1978 WS...Game 4
My most memorable game was game 4 of the 1978 world series...Dodgers v Yankees...in the bronx. Starters Ed Figueroa and Tommy John were locked in a scoreless duel before Reggie Smith struck with a three-run homer in the top of the fifth. John continued his shutout through the fifth, but, in the Yankees' half of the sixth, things got a little crazy.
Reggie Jackson finally got the Yankees on the board with a one-out RBI single. With Thurman Munson on second and Jackson on first, Lou Piniella hit a low, soft liner that shortstop Bill Russell fumbled (some claim intentionally). Russell recovered the ball and stepped on second to force Jackson, but his attempted throw to first to complete the double play struck a confused Jackson in the right hip and caromed into foul territory. Munson scored, partially because first baseman Steve Garvey stopped to yell at the first-base umpire over the non-interference call before retrieving the ball. The Dodgers' protests went for naught but would not had been necessary if Russell had made the proper play. Thinking Russell was going to catch Piniella's liner, Munson retreated to second and was thisclose to Russell when Russell stepped on second and threw to first. The inning would have been over if Russell had tagged Munson (out# 2) and stepped on second (out# 3) and the score would have remained 3-0, instead the score was then 3-2.
The Yankees tied it in the eighth when Munson doubled home Paul Blair. The score remained tied until the bottom of the tenth. Dodger rookie and Game 2 hero Bob Welch walked Roy White with one out. After Welch retired Munson, Jackson strode to the plate for his first confrontation with Welch since Game 2. This time, Reggie got the better end by singling White to second. Lou Piniella then lined a single to center, scoring White and tying the Series.
The bungled Russell/Jackson play changed the entire Series; instead of the Dodgers going up 3-1 in games, the Series was then tied and the momentum shifted to the Yankees who outscored the Dodgers 19-4 in the final two games.
And if this wasn't enough...I caught a foul ball off the bat of Reggie Smith. What a game for a 9 yr old!
pete ullman
|