Allentown Morning Call - October 18, 1980
Royals win in 10th, 4-3
By Gordon Smith, Associate Sports Editor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Willie Aikens drilled a Tug McGraw pitch to deep left-center field in the bottom of the 10th inning last night to give the Kansas City Royals a 4-3 World Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Aikens, who had hit two home runs in the first game of the Series but saw them go to waste, hit a 2-1 pitch. "I knew he had to come to me, and I was looking for the fastball," the hero said as the Royals Stadium throng went wild.
The win gave the American League champs new life after they had lost twice to the comeback Phillies in Philadelphia. Pete Rose broke a zero-for-10 World Series slump with an eighth-inning game-tying single, and the score in Game 3 of the 77th World Series was 3-3 going into the bottom of the 10th as the Royals clung ever-so-dramatically to hopes of preventing the Phillies from taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of -seven game autumnal classic.
Meanwhile, the Phillies' Dick Ruthven was pitching his best when the heat was on. In the eighth, Ruthven struck out Willie Aikens with George Brett on second base. In the ninth. Ruthven gave up a leadoff single to Hal McRae, then threw a double-play ball to Amos Otis, who have given the Royals a 3-2 lead with a home run in the seventh.
It was the first extra-inning game in World Series play since 1978. It was also the fifth extra-inning game of postseason play for the Phillies.
Tug McGraw came on to pitch in the bottom of the 10th for the Phillies. The Phils' Bob Boone singled to lead off the top of the 10th, but was eliminated on an inning-ending double play when Mike Schmidt hit a line shot to Royals' second-baseman Frank White.
The Phillies had left 15 runners stranded through the 10 innings.
Brett, not more than five hours out of the hospital, got the Royals off to a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the first inning. But the Phillies struck back and tied the game almost immediately on a bizarre play in the second inning, when Gale appeared to have forgotten that the bases were loaded.
Brett hit a 1-1 pitch from Ruthven over the right field fence, about 30 feet fair, giving him seven home runs in 20 career postseason games.
Gale, who was shaky in each of the first three innings, allowed a single to rookie Lonnie Smith to lead off the first inning, struck out Rose looking, then walked Schmidt. He got out of that inning when Bake McBride and Moreland flew out, but he was not as lucky in the next inning.
With one out, Manny Trillo singled off Gale's foot. Larry Bowa followed with a single and Gale loaded the bases by walking Bob Boone. Smith then hit a sharp grounder toward the mound. Gale fielded the ball after hobbling it once, and appeared as though he was not certain when to throw it. He finally went to first to retire Smith, and Trillo scored.
Gale also allowed a pair of hits in the third inning, the second a two-out double by Trillo, but Bowa ended the inning by grounding out.
McRae's RBI single in the fourth gave the Royals a 2-1 lead, but Philadelphia tied it in the fifth and chased Gale after Mike Schmidt hit a solo homer.
With one out in the fourth, Willie Aikens looped a triple – his first in the major leagues – down the left field line. McRae followed with a soft liner to center to score the run. Ruthven, however, retired the Royals in order the next two innings.
Schmidt's homer led off the fifth. Gale then struck out McBride, but Moreland singled to chase the Kansas City starter and bring on right-handed reliever Renie Martin. Martin gave up an infield single to Garry Maddox but got out of the inning when Trillo grounded into a double play.
Phils ‘suspicious’ team to Mid-America fans
By John Kunda, Executive Sports Editor
KANSAS CITY – This is Middle America, friends. The "Heartland," they call it.
Very folksy... very friendly... very accommodating.
The natives like to think their baseball team, the Kansas City Royals, is much like they are. The Royals aren't a metropolitan phenomenon, like, say, the Phillies, the Yankees, the Dodgers and the others – they, instead, belong to the "Heartland."
When the folks out here say "our" team, they mean it.
They are a suspicious lot, however. Much like the country kid going to the big city – they don't know what to expect.
The natives here look at the Phillies with a suspicious eye. They are the bullies in this World Series, no question about it. To these people, the Phillies are a wild bunch.
The natives call Pete Rose a "hotdog." They call Larry Bowa a "spoiled brat." They talk about the ugly drug incident and wonder, is it really true?
Heaven forbid, nothing like that happens with the Royals. The Royals are clean… All-Americans who are providing championship entertainment for Middle America.
Royalmania has hit hard in these parts. Never mind that the Royals arrived home two games down to the Phillies. "It's not over yet," they say.
Royalmania has reached such proportions across the Midlands that University of Kansas officials are worried about the attendance at today's homecoming football game with Iowa.
And area high school coaches fretted because last night's football games were opposite the third game.
That's down-home thinking. Those thoughts never enter the mind of the Big City.
There is no denying the interest in the Royals. Proof of that is the story about a radio station in little Iola, Kan. The station decided that the World Series was bigger than Big Eight football, so it decided to bump the Kansas State-Oklahoma football game in favor of the series.
"They may come down from Manhattan (home of Kansas State) and lynch me," the station manager said. "But there's just so much more Royals interest."
One of the reasons the Royals have captured the hearts and minds of Middle America has to do with their radio network. Royals baseball games are broadcast throught the Midwest over 115 stations. And that is more than any other major league baseball radio network in the country.
"The interest is much more widespread than when the Chiefs were in the Super Bowl," said Ed O'Donnell, operations manager for the radio network. "I've been around here for 20 years and this is the most excitement I've seen."
Baseball people point to geography as one of the main reasons this area has gone crazy over the Royals.
Far to the north are the Minnesota Twins; to the East and northeast are the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago's Cubs and White Sox, and much to the South are the Texas Rangers.
But there's nothing – except the Royals – to claim the allegiance of the Heartland.
It isn't that way in the metropolitan areas of the East and West coasts.
It has meant that, for the vast center of the country, this year's World Series ranks as the first time the Midwest has stood so near the top of the major league baseball heap.
Weren't the Twins the last team from the outerlands to be in this situation? Of course, that's discounting the Cardinals.
Then there are those who feel that failure to reach the summit – not winning it all – may not be so intolerable.
As one Midwestern observer said: "If you are consistently successful, it can lead to a kind of colorless fan support. The teams that struggle and overcome create the most excitement and dedication among their fans."
The Phillies' fans should know that well. They have flocked to Veterans Stadium in record numbers these last few years. And if you were anywhere near the stadium during the playoffs and the two World Series games that were played there earlier in the week, you got a good idea of how struggle-and-overcome can hype a crowd.
The crowd last night in cozy Royals Stadium was just as vibrant as those in the Vet. A little better behaved, but very enthusiastic.
They cheered wildly for their Royals and booed loudly for their enemy, the Phillies.
Some of the wildest applause came for George Brett, of course, but right behind were the cheers for 6-7 Rich Gale, the righthander who had to be in the biggest spot of his life.
This was a new experience for Gale.
He called it "a chance of a lifetime." He added: "The first time out I'm pitching in a World Series… I'm pitching in a World Series before I've ever pitched in a playoff game."
Gale was scheduled to start the fourth game of the American League playoffs, but when the Royals swept the Yankees in three straight, Gale was left with some idle time.
The book on Gale was that he has a very good fastball, but he has a tendency to pitch it high at times. That could be dangerous against the Phillies powerhitters.
What happens to the Royals from here on doesn't matter much to people around here. Perhaps a 9-year-old said it best: "At least they played in four World Series games.
Phanatic banned in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ( AP) – The Phillie Phanatic was banned last night from Game 3 of the World Series.
The Phanatic, a Sesame Street type character, is the official mascot of the National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies.
He usually roams the field at various times during the game, knocking over groundskeepers, taunting umpires, wagging an elongated tongue at the opposing teams, and dancing to his own brand of rock music.
The Phanatic is a big favorite in Philadelphia and has appeared in ballparks at San Diego, Pittsbugh, Houston, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco where he was warmly welcomed by the teams and the fans.
In reality, the Phanatic is David Raymond, a former University of Delaware punter, who works parttime in the Phillies front office. Raymond said Kansas City officials told him that Royals' fans wanted a mascot, too, and that they had not yet found the right one.
"They didn't want me throwing oil on the fire, " said the disappointed Phillies mascot.
Raymond said that maybe the Phillies were at fault because they didn't talk to any Kansas City officials.
"But as you can imagine they had a zillion things to do (for the World Series) and didn't think of it."
When last seen, the Phantic was wearing a Phillies uniform and worrying about where he was going to sit in Royals Stadium.
Play-by-Play
KANSAS CITY (AP) – Play-by-play of the third game of the 1980 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals:
Phillies First
Rich Gale's first pitch was bounced foul. Lonnie Smith singled to right field. Pete Rose foul-tipped a third strike into catcher Darrell Porter's glove. Mike Schmidt walked on a 3-2 pitch. Bake McBride filed to Willie Wilson in left. Keith Moreland, the designated hitter, flied to Amos Otis in center.
No runs, one hit, no errors, two left.
Royals First
Dick Ruthven's first pitch was low for a ball. Wilson bounced to Manny Trillo at second. Frank White grounded to Schmidt at third. George Brett homered down the right field line for the first run of the game. Willie Aikens bounced to Trillo.
One run, one hit, no errors, none left.
Phillies Second
Garry Maddox grounded to Brett at third. Trillo hit an infield single oft Gale's glove. Larry Bowa singled to right, Trillo holding second. Bob Boone walked to load the bases. Smith hit a hard grounder off the glove of Gale, who threw to first for the second out, with Trillo scoring to tie the game 1-1. Rose walked to load the bases. Schmidt filed to Otis.
One run, two hits, no errors, three left.
Royals Second
Hal McRae, the designated hitter, popped to first baseman Rose in foul territory. Otis hit a ground ball that shortstop Bowa fielded in the hole to his right and threw too late to first for a single. Clint Hurdle grounded into a fielder's choice, Bowa to Trillo covering second. Porter grounded to Bowa, who touched second to force out Hurdle.
No runs, one hit, no errors, one left.
Phillies Third
McBride singled to right. Moreland struck out. Maddox hit a fielder's choice grounder to Brett, who threw to second baseman White for the force on McBride. Trillo doubled to right, Maddox holding at third. Bowa grounded to Brett.
No runs, two hits, no errors, two left.
Royals Third
U.L. Washington lined to Maddox in center field. Wilson struck out. White grounded to Schmidt.
No runs, no hits, no errors, none left.
Phillies Fourth
Boone flied to Otis. Smith filed to Otis. Rose grounded to White.
No runs, no hits, no errors, none left.
Royals Fourth
Brett popped to Schmidt. Aikens tripled past a diving Smith in left field. McRae singled to center, scoring Aikens for a 2-1 Kansas City lead. Otis grounded to Trillo, McRae moving to second Hurdle grounded to Trillo.
One run, two hits, no errors, one left.
Phillies Fifth
Schmidt homered over the left field fence to tie the game 2-2. McBride look a third strike. Moreland singled to left Renie Martin is now pitching for Kansas Citv. Maddox hit an infield single that shortstop Washington fielded to his right but couldn't throw out Moreland al second. Trillo hit into a double Play, White to Washington to Aikens.
One run, three hits, no errors, one left.
Royals Fifth
Porter grounded to Trillo. Washington flied to Maddox. Wilson struck out.
No runs, no hits, no errors, none left.
Phillies Sixth Bowa singled to center. Boone flied to Otis. Smith singled to center, Bowa holding second. Rose struck out. Schmidt grounded to Washington, who threw to White for the force out.
No runs, two hits, no errors, two left.
Royals Sixth
White struck out. Brett flied to Maddox, who made the catch on the warning track in right-center. Aikens struck out.
No runs, no hits, no errors, none left.
Phillies Seventh
McBride flied to Otis. Moreland filed to Otis. Maddox flied to Hurdle.
No runs, no hits, no errors, none left.
Royals Seventh
McRae grounded to Schmidt. Otis homered over the right-center field fence to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. Hurdle singled to right. Porter look third strike on a 3-1 pitch and Hurdle stole second on the play. Washington popped out to Schmidt in foul territory.
One run, two hits, no errors, one left.
Phillies Eighth
Trillo flied to Wilson. Bowa beat out a high infield chopper for a single. Boone filed to Otis. Bowa stole second. Smith walked. Rose singled to right-center, Bowa scoring to tie the game 3-3 and Smith moving to third. Quisenberry is now pitching for Kansas City. Schmidt flied to Otis.
One run, two hits, no errors, two left.
Royals Eighth
Wilson grounded to Bowa. White struck out. Brett doubled to right. Aikens took a third strike.
No runs, one hit, no errors, one left.
Phillies Ninth
McBride singled to left. Moreland flied to Wilson, with McBride taking second after the catch. Maddox was walked intentionally. Trillo grounded to Aikens, who tossed to Quisenberry. Bowa grounded to Quisenberry.
No runs, one hit, no errors, two left.
Royals Ninth
McRae singled to left. Otis hit into a double play, Bowa to Trillo to Rose. Hurdle hit a hard grounder that Bowa dived to slop, but the throw was loo late for a single. Onix Concepclon ran for Hurdle. Porter flied to McBride in right.
No runs, two hits, no errors, one left.
Phillies Tenth
Jose Cardenal is now playing right field for Kansas City. Boone singled to center. Greg Gross, batting for Smith, sacrificed Boone to second, with Aikens tagging Gross. Rose was walked intentionally. Schmidt lined out to White, who stepped on second for the double play.
No runs, one hit, no errors, one left.
Royals Tenth
Tug McGraw is now pitching and Gross Is playing left field for Philadelphia. Washington singled to left. Wilson, squaring to bunt, walked on four pitches. Washington was thrown out attempting to steal third, Boone to Schmidt. White struck out. Wilson stole second. Brett was walked intentionally. Aikens singled to left-center, scoring Wilson and giving Kansas City a 4-3 victory.
One run, two hits, no errors, two left.