Baseball Time: MLB 1981- 9/26/81- Houston Astros @ Los Angeles Dodgers: Full Game

Source:Baseball Time- Phil Garner? 

Source:The New Democrat

The Astros-Dodgers rivalry was pretty good in the 1980s when both clubs were in the NL West and were consistently in the NL West race. The Astros won the division from the Dodgers in 1980 and the Dodgers took the division from the Astros in 1981, 85 and 88. Both teams were consistent winners in the 1980s, because they both played a big pitcher friendly ballparks and both had very good defense and pitching. And at least in the Dodgers case were also very good offensively, with speed, power and guys who could hit for average. The Astros of this period were sort of a light-hitting team that would score enough to win, because they didn’t need a lot of runs to win when they pitched well.
Source:Baseball Time

ABC Sports: MLB 1982-NLCS Game 3-St. Louis Cardinals @ Atlanta Braves: Full Game

Source:ABC Sports- Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner at Atlanta Fulton Stadium to watch his Braves play the St. Louis Cardinals, in game 3 of the 1982 NLCS.

Source:The Daily Press

“1982 NLCS Game 3 Cardinals @ Braves” 

From Classic MLB 

An interesting matchup for a championship series with two teams that were almost nothing like. 

The St. Louis Cardinals as a team hit less than 100 home runs that season. George Hendrick who was a solid power hitter for a lot of his career, led the Cardinals with eighteen home runs. This was a team that would get on base by walking and slapping singles and the occasional double. And then stealing a lot of bases and stretching singles to doubles, doubles triples, scoring from first base. Playing great defense and getting great pitching. This was known as Whiteyball named after the great Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog. 

The Atlanta Braves in 1982 were a power hitting team led by Dale Murphy and Bob Horner with Chris Chambliss as well. So this was a matchup between a speed team in the Cardinals both on offense and defense. Vs a power hitting team that pitched and defended well enough to win the AL West in 1982.

ABC Sports: MLB 1978- NLCS Game 4- Philadelphia Phillies @ Los Angeles Dodgers: Full Game

Source:ABC Sports- with the 1978 NLCS at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Al Michaels, Don Drysdale, and Johnny Bench, with the call of the game.

Source:The New Democrat 

“1978 NLCS Game 4 – Phillies vs Dodgers @mrodsports”

From Classic Phillies TV 

This was a very good matchup for an NLCS between the Phillies and Dodgers because you had a more power-hitting offensive oriented team in the Phillies, going up against a pitching and defensive oriented team in the Dodgers that also had a very good lineup, with hitters like Steve Garvey, Reggie Smith, Ron Cey, Dusty Baker and others. And I think that was the difference in this series. The teams were fairly even, but the Dodgers had more pitching and I believe a more complete team than the Phillies. 

On paper anyway, I think the Dodgers were better than the New York Yankees in 1978. I think they had more offensively and had just as must pitching. But the Yankees got better pitching and clutch hitting in the 1978 World Series and that was the difference.  

You can’t really afford any off games in a World Series or a championship series. Which is what happened to the Phillies in the first two games of the NLCS losing both of them at home. And having to win three-straight at Dodger stadium to win the series..

NBC Sports: MLB 1980- World Series Game 7-Kansas City Royals @ Philadelphia Phillies: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports- Philadelphia Phillies 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.

NBC Sports: MLB 1984- St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago Cubs: Game of The Week

Source:NBC Sports- with the MLB Game of The Week.

Source:The Daily Press 

“MLB 1984 06 23 84 Cardinals at Cubs”

From Larry Classic Sports Videos 

The baseball game that seemed like it would never end. A classic game in this great Cardinals-Cubs rivalry, great rivalry even though the Cardinals are traditional winners and champions. And the Cubs generally are not only losers, but tend to finish way out of contention.

This was a great game, if you hate pitching and perhaps see pitching as an inconvenience to slugfests and perhaps as a necessary evil that is necessary so that baseball games actually come to conclusion at some point.

This game was essentially a home run derby where the team that could find away to get more outs and scored last was going to win. But not a great game in the sense that it was a great all around played game with good pitching, defense, and with timely hitting, that went down to last outs and into the ninth inning not knowing who was going to win at the end.

Philadelphia Phillies TV: MLB 1981- Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies: Full Game

Source:Classic Phillies TV- with the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies from 1981.

Source:The Daily Press 

"October 1981 - Cubs vs Phillies" 

From Classic Phillies TV 

1981 was an interesting season for Major League Baseball to say the least. It was a strike shorten season and the genius’ at MLB decided to do a minor league play. Which was to have the division leaders of the first and second halves of the season be the playoff teams of each league. Instead of the division winners being the teams with the best overall records in each league for the entire season. 

Because of the 1981 MLB playoff format, the Cincinnati Reds even though they had the best overall record in the NL West in 1981, didn’t win that division. Because the Los Angeles Dodgers had a better record in the second half of the season. 

1981 was the first four game playoff series in MLB because of the strike shortened season. The Cubs were the Cubs in 1981, finishing in last place. They parked themselves there early on that season and never left. The Phillies were again very good and trying to defend their 1980 World Series Championship.

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, in game 1, to face Dennis Eckersley, in game 1 of the 1988 MLB World Series.

Source:The Daily Press

“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 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.

ABC Sports: MLB 1988- NLCS Game 4- Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Mets: Full Game

Source:ABC Sports- Los Angeles Dodgers LF Kirk Gibson.

Source:The Daily Press 

“Los Angeles Dodgers 5 at New York Mets 4, F/12 — Backed by homers from Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds, Dwight Gooden and the Mets enjoyed a 4-2 lead in the 9th, and seem poised to take a 3-1 series lead. But Mike Scioscia, who had only three home runs all season, had other ideas, and his two-run homer forced extra frames. Then in the 12th, Kirk Gibson foreshadowed his forthcoming World Series dramatics with a solo, go-ahead dinger off Roger McDowell. But it wasn’t over yet. In the bottom half of the inning it looked as though Gibson’s heroics might go to waste, as the Mets put two men on against Tim Leary. So Manager Tommy Lasorda called on his “bulldog,” Orel Hershiser, to close it out. Despite having pitched into the ninth in Game 1, not to mention seven innings pitched in Game 3 the night before, Hershiser recorded the final out to tie the series at two games apiece.”

From MLB Vault 

The Mets and their fans have to feel that 1988 was a year that got away from them. Because the Mets and Oakland Athletics were the two best all around teams in MLB that year and neither one of them won the World series.

1988 goes to show you that baseball is a game where if you get great pitching and play great defense, all you need to do is score enough runs to win. Which is one more run than your opponent for every game that you win. That you don’t need a great lineup and even a very good lineup to win and be successful and even win the MLB World Series. 

The 1969 Mets proved that you don’t need a good, let alone very good, or great offense, to win the World Series. So did the 1985 Kansas City Royals proved that and the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers proved that as well. Probably the three worst World Series champions at least since divisional play started in 1969.

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.

Source:The Daily Press 

"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.