GaryMrMets
10-23-2003, 02:40 AM
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/phi/news/phi_news.jsp?ymd=20031017&content_id=583817&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi
10/17/2003 11:13 AM ET
The great series before the Series
Philadelphia battles back against Houston in the LCS
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- The names Marty Bystrom and Del Unser exist fondly in Phillies lore, never to be tarnished with each passing season.
Both played a huge part in the great series before the great series -- the 1980 National League Championship Series win over the Astros. The eventual World Champions packed excitement into those five games, and the memory of Dick Ruthven's jubilant leap off the mound is a close second to Tug McGraw's two-arms-in-the-air frolic.
As does any playoff series, this one featured its share of magnified moments. There was Greg Luzinski's homer in Game 1 and Bob Boone's hit to center in Game 4, which played a large part in there being a fifth game. (Perhaps it's fitting that his son Aaron would later record a big hit of his own, 23 Octobers later).
Game 5 proved a defining moment for both Bystrom and Unser, by way of a gutsy pitching performance and two clutch hits, respectively.
Bystrom had gone 5-0 as a rookie that September, and the right-hander was about to make his sixth career start.
"It was down to one game for the pennant," said Dallas Green, the manager, in a video about that season. "I had all the confidence in the world in Marty Bystrom, and he didn't let us down."
Getting the start took the wide-eyed kid with the '80s hair by surprise, and perhaps that was the manager's grand plan.
"Dallas came in after the fourth game and said, 'You have the ball tomorrow,' so I'd had no idea," said Bystrom. "Maybe that was a blessing somewhat -- that I didn't have a lot of time to think about it and prepare, other than that night."
Bystrom possessed guts beyond his years, and did his part to bring glory to the Phillies. He surrendered a run in the first inning, and would have given up another in the second had it not been for a Bake McBride-to-Manny Trillo-to-Boone relay at the plate to cut down a run.
Boone had singled in two runs in the top of the second after Astros manager Bill Virdon refused to walk him with two outs, first base open and Bystrom on deck.
An error led to the Astros tying the score in the sixth. At that point Bystrom had given the Phillies 5 1/3 innings. Then Larry Christenson, who had battled injuries all season, coughed up three in the seventh on three hits -- highlighted by an Art Howe triple -- and put his team in a rather unenviable position.
Nolan Ryan was still pitching for the Astros, and the Hall of Famer had a reputation for not giving up leads, especially late in games.
"But the team that wouldn't die was not about to roll over," said Green.
Larry Bowa led off with a single to left, and the sore-kneed Boone legged out an infield hit that deflected off Ryan. Greg Gross, a minor hero this inning, then laid down a sacrifice bunt toward third that ended up a single. The Phillies had the bases loaded and no outs.
Pete Rose walked to drive in a run, infuriating Ryan and chasing him from the game. A Keith Moreland groundout plated the fourth run and brought up Mike Schmidt. With a runner on third and one out, it was safe to assume at least a tie game.
Except Schmidt struck out looking. In the dugout, seconds later, he was beside himself.
"I was starting to think about the offseason, and trying to go out of my house and exist in public life in Philadelphia," he said. "We needed something from me, and I struck out."
They needed a hit from Unser, who was hitting for Ron Reed, and Unser singled to right on the first pitch. The game was tied, then untied when Trillo laced a two-run triple and put the Phillies six outs away from a trip to the World Series.
With the Phillies leading 7-5, an exhausted McGraw coughed up two runs in the bottom of the eighth, and the game was again tied. Ruthven pitched a perfect ninth to send the game into extra innings.
Unser again picked up Schmidt with a one-out double, then scored an out later on a double by Garry Maddox. With a one-run lead to protect, Ruthven punched the Phillies' first-class ticket to the World Series.
And you know what happened from there.
"I dreamed about [winning a World Series] since I was 5 years old, and I didn't know how to act," said Bowa, now the manager of the Phillies. "It is the greatest feeling in the world."
Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/images/2003/09/28/Ddvu5TDn.jpg
Tug McGraw re-creates his 1980 World Series mound leap after the final game played at Veterans Stadium. (Rusty Kennedy/AP)
10/17/2003 11:13 AM ET
The great series before the Series
Philadelphia battles back against Houston in the LCS
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- The names Marty Bystrom and Del Unser exist fondly in Phillies lore, never to be tarnished with each passing season.
Both played a huge part in the great series before the great series -- the 1980 National League Championship Series win over the Astros. The eventual World Champions packed excitement into those five games, and the memory of Dick Ruthven's jubilant leap off the mound is a close second to Tug McGraw's two-arms-in-the-air frolic.
As does any playoff series, this one featured its share of magnified moments. There was Greg Luzinski's homer in Game 1 and Bob Boone's hit to center in Game 4, which played a large part in there being a fifth game. (Perhaps it's fitting that his son Aaron would later record a big hit of his own, 23 Octobers later).
Game 5 proved a defining moment for both Bystrom and Unser, by way of a gutsy pitching performance and two clutch hits, respectively.
Bystrom had gone 5-0 as a rookie that September, and the right-hander was about to make his sixth career start.
"It was down to one game for the pennant," said Dallas Green, the manager, in a video about that season. "I had all the confidence in the world in Marty Bystrom, and he didn't let us down."
Getting the start took the wide-eyed kid with the '80s hair by surprise, and perhaps that was the manager's grand plan.
"Dallas came in after the fourth game and said, 'You have the ball tomorrow,' so I'd had no idea," said Bystrom. "Maybe that was a blessing somewhat -- that I didn't have a lot of time to think about it and prepare, other than that night."
Bystrom possessed guts beyond his years, and did his part to bring glory to the Phillies. He surrendered a run in the first inning, and would have given up another in the second had it not been for a Bake McBride-to-Manny Trillo-to-Boone relay at the plate to cut down a run.
Boone had singled in two runs in the top of the second after Astros manager Bill Virdon refused to walk him with two outs, first base open and Bystrom on deck.
An error led to the Astros tying the score in the sixth. At that point Bystrom had given the Phillies 5 1/3 innings. Then Larry Christenson, who had battled injuries all season, coughed up three in the seventh on three hits -- highlighted by an Art Howe triple -- and put his team in a rather unenviable position.
Nolan Ryan was still pitching for the Astros, and the Hall of Famer had a reputation for not giving up leads, especially late in games.
"But the team that wouldn't die was not about to roll over," said Green.
Larry Bowa led off with a single to left, and the sore-kneed Boone legged out an infield hit that deflected off Ryan. Greg Gross, a minor hero this inning, then laid down a sacrifice bunt toward third that ended up a single. The Phillies had the bases loaded and no outs.
Pete Rose walked to drive in a run, infuriating Ryan and chasing him from the game. A Keith Moreland groundout plated the fourth run and brought up Mike Schmidt. With a runner on third and one out, it was safe to assume at least a tie game.
Except Schmidt struck out looking. In the dugout, seconds later, he was beside himself.
"I was starting to think about the offseason, and trying to go out of my house and exist in public life in Philadelphia," he said. "We needed something from me, and I struck out."
They needed a hit from Unser, who was hitting for Ron Reed, and Unser singled to right on the first pitch. The game was tied, then untied when Trillo laced a two-run triple and put the Phillies six outs away from a trip to the World Series.
With the Phillies leading 7-5, an exhausted McGraw coughed up two runs in the bottom of the eighth, and the game was again tied. Ruthven pitched a perfect ninth to send the game into extra innings.
Unser again picked up Schmidt with a one-out double, then scored an out later on a double by Garry Maddox. With a one-run lead to protect, Ruthven punched the Phillies' first-class ticket to the World Series.
And you know what happened from there.
"I dreamed about [winning a World Series] since I was 5 years old, and I didn't know how to act," said Bowa, now the manager of the Phillies. "It is the greatest feeling in the world."
Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/images/2003/09/28/Ddvu5TDn.jpg
Tug McGraw re-creates his 1980 World Series mound leap after the final game played at Veterans Stadium. (Rusty Kennedy/AP)