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I haven't managed to get to many major league baseball games in my life, so it is maybe a little surprising that I've actually witnessed a major league record being set or tied. And today is the 30th anniversary of that occasion. I have somehow managed to hang on to my scorecard (including some notes) over all these years. Why I've kept it is probably due to the fact that there *was* a record set, and also because it was a damn good last-gasp comeback.
Friends of the family were visiting at the time. I knew that my friend Dave was a baseball fan, and the Phillies were his second favorite team (behind the Cubs -- Dave's from the north side of Chicago and the northern burbs thereof). So as an early birthday present for him I asked the two sets of parents (his and mine) for tickets to the Phillies-Padres game. My request was granted, and Dave's father agreed to go with us as I didn't have my driver's license yet. We drove down from Allentown to the north end of the Broad Street subway line, since I knew that driving the rest of the way to (and parking at) the Vet would be ugly. We took the subway down to the stadium. In my later years I have decided that taking transit to the ballpark is to be *generally* preferred when feasible; in addition to making parking (and getting out of parking) easier, it just somehow enhances the experience for me.
We grabbed hot pretzels outside the stadium. and went on in to watch the game and root for the Phils, who were in a bit of a slump but hadn't yet gone into the nosedive that would cost Danny Ozark his job a month later.
In the bottom of the first Larry Bowa tripled with one out, but neither Pete Rose nor Garry Maddox could get the run in. (Mike Schmidt was intentionally walked.) Dave Winfield led off the top of the second with a walk, but Rose (playing first) speared Jerry Turner's line drive and caught Winfield off first for the double play. This proved important, as Gene Tenace then hit a home run which would have been a 2-run shot. As it was, the Padres led just 1-0. The next few innings were pretty boring, with the only real excitement coming when Nino Espinosa hit Paul Dade with a pitch, and Dade was then caught trying to steal second.
San Diego put four more runs on the board in the top of the fifth. Things looked pretty bleak, despite Schmidt's 30th home run of the year, a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth. The game went to the bottom of the ninth with San Diego leading 5-1.
With one out, Randy Jones tried to jam José Cardenal, as he had done all game, and as everyone else had done as well for Cardenal's entire career. This time, though, Cardenal hit it off his fists for an infield single to third. Was Jones losing it? Apparently so, for Manny Trillo doubled Cardenal to third and Jones was off to the showers. Rollie Fingers came in to put out the rally; but Bob Boone, already 2-for-2 with a walk, got his third single of the night, driving in Cardenal and Trillo. Fingers was noticeably rattled, and never really regained control of the situation.
Now it was the pitcher's turn at bat, and we all knew Doug Bird would be pulled for a pinch hitter. Del Unser was on fire; in his last two appearances, both as a PH, he'd hit home runs. We were all screaming for Unser to be sent in, hit a dinger, and tie the game. So why the hell was Tim McCarver coming out instead? Groans from the crowd. I didn't hear anyone chanting "We want Unser!" but I bet there were some.
McCarver hit a grounder up the middle that second baseman Bill Almon fielded cleanly, but he was too deep to make a play. There was a collective sigh of relief as Bud Harrelson came in to pinch-run. Bake McBride was up, and we all groaned "NOOOOOOO!!" when he hit a roller to shortstop Ozzie Smith. Smith flipped it to Almon, who fired it to first for the game-ending double play... only the speedster McBride beat the relay by a half step, and our groans turned to loud cheers. Two on, two out, down by two. And, *FINALLY*, Danny Ozark sent in Del Unser.
The game lasted precisely one more pitch. Fingers delivered his best zingerball and Unser smacked it right over Rollie's head... and the center fielder's head... and the "408" sign in dead center. Unser's third consecutive pinch homer tied the major league record (originally set the year before by Lee Lacy of the Dodgers). It also won the game, 6-5... and we Phillie fans screamed in delight until we couldn't any more.
Friends of the family were visiting at the time. I knew that my friend Dave was a baseball fan, and the Phillies were his second favorite team (behind the Cubs -- Dave's from the north side of Chicago and the northern burbs thereof). So as an early birthday present for him I asked the two sets of parents (his and mine) for tickets to the Phillies-Padres game. My request was granted, and Dave's father agreed to go with us as I didn't have my driver's license yet. We drove down from Allentown to the north end of the Broad Street subway line, since I knew that driving the rest of the way to (and parking at) the Vet would be ugly. We took the subway down to the stadium. In my later years I have decided that taking transit to the ballpark is to be *generally* preferred when feasible; in addition to making parking (and getting out of parking) easier, it just somehow enhances the experience for me.
We grabbed hot pretzels outside the stadium. and went on in to watch the game and root for the Phils, who were in a bit of a slump but hadn't yet gone into the nosedive that would cost Danny Ozark his job a month later.
In the bottom of the first Larry Bowa tripled with one out, but neither Pete Rose nor Garry Maddox could get the run in. (Mike Schmidt was intentionally walked.) Dave Winfield led off the top of the second with a walk, but Rose (playing first) speared Jerry Turner's line drive and caught Winfield off first for the double play. This proved important, as Gene Tenace then hit a home run which would have been a 2-run shot. As it was, the Padres led just 1-0. The next few innings were pretty boring, with the only real excitement coming when Nino Espinosa hit Paul Dade with a pitch, and Dade was then caught trying to steal second.
San Diego put four more runs on the board in the top of the fifth. Things looked pretty bleak, despite Schmidt's 30th home run of the year, a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth. The game went to the bottom of the ninth with San Diego leading 5-1.
With one out, Randy Jones tried to jam José Cardenal, as he had done all game, and as everyone else had done as well for Cardenal's entire career. This time, though, Cardenal hit it off his fists for an infield single to third. Was Jones losing it? Apparently so, for Manny Trillo doubled Cardenal to third and Jones was off to the showers. Rollie Fingers came in to put out the rally; but Bob Boone, already 2-for-2 with a walk, got his third single of the night, driving in Cardenal and Trillo. Fingers was noticeably rattled, and never really regained control of the situation.
Now it was the pitcher's turn at bat, and we all knew Doug Bird would be pulled for a pinch hitter. Del Unser was on fire; in his last two appearances, both as a PH, he'd hit home runs. We were all screaming for Unser to be sent in, hit a dinger, and tie the game. So why the hell was Tim McCarver coming out instead? Groans from the crowd. I didn't hear anyone chanting "We want Unser!" but I bet there were some.
McCarver hit a grounder up the middle that second baseman Bill Almon fielded cleanly, but he was too deep to make a play. There was a collective sigh of relief as Bud Harrelson came in to pinch-run. Bake McBride was up, and we all groaned "NOOOOOOO!!" when he hit a roller to shortstop Ozzie Smith. Smith flipped it to Almon, who fired it to first for the game-ending double play... only the speedster McBride beat the relay by a half step, and our groans turned to loud cheers. Two on, two out, down by two. And, *FINALLY*, Danny Ozark sent in Del Unser.
The game lasted precisely one more pitch. Fingers delivered his best zingerball and Unser smacked it right over Rollie's head... and the center fielder's head... and the "408" sign in dead center. Unser's third consecutive pinch homer tied the major league record (originally set the year before by Lee Lacy of the Dodgers). It also won the game, 6-5... and we Phillie fans screamed in delight until we couldn't any more.
