Scratching a 98-Year Itch

History strikes out as the Phillies finally win a Series

"On the whole," W.C. Fields asserted as his epitaph, "I'd rather be in Philadelphia." That was easy for Fields to say; he was not a baseball fan. No team in the majors has had as long or luckless a history as the Philadelphia Phillies. In 98 years, the Quaker City also-rans contrived to reach the World Series just three times. In 1915 the Phillies were whipped by the Boston Red Sox, four games to one. The last Philadelphia entry, the 1950 Whiz Kids, fizzled in four straight games to the New York Yankees. Until this year the Phillies managed to win fewer World Series games (one) than Thoroughbred fillies managed to win Kentucky Derbys (two).

Last week the long wait for a winner finally ended. Having folded, spindled and mutilated their hopes for nearly a century, the Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals, four games to two, to become world champions. If the Phillies have changed, so have the times. In an era when vandalism has replaced simple celebration, Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium looked like a banana republic during the final game. More than 600 policemen —some mounted on horseback, others hauling on the leashes of snarling attack dogs—surrounded the field during the final inning. With 65,838 fans thus held at bay, Relief Pitcher Tug McGraw threw a third-strike pitch past Royals' Outfielder Willie Wilson with the bases loaded for the last out, and the title belonged to Manager Dallas Green's team.

For all the dramatics in Philadelphia, the Series had actually been won two days earlier in Kansas City, when the Phillies staged a ninth-inning rally to win the fifth game, 4-3. Philadelphia Third Baseman Mike Schmidt, who was later chosen the Series Most Valuable Player, smashed a line drive past George Brett, his Royals counterpart. Brett dove for the ball, but it glanced off his glove and the comeback had begun. With the help of Pinch-Hitter Del Unser, who slammed a double beyond the flailing reach of Royals' First Baseman Willie Aikens, the Phillies turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead. McGraw came on to shut the door on the Royals, striking out Rightfielder Jose Cardenal, again with the bases loaded.

Returning to Philadelphia, Kansas City had to face Phillies Ace Steve Carlton in the sixth game. The left-handed Carlton—odds-on choice for his third Cy Young Award as the National League's top pitcher with a 24-9 regular season record—beat the Royals in the second game, striking out seven batters. Equally important, he kept the Royals' fleet base runners back on their heels with one of the best pick-off throws in the game. Fretted Royals' Manager Jim Frey:

";Any time they call a guy 'Lefty,' you know you got trouble."

The Royals had trouble until the eighth inning, when they finally scored a run off Carlton. But for the second time McGraw managed to eke out a save, aided by an alley-oop catch by First Base man Pete Rose, who speared a pop-up bobbled by Catcher Bob Boone for a crucial ninth-inning out.