NBC Sports: MLB 1980- World Series Game 6-Kansas City Royals @ Philadelphia Phillies: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports– Philadelphia Phillies closer Tug McGraw.

Source:The New Democrat

“Kansas City Royals 1 at Philadelphia Phillies 4, F — With the Phillies just one tantalizing out away from a Championship, Tug McGraw got ahead on Willie Wilson, then struck him out swinging at a 1-2 fastball. McGraw threw his arms up, his teammates jumped all over each other, and the franchise had its first baseball championship.”

From MLB Vault

1980 might have been the best Kansas Royals team that they ever had. They had a very good lineup offensively, good defense, good pitching both starting and in the bullpen, Jim Fry was their manager. Unlike the 85 team that was really just George Brett and Hal McRae offensively. Steve Balboni hit a lot of home runs for them, but drove in under ninety runs, which isn’t much for a guy who hits thirty-six home runs and also hit around 240 and struck out a lot. But the 80 Royals had balance offensively, defensively and in their pitching. But couldn’t even force the Phillies into a game 7.

The 1980 Phillies were just very good everywhere. Not a great lineup with a lot of great players, but very good hitters up and down the lineup. They were very good defensively and had excellent pitching. With Steve Carlton as their ace and Tug McGraw in the bullpen. Not a team with any clear weakness’ and they were just the best team in the National League throughout the 1980 season. And a team that finally put it all together after getting to the NL Playoffs in 76 and 78, but losing both NL Championships to the Los Angeles Dodgers. So 1980 was a year that the Phillies believed they had something to prove and came through.

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NBC Sports: MLB 1988- World Series Game 1 – Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Dodgers: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports– Kirk Gibson, at the plate to face Dennis Eckersley, in game 1 of the 1988 MLB World Series.

“Oakland Athletics 4 at Los Angeles Dodgers 5, F — The Dodgers, already serious underdogs against the A’s and Bash Brothers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, are given even less of a chance with injured star Kirk Gibson on the shelf. Canseco’s second-inning grand slam gives Oakland a 4-3 lead until the bottom of the ninth, when dominating closer Dennis Eckersley comes on to finish it up. But with the tying run on first, Gibson limps up to pinch hit and makes World Series history with a spine-tingling, game-winning two-run homer in his only at-bat of the Series.”

From MLB Vault

“LOS ANGELES — What baseball fan has not seen video of Kirk Gibson pumping his arm while limping around the bases after smashing one of the most memorable home runs in the sport?

It was the stuff of legend. Gibson was the National League’s most valuable player that season, but he was unable to start that night because of leg injuries. He came off the bench with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to pinch-hit, then blasted a game-ending, two-run home run off Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley, a future Hall of Famer.

It was Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, and the A’s never recovered. It was also the last World Series title the Los Angeles Dodgers won.

Thirty years later, the ball Gibson sent into the right-field pavilion at Dodger Stadium still has not been located.”

Source:New York Times– ” Vin Scully’s greatest calls: Kirk Gibson’s greatest home run.”

From The New York Times

“I don’t believe what I just saw!” Which of course was Jack Buck’s famous call of Kirk Gibson’s famous home run for the Dodgers in-game 1 of the 1988 World Series off of Dennis Eckersley of the Athletics. Referring to the fact that Gibson essentially had no leg strength in that at bad, because he had two bad legs. I believe two broken ankles, perhaps just one broken ankle, but the other leg was hurt as well. And Gibson hits that home run off the best closer in MLB who was a power pitcher and for a time in the late 1980s early 1990s almost un-hittable.

The Eck was the Mariano Rivera of his generation. The Gibson home run, Kirk’s only hit in this World Series, is just an example of how great a player and hitter he was. And had he only been able to stay healthy, we are talking about a five tool player headed to first ballot status in the MLB Hall of Fame.

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NBC Sports: MLB 1988-GOW-7/23-San Francisco Giants @ St. Louis Cardinals: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports– Joe Garagiola interviewing Giants 1B Will Clark

“1988 07 23 NBC GOW Giants at Cardinals”

From Classic MLB

What a difference a year or a season makes for both the Giants and Cardinals. They were both clearly the two best teams in the National League in 1987 and in the Cardinals case in 1988 were fighting to stay out of last place in the NL East in 1988. A division they played in until MLB realigned in 1994 and went to three divisions in both leagues. And in the Giants case, never making a real run at the NL West title at least by the All Star break and finishing eleven games behind their arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers out of first place.

When teams when their division in MLB, especially over a 162 game schedule, unless they are very deep in talent with great chemistry and a great manager, they tend to have a lot going for them. And are able to avoid making critical mistakes during the season that costs them big games. And cost them games that might not seem big at the time, but come back to cost them in September when they’re fighting to make the playoffs or win their division. Both the Giants and Cardinals were able to avoid big mistakes and injuries in 1987. But 1988 they got hit by those things over and over and it really cost them.

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