Turn Back The Clock...1979

downgoesfrazier

AUGUST 7, 1979 This Week In Basebal...

Here are some memories for the 30-something crowd that were aired this morning on Classic Sports if you missed it...

In Houston, the Astros are second to last in scoring and have hit a major-league fewest 39 homers, but still lead the NL West with amazing pitching and terrific defense. They lead the majors in both categories. The pitching staff is led by JR Richard who's 197 strikeouts are a ML high to date. The highlights of his splitter are outrageous! Also, the highlights include the Astros running at will on the Braves Joe Nolan...what a puss-arm! The most interesting highlight is a throw to first base that shows DALE MURPHY on the receiving end of it. The Braves tried him at first after he proved he couldn't catch and later tried the outfield...third time's a charm!

Meanwhile, in Montreal, the slumping Expos have righted the first-place ship behind the leadership of Gary Carter (they show him blocking the plate against the mets and one poor Met appears to hit a brick wall and stops dead in his tracks...downright humerous!). The speed and power of Andre Dawson (This was the best youg player in baseball--hands down in 1979). People forget how fast and powerful he really was. They show him stealing second and taking third on an errant throw. He was Willie Mays-like in electricity. The timely hitting of Warren Cromartie. This was one TOUGH left-handed out! And the absolute CANNON of Ellis Valentine in right-field. The other night at dinner, Larry "King Kellogg" was asking me who had the best arm I ever saw. I said Ellis Valentine. This highlight confirms it. Bo Jackson had more power (hard to believe) but Valentine was so accurate. Kind of like Dwight Evans or Dawson on steroids...or was it crack in Ellis' case?!...too bad.

In Pittsburgh, the Pirates put some distance between themselves and the Phillies making the NL East a two-team race by beating the Phillies eight straight. Phil Garner's rampage in October seemed to begin during those two weekends as he hit over .500 and drove in three game winners. John Milner sealed the deal in the finale with a pinch-hit slam! You just gotta love those Pirate uniforms! I love the double-knit polyester bright colors of the day. I prefer the uniforms of today, but the double-knit pullovers define the era and give me the warm fuzzies! I'm the only guy alive, I think, that wishes the Astros were still wearing the "Orbit Rainbows" with orange hats and stirrups.

Meanwhile in Baltimore, or Bal-di-morr as Mel Allen called it, the O's are staying hotter than hot. They are winning at a freightening pace. Their percentage is the best since 1969 when...Baltimore had a great year. Defense, pitching and the long-ball are still the formula for Earl and the goldenrod jersey's seem destined for October baseball once again.

The "flavor of the month" is in Cleveland, where the Indians have won 10 straight bringing their record to .500 for the first time in years. Dave Garcia (their 15th manage in 24 years) seems to have these guys playing over their heads. Toby Harrah is carrying the team offensively as he's riding a 16-game hit streak with 22 extra-base hits. The Indians are everybody's pick as the next "Expos" (a team that has risen suddenly to perennial contention in the NL).

Now it's time for this week's Volkwagon Quiz brought to you buy the new Volkwagon Rabbitt, Dasher & Scirocco.
With the name Winnefred Nathan Remmerswaal, Boston's Win Remmerswaal has baseball's longest name. Can you name the shortest?

COMMERCIAL

Ed Ott, of the pittsburgh Pirates is the shortest name in all of baseball...

Making headlines this week was the induction of Warren Giles, Hack Wilson, and the Great Willie Mays to baseball's Hall of Fame. "Willie was not only a great baseball player--but a great American..." said one senile fan TWIB interviewed .

And, finally in New York, fans mourn the loss of their teams heart and soul. The Captain, Thurman Munson. As the largest crowd of the Summer gathers for Thurman Munson night, a moment of silence is to be observed in Thurman's honor. Instead the crowd erupts in typical New York fashion into an ovation that can only be heard in the Bronx. An unreal 9-minute standing ovation. A tribute to the greatest Yankee of the day. That night, close friend and teammate Bobby Murcer, who delivered Thurman's eulogy, homered (his first since returning to New York) and doubled in the game winner. A stylish tribute to be sure.


Some observations...

Baseball was just better somehow. There was more day baseball on the highlight reel. There was no gaudy advertising behind home-plate to distract. Don't kid yourselves, you don't know how distracting and offensive that advertising is until you see the game again WITHOUT it.
The game had more color and personality as I could remember how the teams stuck together longer. You could remember that the reason the Braves were reuctant to move Dale Murphy to the outfield were guys like Rowland Office, Jeff Burroughs, Barry Bonnell and Gary Matthews. Those were some pretty good players. How many teams that you don't follow can you name the fourth outfielder on today???
The Red Sox had awesome uniforms. The road grays just said BOSTON in "varsity" style dark navy letters. Only their socks were red...cool.
The crowds were more festive and team-oriented. The corporate, suburban folks had yet to make the ballpark a dumping ground for chit-chat and beer drinking. It was a freakin' BALLGAME! Finally, I really miss Mel Allen.

I hope you enjoyed the flash-back. I'll do these occasionally if you guys like 'em. Enjoy your memories.



dgf

ajw

DGF, I love it when I catch TWIB on tv. I remember watching TWIB and "The Baseball Bunch" every Saturday when I was a kid. Awesome stuff.

(FWIW, there's no empirical evidence that baseball players switch teams any more or less often today than they did in 1979 or 1949 or 1909. They always switched teams a lot. The only difference is that in the last 35 years players can switch teams when *they* want to, not when their owners have decided they are no longer wanted.)

downgoesfrazier

ajw,
It would be a lengthy study, but I disagree. Players, I believe, do have less longevity in one uniform...certainly the core players. People make a big deal over players remaining in the same infield today for anything over three years. Heck, my MOM could name the Dodgers infield of the 70's. Maybe it just SEEMS that way, but a real study would be interesting.

dgf

Knopfler

DGF,

There's two of us that would like to see the old Astro's uni's back. I've been thinking of buying one the last few years, but haven't got around to it. Love Cromaritie. I still remember him playing for the Royals, hitting over .300 after spending like 10 years in Japan. Excellent work.

Dallas88

I remember The Baseball Bunch, with Johnny Bench, on TV at like 6:00am on saturdays! I would look forward to that show starting Fri. evening!

Good memories DGF!

'79 - dang, back when the Royals were good.....

Dal

tnfan67

Hey, dgf, count me in on bringing back the old Astro uniform. I used to love TWIB. That was when baseball was truly fun to watch! I remember looking forward to the Saturday game of the week so much back then. Hey, remember the old Pirate yellow uniform that they still sometimes wear on turn back the clock game promotions? Great work!

Kid4hof03

dgf,
Great thread! I happen to be a TWIB addict myself. Mentioning the Baseball Bunch makes this one of my all time favorite threads.

I can't believe I missed this episode, it has the bulk of my favorite players featured. Nothing like Gary Carter blocking the plate, J.R. Richard striking out batters and Andre Dawson doing everything! If only Reggie had hit a homer or two it'd be heaven for me!

I agree with your assessment of the game being better then. Just today I was thinking about the fact that I am much less of a sports fan today than I used to be. Truth is, I would rather go to a great card show than a game today. I officially swore off the NBA after the Detroit/Indiana debacle (they actually just gave me a good reason, I've grown to despise the game they play over the past 5 years). I still love baseball but each season I find that I enjoy the the game played today and the players that play it less and less. Bring back the rainbow Astros uni's, the brown and yellow Padres and the all yellow jersey/pant combo of the Pirates!

Abe

ajw

Agreed, 70's unis were cool. Well, some of them, at least.

I don't think *anyone* would say this Pirates uni was a good look.



DGF, I have to admit that I was wrong. Bill James did a study of player retention that showed it was remarkably consistent up to 1990. Then the retention rate went down. It didn't change a ton, but it was noticeable. I guess I over-reacted to a "my favorite sport/music/newspaper/whatever was better when I was younger" statement.

The quality of play in Major League Baseball has never been better. Improved training, medicine and scouting has combined with a vastly increased player pool to give us the best any baseball fan has ever seen. The players may not be a likeable as they were once upon a time, but they are better players. (And, were Anson/Cobb/Williams really any more likeable than Bonds or Howe?)

Do note that I, also, LOVE TWIB and the Baseball Bunch. I love them because they were a part of my childhood baseball education. I'll always have a soft spot for the powder blue Brewer uniforms and the 1984 Topps design. I also try to be honest with myself in admitting that I'm looking at history through rose colored glasses. It's ok to love your memories. Just don't make the mistake of not appreciating today's amazing baseball players. (That wasn't directed at anyone in particular...just a general comment.)

(Sorry for the big image...if you haven't seen it, you should check out si.com's cover search feature. It's awesome. Nice, big images of every SI cover ever mailed. SI Cover Search)

Kid4hof03

Well, I guess I'll be "anyone" I love the Pirates uni's. I will also admit that much of the reason I love them is sentimental.

I will disagree however with the statement that this is the best baseball we've ever seen. These are the greatest power hitters we've ever seen, but, in my opinion the game is not played nearly as well. Pitching is much worse today than it was 20 years ago. Expansion is a big reason, there are too many teams so there are guys in the big leagues that just don't belong there. Guys are rushed through the minor leagues because of enromous signing bonuses and they get to the bigs without being ready. Have you noticed that very few guys can bunt? Stolen base numbers are way down, defense is not nearly as good. I think it really is in the eye of the beholder.

You see, I much prefer watching a 9 inning game played in 2-21/2 hours that ends 3 to 2 with no home runs but several double plays, a handful of stolen bases and a single to score the man from second to win the game. I'm only 32 years old so I can't be that big of an old fart yet, and I just don't believe that I'm living in "the good old days" I just don't like the way the game is played. The players are bigger, stronger and on a whole probably faster, but I don't agree that they are better baseball players, just better athletes.

Abe

WinPitcher

the more things change in baseball the more they stay the same.

ajw

Kid, do you actually like the combination Parker's wearing? It looks like he got dressed in the dark.

Kid4hof03

Yes I really do like the combination, but as i said earlier, it is mostly sentimental. For me, those years are just great, I love the players from that era, the teams, they style of play. Really, the only thing I dislike about that era is the stadiums.

Abe

downgoesfrazier

I dig the outfit the Cobra's wearing. I also like it primarily for sentimental reasons, but I really like the unique quality some of the poly-knits had. The colors were all due to color-TV and the hope they would attract viewers.

As I make my living coaching and at one point playing baseball, I can honestly say that the game is played VERY poorly over the past 10 years as compared with the twenty years prior. The erosion seemed to begin in the late 80's and continues today. The game moves in cycles. There wasn't a ton of "small-ball" in the 30's or 50's as power dominated the game. The 60's was pitching and the 70's was speed and defense and situational play. A prime reason for the injection of speed in the 70's was the advent of many turf fields. Speed became a premium tool. Today's athletes are the greatest of any era. Period. There is absolutely no debate that would be worthwhile. This much is absolutely true. There are players I really love to watch. I think Manny is the best pure hitter I've seen in years and Bonds is awesome beyond belief. Scott Rolen is one of the best players of this generation--he can do it ALL and there are countless others who shine at all aspects of the game. The difference doesn't show up in the super-stars, it shows up in the situational role players and 300 AB guys and the defensive guys and the productive out-makers. These are the guys that turn a hit single into an album! These guys make your TEAM. Everybody's looking to get the ball in the air. This isn't a case of the older you are, the better you were. It really is played poorly overall. The Yankees and Cardinals didn't even bother to BUNT on Schilling! I know that Thurman would have laid one down to show his team what it was going to take. I have complete games--world series games-- on tape where he did just that. The mentality is no longer "put pressure on the defense and make the pitcher work". It's more like "let's catch lightning in a bottle".

Also, I think it is unfortunate that even at the HS level, my athletes are getting more and more difficult to coach and fail to execute--or to even understand the purpose behind the things we do. When I started coaching, we had systems that were implemented in the fall. We would seek the parts to fill those systems at try-outs and develop a PROGRAM. It would take a year or two to get it rolling and then BAM you had athletes that understood the expectations and worked at the little things. Now, with ESPN showing one bomb after another and all the dietary supplements, personal trainers, and weight programs, it's all about the long ball. Every time I attempt to place a kid who plays a corner at a college, the coach asks "how many jacks". I got asked about a catchers BAT before anything else last spring by a coach that I respect at the D-1 level...a Nationally ranked program. He never bothered to ask about leadership, game calling, throwing, blocking, etc. Let me tell you, the first time he's knotted at 3 with a loss standing on third base and the guy he's got out the is ready to bounce a slider (his best pitch) he knows can get the hitter, he's not going to be too concerned about how well his catcher hits. That's baseball in 2004. The mentality is different and perhaps it will cycle again and the game will revert back toward the game I sorely miss. I'm with the "Kid" on this one all the way.


dgf

helionaut

I loved the Astros rainbow unis. I had one of their shirts when I was a kid.

I liked one of the Pirates combinations, the yellow jersey with black pants. They had something like 6 uniform sets and so had 36 different top-bottom combinations. Plus the ringed stove-pipe hats. Check out 1978 Topps #661 Grant Jackson. He's wearing a black jacket with yellow diamonds down the sleeves. I could be wrong as it has a "P" logo on it, but I don't think it's an official team jacket, just something with team colors that he thought was cool. I don't recall seeing anyone else wearing one. Back before everything was standardized and merchandised. I seem to recall a 1976 Topps card with a similar photo, too.

The Expos teams of the late-70s to early-80s were scary good, but somehow never got through a season on top. Bad luck with labor situations both times, I think. Dawson was a real star, and Carter became the best catcher in the game once Bench started to slip, really one of the best overall players. I remember one of the papers had a big picture of an out that Carter made by catching a bunt from a Phillies pitcher. Somehow he stuck his glove out on the ground and caught the ball bunted straight down for the final out of the game, IIRC. What a player. God, I hated him and his big face and his curly hair.

The quality of baseball debate is all a matter of perspective, what we grew up with. The small-ball/speed stats are down today because most every team is on the 2-walks-and-a-3-run-homer plan. If Lou Piniella turned them loose, Joey Gathright, Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, and BJ Upton could probably steal about 250-300 bases a season between them. But that's not how he plays the game (though maybe he should). And it's not how players have learned to hit in the last 10 years. Hitters have figured out that you can stand on the plate and drive the outside pitch, whereas low-and-away nibbling was always how you got big hitters out becasue they were standing off the plate waiting for an inside pitch to pull. Anyway, while the 3.5 hour game is not something I enjoy, owing as it does to the 9 pitching changes the average game has these days, there are good tradeoffs with the homerball game. When I'm out at a bar or even at home with the game on, and Barry Bonds or Mike Piazza or Ichiro come up, I absolutely must watch them hit. It gets no better than that. Conversely, I remember a game around 1982 where Rickey Henderson was stealing almost every base he saw. What does a runner do when he takes a lead and the pitch is thrown but he's not going? The runner will stand up from his stance, go back over and touch the bag, then get set again. Rickey stayed locked in his stance. He stayed in his crouch and stared at the pitcher and just dared him to throw over. Of course, the pitcher didn't, and even though everyone in the world knew he was going, Rickey stole second anyway. Sooner or later the pitchers will figure out how to dampen or work around or deal with the power surge and speed will be a primary asset again.

downgoesfrazier

helionaut,
Great perspectives. The Grant Jackson was a team issue. The Buccs had three jackets! I liked your thoughts. You are correct about the way pitchers work guys today. The strength of the situational players has changed the amount of "cripples" a pitcher can throw. I suppose it works both ways. The good news is, the teams that do the little things still win championships. Maybe the game is more one-dimensional across the board, but the teams on top of late are doing the little things pretty well. One thing that comes to mind of interest though is the missed bunt by Bellhorn that cost the Sox a victory...no matter, he homered his next at bat to make the difference. It's a strange game these days. It is more unpredictable and it gives folks more second-guessing ops. Heck, Steve Stone, the best analyst in the business was forced to resign as the Cubs wonderful players threatened to kick his a$$ for telling the truth about their sub-par play and praise of the opposition. Yeah, it's a great group of players these days...and we thought Parker was a shmuck for wearing an earring!


dgf