but he only pitched six frames. Juan Guzman pitched double that (12 innings), and his 3.75 ERA wasn't far off Curt Schilling's (3.52). Sadly, Juan never got another chance to pitch in the World Series (Or postseason, for that matter).
References
Bingley, Phil, et al. Another World: The Toronto Stars Tribute To The’ 93 Blue Jays. Toronto Star for Doubleday Canada, 1993. Print.
Gamester, George, and Gerald Hall. On Top of the World: The Toronto Star’s Tribute to the ‘92 Blue Jays. Doubleday Canada, 1992.
Nemec, et al. The Baseball Chronicle: Year-By-Year History of Major League Baseball. Publications International, Ltd., 2008.
