Frederick News-Post - October 13, 1980
Frey Undecided On His Rotation
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Kansas City Manager Jim Frey played a waiting game Sunday before naming his pitching rotation for the 1980 World Series.
The game he was waiting on was played in Houston Sunday night with the Astros and Philadelphia Phillies, who are down to the final contest to decide the National League pennant. The winner there was to determine whether Frey will use left-hander Larry Gura or right-hander Dennis Leonard in Tuesday night's World Series opener.
"If it's Houston, well go Gura-Leonard." said Frey. "If it's Philadelphia, then it will be the other way, Leonard-Gura."
That decision is strictly based on righty-lefty considerations.
"My impression of Philadelphia is that their strength is right-handed with (Greg) Luiinski, (Mike) Schmidt, (Manny) Trillo, and (Bob) Boone," said Frey. "With Houston we understand (Terry) Puhl, (Jose) Cruz, and (Joe) Morgan are swinging the bat well, and they are all left-handers."
Kansas City will depend a lot on scouting reports supplied by Tom Ferrick, Earl Rapp and George Noga, who had been tracking the NL contenders through the final weeks of the regular season and the playoffs.
But the most important Royals' scout could be sitting right on the bench, next to Frey. He's journeyman outfielder Jose Cardenal, who spent most of the year with the New York Mets before being released and signing with Kansas City in August. Cardenal had spent the last decade in the National League, including two seasons with the Phillies.
"Jose will certainly sit in on the meetings with the scouts," said Frey. "He saw both clubs this season so we'll involve him to see his impressions of them."
Frey sent the Royals through a brisk workout at Yankee Stadium Sunday. An improvised hand-lettered sign was posted on the clubhouse door greeting visitors and identifying the occupants as American League champions. "World Series next," it said.
With the pressure of the playoffs relieved by Kansas City's three-game sweep of the New York Yankees, Frey had an opportunity to see Houston and Philadelphia in the tumultuous fourth game of their series Saturday — a cootest filled with controversy.
"I reconfirmed a fear I had a long time ago, watching that game," said Frey.
What was that?
"That I don't want to be an umpire!"
Phils Down Astros; Face Royals Next
The Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) — The never-say-die Philadelphia Phillies staged a dramatic comeback with a five-run eighth inning and rallied once again on 10th inning doubles by Del Unser aad Garry Maddox to defeat die Houston Astros 8-7 Sunday night and advance to the World Series tor the first time fince 1950.
The Phillies will meet American League champion Kansas City in the World Series opener Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
With the score tied at 7-7 in the rollercoaster fifth game of the best-of-five National League championship series, Unser hit a one-out double to right field in the Philadelphia 10th. After Manny Trillo filed to center field to send Unser to third base. Maddox then blasted another double in front of Terry Puhl in center to score Unser and end the fourth straight extra-inning game in the series.
The Phillies were losing 5-2 after the Astros' three-run surge in the seventh. But they scored five runs in the eighth before the Astros came back to tie the game with two runs in their half of the eighth.
The Phillies' winning rally came off Frank LaCorte, the fourth Houston pitcher. Dick Ruthven, the last of six pitchers for Philadelphia, was the winner.
The Astros tied the game 7-7 with two runs in the eighth inning off reliever Tug McGraw, making his fifth appearance in the five-game series.
Craig Reynolds led off the Houston eighth with a single and Terry Puhl got a recordsetting fourth straight single after pinch-hitter Gary Woods struck out. Third baseman Enos Cabell then struck out before pinch-hitter Rafael Landestoy singled to left field to score Reynolds and Jose Cruz delivered another single, to center field, to tie the game.
The Phillies had staged a dramatic five-run rally in the eighth fueled by Manny Trillo's two-run triple to take a 7- 5 lead.
The Astros, trying for their first title in the team's 19-year history, had exploded to a 5-2 lead off relief pitchers Larry Christenson and Ron Reed in the seventh inning.
But the Phillies stunned the confident Astros in the eighth when they loaded the bases on three straight singles off Nolan Ryan. Larry Bowa started the rally with a single to left field, Bob Boone singled off Ryan's glove and Greg Gross got a bunt single to load the bases.
Ryan walked Pete Rose to force home the first run and bring on relief pitcher Joe Ssmbito. The star left-hander faced only one batter, giving up an RBI fielder's-choice grouader to pinch-hitter Keith Morelaad for the secoad run.
Unser, a pinch-bitter, then tied the game with a single to right of reliever Ken Forsch. Manny Triilo, voted the Most Valuable Player in the series, followed with a tie breaking triple to bring home pinch-runner Ramon Aviles and Unser.
The Astros fell behind the Phillies 2-1 before tying in the sixth inning and then scoring three times in the seventh.
Houston tied it 2-2 in the sixth on Alan Ashby's pinch-hit RBI single that chased rookie starter Many Bystrom and brought on Warren Brusstar.
Terry Puhl led off the Houston seventh off Christenson with one of his four singles, setting the record for most hits in a championship series with 10 and tying the record for most hits in a playoff game. Puhl was sacrificed to second base by Enos Cabell before Astros second baseman Joe Morgan grounded out for the second out of the inning.
Christenson then intentionally walked Jose Cruz and faced Densy Walling, who drove a tie-breaking single to right field to score Puh! and send Crus to ihird base.
Christenson's wild pitch then allowed Cruz to score Houston's fourth run before Art Howe tripled home another tally for the Astros off Reed, giving them a 5-2 lead.
Philadelphia took a 2-1 lead in the second when, with with two outs, Bob Boone singled to center, scoring Manny Trillo and Garry Maddox. Ryan, clocked at between 92 and 99 mph. had struck out Luzinski to start the inning out then gave up a single to Tnllo and walked Maddox on four pitches.
Before Boone's hit on a 99 mph pitch, both runners had advanced on an infield out.
Houston had taken a 1-0 lead in the first when Terry Pun! led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on Joe Morgan's fly to center. Jose Cruz brought in Puhl with a double to deep right.
Houston missed a chance to pull even in the bottom of the second when with one out. Luis Pujols walked but was out at the plate trying to score on a double to right by Craig Reynolds.
Rose led off the third with a single to set a League Championship record of hitting in 14 consecutive games. He and Luzinski had shared the old mark of 13.
Houston moved into a 2-2 tie in the sixth on a two-base error by Luzinski and a single by Alan Ashby, pinchhitting for Pujols. Ashby's hit scored Denny Walling, who was safe at second when his long fly bounced off Luzmski's glove as be made a running catch attempt.
Houston had earlier missed another chance for a tie when Rose threw out Cabell at the plate as the Astros third baseman was trying to score from second. Cabell had singled with one out and moved to second on Morgan's infield out Cruz was then safe at first when Trillo's throw pulled Rose off the bag for an error, but Rose wheeled and sent a sharp throw to Boone to catch Cabell at the plate.