Gettysburg Times - October 16, 1980
Brett Heads to Hospital
By Doug Tucker, AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Wincing in pain. George Brett hobbled out of hostile Veterans Stadium and headed straight for a Kansas City hospital.
Dr. Paul Meyer, Kansas City Royals' team physician, said Brett would be examined in the wee hours today, and surgery was a distinct possibility
However, Meyer added, ever, if surgery is performed on the painful hemorrhoidal condition. Brett may still see action in the 1980 World Series, in which his team now trails the Philadelphia Phillies 0-2.
Brett's status for Wednesday's game in Philadelphia was in question until a decision was made to let him play two hours before the opening pitch. He walked and lashed two singles in three plate appearances, but was obviously running in pain. He was replaced by Dave Chalk in the sixth inning.
"George made the decision himself." said Meyer. "That was our agreement — that he would tell us if the pain was real bad."
Meyer refused to speculate on what action might be taken after Brett was examined in Kansas City's St. Luke's Hospital this morning.
"I'm anticipating they will make incisions on the hemorrhoids. From here on it's going to be a day-by-day thing "
It's the worst pain I ever felt." said Brett "I never felt so much discomfort. The more you move, the more it hurts. Everybody thought I would be better off in the hospital."
Brett's .390 average was the best in the major leagues since 1941 With 118 runs batted in in 117 games, he became the first player in 30 years with more than 100 RBI to average more than one a game. His loss coupled with the Phillies' 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, could easily deal a death blow to the Royals' hopes.
"We're just not the same team when he's not out there." said first baseman Willie Aikens.
Brett first noticed the condition Saturday, the day after his three-run home run off Rich Gossage powered the Royals to a 4-2 victory in the deciding game of the American League Championship Series. The pain became intense after the World Series opener Tuesday night.
"I think the discomfort is a little worse tonight," said Meyer.
'Bull Shot' Lifts Phils To One Game Advantage
By the Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — It was a 3-2 pitch, a fast ball. It hit the end of Greg Luzinskfs bat and started climbing toward the moon.
The Houston Astros' outfielders never moved. There was no need to.
Luzinski's homer came in the bottom of the sixth with the Phils down 1-0. Two runs scored and Philadelphia went on to win its first postseason playoff game at home in 65 years, downing Houston 3-1 to go one-up in the National League playoffs.
"I knew it was gone the minute I hit it." said Luzinski. who now has five post-season homers, second on!y to Steve Garvey's six.
Astros pitcher Ken Forsch, who served up the game-deciding ball said it was down and in. It was a 3-2 pitch so obviously I had to throw a strike," Forsch said afterward. "I challenged him with a fast ball and he got the best of it."
When Luzinski, who has been in a slump most of the season, was introduced before the game a ripple of boos spread through the stands. And they came again when he struck out in the first and popped out in the fiurth.
But when he hit the homer, cheers rained onto the field, as if all was forgotten.
"I know the fans have been on me." the Bull said in the lockerroorn. " But they have been on a lot of the other guys too."
"1 was glad for him," saicl shortstop "Larry Bowa. "It's been especially tough on him this year."
Steve Carlton got the win, although he appeared to be laboring. He was lifted in the seventh, and Tug McGraw mopped up.
"I felt he (Carlton) was sluggish." said Phillies manager Dallas Green. "He wasn't the Steve Carlton we've seen all year. Lefty wasn't Lefty tonight."
Forsch and nght fielder Gary Woods collected two hits apiece, accounting for the Astro's most explosive offensive punch.
For Woods, who played the entire 1980 season in the minors, it was the first time he ever faced Cariton in a regulation game.
"Sure, it was great to go out there and get a few knocks off a guy like that," he said. "But I wouid trade them in for a win any day."
The Astros arrived in Philadelphia before dawn Tuesday after a flight from Los Ange'es where they clinched the National League West title.
Houston Manager Bill Virdon was asked if the lack of rest and the long flight had taken their toll on the club.
"I really don't think it had any affect on us." he said."there was no letdown, in fact. I thought we played quite well."
Phillies Stop K.C. Again
By John Nelson, AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Mike Schmidt stood at home plate, his bat over his shoulder and his body twisting. A little English might have kept that ball in fair territory, he thought.
It curved, maybe five or 10 feet foul, arching high over the foul pole down the leftfield line, and instead of a home run. Schmidt had a meaningless foul ball. They call it a long strike.
"I thought it might have a chance, but it hooked just like my golf drives." Schmidt said of his fifth-inning drive.
"I know it doesn't mean anything, but I think that foul ball might have helped me get going."
When Schmidt. the Philadelphia Phillies' slugging third baseman, got going, he sent the Kansas City- Royals home with a handful of woes. Schmidt's eighthinning double drove in the winning run. and the Phillies downed the Royals 6-4 Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven 1980 World Series.
The Series moves to Kansas City for games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, if necessary. The Royals face the unenviable task of rebounding against a team that has scored 13 runs in the first two games of the Series, having won 7-6 on Tuesday, and they may have to face it without All-Star third baseman George Brett.
Brett had to be removed from the game in the sixth inning when an inflammation of his hemorrhoids, a problem that began only about a week ago. started to bother him too severely. Royals Manager Jim Frey said he was not certain of Brett's status for Friday.
"We'll have to wait," Frey said. "He has two davs and it's a day-to-day thing. We hope he's better."
The Phillies started lefthander Steve Carlton in Game 2. A 24-game winner during the regular season, "Lefty" had struggled in the playoffs against Houston. In the fourth game, his second start he went only 5-1/3 innings, his shortest stint of the season. He couldn't keep his pitches around the plate.
Wednesday night, the silent left-hander was in trouble again. In eight innings, he gave up 10 hits, six walks and three earned runs with 10 strikeouts.
"He's done a lot of pitching in the last six months," Schmidt said. "But that shows you that Steve, even at his worst, can keep us in any game."
The Phillies got off to a 2-0 lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Manny Trilio and a run-scoring single bv Larry Bowa.
Kansas City got one run back in the sixth when Amos Otis singled, advanced to second when John Wathan walked and scored on a throwing error by Trillo on a high chopper by Willie Aikens.
The Royals scored three times in the seventh Carlton walked the bases full, and Otis (hit) a two-run double, followed by a sacrifice fly by Wathan. The score was 4-2 and Philadelphia's "Comeback Gang" went to work again.
They had to come back from a 4-0 deficit to win the World Series opener. They trailed at one time or another in all five of their National League Championship Series games with Houston.
"It seems like we're waiting for the other team to score first." Phils first baseman Pete Rose said.
"We know we're going to have a big inning.'but you can't keep waiting for that."
Philadelphia's big inning came in the eighth. Royals" lefty Larry Gura, 18-10 during the season, had retired the first !3 Philhes he faced, but Frey had to yank him after six tnnmgs when he complained that he had ran out of gas.
"When he came off the mound after his last inning, he said he didn't feel he had his fastball any more" Frey said.
Enter Dan Quisenberry. 33 saves during the season and considered the AL's lop relief pitcher. If the game had gune according to script that should have been the end of it. Quisenberry got the side in order in the seventh but he walked Bob Boone to lead off the eighth.
Pinch hitter Del Unser drove Boone in from first with a double to the wall :n left-center. Rose bounced to first baseman Pete LaCock, a defensive replacement, sending Unser to third. Bake McBnde's chopping single over the head of second baseman Frank White drove in Unser, tying the score 4-4 That brought Schmidt to the plate.
Schmidt, who led the majors with 48 homers in the regular season, had hit a dismal .208 in the playoffs. In the final game of the league championship, he went 0-for-5. striking out three times He had an infield single, two walks and a strikeout in the Series opener.
"The champagne would have tasted a hair sweeter if I had gotten my uniform dirty in that game." Schmidt said.
In Schmidt's first time up Wednesday night, he grounded to third. In (the) second trip, he fought Gura to a 3-2 count, and fouled off a pitch. Schmidt sent Gura's next pitch a mile, but foul, before grounding out again. In the sixth, he hit a hard single, and then, in the eighth, it was all on the line.
Schmidt sent Quisenberry's first pitch to the wall in rightcenter on one snort hop for a double and a 5-4 Philadelphia lead. Rookie Keith Moreland, starting as designated hitter in place of the ailing Greg Luzinski, singled to score Schmidt before pinchhitter Greg Gross finally grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Ron Reed took over for Carlton in the ninth inning. He struck out pinch hitter Darrell Porter, who did not start against the lefty Carlton and was hitting in the spot that would have been occupied by Brett. Reed then yielded Hal McRae's third single of the game, but retired the side by getting Otis to hit into a fielder's choice grounder and striking out Wathan.
The Royals wiil pilch Rich Gale, 13-9 during the season, against Dick Ruthven, 17-10, in the third game Friday. It is a must game for the Royals, no team ever has recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win the Series.