Wiffin’ Willie Wilson While Watchful World Waits

Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia lived to tell the tale of a World Series Game 6 on Tuesday, October 21, 1980. Twenty eight years ago, world championship baseball was initiated for the hometown Phillies. In the crisp autumn night, a clutch Kansas City Royals leadoff leftfielder named Willie Wilson ambled to home plate. Phillies rambunctious relief pitcher, Tug McGraw clung to a 4-1 lead. The bases were loaded in the top of the ninth inning. Starter, Steve Carlton, had endured an efficient mound effort that evening. “Lefty” was on track to win his second game of the dramatic 1980 World Series if McGraw could secure the final out. Talented all-star third baseman, Mike Schmidt, batted .381 in the Fall classic and anchored the lineup in game six. Schmidt smugly hit safely, showing he was the driving force in the October 21st lineup.
Wilson worked a 2-1 count before sheepishly striking out with a swing and miss on a sluggish McGraw fastball. The fighting 1980 Phillies won the World Series and they remind me so much of the 2008 Philadelphia team. The fiery shortstop, Larry Bowa, could be an older version of the intense Jimmy Rollins. Nerve-racking but surefire closer Brad Lidge is this year’s Tug McGraw. Cole Hamels is the confident and quiet Steve Carlton going about his business on the mound. The “Flying Hawaiian” Shane Victorino shows signs of becoming the next “Charlie Hustle” Pete Rose. MVP Mike Schmidt reminds me of MVP first baseman Ryan Howard with his strength and power. And both players are class acts. Veteran 1980 Phillie Greg Luzinski compares to Jamie Moyer. I see a little bit of Bret Boone in Pat Burrell. Second baseman Manny Trillo was signed as an amateur free agent and bounced around from team to team like Matt Stairs has done. Bob Walk pitched one season for the ’80 team similar to JC Romero performing one full season in Philadelphia. Brett Myers and Dick Ruthven were both drafted by the Phillies as starting pitchers. The 1980 Phillies had Bake McBride, Tim McCarver and Garry Maddox. This year, Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz and Jayson Werth are key components. Head coaches Dallas Green and Charlie Manuel bring a high level of professionalism to the Phillies organization. The parallels are all there. The one major component missing from this series is Veterans Stadium. If the series does go six games and the Phillies happen to win again, the victory will occur in Florida. I can see it happening—another six game Phillies world championship series for the city of Brotherly Love.

Parting points: Four days and counting down until the Big 10 showdown between Ohio State and Penn State.
Song of the day: “Where it’s at” by Beck

Philly Pressure

The Philadelphia Phillies plan to put the hammer down on the Brewers in Game three of the NLDS tonight in Milwaukee. The oldest pitcher in the game will start for Philadelphia, a team with a 3.65 ERA during the regular season. Jamie Moyer has never been to the Fall Classic but his veteran experience is expected to end the Brewers’ season. Moyer will count on his craftiness to continue to winning ways for his NL East championship team. He was 9-1 in his last 16 starts of 2008 and the Brewers will need to be patient at the plate if they want to succeed. The Brewers are coming in to Game 3 with dismal digits. The team batting average is a measly .115 during the series. The Brewers have put together a paltry 3 runs total. Given the fact the first two games were played in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, that is not a good sign for Dale Sveum’s team. Sveum is the interim manager for Milwaukee and he has some understanding of being down in the post-season. Remember he was on the coaching staff for Boston when they came from behind to beat the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. The Brewers will have to take this five game series one at a time and a win at home tonight would start them in the right direction. The team counters with Dave Bush on the mound. Jeff Suppan, the Cardinals playoff star a few seasons ago, was supposed to pitch. But the Brewers might benefit with Bush. Bush, like Moyer, was solid down the stretch. In his last 10 starts of the season, he sported a 4-1 record and finished strong. So far the Brewers pitchers have tamed the Phillies at the plate. Ryan Howard’s lefty bat hasn’t been a factor. That could change tonight because Bush is prone to giving up runs to left handed hitters. The Phillies have scored most of their runs as unearned ones during the series. Even though they aren’t hitting well, their defense, speed and pitching has kept this a one-sided series. Shane Victorino has stolen three bases, Cole Hamels dominated the first game on the mound and the bullpen has been shaky but effective. Brad Lidge looked vulnerable in the first game and mentally, that should have given the Brewers a boost. If they were able to fluster the star closer, it might give them that swagger they used to defeat the Cubs to make the post-season. I would like to see the Phillies win the series because I like their combination of strength and power. They play hard and work well together. It would be nice to see the Brewers win one at home though and make this somewhat of a series. As it looks now, the other three series are not very competitive. The Brewers have decent rising guys in JJ Hardy, Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun. They need to start producing some runs.

Parting points: I am listening to “Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men in honor of the Phillies. Good stuff.

The NHL season kicks off at noon today. The Rangers play the Lightning and the Penguins take on Ottawa. Both games are for some reason being played overseas.

I am curious to see if Vanderbuilt can pull off the upset against Auburn. Somehow, I doubt it.