They Never Had a Chance

 

(Photo: Getty Images)

It's going pretty well in Philadelphia for the Phillies as I start writing tonight. They've hit five home runs and are rolling.

That makes for a (possibly) more dramatic World Series, as opposed to the Astros rout that I feared.

The World Series also gives me a taste of nostalgia.

The first World Series I remember watching was in 1975 but I don't doubt that I caught glimpses of the ones before that. I'm fairly certain the 1973 affair between the A's and Mets was on the TV in our living room.

But '75 was a crazy seven-game series for the Red Sox and Reds. Cincinnati was trying to win their first title since 1940 while Boston was looking for that elusive first championship since 1918.

You probably know that it took Bernie Carbo to tie the classic Game 6 with a home run before Carlton Fisk waved his 12th inning blast down the left field line fair. The Red Sox won to force a seventh game. That was also a classic as the Reds scored one in the ninth and held on to win.

Carlton Fisk waves the ball fair in 1975

The next year gave the World Series a whole new feeling for me.

The Yankees were in it.

The Bombers won a nasty five-game ALCS over Kansas City on the Chris Chambliss walk-off before arriving in Cincinnati for Game 1 two days later.

Bedlam happened seconds later and the Yankees went to Cincinnati

There's a pretty famous story about the Pittsburgh Pirates watching the Yankees take batting practice before Game 1 of the 1927 World Series. The story -- legend or otherwise -- says that the Buccos watched Ruth, Gehrig, and the rest of "Murderer's Row" take their hacks and realized the series was over.

Oh, and it was. The Yankees swept the Pirates.

Well, the 1976 Yankees weren't like the Pirates but, looking back, it feels like the World Series was over as Chambliss was fighting his way around the bases in New York.

This was "The Big Red Machine" with a lineup of Pete Rose, Ken Griffey (Sr.), Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Dan Driessen, George Foster, Johnny Bench, Cesar Geronimo, and Dave Concepcion. Don Gullet was their starting pitcher.

Don't get me wrong, the Yankees had talent with Chambliss and Graig Nettles and Mickey Rivers and Roy White and Willie Randolph, and, of course, Thurman Munson.

Yet, just comprising the lineups, the Reds have three Hall of Famers (plus Pete Rose) while the Yankees have none.

That doesn't indicate how the series will turn out but it doesn't help. Plus this was the fourth World Series for the Reds of the 70s (1970, 1972, along with '75 and '76) while the Yankees hadn't been to the Fall Classic since 1964 when they lost to the Cardinals. Mickey Mantle was on that team.

Mickey Mantle wasn't on this team.

The '76 Reds were one of the great teams of all-time and it was simply their year. I can tell you that as a grown man.

As a not-quite eight-year-old in New York, well, that was a different story.

It was a sweep. The Reds outscored the Yankees 22-8.

And while I don't see red when I think of them anymore, I do still remember just how much I detested the Reds for a few years after that.

I recall a cousin of mine had a handwritten poster denouncing the Reds in his room.

I knew that feeling.

Oh, I didn't like Johnny Bench or anyone else associated with the Cincinnati Reds either. But Bench especially earned my ire because 1) the Yankees had Thurman Munson and 2) there was the perceived insult from Reds' manager Sparky Anderson towards Munson.

Thurman loved feeding off being dissed, as Anderson said nobody compared to Bench -- even Thurman. So Thurman, despite getting destroyed in the series, hit .529. There's a famous piece of recorded audio of Anderson on the mound at Yankee Stadium singing Thurman's praises.

That was "our" guy. Nobody messed with Thurman.

I've long gotten over it. Then again, Reggie Jackson and three swings the following fall made the sting of the '76 blowout a little easier. Winning tends to do that.

But, with that 1976 World Series, I truly began to understand the majesty of the Fall Classic. It wasn't long after that I commenced studying the history of the sport.

See, that's the thing. Yankees fans get mocked for our dropping of "27 rings" as our badge of honor. But can you actively discuss all 27 rings? 

I can. 

With those formative years of watching the Series, plus going to the Hall of Fame, and acquiring the books that I'd inhale, I moved towards a better understanding.

Thus I could spend time on the 1914 Classic (Braves/Athletics) on "Doubleheader" today before I quickly reminded myself that I was putting my audience to sleep.

Well, maybe not, but probably not far off.

Game 3 continues in Philly as I wrap up.

It's my 47th* World Series and I love it.

*Yes, 47th, because of the selfishness of 1994.