Give Praise!
The fightin’ Phils swept the Mets in Shea! Three glorious games. The Mets announcers said as much. Kieth Hernandez gushing over Chase Utley like he was one of Chase’s Chicks.
Off to KC (site of game 5 of the 1980 World Series, the most intense World Series game ever played) to pad our record!!
I’ve noticed you’ll find it difficult to get the correct quote below online. After winning the World Series in 1980, the Phillies came out with a souvenir record, The Phantastic Phillies, to commemorate the event, their first championship in 97 years as a team. The record’s sides are split A. regular season and B. post season. The problem was that the Phillies radio station did not have rights to broadcast the World Series that year, so basically when you flip from the excitement of the Phillies edging out the Expos to take the division (don’t laugh, the 1980 Expos were a great team), you get Harry Kalas in a studio recreating the dramatic post season comebacks over a track of generic fan noise. In short, awful.
What makes matters worse is that Tug McGraw’s barely controversial speech to end the victory parade in JFK stadium was censored, and played on the record as follows:
“All through baseball history, Philadelphia’s had to take a back seat to New York City. Well New York City, [sudden inexplicable break in fan noise followed up by voice sounding vaguely like Tug McGraw] today is our day.”
When in reality, I remember very clearly, thanks to the newscasts on channels 3, 6, and 10 repeating it ad nauseum on the evening after the parade, that what he really said was:
“All through baseball history, Philadelphia’s had to take a back seat to New York City. Well New York City can take this World Series and stick it! Cause we’re number one!”
This is the year! Again.