• World Series: Howard’s End
    NEW YORK—In 1983, Mike Schmidt had one of those playoff series that people remember forever. In four games against the Dodgers in the NLCS, he very well could have been the MVP if ol’ Sarge Matthews hadn’t hit three homers and driven in eight runs in four games. The fact of the matter is that Schmidt [...]
  • Word Series: Dynasty delayed
    NEW YORK—The scene always looks so solemn on television. After the final out of the World Series the winners dance, whoop it up and dump gallons of champagne and beer all over each other in some sort of bizarre and borderline illegal ritual. It’s always a weird place to be no matter the circumstance and reminds [...]
  • World Series: When Reggie met Chase
    NEW YORK—When people think of Reggie Jackson’s baseball career, inevitably the three-homer performance in Game 6 of the 1977 is the first moment that comes to mind. Three pitches have not just defined a man’s professional career, but also his life. Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth are the only players to hit three home runs in [...]
  • Running through Ryan’s park
    NEW YORK—There is nothing to indicate where the exact spot occurred, but for those who take their runs through Central Park, they don’t need a marker or some sort of designation for where it happened. We can feel it. Just north of the Boat House, approximately the 5.5 mile mark of the men’s marathon Olympic Trials that [...]
  • World Series: Betting on Hamels in Game 7
    NEW YORK—The sun was due to hit the horizon at any minute. At least that’s what I’d heard. The month of October is a blur when you’re chasing around a baseball team. In fact, another writer pointed out that yesterday was Monday and I stared at him for a long moment. It didn’t feel like [...]
  • World Series: Mr. October meets Mr. November
    Posted in World Series Tagged: Chase Utley, Reggie Jackson
  • World Series: Damon’s double steal all flash
    PHILADELPHIA—Already they are saying it might be the most clutch play in recent World Series history. Strangely, that’s not just from the hyperbolic New York press who has the innate ability to turn even the most mediocre ballplayers into Hall of Famers. No, the lauding of Johnny Damon’s one-man, one-pitch double steal has been pretty universal. [...]
  • World Series: Bad beats
    PHILADELPHIA—For a franchise that has lost more games than any other team in pro sports history, the Phillies have suffered through more than their fair share of humiliating defeats. In fact, if Philadelphia were the hoity-toity center of arts and letters like Boston and New York, there would be books, poems, curses and movies produced [...]
  • World Series: Catch him if you can
    Posted in World Series
  • World Series: Charlie’s big gamble
    PHILADELPHIA—No matter what else happens, Charlie Manuel will be remembered as the second man to win a World Series for the Phillies. Since 1883 and after 50 previous managers, only Charlie and Dallas Green have hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of the season. So whatever happens after the 2008 World Series, Charlie’s legacy is [...]