1978: The Game 5 Miracle
The World Series has always been a setting for upsets, unsung heroes and miracle plays. Great teams have been beaten by massive underdogs. On a chilly night in the Bronx 45 years ago, Yankee rookie Jim Beattie became one of those unexpected Series heroes. On October 15, 1978, Beattie pitched a complete game against the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers to help the Yankees take a 3–2 Series lead. The crowd was stunned, so were the beat writers. Even the Yankees seemed surprised. For the Dodgers, it was a shocking defeat, one from which they would not recover.
Very Different Paths
New York and Los Angeles would be meeting for the second consecutive year. The ’77 Series had been a legendary matchup, punctuated by Reggie Jackson’s three homers in Game 6 to clinch it. At the start of the ’78 season, both teams were expected to repeat.
Confidence
The Dodgers were looking for redemption in 1978. The Series loss haunted them all off-season. Luckily, the team remained relatively intact. Tommy Lasorda, who became manager in 1976, had the team in their third World Series in five years. The bullpen had been strengthened in the offseason. Their starting pitching was still some of the best, ably set up by one of the toughest catchers in the game, Steve Yeager. The all-star infield of Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey were still together, backed up by veteran outfielders like Rick Monday, Dusty Baker and Reggie Smith. They won the National League West again, but by just 2 ½ games over the still powerful Cincinnati Reds. Many on the roster had already played in multiple World Series without a ring. This team was hungry.
Chaos on 161st Street
Despite the elation of a World Series win, it did not carry over when the season started. The team was struggling throughout April and May. Manager Billy Martin seemed unable to right the ship and owner George Steinbrenner was a rather impatient man. Martin would be fired in June and replaced by former major league pitcher and Hall of Famer Bob Lemon, the total opposite in personality. Lemon, forever unruffled, would lead them to the Division title as New York formulated one of the most famous comebacks in baseball history.
It wasn’t all Martin’s fault. The team was wracked by turmoil and injuries; large egos became more inflated. The Yankees were a microcosm for New York City in the 1970s: battered, bruised but chugging along. Somehow, they regrouped and would go on to win 100 games.
With the Yankees 14 1/2 games back in mid-July, they managed to catch the Boston Red Sox, leading to a legendary one game playoff. New York would win on an unlikely three-run home run by Bucky Dent and go on to beat the Kansas City Royals once again in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).
The season took its toll on the roster. Beset by injuries, the Yanks would be without their starting second baseman Willie Randolph, who tore his hamstring. Regular first baseman Chris Chambliss and centerfielder Mickey Rivers were able to play but not at 100%. They would only be able to platoon.
Series of Dreams
Games 1 and 2
Sunny L.A. was not welcoming to the Yankees this time around. Ace Ron Guidry would not be able to go until Game 3, so 20-game winner Ed Figueroa would have to start. Not a bad option, but Ed had pitched 253 innings in 35 appearances, which included 12 complete games. Figueroa was tough but nursing a sore arm. It showed. He lasted an inning and a half, giving up 3 earned runs on 5 hits. Lemon pulled him for Ken Clay, who gave up four more runs. Paul Linblad and Dick Tidrow would fail to stop the blue wave, giving up another four runs, adding to a humiliating 11–5 defeat. Tommy John pitched well for the Dodgers, going 7 2/3, giving up 3 earned runs. But in a sign of things come, L.A. committed two errors.
Game 2 lives in infamy for Yankee fans. The 9th inning confrontation between rookie Bob Welch and Dodger nemesis Reggie Jackson is one of the most memorable in World Series history. Veteran Catfish Hunter gave up four earned runs on seven hits in just 6 innings. 19-game winner Burt Hooten also managed just six innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 8 hits. Ron Cey’s three run homer in the sixth gave the Dodgers the lead for good. But the Yankees got two men on in the 9th; Reggie Jackson at the plate, two out. Welch would strike him out after a tense 11-pitch duel. L.A. was now up 2–0 and looking unstoppable.
Games 3 and 4
Despite the 2–0 deficit, the Yankees were confident. 25-game winner Ron Guidry was taking the mound for Game 3. He delivered a complete game, giving up 8 hits, but just one run. The Yankees rocked Don Sutton for 5 runs on 9 hits with a homer by Roy White.
Game 4 would be much closer, going into extra innings. Tommy John pitched well again, giving up three runs on just six hits. Ed Figueroa was back, but the results were the same. Though he only gave up four hits, one would be a three-run homer to Reggie Smith. He walked four as well and was taken out after the fifth inning. The Yankees battled back to tie the game. In the 10th, Lasorda once again called on Bob Welch. But he walked Roy White and gave up singles to Jackson and Piniella. Yanks won 4–3.
Game 5
Sunday, October 15th, had started out as a beautiful northeast fall day. But the crisp, dry air gave way to dark clouds. A sudden bout of rain marred the afternoon and delayed the start of the game until 4:30, when sunlight burst through the clouds again. The high of 53 degrees would drop quickly to a chilly 44 after sundown. The Dodgers would clearly feel it and the 56,000 plus crowd made it even tougher. Davey Lopes, in particular, really hated Yankee Stadium, saying, “they should drop a bomb on this place.” With the Series now tied, momentum was with the Yankees, though apprehension reigned among the fanbase.
Hooten took the mound again for the Dodgers. With an ERA of 2.71, he had one of the best seasons of his career and was looking to make up for a weak performance in Game 2. Beattie, on the other hand, had mixed results all season long. He went 6–9 with a 3.73 ERA in 25 appearances, though striking out more than he walked. He had come through in the ALCS against the Royals, two-hitting a very good lineup, giving up just one earned run in five and one third innings.
The Yankee lineup would once again be a patchwork of veterans, rookies and role players. Chambliss and Randolph were replaced by former Gold Glove winner Jim Spencer and the scrappy Brian Doyle at second base.
Spencer, known mostly for his defense, had come over from the White Sox in the offseason, hitting just .227 in 150 at bats. Doyle, a rookie, had been a pleasant surprise this postseason but he had gotten just 10 hits in 52 at bats in the regular season. His bat came alive during the ALCS, getting a couple of key hits and played a strong second base when needed. The weak hitting returned against the Dodgers, getting just one hit in the first four games. But his defense had again been flawless and that is all the Yankees wanted out of him.
However, anchoring the right side of the infield would be Fenway hero Bucky Dent and third baseman Graig Nettles, hero of Game 3 for having saved at least four runs with his defense. A very hobbled Mickey Rivers would continue in centerfield, but his status was inning to inning. “Sweet” Lou Piniella, a fan favorite, remained in right field. Most importantly, they still had perennial All Stars Reggie Jackson, already a legend, as well as team captain, Thurman Munson. Even an iron man like Munson was nursing a bum knee that would require surgery after the season.
The Yankee outfielders were late taking the field. Home plate umpire Frank Pulli was getting annoyed. Fans were already restless. Finally, out came a limping Rivers along with Lou Piniella, who couldn’t find his sunglasses. It was an inauspicious start. The NBC broadcast team of Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek were confused. Later, Garagiola summed up the team as only he could: “Even when they’re winning, they look like they’re losing.”
On A Night Like This
Davey Lopes lead off for Los Angeles. He had been having a good Series and tonight would be no different. He singled to right field and then stole second base. Beattie came back with a pitch that handcuffed Bill Russell, flying out to right field. But Reggie Smith then singled, scoring Lopes; Smith would reach second on the throw home. The struggling Steve Garvey groundout and then Ron Cey struck out. Damage had been done, but it was limited.
Over the next two innings, Beattie would give up two singles, a double and walk, leading to another run by the Dodgers. As the Yankees rolled into the bottom of the third, they were down 2–0 with Rivers having the only hit. Coming from behind was nothing new for the Yankees, it was just another game.
Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
Bucky Dent led off the inning with a base hit. Rivers then singled to left field. Runners at first and second for longtime Yankee Roy White, who had begun his Yankee career in 1966, singled to drive home Dent and get Rivers to second. Then a double steal by Rivers and White set up second and third. None out. Munson then singled both men home and reached third because of an errant throw by Reggie Smith in right field.
Hooten got a momentary reprieve by striking out Jackson. But Piniella singled, driving home Munson. That was enough for manager Tommy Lasorda, who hopped out of the dugout to change pitchers. Lance Rautzhan came in and got Graig Nettles to bounce into a double play. Yankees now led 4–2. The inning was over, but the rout was just beginning.
This Wheel’s on Fire
After Beattie retired the Dodgers 1–2–3 in the top of the 4th, the carnage continued in the bottom half of the inning. Doyle, Dent and Rivers hit three consecutive singles with one out, making it 5–2. L.A. was falling apart. Even on a seemingly simple play, things did not go right. White grounded to Garvey who made the put out, but then tried to get Dent at home. The throw went wild. Rivers went to third.
Lasorda ran out again for a pitching change. This time it was knuckleballer Charlie Hough. Maybe a change of pace would help. It didn’t. Munson singled home Rivers making it 7–2. Then Hough walked Jackson. Finally, he got Piniella on a flyball to center.
Beattie continued to lockdown the Dodgers and the Yankees were not done driving runs home. In the bottom of the 7th, they rocked Hough for four more with singles by Spencer, Doyle, and White as well as a double by Munson. Paul Blair would pinch run for Rivers and replace him in centerfield. Along the way, there was a passed ball by Yeager and wild pitch by Hough. The Yankees would get one more in the 8th to make it 12–2.
Tangled Up in Blue
The Dodgers had no answers for their rookie opponent. Though they would manage 9 hits, they could not put a rally together. As Beattie took the mound for the 9th, the crowd was on its feet. Bob Lemon had made some defensive changes with Gary Thomasson in left field, Jay Johnstone in right and Paul Blair in centerfield.
This moment had been building for several innings. Dodger players looked resigned to the inevitable; shoulders slumped, heads down. Backup catcher Johnny Oates, who had pinch hit for Yeager in the 7th, refused to go down without a fight. He led off with a single to centerfield. Davey Lopes was next up. He was two for three on the night with a walk. But he quickly bounced into a double play. Two out and the roar of the crowd was deafening. The centerfield cameras shook from the swirling breeze and excited crowd. Beattie took a deep breath and stepped back on the rubber to face Bill Russell. It only took one pitch as he hit it right back to Beattie, who tossed it to Jim Spencer. Game over.
Spencer leapt into Beattie’s arms. His teammates mobbed him. Fans ran on the field and Beattie had to be escorted off the field by security. It had been a stunning three days for both teams. Shock was evident as the NBC cameras panned the visitors’ dugout.
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
The Yankees’ momentum could not be stopped in Game 6. Though the Dodger Stadium crowd was raucous, they were also nervous and rightly so. It would be another triumph for the comeback kids. New York clinched the Series with a 7–2 victory. Reggie Jackson got his revenge off Bob Welch, taking him deep in the 7th. Brian Doyle, a lifetime .161 hitter, batted .438 with seven hits. Bucky Dent, who batted .417 with 10 hits, was named Series MVP.
Despite the turmoil and injuries, this battered group was clutch. Munson, Piniella, Rivers, White, Doyle, Spencer, Dent and Jackson all came through when it mattered, battling back each time. They were the first team in MLB history to win four straight games in a Series after losing the first two.
For Jim Beattie, it was the night of his life and career. Like many in this game, his time in New York was short. Traded at the end of the ’79 season to the Seattle Mariners, he would play seven seasons in the Northwest. After being released in 1986, he decided to retire and earned a master’s degree from the University of Washington. Then he returned to the M’s as player development director and would hold various jobs throughout MLB over the next 20 years before retiring.
Beattie’s career numbers are nothing much to write about: 52–87, with a 4.17 ERA. But the only record he needs to talk about is 2–0, his record in the 1978 postseason.
Regardless of ability, some just rise to the occasion. Despite winning only a couple of big games as a Yankee, Beattie remains a New York legend. Nothing can ever take away the adoration of the Yankee fanbase. When someone asks him what he did for work, his response can be simple: “I was a Yankee, and I won a World Series.”
Author’s Note
The number 19 patch worn by the Dodgers during the Series was due to the sudden death of first base coach Jim Gilliam. He had passed just before the Series and the funeral was on October 11, the day of Game 2. The grief was palpable. Giliam was a long time Dodger player and coach in their system. Those who had come up in the L.A. farm system had close relationships with him. Davey Lopes was especially tight with Gilliam, and many believe his excellent performance in the Series was driven by this pain.
Sources
Articles
Abel, Allen. “Dodgers want it real bad.” The Globe and Mail (Toronto); October 11, 1978: P. 33. ProQuest Historical Newspapers, King County Library System (kcls.org).
Fimrite, Ron. “No Place Like Home.” Sports Illustrated, October 23, 1978, (Pg 20 in print edition). https://vault.si.com/vault/.
Golla, James. “Harmonious atmosphere in Los Angeles Dodgers match John against Figueroa in opener.” The Globe and Mail (Toronto); October 10, 1978: P.35. ProQuest Historical Newspapers, King County Library System (kcls.org).
Golla, James. “Dodgers go 2 up on Cey’s homer; Rookie pitcher fans Jackson to stop Yankees.” The Globe and Mail (Toronto); October 12, 1978: P. 49. ProQuest Historical Newspapers, King County Library System (kcls.org).
“Same teams, new series. Figueroa, Hooton start in big one.” The Globe and Mail (Toronto), October 9, 1978: P. S3. ProQuest Historical Newspapers, King County Library System (kcls.org).
Websites
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basball-reference.com
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