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The Kansas City Royals faced the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium for game 5 of the ALCS on October 14th, 1976.
The best of five series was tied at two games apiece.
This is the local New York broadcast of the final game of the series featuring announcers Frank Messer, Phil Rizzuto, and Bill White.
Alright, this is it. The whole season coming down at just one ball game.
And every mistake will be magnified and every great play will be magnified.
And it's a tough night for the players, I tell you.
I know last night, being in the same situation many times with the great Yankee teams of the past,
you stay awake and you dream and you think what might be if you're the hero or the ghost.
And it's really a tremendous amount of pressure on all the ball players and of course the manager, Billy Martin and Whitey Herzog.
We'll give it a starting lineup for the Kansas City Royals leading off in center field Al Collins.
Remember the Royals have been without their star center fielder, Amos Otis, since the first inning of the first game out in Kansas City when he sprained his ankle.
John Polkett will be in right field in bat second. At third base and batting third, George Brett.
Big John Mayberry hitting in the cleanup spot at first base. In left field and batting Chris Hal McRae.
Jamie Quirk, again the designated hitter. He did a fine job yesterday. He'll be batting in the sixth position.
Cookie Rojas, who had a fine game at second base, will be again at second base batting seventh.
The shortstop batting eighth, Freddie Patek and catching and batting ninth, Brock Martinez.
On the mound for Kansas City, Dennis Leonard.
All the New York Yankees leading off in center field, Mickey Rivers.
And Mickey, who has admitted himself he has had a very disappointing playoff so far.
Hoping for a big game tonight, the Yankees really need it. They need Mickey on base.
Roy White will be in left field and bat second.
Catching and batting Ferret Berman-Munson. At first base, hitting in the cleanup spot, Chris Chamberlain.
Carlos May will be the designated hitter, batting fifth.
At third base and batting sixth, Greg Nettles. And he has had an outstanding playoff series so far.
Oscar Gamble will be in right field batting seventh. At second base batting eighth, Willie Randolph.
And the shortstop batting ninth, Fred Stanley.
Fishing for the New York Yankees, Ed Figueroa.
High temperature, game time 54 degrees and I believe it went up a couple of degrees.
It was a lot colder than that about two hours ago.
And a jam-packed crowd.
I'll give you the umpires. Our friends will be calling balls and strikes. Larry McCoy at first.
Joe Brinkman at second. Larry Barnett at third.
George Maloney down the left field line and Bill Haller down the right field line.
As both bullpen crews are walking across center field out to their respective bullpens.
Which is situated out almost in dead center field and left center field.
And Gamble and Monson playing a little catch.
And the first ball of the night is going to be thrown out by the Yankee clubhouse man Pete Sheehy.
Who has spent more time here at Yankee Stadium than any other man alive.
Or who has passed away for that matter.
Pete Sheehy came in the early 20s. Or maybe the middle 20s.
The early 20s. And has been here ever since.
He has seen more great ball players come and go than any other person I guess in baseball.
Great years of murderous role for the Yankees. That was 1927.
And he's still in great shape.
He's a fixture around here. The Yankee ball players wouldn't know what to do without Pete Sheehy.
Yankees ready now as they stand down on the bottom of their dugout steps waiting to charge out on the field.
The Yankees are looking for their 30th pennant and the first since 1964.
And as I said if the Yankees win this ball park will be decorated with pennants that no other club has as many of that will be all around this ball park.
My Figueroa is just now getting to the Yankee dugout as he finishes warm ups out in center field.
And the Yankees are waiting until he's about ready and then charge out on the field.
And by the way this is Ed Figueroa's birthday. The Yankees take the field led by Greg Nettles out to third base.
It'll be Nettles at third. Stanley at short. Randolph at second.
Shambler at first. White in left. Rivers in center. Gamble in right. Munson catching. And Ed Figueroa out on the mound. Figueroa at 28 years old it is.
The Yankees leading winner in 1976 winning 19 and losing 10.
And now Pete G standing in the on deck circle. He better make a good throw to Munson or the ball players will really get all over him.
And here's Pete with the wind up and he throws a strike to Munson who will go over and flips it back to Pete.
And now Figueroa will take his warm up pitches and we'll be ready to go.
A lot of people can fantasize just think of themselves being out there in the position of these Yankee and Royal ball players.
How much this ball game means to each one. Not only the difference in money for each player but the prestige of getting into a World Series.
And trying to pull off those cocky Cincinnati Reds who have really been popping off.
I know the Yankees would love to get a shot at them. So would Kansas City.
A big hubbub and right from back of the Yankee dugout dead center. Kelly Savalas.
We might have to ask him to put a hat on his head. It's shining up here. Some glare.
But that's the thing lately. They say being bald is very sexy.
All right. I said it just about everybody you want to name be here.
And I carry Grant as a mystic aim here at Yankee Stadium in the playoffs. Frank Sinatra has been here.
And we're ready for the first pitch of the ball game as Al Collins will step in.
Collins so far in the series has three hits and 17 at bats. One triple. No runs batted in and he scored twice.
He's a good man to keep off the base pass though. He has two stolen bases.
The Royals have four stolen bases. Collins has two. Walters the other two.
Yet the man who leaves him his stolen bases has been thrown out every time he's tried to steal Freddie Potec.
Building up to the first pitch of the ball game. Collins deep in the box. Bigelow gets the sign from Munson.
Here's the first pitch and it's low and outside ball one as Collins glucks the bunch.
Bigelow swings into the windup and a bouncer off all plate and Randolph's going to have to hurry.
He gets it so they got him pretty play by Willie Randolph and that's one of the toughest plays for any infielder.
A Baltimore chop off all plate went about 30 feet in the air.
Willie had to get it on the first short hop and get rid of it in the same motion and did.
That youngster is Mr. Cool out there. We've got to give him a big star on the first play of the ball game.
Willie Randolph. Just a rookie but plays like he's been in the big leagues 10 years.
Here is Tom Pocet. Pocet batting 231 for the playoff three for 13 but he has two doubles and four runs batted in.
Left hand batter bounces it far outside of first strike one.
John Keller is the coach at third base and Steve Boros at first base for Whitey Herzog Kansas City Royals.
The next pitch is fouled just below it.
And one of the hits out in the luxury boxers gets a souvenir.
Pocet is 5'11, 175 pounds from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Again the Yankee outfield straight away. One out, nobody on. Two strikes to count on Pocet.
Bigger all line and the pitch just missed the outside corner. Man that was close to take.
On deck is George Brett. One ball, two strikes, there's the pitch.
He jammed them and he fouled it. Just got a piece of it fouled it down to third base line. Good pitch by Figueroa.
Pocet had a fine year batting 302 in a regular season but he was injured. Severely injured running into a wall which cut down his chances of being possibly the rookie of the year.
Still a ball and two strikes. One out, nobody on. Figueroa kicks his pitch.
Serve a little bit higher as Pocet started to off-rant and held up. And it's even at two and two.
Figueroa normally gets that breaking pitch down around the knees. That one was up just above the letters.
A 2-2 pitch, a foul.
Can you imagine all year we've been waiting for a foul ball. I finally get one two inches away and Lave Friedman gets his clumsily hands in the way. Thought he had a wrench.
There's a swing and a miss strike three.
And Figueroa gets a big strike out in the ball game. There are two outs.
And the batter now is George Brett. Brett batting 429 to the playoffs. 6 for 14. He scored twice as one triple and two runs batted in.
And of course over the regular season Brett led the American League in batting with a 333 average. 215 hits.
Two outs, nobody on. The pitch is outside ball one. Brett is six feet tall, 200 pounds from Blue Springs, Missouri.
A foul back in the crowd and out of play. Evens the count at one-on-one.
No way the butterflies are not floating around in the ball players tonight. All with the crowd.
With a big break slightly over the left center field now.
And the 1-1 pitch down low with a breaking pitch two and one. Right over near the line and left.
But is not playing quite as shallow here at the stadium as he did out in Kansas City. Brett did hit a line drive over Mickey's head. Mickey misjudged it slightly.
And it opened the gates for a big inning for the Royals. The 2-1 pitch. Power off the up by his test protector. Bounces all the way back to the mound.
Hard friends out to look at it. And he keeps it in play. The count is even at two and two. On deck big John Mayberry.
Big Rower. Appearing very cool, calm and collected out on the mound. Now he winds. And the pitch outside is three and two.
He tried to put a little extra on a fastball, dipping away from Brett. But missed the corner.
And the ball is out. Now the payoff pitch. Line base hit the right field. Might be extra bases. Gamble will be a double.
As Oscar comes up with the ball off the wall and Brett continues his not hitting. A double a right field as the Yankees were playing him to hit straight away.
He pulled the ball. And for Brett that's his seventh hit of the series. His first double of the series. And it brings up John Mayberry. And these Royals have been rough with two out in this series.
Mayberry just missed a grand slam homer in yesterday's ball game. He is 2-14 in this series. No extra bases and one run batted in.
They'll be very careful with Mr. Mayberry. The pitch is fouled out of play down the left field line back into the crowd.
Nettles and Stanley chase it down the line until it goes into the seat.
Two men are out as Brett goes back to second base.
Now the Yankees are deep and swung around towards right with Mayberry up there. No score. Top of the first two out.
Figueroa kick delivers it. Tying away one on one. On deck Hal McRae.
And let's see which stance McRae is going to use tonight. I believe he'll go to that straight up stance.
He had gone off at 10. Crouching and then stood up and hit three bullets. Two of them for base. This one Nettles made a great play.
One-one pitch. High drive to right. I don't know whether it'll be far enough. Gamble back to the wall. Leap.
Home running. Can't get it. A towering home run just over the wall.
And John Mayberry has put the Royals out in front two to nothing. And again after two are out these Royals have been tough.
He got a curve ball up to him and Mayberry gets his first extra base hit of the playoff.
Just out of the reach of Oscar Gamble who went back against the wall. Leap tie. Just barely cleared the fence.
But that's all you have to do and the Royals are out in front two to nothing.
And all this after two out. McRae takes the pitch down low ball one. McRae is standing straight up.
Figueroa delivers. It's in there. Strike called. One-on-one. The crowd noticeably silent now.
That was the first home run hit by the Royals in this playoff. McRae is two for 13. A double, a triple and one run batted in.
And a foul back and not a play in the upper deck.
That's it. That was a towering home run and you really had to wait.
Couldn't tell by the way Gamble played it whether it was going to be deep enough.
Two to nothing the Royals lead. And the curve swing and a missed strike three.
He gets it tough. McRae two strikeouts on the inning but two runs on two hits. No errors. Nobody left.
In the middle of the first the Royals two and the Yankees coming to back. On the mound for the Royals Dennis Leonard.
Leonard has appeared in one ball game. He worked two and a third innings giving up six hits and three runs. All of them earned.
He's had a fine year in a regular season.
And a New York boy by the way.
He lives in Sarasota Florida now but he's a New Yorker and his family comes to watch him pitch whenever he's on the mound.
Whether it's here in Kansas City, California, wherever.
So he'll be working the Mickey Rivers, Roy White and Fairman Munson.
Here in the bottom of the first inning the Yankees trailing two to nothing on a two run homer by John Maber.
Mickey Rivers in this series is four for eighteen. No extra bases. No runs batted in.
He has walked one, struck out one and has scored just twice. He does not have a stolen base. He tried one stolen base and was caught stealing.
And the Yankees need Mickey on the bases if they're going to win.
Buck Martinez fires the ball down his second baseman, Cookie Rojas and Rivers coming up ready to lead off.
Dennis Leonard is six one hundred ninety pounds.
Mickey bat at three twelve during the regular season.
George Brett moves in at third.
And away Mac Ray is in right field and Polkett in left field as the pitcher Rivers is fouled back and out of play.
And the ball is back on Mickey Rivers.
One one pitch a curve and the hit deep to left field. Polkett going back. He's not going to get it.
Mickey is fouled and one hop against the wall. And nobody else would have gotten a triple on the ball hit like that except Mickey Rivers.
So, Mickey gets the Yankees off and winging.
And Rivers said he was going to have his best night tonight. He's already done that.
And now Roy White. Listen to this clown. Roy White batting at two sixty seven is four for fifteen. Three doubles and two runs batted in.
And the Royals will play the infield back and give up a run.
Rivers leads off third. The stretch by Leonard. The pitch to White. A bouncing ball in the hole. Backhanded by Polkett. The long throw is low. White beats it out.
And infield whips. Rivers scores and it's two to one. Polkett went deep to the outfield grass to a one hop at a Mayberry.
But Roy White with a burst of speed beat it out.
And a run batted in for White. Rivers scores it's now the Royals two and the Yankees one. Nobody out and Roy White down the first base and a batter Thurman Munson.
Thurman Munson batting three eighty nine in the playoffs. Seven for eighteen. Two doubles one run batted in.
And now Galen Fisco the pitching coach is coming out.
And looking out towards the bullpen.
Looks like balls split off the left hander out in the bullpen. Normally Wiley Herzog comes out to make the pitching changes.
Double check out in the bullpen. And it looks like split off.
Bill Cain is going to check it for me.
It is Paul split off the big left hander.
And it doesn't look like they're going to take Dennis Leonard out. At least not right now. Maybe another base hit.
Leonard was the pitcher who started
The ball game.
With off came on and did such a great job in relief that the Royals won out in Kansas City.
Nobody out. Roy White at first base Thurman Munson the bat of the Royals leading two to one.
Here in the bottom of the first inning.
Mayberry holds the bag against White. There's a throw over there but Roy back easily.
And out is a green balloon rolls across home plate.
Leonard comes to the belt. Pitch to Munson down low ball line.
Yankees have had only two stolen bases in the playoffs.
Chris Chambliss has one believe it or not. Wiley ran down the other one.
On deck is Chambliss.
White leads off first. Leonard who takes a lot of time now comes second.
There goes White. Swing and a miss. The throw to second White has a stolen base.
Martinez could not get the ball out of his glove. The Yankees had to hit and run on.
And Martinez could not get the ball out of his glove. So White gets a stolen base.
And the Yankees have something going again here in the bottom of the first.
White second nobody out. A 1-1 count on Munson. Thurman trying to hit that ball to right field.
Oh a big break for the Yankees there as Martinez double pump.
Trying to get that ball out of his glove.
Boyle's two Yankees one bottom of the first.
Listen to this crowd.
White leads off second. Chris to Munson. Swing and a foul off the thin guards of the catcher.
It's one ball two strikes. Thurman again trying to shoot to right field.
And now Martinez goes out to have a chat with Leonard. Pats him on the back side and comes back.
That's Thurman a good two strike hitter. He really guards that play.
Leonard's going very hard tonight. He knows he goes as long as he can. They got a lot of other pitches in the both ends.
The right hander comes to the belt.
And the pick for Munson. Foul upstairs and out of play.
Good fastball that Thurman was trying to slice to right. Just got under it.
Two ball and two strikes on Munson.
Stream is flying all over the backstop on top of it.
And the volume builds up again. As Leonard checks Roy White.
Delivers to Munson a third bounce into home base hit.
Roy White going to have to stop at third base. And Munson's going to go to second. He's going to make it.
Good heads up base running by Munson. His Mayberry cut off the throw.
Dick Mauser hell wide up.
And Munson comes forward a clutch single to left field.
Here comes Whitey Herzog. That's all for Dennis Leonard.
The Yankees did not let the two run homer by John Mayberry phase them one bit.
They have bounce back with a run. Have run at that second and third. Nobody out.
Jamblers the batter and Paul Slithoff is being waved in from the both ends.
And here comes the new pitcher making his way to the mound.
It's been a rough playoff for young Dennis Leonard.
He's been knocked out twice now here in the first inning without retiring the Yankees.
Rivers tripled. White single to drive him in. Then stole a base. Munson single to left.
The Yankees have run at the second, third and Slithoff is coming on.
What a job he did against the Yankees.
He went five and two third and he's allowing four hits and no runs.
He walked through and struck out one.
And Slithoff considers himself a very, very lucky young man.
He had hurt the pitching finger on his left hand.
Was sent down to Florida to recuperate and pitch a little bit.
Then was called back. Never had an idea that was going to use him in the playoff.
And when they called on him he was ready.
But tonight's a different night. Yankee fans standing.
They trailed two to one but they have Munson at second, White at third and Chris Jamblers the batter.
By the way, Munson picked up his eighth hit of the playoff that ties Jamblers
and also ties Matty a lose record for the most hits in a playoff by American League ballplayers.
The record is held by T. Groves who has nine hits.
So now two Yankees have a chance to tie that or break it.
Jamblers and Munson. White leads off third.
Munson off second. Here's the stretch by Slithoff.
Pitch to Jamblers. High, almost a wild pitch, ball one.
You know it's a lot different coming in to pitch a ball game when your team is leading
than when your team is behind.
Some pitchers pitch a lot better with the team behind and when they're ahead.
A curve hit to left field. Let's you get a run in.
Roy White tagging at third.
Moquette makes the catch. The throw to the plate.
And not nearly in time. White scores.
Munson holds his second. We're all tied up at 2-2.
A sacrifice fly. A run batted in for Chris Jamblers.
And the ball game is tied up.
Now there is one out.
And the battle will be Carlos May.
Carlos May is 2 for 6 in the playoffs with one double. No runs batted in.
And they are trying to wave McRae in and over in right field.
Remember McRae has not played too much out there. He's been the designated hitter most of the year.
Alright, Munson is second. We're all tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the first.
Here's the stretch by Slithoff.
And the curve is over strike one call.
Moquette showed me a pretty good arm there though it was way off line.
On deck Greg Nettles. One man out.
Slithoff to the belt. Curve swing and a miss.
Off speed breaking pitch and Carlos way out in front.
For Jamblers that was his sixth run batted in of the playoffs.
And that leads the Yankees.
And the fact it leads both clubs in runs a batted in.
Why nothing in 2 on Carlos May.
Munson leading off second.
Slithoff kicked by a foul back and not a play over the Royals dugout and into the crowd.
He said it, a Yankee showed me something bouncing back.
A lot of teams could have collapsed after that powering two run home by John Mayberry.
That's the kind of club the Yankees and the Royals have been all year.
Bounce back from adversity.
Don't let anything get you down. That's why they're fighting for the championship here tonight.
Again the 0-2 pitch foul back and not a play.
Still nothing in 2 on Carlos.
Big left hander Paul Slithoff. He's 6'3, 210 pounds from Blue Springs, Missouri.
Change up loose in the shallow left center but coming on his cow and he's there now and one hand set.
Carlos did not hit that ball well. It looked like it might drop in for a moment.
Two out and now Greg Nettles.
Nettles has come on strong in the playoff. He's 4'14.
One double, two homers and four runs ratted in.
He got both those homers in yesterday's ball game. One a two run shot and one a solo homer.
Two men around Munson a second. We're all tied 2-2.
Mr. Nettles high and tight ball one. On deck Oscar Gamble.
The Royals have two hits, the Yankees three.
Slithoff gets the sign from Martinez.
Munson and delivers to the plate and a throw to second base and Munson jumps back in time.
Good throw by Martinez.
It's 2-0 to Nettles. Now wait a minute, Nettles comes back.
I don't know whether friends call that a strike or not. The scoreboard says 2-0.
We'll find out in a moment.
The pitch fouls back on the screen. He came in with a fast ball.
Martinez runs out to the mound.
Slithoff ready again. Delivers a curve, popped up shallow left Brett going back.
It's in fair territory. Patek calls him off and a little shortstop makes the play in fair territory.
The Yankees pick up two runs on three hits. No error for the man left.
At the end of one it's the Royals two and the Yankees two.
Back on the mound in a brand new ball game.
And I got a feeling this thing's going to go right down to the wire.
That kind of a night.
Both ball teams playing aggressive baseball.
Let's see who gets the breaks in the ball game. That'll determine the winner.
Usually does in playoffs and World Series play.
There's a great article in TV Guide.
I hardly ever read it, but this article was about ball players who get hitters in the World Series and playoff games.
It's an excellent article. It takes a different viewpoint trying to get inside a player to see why some of the superstars don't have good playoffs in good World Series.
The tremendous pressure on each ball player and what happens.
An article in there, what happens to your blood when you get nervous and excited.
By Jamie Korsabatter and he lines one foul down the right field.
Man, he got a round on a slider.
Mark is swinging that bat with some authority.
One for three, that hit a triple and two runs that at end.
He was used as the designated hitter yesterday and it paid off for Whitey Herzog and the Royals.
A left hand batter.
Bigger row is next pitch. Foul down the left field line and out of play. It's going two.
Mark is six feet four inches tall, 185 pounds from Whittier, California.
During the regular season, Mark batters 246.
The pitch held up and it's just a little bit high, a ball and two strikes.
We're all tied to a piece here in the top of the second.
Bigger row gets the sign from Munson. His pitch inside and it's two and two.
And Bigger row is really bearing down on each pitch.
Unlike the way he pitches during the regular season, he'll ease up every once in a while.
Nobody can ease up tonight. Give it all you got.
Nobody out, nobody on. The two-two delivery fouls are left and out of play.
Two and two on course on deck, cookie rohan.
The two-two pitch. Line to left field but Roy White moving to his right is there and makes the catch.
Oh, reliable on left field Roy White. Reminds me of Tommy Henrich.
They don't get the ink, they don't get the publicity, but day in, day out they do an outstanding job.
Here's cookie rohan. Cookie made his first shot in yesterday's ballgame. He's two for five with one run battered in.
Frank White had started the three previous games for the Royals.
And the pitch to Cookie is right in there, strike one, call.
Something's a tough man to play. Hits to all fields.
On deck, Freddy Potts at slider is high and it's one-on-one.
We'll see a lot of activity in the stands throughout the night.
The campers get the best of some of the fans. Their loyalty and rooting. And occasionally a little wager on the game.
Hall House. Oh, I'd say that the last three games have been beautiful seeing this part back.
One-one pitch. Base hit. High fastball, he drills out in the center field.
The Revers up with it and Rojas makes the turn and holds on.
Oh, Bigger O's got to keep that ball down as we mentioned.
That's the third hit. For the Royals, each team with three bases. And here's Freddy Potts at.
Potts at batting 429. He's six for 14. Two doubles and four runs battered in.
The Yankees have to be alert for possible bunt, hit and run. Cookie Rojas, smart baselander, doesn't have the speed he used to have, but can still steal a base when needed.
Bigger O to the belt. The pitch to Pottschek. High ball one.
Pottschek is the littlest ball player in the major league. Might be four inches tall, 140 pounds.
And when he crouches, there's not much of a target to shoot at, so he doesn't get many walks.
One old pitcher. Curve in there, one-on-one. On deck, Bucks Martinez, the catcher.
Ball a strike, one out. Rojas leads off first, we're all tied 2-2. Fastball.
Bigger O, instead of stepping off the mound, wielded to the Chambliss who threw to Randolph.
And Rojas beat the return throw to second base. That'll have to go as a stolen base.
Rojas jumped off the bag while Bigger O was looking at him.
And Bigger O got a little ruffled instead of stepping off the mound and throwing to second. He wielded to the first.
By that time, Rojas was halfway to second, and O Chambliss made a good throw. Rojas with a slide, beat the tag.
So that's a stolen base. Pitch to Pottschek, swing, and a miss. Strike three. Big strikeout for Bigger O.
That's his third strikeout of the ballgame. And now Bob Lemon.
Oh, he's coming out and talking with Bigger O. And I tell him how to pitch to Martinez. Remember, at one time, Bob Lemon managed his Kansas City Royal team.
Billy Martin now telling everybody there are two outs.
Bigger O, a kick. His pitch line, face hit, right field. Gamble coming in, bounces off his hip.
No chance going to second base as Martinez, live it slow. And he saves that second base.
And the Royals go out in front, three to two. Well, there the Royals took advantage.
But this play by Bigger O to get Rojas to second. It's a single for Martinez to run that in.
Gamble is charged with the air as the ball bounced off his knee. Rojas scores and the Royals once again go out in front.
It is now Royals three and the Yankees two. So the Royals took advantage of a big break.
Martinez is at second with two out in the bat of Al Collins, who was thrown out in a fine play by Willie Randolph. First time up.
Bigger O delivers his tie ball one. Looks like Grant Jackson up in the Yankee bullpen.
Martinez leads off second. Curve is over the outside corner. It's one on one.
These Royals have been murder after two are out. That's when they come up with their clutch base hit. One on one the count.
The pitch is bounced to a second base. Randolph to his right has it. Throw to first in time and Willie almost stumbled as he threw. He looks back.
But he gets them. The Royals come up with a run on two hits. One Yankee error. One man left at the end of an inning and a half. The Royals three. The Yankees two.
Let's see if the Yankees can bounce back again. They were losing two nothing in the bottom of the first court. Two runs to tie.
They are losing three to two now in the bottom of the second. As Oscar Gamble steps in, Oscar's two for six. As one double and one run batted in.
As we await the end of a long commercial for the umpires to say time is in. That's what pays the freight for these televised games.
Can't have your cake and eat it. All right. Our friends get the sign. Dust off on plate and Oscar Gamble ready to step in.
It'll be Gamble Randolph and Stanley here in the bottom of the second.
As this does not look like a pitcher's night tonight. Five runs already scored in the ballgame. This just the bottom of the second.
It's the Gamble. It's low curve. Pulse foul almost hit Elton Howard in the coaching box. Strike one.
Split off hung that curve ball to Gamble. That's a little over anxious out in front.
Nobody out. Nobody on. Red or white. And the slider nicked the outside corner at zone two.
A shade gamble towards right field. Two strikes pitch high and away. One ball two strikes.
No action now in either bullpen.
Here's the one two pitch. Low outside two and two.
Randolph walking around the on deck circle.
The very first year chance to get the World Series.
Right. Great. The outside corner.
Gamble on his but the Norville.
And split off.
Picked up his first strike out. That's the first Yankee to get down on strike to bring up Willie Randolph.
Willie is two for fourteen in the series. No extra base hit. One run batted in.
It's Randolph. Right one call. Got to stay down low and Willie questions the call.
Red Stanley. Red even with the bag at third. Low curve hangs outside. It's one and one.
Now in shades Randolph fighting left set up. Left fielder and right fielder straight away on Willie.
That's down low. It's two and one.
One out nobody on. Bottom of the second.
Split off. Big wind up. Big kick. And a fastball popped up in right center coming over McRae.
The right fielder calling for it. Backs up now and makes the catch.
There are two out and it will bring up Red Stanley.
Stanley five for twelve with two doubles. No RBIs batting four seventeen in the series.
Stanley batting number nine in the Yankee lineup and on deck Mickey Rivett.
Stanley is a little bit high ball one. Stanley does not give the pitcher an easy time.
He takes a lot of pitches fouls off a lot of pitches. No more and automatic out.
There's a strike and it's one and one.
Royals three runs on four hits. The Yankees two runs on three hits.
Split off. Shakes off one side. He's got the one he likes. And it's down low two and one.
Now he's shading Stanley slightly over in right center field.
Willie Herzog really moving his fielders around on every Yankee batter.
Two one pitch is a bouncing ball. One hop to Brett. One hand grab. The long throw in time.
He does have a good arm. Not always true but strong. The Yankees go down in order and at the end of two it's the Royals three and the Yankees two.
The Yankees trailing three to two as we get ready for the top of the third inning.
It'll be Tom Polkett, George Brett and John Mayberry.
He's got the head figure off and Grant Jackson gets up right away and starts throwing in the Yankee ball pin.
Polkett struck out his first time up.
And we're still waiting for the OK to play ball.
Players are on edge because this is not fair to the players in a sense.
They're ready to go and you got to wait. Figaro now decides he's going to throw a couple more to stay warm.
Alright they finally get the OK. Whether it's a wink or whistle or a finger.
The left hand of Polkett steps in.
He's by Figaro. He bumps right back to the mound. Figaro lucky got it throws him out.
That ball almost got by Figaro for a face hit. He just barely got his glove down in time.
Polkett bounce a hard one hopper back to the mound. He's trying to drag it by the pitcher.
One way and out George Brett who got the Royals rally started in the first inning with a two out double down the right field line.
Brett now has seven hits in the series for the Royals.
And the change up hits the outside corner strike one call.
Figaro arrives back his pitch fouled upstairs and out of play like a third base. Nothing into the count.
The Royals got their own fan club here tonight. That's one of our cameraman.
The 0 2 pitch high and tight makes Brett lean away from the plate.
Wasn't that close but the crowd gets a big kick out of it.
The way this Brett hangs in there. You got to loosen him up a little bit.
He really stands in there. 1 2 pitch foul just to our left again.
Coming very close tonight.
John Mayberry on deck.
Nobody on top of the third. Royals in front 3 to 2.
Wind up and the pitch is popped up in the center field. Mickey Revers moving in.
Nick is under it and makes the catch.
And I said whenever you get Brett out you breathe a sigh of relief.
But now the big man starting to get hot. We told you he just missed a grand slam homer in yesterday's game.
He hit a two run shot his first time up in this game.
And now with two out and nobody on, Mayberry up there again.
Mayberry had hit only three homers from the All-Star break to the end of the year.
Makes the pitch way outside ball one.
Remember when we were kids and if you threw a pitch you didn't like you'd say oops slip and it wouldn't count even if you hit a home run.
Can't work that here. Hard ground ball Randolph.
Hanson falls down gets up close to first they got him.
Willie Randolph having a lot of trouble keeping his feet but he makes the play.
Three up three down and at the end of two and a half the Royals three and the Yankees two.
Mickey Revers who started the Yankee rally in the bottom of the first with a long triple at deep left one bounce off the wall.
And scored the Yankees first run. Well lead off for the Yankees here in the bottom of the third.
It'll be Revers, Leiden, Munson again all three of them at base fifth.
Revers, Leiden, Munson all got their hits off Dennis Leonard.
This will be the first time they'll be facing Slidoff in this game.
Slidoff is ready but the other network is not and now they are and our friends walk them back in the play.
Mickey Revers steps into the batter's box. Moquette not playing quite as shallow as he was the first time Revers was up.
Red has been at third and here's Slidoff's pitch a curve high and tight ball one.
Big left hander delivers again foul down the left field line and back in the upper deck and out of play.
Nick's trying to shoot that way tonight.
All right, Slidoff gets the time for Martinez.
Curve head up the middle of a high curve ball.
Mickey's specialty and he lines the bullet back through the middle.
And Revers said he was going to have a good fifth game in the years having it.
A triple and a single both hit on the nose. The first hit off Slidoff.
Now the batter, Roy White, who's single deep in the hole and stole a base and scored in the first inning.
Roy will just spin around and bat right handed against the left hander, Slidoff.
And on deck, Thurman Munson.
Going in on the replay screen, the hit by Revers. How many times Mickey did that this year?
He leaves away. Here's the stretch.
And White squares the box, takes it low, ball one.
Nelson Howard now comes over to talk with Mickey Revers. Also the first base umpire, Larry McCoy.
Tell him they're checking for a box.
And Martin now telling the playdumpire, make sure he comes to a stop.
Slidoff did not come to a stop evidently. He comes sixth.
And throws the first base Revers is back.
We mentioned in the other playoff games how some pitches cheat a little bit and do not come to a stop when they come to the set position.
Just that fraction of a second is the difference between a stolen base or not.
Mr. White ready to bunt takes it outside to another.
Royals three, Yankees two, bottom of the third.
No money out, Revers at first.
Slidoff set. And White blocks the bunt takes the strike that time and it's two and one. Roy thought it was outside.
So did Billy Martin.
But our friends is the one who counts.
Two balls, one strike.
I check a cheating White over towards second base. Mayberry holding the bag against Revers.
Ready even with the bag at third. And the outfield straight away on Roy White.
Here's the stretch by Slidoff. Throw to first base Revers is back. That was low but Mayberry, good glove man, backhanded it.
All right, Slidoff ready again. Another throw to first and Revers back easily.
Still nobody out here in the bottom of the third.
Slidoff gets the sign from Martinez.
And the pitch, Roy goes to bunt outside throw to first Revers back.
And it's three and one.
Roy White was ready to bunt.
Now let's see if the Yankees try a hit run. Maybe a fake sign. And then have Revers running on three and two.
So many things that Billy Martin could do right now. Let's see which one he picks.
Three balls and a strike. Here's the stretch.
The pitch outside ball for Mickey Revers bothering Slidoff out of the mound.
They lost his concentration.
Dick Hauser comes in and have a chat with Thurman Munson. The Yankees have their seed merchants on the base path.
Revers is second. White is first. Nobody out.
The Yankees trailing three to two here in the bottom of the third. Thurman Munson.
Who ripped a single to left field his first time up the batter.
Remember Thurman Munson has eight base hits in the series.
Stretched by Slidoff. Takes to Munson.
Side ball one.
Right now and now Galen Sisco, the pitching coach, is going to come out and have a chat with Slidoff as we have double barrel action out in the bullpen.
It looks like Mingori and Patton from here.
Could be Andy Astwood. Nevertheless it's a left hander but that is not so important right now just to let you know that the Royals have their bullpen working.
The huddle out on the mound.
They break it up. Galen Sisco comes back.
We told you whenever there's a pitching change Whitey Herzog comes out to change the pitching.
Munson has the count of one ball no strike time.
It is Marty Patton the right hander and Andy Astwood the left hander throwing in the bullpen.
Nobody out here. Bottom of the third. Royals lead three to two.
Rivers is second. Whitey Herzog one ball no strikes on Munson.
Here's the stretch.
And the pitch.
Now Munson tried to shoot the right field. He fouled it off the auxiliary scoreboard.
Just below the mezzanine over the Yankee dugout.
One on one the count.
On deck Chris Jambliss.
White leads off first. Rivers off second.
Red off Reddy his pitch down the right field line but a curving and going foul deep in the corner would not have been far enough for a home run.
And had it stayed there McRae would have been able to make the catch but Rivers would have been able to tag up and go to third easily.
It's a ball and two strikes on Munson.
Well that time Thurman had a count of 0 and 2 on him and whips a single to left field.
Let's see if he can duplicate that first inning feet.
Nice split off. Comes to the belt.
And the runners are going line. Face hit right center field.
Rivers looks far out. White's going to go to third base. It tied up at 3-3 and runners at first and third and nobody else.
Had to be a mix up on that play because Roy White was running with the pitch and Rivers was not running.
But Munson. Dave Roy White there as he drilled his single to right center field.
The drive in Mickey Rivers.
Tying up the ball game.
And runners at first and third still nobody out and Chris Jambliss the batter.
Oh man I said ya.
Chris Jambliss has driven in a run with a sacrifice fly for Munson.
That was his second run battered in the series. Jambliss has driven in sixth.
Gotta wait as the ground throw picking up the streamers out in right field and left field.
And this crowd going wild. The Yankees have come back for the second time in the ball game to tie it up.
And what a chance to go ahead. Nobody out. White at third. Munson at first.
And Jambliss the batter.
And Jambliss steps in. Munson leads off first. White off third.
Here's the stretch.
And the pitch fouled off the end of the bat. Strike one on a breaking pitch.
Fielded by Dick Hauser who looked it over and flipped it to George Breck.
Still nobody out.
Nice put off set. And the pitch. Ground ball at second. They might get two but we're gonna get a run. They save that first as Potec throw pull Mayberry off the bag.
So it'll be a run battered in for Jambliss. The Yankees lead four to three.
Munson is out on a hard slide that made Potec throw the ball high.
That's a fourth play from four to six. Another run battered in for Jambliss as White scores and the Yankees go out front four to three.
Now there's only one out. Jambliss at first and Carlos made a batter. Carlos slide to center his first time up.
Jambliss now has driven in seven runs in the playoff series.
And it is some difference when Mickey Rivers gets on base.
Unbelievable how he picked up the whole team.
One out.
The pitch to May. Five off straight away center field. Collins most in.
Jambliss halfway and Collins makes the catch for the second out.
And it will bring up Greg Nettles who popped the short his first time up.
Yankees four and the Royals three here in the bottom of the third.
Time is called. Bill Haller down the right field line.
I don't know whether it's a banner or something that fell down over the right field fence.
And Al McGregor goes over to pick it up. It's the one of Jimmy Estesito's ground crew.
And we're ready to go.
Nettles steps in. Jambliss is at first with two outs. Mayberry playing in back of Jambliss.
Remember Jambliss has one stolen base for the Yankees in this playoff series.
The Yankees have only three. One by Randolph and one here tonight by Roy White.
Here's the stretch by Flithoff.
And the pitch outside with a breaking pitch ball one.
Right off to the belt.
Curve outside ball two to another.
Trying to be very careful on Greg Nettles.
Greg says that the injury to his right foot has cut his stride down and he's swinging better.
High pop up, shallow center, Potec backing up. Collins coming on.
Potec still backing up and makes the catch.
But the Yankees pick up two runs on two bases. No errors and two men left.
And the score at the end of three innings, the Yankees four and the Royals three.
The Yankees lead four to three and I'd like to take this moment to say how much I enjoyed doing radio for the Yankees again this year.
All right. Unless this game is tied, I will no longer be speaking to you Yankee fans over the radio.
This will be my last appearance and it's a very sad thing.
But even if the Yankees win this, go into the World Series, we will not be broadcasting on this stage.
When I'll turn it over to Frank Mets, you'll be hearing him a lot, Frank.
Okay, Phil Rosetto, thank you very much and fans will be hearing you on radio again next year.
Thank you, Frank.
Okay, buddy.
Good evening, everybody. Wherever you might be listening to New York Yankee baseball and I don't know whether you're excited as we are.
I'm sure you must be, whether you're a Yankee fan, a Royal fan or just a plain old baseball fan because excitement reigns supreme here tonight.
Hal McRae is about her as we go to the fourth inning.
Right hand hitters.
Bigger on, looks down for his side.
And the first pitch for him is hopped up on the right side of the infield.
In comes Chambliss, halfway to the plate, makes the catch.
That's all from McRae.
One out, nobody on.
And we'll look now at Jamie Quirk.
Another Royal took an early lead in the ballgame on a first inning two run homer by John Mayberry.
The Yankees came back to tie it up.
Royals took a three to two lead in the second and the Yankees came back with two runs in the third.
And the Yankees now lead four to three.
Quirk is a left hand hitter. He flied to left field his first time at bat.
And he swings in the first pitch, bounces it over the mound, charging in Stanley in front of second. Quick throw, he's out.
Cut the thread, Stanley came in quickly to throw out Jamie Quirk. And now Cookie Rojas will step in.
Right hand hitter, single, still second and scored in the second inning. He takes a low ball on.
Right hand batter waiting, swinging, cry ball, deep left field, Roy White has room, he's back, he's under it, he's got it.
And the Tigers retired in order. In the middle of the fourth inning, the Yankees four and the Royals three.
Oscar Gamble will be the lead off batter for the Yankees in the bottom half of the fourth inning.
Gamble was called out on strike this first time up in the ball game.
I have never seen a more excited baseball crowd. Of course I was not around in the great excitement days of the Yankees prior to 1964.
I was fortunate enough to be in Baltimore in 66 when they won the pennant.
But they won it on the road in Kansas City because there was not much excitement there.
But this crowd is just in a gala celebrating mood.
Oscar Gamble will lead off the bottom half of the fourth inning.
Gamble is two for seven in the series, the wind up by split off and Gamble,
did he butt at it? They appeal to the third base umpire and Larry Barnett says yes he did. He offered for the pitch.
Oscar Gamble batted 232 over the season.
He had 17 home runs, 15 of them here at the stadium. The 0-1 deal to him, bowled back, got him in on the fifth, really jammed him and he bowled it back on the left side.
Yankees have four runs on five, it's the Royals three runs on four.
Relief starter Dennis Leonard in the first inning. Leonard first three batters, they all three had base hits and two of them scored.
0-2 delivery, low and outside, one ball and two strikes.
The winner goes to Cincinnati and the loser goes home and that's, the whole season boils down to one ball game.
So one-two pitch, fastball low, two balls and two strikes.
The Yankees lost three games during the season due to rain that were not made up.
So they played 159 regular season games, four playoff games and now this is their 164th of one game season.
Two-two pitch, it's at the plate for the low, ball three and it's three and two on Oscar Gamble.
Willie Randolph is on deck.
Down two nothing in the first, Rivers tripled for the Yankees, white.
He got an infield hit, Rivers scored and white stole second.
Went to third on Munson's base hit and scored on on Chris Chambers sacrifice fly.
The Yankees then got two more runs in the third to take a four to three lead.
So wide, three-two pitch to Gamble, a bouncing ball slowly charged second, charging Rohan, he's got a quick throw, he's out.
A good play by Mayberry on a throw in the dirt.
Gamble is out on a close play at first base and credit Mayberry with making that play.
Willie Randolph will be the batter.
Randolph fly to right field his first time up.
He is two for 15 in the series with one run batted in.
During the season he is 267.
Right hand hitter, Addy, lines one caught by Mayberry at first base.
And they're at two down.
Brett Stanley will be the batter.
Stanley grounded after Brett at third in the second inning.
So he's out for one but he's had a good series.
Five for 13.
Brett really bolstered the Yankee infield this year.
Playing shortstop.
Check this swing on a slow breaking ball, ball one.
Pitch was a bit low.
Brett Stanley has been around in the major leagues, Seattle, Milwaukee, Cleveland, San Diego, and the Yankees.
1-0 pitch to him.
Just missed low again, two balls and no strikes.
One thing about a guy like Stanley, he's always in demand.
One team lets him go, another team wants him.
2-0 pitch from Split-Harts.
Fast ball, low again, ball three.
They play Stanley to the off field and the outfield.
On the infield they play him up the middle with Rojas cheated a bit toward the bag at second.
Split-Harts, 3-0 pitch.
Strike called, it's 3-1.
Stanley looks down at Coach Hauser and he'll probably take another one.
Nicky Rivers was on deck, there were two out.
Split-Harts fires, strike two called.
Brett Stanley probably takes more pitches than any other Yankee batter.
He does not mind getting that free pick at the first base.
Now the payoff delivery.
Fast and low, ball four, Stanley is on.
Second walk given up by Split-Harts.
Now with two outs the Yankees have a base runner and the batter is Nicky Rivers who is 2 for 2.
Rivers tripled over the head of Celeste of the Polkets his first time up.
Then he ripped a single to center field, he has scored both times he's been on base.
The Yankees lead 4-3.
Rivers left hand batter, Brett in at third on the grass.
And a swing and a miss on an inside fifth.
Nicky Rivers, very possibly the fastest man in baseball.
He missed 22 games over the regular season due to injuries.
Good time, Reagan ball on his drill to the right side, base hit.
Stanley around second base time for third.
McCrae still comes in a second and the Yankees have runners on the corners.
Nicky Rivers is 3 for 3.
That is the Yankees sixth hit on the ball game and they're staring off Split-Harts.
Now with two outs the Yankees are threatening.
The batter is Roy White.
He's a good hitting left fielder. Roy has been on base twice with an infield single which drilled in a run and with a walk.
He has also scored two runs and he is still at a base.
The senior Yankee first put on the thin stripes in 1965 and a regular since 1967.
The set by split-off, the infielders up the middle, the outfielders spread and the pitch is high and outside ball one.
In the Royal Bullpen, right-hander Monty Fadden and left-hander Andy Hassler are warming up.
White spread out on the batter's side.
Waiting for split-off, the runners lead first and third and the pitch outside and high ball two.
In 1971, Roy White fielded 1,000.
Did not make an error and let's see it. The only Yankee ever to have a perfect fielding record for fall season.
Two off-pitch joins. Outside, ball three.
Every time, well not every time, both times the Rebers has been on base while split-off has been pitching.
Split-off has completely lost his concentration on the hitter.
As Commander Tosh just split-off, now he goes back to his second base position.
Three balls and no strikes on Roy White. Rebers is first, Stanley is third, two out, three off-pitch.
He takes high, ball four and the bases are loaded.
Rebers drops out of second.
Line is on with a walk. Rodney Herzog is coming out and that is going to be all I think for fall split-off.
Herzog looks to his bullpen and with the right hand hitting, Fairmontson coming up, he'll bring Marty Patton into the ballgame.
A new record for a new Yankee stadium in attendance has just been announced.
56,821. Marty Patton is on the mound now for the Kansas City Royals.
Patton is making his second appearance.
And his only other appearance, he came in and faced one batter and gave up an impeccable walk and was promptly taken out of the ballgame.
A move we did not understand from what he heard, but nonetheless.
And the right hander.
He's ready to pitch to Fairmontson.
Bases loaded and two out. There's a windup by Patton. The right hander's pitch is hit in the air to left field.
But waiting for it, Pochette, and he makes the catch to retire the side.
So Patton with one pitch gets the Royals out of trouble.
For the Yankees, no runs, one hit. They leave the bases loaded and at the end of four, the score is New York four and Kansas City three.
We're ready for the fifth inning here at Yankee Stadium. Chris Chambliss.
As you may have heard earlier.
Has driven in two runs in the ballgame.
Seven RBI's for the series.
Tying a championship series record.
Chris has done an outstanding job for the Yankees.
Perhaps a bit unsung. A lot of folks may not appreciate.
What Chambliss has done not only with the bats this year, but with the glove down at first base. He has a much improved first baseman.
Did it through very diligent work.
Willie Pondek will lead off.
Right hand hitting Pondek has struck out his only time up.
He has six hits in the series. Figueroa's first pitch has flied out and missed strike one.
The catcher Buck Martinez is on deck and then Al Cullen.
The Yankees lead the Royals four to three.
Figueroa offers inside. One ball to one strike.
Willie Pondek at five four and one hundred and forty pounds presents a very small strike zone.
Figueroa's and fires the pitches popped up.
Prowl outside of first. Chambliss is after it. He has room and makes the catch.
Chris Chambliss near the rolled up top of the line in foul territory. Fold it in.
That'll bring up Buck Martinez.
Martinez single the right field to drive it around and he lines the first pitch over the head of Stanley at a left base hit.
So Martinez is two for two.
And the Royals have their fifth base hit off Ed Figueroa.
One out a runner at first on the top of the order coming on.
Now Cullen bounce to Randolph. Willie made a great play on the ball in the first inning.
Didn't panic. Didn't try to short hop. Just waited for the ball to come down.
And threw him out. Then he threw him out on a ground ball on the second. So Cullen's is 0 for 2.
Chambliss holding on Martinez at first. Figueroa deals and he's high with a slider. Ball one.
Tom Poquette is on deck.
Infield plays up the middle. The outfielder's spread.
1-0 delivery. Change up is fast and chucked up. Stanley has. Goes to the bag himself. Goes to first and gets the double play.
Red Stanley did not throw to Randolph. He went to the bag himself.
And then threw Cullen's out to complete the double play. No runs. A base hit.
No errors and nobody left. At the end of four and a half innings. It's the Yankees. Four in the Royals. Three.
The Royals bring a new pitcher on as we go to the bottom half of the fifth inning.
Left hander Andy Hassler with the Yankee left hand hitters Chambliss, May and Nettles and Gamble coming up.
Andy Hassler. Picked up from the California Angels in midseason.
He was one shot of a major league record when he lost 18 games in a row.
After he lost his 18, he won four in a row.
He pitched well against the Yankees during the regular season.
Andy Hassler. Now let's check out his record.
He completes his warm up draws and will be ready to face Chris Chambliss.
Andy Hassler is all in one in the championship series.
Six five innings allowed. Four hits.
Walk three, struck out three.
Chris Chambliss has driven in two runs tonight with a sacrifice fly and a ground ball.
He is off for one officially.
Chris has eight hits in the series in 18 official at bat. Seven runs got it in.
And the first pitch to him is a ball inside.
The Yankees lead four to three.
The wind up by the left hander, Hassler. The pitcher curve is hit in the air.
The right center field and his deep going back McCray and the ball is off the wall.
McCray plays it on about and Chambliss is in with a stand up double.
The ball hit on the warning track in front of the 385 foot sign.
He has collected his ninth championship series hit.
That ties Steve Rose's playoff series record nine base hits for Chambliss.
He has hit in every game of the championship series.
He hit in the last nine games of the regular season.
He has a 14 game hitting streak going.
The Yankees long ago set a new record for two base hits in championship play.
Steve Rose in the 1972 National League Championship Series had nine base hits for the Cincinnati Reds.
Carlos May will be the batter.
The Yankees now have seven hits in the ball game.
Carlos May has played twice to center field.
Left hander against left hander. Chambliss leads away at second.
The corner men are in. Brett and Mayberry.
And the pitch is in for a strike.
Brett stays in close to third and on the grass.
The left fielder pochette straight away.
Down in center field, Cowans is straight away.
And in right field, McCray is almost lost.
He's way back. Swing and a missed strike field.
No balls and two strikes to Carlos.
Yankees lead it four to three.
Chambliss at second. Nobody out.
Hansler takes plenty of time reading Martinez's signs.
Now the tall left hander drops the hand.
The kick, the 0-2 pitch, he struck him out swinging.
Like a good fastball, he just challenged Carlos May.
Only the second Yankee to strike out in the ball game.
Greg Meadows is the batter.
Meadows is four for sixteen in the series with two home runs, four runs, but it is.
Tonight he has popped up both times for the shortstop Potec.
Potec plays him almost behind second base and that forces Chambliss to shorten up on his lead.
Now Martinez goes out to the mound as he and Hansler are having a little trouble with their signs.
With Potec playing Meadows almost behind the bag, Chambliss cannot take much of a lead.
And he might have trouble scoring on a base hit.
The left fielder, Poquette, is being waved in. He was playing Meadows deep unless they waved him in.
The center fielder, Cowan, shades around toward the right field side.
And McCray in right field is almost back at the warning track and well over toward the corner.
Hansler is ready and the pitch to Nettles. Fast and low for a ball.
Hansler Gamble is on deck.
He's going to pass it over to the 1-0 pitch to Greg Nettles.
He pops it up on the right side.
Mayberry, the first baseman on the foul line, calling for it and now takes it in fair territory.
And there are two outs.
Chambliss is second two down and Hansler Gamble is about her.
Gamble has been called out on strikes and grounded at the second.
And the first off comes out on deck.
Hansler, a very deliberate worker.
Check the runner and the pitch is swung on and fouled at the feet of the catcher, Martinez.
Wait on by Arthur Thratz. Takes a look at it.
Drops it back out to Hansler.
No balls and one strike, two outs. The Yankees lead 4-3 here in the bottom half of the fifth.
Against Gamble, the gap is in left center field with Collins shaded over toward right.
Will catch shades a bit toward center but not that much.
Breaking ball misses outside and it's 1-1.
You just imagine the scene here at the stadium.
The Yankees win this ball game. Yankee fans have waited since 1964.
1-1 delivery. Inside almost hitting.
Bill Kane, the Yankee traveling secretary and statistician, is sitting in the booth with us.
Bill, get out the calculator and figure if they can rebuild the stadium in time for more play against Cincinnati if the Yankees win this one.
Oh boy. Two balls and a strike on Gamble. The pitch, line, foul down the left side and in the seat.
Two balls and two strikes.
Gamble is trapped back to second base.
Willie Randolph is waiting on deck.
This has been quite a series.
The Yankees won the first game, the Royals won the second. The Yankees won the third, the Royals won the fourth.
Two balls and two strikes.
Two outs and now Gamble sits out.
I don't know whether you believe in tradition or superstition,
but it's never been a team in championship series play that has won the second game that has lost the series.
Two and two pitch coming. Inside almost hitting again. Ball free.
There's a lot of records that have been set in this series. Why not set another one?
And again to the count.
Hansler appears in.
Nice record.
Playoff set. It is a check swing, bounce it out of third base line, they let it roll foul.
Hansler bounced off the mound as soon as the ball kicked foul. He slapped it.
I don't know what brings it to mind, but I thought it was a real cute line I read in one of the New York papers today.
Bob Euker, who broadcast the Milwaukee Brewer games in the American League and has been working for ABC
and their telecast of the championship series, was asked about his greatest day in baseball.
He said he remembered it well. He said his greatest day in baseball was on a night in San Francisco after a day game.
I asked Bob if that was a true story and he said, right, you can believe it.
And I now never remember or never forget.
Three and two. Hansler steps out.
Hansler takes a long time to repeat. Little leery about throwing that baseball up there.
Gambler's ways away again. And a three, two, six. Low ball for Gamble 1.
And here's your gamble at first base. Chris Chambliss at second.
And the batter will be Willie Randolph. Randolph has flied to right and lined out to the first baseman.
Hansler kicks and delivers high. Ball one.
And Galen Sisco, the pitching coach, comes out again.
They've won a pretty good trail from the Kansas City Royal Dugout to the pitcher's mound tonight.
Four pitchers have been used in the ball game.
Cisco's made about three or four trips out there.
And Galen Sisco pitched what for the Mets? Four years.
That's like being a hitting instructor for Ted Williams team.
Willie Randolph batting with runners at first and second and two outs. Two balls and no strike time.
Hansler kicks it off. Here's how the pitcher's bounce foul at the plate.
When Galen Sisco was the pitching coach for Bob Lemon, I asked him just how it felt to be a pitching coach for a man that everybody knew would eventually be in the Hall of Fame.
And he said, well, there is one thing, the one thing he could do that Lem couldn't, and that was communicate better with the younger ballplayers.
One strike out, the pitcher Randolph high and outside. Off-speed pitch that time from Hansler.
Three balls and a strike, two outs, two odds, and the Yankees rated four to three here in the bottom half of the fifth inning.
Red Stanley is on deck. Three-one, pitch high, ball four, the bases are loaded.
The Yankees have moved on to third. Oscar Gamble goes down to second.
Willie Randolph on first. For the second inning in a row, the Yankees have loaded the bases.
And with two outs, the batter is Brett Stanley.
Early in the year when the Yankees topped the Red Sox with being their main opponent for the American Lake Championship,
Brett Stanley really saw Red Sox picking up.
Right hand batter, and he takes a fast ball over, strike off.
Brett Stanley was the last Yankee to hit a grand slam home run in the old Yankee Stadium.
He's up with the bases loaded.
And the drive caught by the second baseman, Rojas, to retire to side.
No runs, one hit, the Yankees leave the bases loaded at the end of five.
The score, the Yankees four and the Royals three.
Well, we talked a few moments ago about Chris Chambliss having nine base hits.
Thurman Munson with two base hits in this ball game tonight also has nine.
So both he and Chambliss have tied three draws for the most hits in a Major League Championship Series.
And of course both Munson and Chambliss will have another time at bat in this ball game.
Not far to the players themselves, I guess the biggest stir from the crowd game when Telle Sovales came in to take his seat behind the Yankee dugout.
Must have been a big thrill for him to get really a standing ovation from the folks there who recognized him.
We go to the top half of the sixth inning.
Tom Fouquet will lead off for the Kansas City Royals.
Fouquet has struck out and bounced back to figure off.
Biggie had a little problem in the first inning when he gave up a two-run homer to Mayberry.
Since then he's pretty well settled down.
His first pitch over the low ball one.
Fouquet a left-hand batter.
1-0 delivery.
Strike on the inside corner.
Fouquet has had a couple of knee operations.
He's also had surgery on his face as a result of hitting the wall in Kansas City earlier this year.
The youngsters had some problems early in his Major League career.
The 1-1 pitch.
Bouncing ball going Randolph to his right.
Well, he has it set so he's out.
1-0.
And now George Brett.
George Brett won the American League batting title in the last game of the season.
The Kansas City Royals were playing the Minnesota Twins.
Three men in the ball game had a chance to win it.
Brett, his team-mate Hal McRae, and also Rod Garou of Minnesota.
Brett got it inside the park home walker on to win it.
The first pitch of the left-hand batter is high.
Ball one.
Brett doubled in the first inning he was on when Mayberry homered.
In the third, Brett flied to center.
He's had seven hits in this series.
The pitch is outside.
The count is two balls and no strikes.
One out.
The base is empty.
The Yankees lead 4-3.
Pitch to Brett.
High ball three.
Three balls and no strikes.
It's hard to defend against the George Brett.
He flaps the ball around.
Does not go for power.
He might be a home run hitter if he tried, but instead he's an average hitter.
For high average, I mean.
Strike call three and one.
During the season he had 34 doubles, 14 dribbles, seven homers, 67 runs batted in.
He had 215 base hits.
A new Kansas City record.
Three-one delivery.
Lined out to right center field.
Rivers on the move and makes the catch.
Yankee Rivers got a good jump on the ball.
Folded in running to his left.
There are two down here in the top half of the sixth.
The batter will be John Mayberry.
Mayberry has had three hits in this series.
One of them tonight, that was a two-round homer in the first inning.
In the third, he granted out to Willie Randolph who threw him out from shallow right field.
The Yankees overshipped on Mayberry.
Putting Stanley and Randolph on the first base side of second.
Greg Meadows plays a normal shortstop position.
An out conference out of the mound as Munson went out.
He wanted Meadows to come in.
The outfield swings run around to his right.
Gamble over in the corner.
Rivers in right center.
Roy White in left center.
Vigorora looks in a bunch of the side.
The wind and the pitch to Mayberry.
Fast and high, ball one.
Mayberry steps out of the batter's box.
Now back in.
Vigorora kicks and deals.
Mayberry takes high again.
Two balls and no strikes.
Joe McCrae is on deck.
A lot of balloons floating around the stadium.
DeOdeo swing and a miss.
He was going for the down.
Now third base coach Chuck Miller goes out and dwells a couple of those balloons.
The ball is in the pitch to Mayberry.
Swung on in line down toward the right field corner.
It's a fair ball in play off the wall.
It's down to a single.
Oscar Gamble played the count perfectly and fired in to Willie Randolph.
He holds John Mayberry to a long single off the wall at the 310-foot mark in the corner.
Base hit number six for the Kansas City Royals.
And it brings up Hal McCrae who has struck out and popped up.
Right hand batter.
Chambliss holding on Mayberry.
The cut by Vigorora and the pitch.
Check swing bounce out toward the mound.
Fielded by Vigorora.
He's bent.
Toes to first.
He's got him.
And the sign is a giant.
No runs.
The base hit.
The man is left.
And at the end, five and a half innings of play here at Yankee Stadium.
The score, the New York Yankees four and the Kansas City Royals three.
Well, if the Yankees win this ball game tonight,
box and reserve seat tickets will go on sale here at Yankee Stadium Saturday morning at nine o'clock.
That of course would be for the World Series.
It's first come, first served.
Tickets, as by mail, are available only in strips for all three games with a limit of four per customer.
Box seats are forty-five dollars per strip.
Reserve seats are thirty dollars per strip.
Remember, box and reserve seat tickets will go on sale at Yankee Stadium Saturday morning at nine o'clock.
Should the Yankees win the ball game tonight?
Should the Yankees win the game tonight?
They can thank this man.
Leading off right now, Mickey Rivers.
Nick, the quick is three for three, a triple and two singles.
He bumps out of the front of the plate.
He's running hard, picked up by Matt Martinez.
No throw!
Mickey Rivers running for his fourth base hit of the ball game.
Mickey Rivers dropping a bump down right in front of the plate.
And his blazing speed carried him down to first base.
He's four for four.
Roy Weisbacher, he's had a perfect night with a single and two walks.
Westhander Hassler kicks and delivers and White wanted to bottom the pitchers high.
Ball wide.
White beat out an infield hit and drove in a run in the first inning.
It followed a triple by Mickey Rivers.
Roy walked in the third and scored.
He also walked in the fourth.
Bottom half of the sixth.
Rivers on, nobody on.
Hassler kicks and delivers.
White bumps down the first base line.
Charging in Mayberry's up with a spin.
Throws back to first to Rojas, covering in time.
Roy White is out and out of sacrifice.
Rivers goes to second.
A sacrifice, three-four.
Announce that to Munson.
Revenues two for three.
Munson and Chambliss lead the Yankees in hitting in the series.
They each have nine hits.
Munson is nine for 21.
Chambliss is nine for 20.
And again, pitching coach Galen Sisco is on his way out to the mound.
Either Munson or Chambliss gets another base hit in this ball game.
They will establish a new championship series record for base hits.
They are both tied with B. Rose of Cincinnati who had nine hits in the 72 National League Championship Series.
The mound conference breaks up.
We'll see if they try to pitch around Munson.
Elston Howard looking into Billy Martin and the Yankee dugout.
Started out toward the foul line trying to get Rivers' attention.
Now Elliott is back on the coaching line.
We're waiting now for the gate to be closed in left field as members of the grounds crew picked up some of the debris.
One out, Rivers at second. Yankees lead four-three.
Asperger's ready.
The pitch.
Reagan on the inside.
Thornhouse strike one.
Munson steps out.
Adjusts the batting glove.
And again, the Yankees lead the Yankees in the second.
Munson steps out. Adjusts the batting glove on his left hand.
No balls. One strike on Thurman.
They bunch him up the middle.
The outfield spread out.
The 0-1 pitch.
He swings the line to base hit into right field.
That will score Rivers easily.
After the ball, McCray.
Munson's going to go for two.
The throw to second base.
It'll be closed.
He is out at second base.
Ready Potec bags him out on a perfect throw from Hal McCray.
But the Yankees now lead five to three.
Darlin' Munson driving in his second run of the ball game.
And he's third of the series.
He is out trying to stretch it into a double.
The play going nine-six.
So, Thurman Munson is now the first man ever to have ten base hits.
In a 12-season championship series.
There are two down, nobody on.
And Chris Chambliss is the batter.
Chambliss tonight is driven in two runs with a sacrifice fly.
A ground out.
He doubled to no avail in the fifth.
Run off the inning with a two base hit.
But was stranded at third.
And the Yankees left the bases low.
The Yankees lead it five to three.
The crowd is chanting, we're number one.
These fans are really excited.
First time since 1964.
The first pitch to Chambliss throwing away a breaking ball from the top-file halfway.
While you wait 12 years, you've got a right to get excited.
A wind-up and a 1-0 delivery.
High ball two.
Carlos May is on deck.
The Yankee hitting production has come from the top of the batting order tonight.
2-0 delivery.
Breaking ball is over.
The Yankees have nine hits.
Eight of them from the top three men in the order.
Four for Rivers.
One for White.
Three for Munson.
Nobody but our Chambliss is out of base hit.
Chambliss has his second hit of the game.
A loop run into center field.
The first is on and that is his setback.
He is tied Munson.
Chambliss is now two for three in this ball game.
The batter will be Carlos May.
All of the Yankee hits have come from their top four hitters.
Rivers, White, Munson and Chambliss.
Now the first base Mayberry will not hold Chambliss out.
He's got to play the line against Carlos May.
He's got to play the line against Chambliss.
He's got to play the line against Carlos May.
A left hand hitter.
Yankees now still five runs on down hit.
Royals have three runs on six hit.
Carlos May has twice flied to center and once struck out.
Two out.
Chambliss walks up his lead at first base.
Hasler has his time for Martinez.
The infield is up the middle on Carlos May.
Sidearm fast ball is high.
Ball one.
All seven Munson and Chris Chambliss have batted safely in all five games of the series.
Carlos May fouls one back.
Got just a piece of it off the tip end of the bat.
One ball and one strike.
You can just feel the tension building in this crowd here at the stadium.
Electrifying.
One ball, one strike.
There goes Chambliss.
The pitch is swung on and missed.
Throw to second base.
And he saves the second.
Chris Chambliss steals second.
The hit run was on and Carlos May missed the pitch and Chambliss beats Martinez.
Throw to second base.
That is the second stolen base in the series for Chambliss who had only one all season.
What an aggressive ball from the Yankees on.
One two pitch to Carlos.
Check swing bounce to slowly throw to third.
Charging Brett.
He's up with a toe to first and it's chugged.
By Mayberry here comes Chambliss.
He's safe and hold.
Chris Chambliss scores all the way from second.
The Yankees lead six to three.
George Brett charged a slow bounce to.
He threw it in the dirt.
And John Mayberry could not handle it.
And now will be charged to George Brett the third baseman.
And Chris Chambliss scores all the way from second.
The Yankees lead six three.
There will be no run batted in.
And again John is called as the ground crew comes out to clean up the outfield.
Streamers of tissue paper being tossed from the stands.
Greg Meadows will step in when things calm down.
And Chambliss will be the first to step in.
Greg Meadows will step in when things calm down.
This place will be a madhouse if the Yankees win this ballgame.
And so excited they're on their feet all the way around.
Greg Meadows has been colored tonight on three pop-ups.
The shoot up contact is just up and one to Mayberry at first.
Mayberry will hold May on.
Two outs the Yankees lead six three.
Hasler is ready to work.
Left hander kicks and deals inside ball one.
McRae deep in right field.
Now in shape toward right.
Celestio to Pochetti straight away and there's a gap in left center.
Time call now by the first base umpire Larry McCoy.
And I believe we're going to get a pitch runner for Don O'Shea.
Don O'Shea goes to the dugout.
And Billy Martin will send a pitch runner out and the runner will be Sandy Alomar.
Sandy Alomar goes out to run.
Meanwhile Greg Meadows and third base coach Howser have a conference down the third base line.
Sandy Alomar running for May at first.
And the Yankees are on the run.
Sandy Alomar running for May at first.
Alomar looking over toward third base coach Howser.
We'll keep an eye on him for you.
There goes Alomar the pitch is taken for a ball.
Throw to second base and he's out at second.
Puck tag makes the tag.
Alomar is thrown out by Martinez to retire the side.
But the Yankees take out a couple of runs and at the end of tricks to score the Yankees six and the Royals three.
And it's a good thing Bill White is coming over here because I have just completely worn out I think Bill.
I'm a little hoarse myself Frank.
The Yankees bouncing back like they've done all year long.
They lead it 5-4-6 degrees.
And as Phil Lozano said when he left after three.
My last chance on the Yankee Hall of Champions radio network.
I want to thank all the folks who are so kind to listen to Yankee ball games this year.
Whether here in New York or around the network in the other cities.
We thank you for your very kind letters.
We also thank you for your letters of constructive criticism.
Bill White let me say this to you it's been a pleasure working with you buddy.
Frank I've enjoyed it too.
Each year gets to be a little better.
Okay all right Frank message.
Jamie Quirk now lead off for the Royals with a top of the seventh.
The Yankees lead 6-3.
Swung on line.
Chambers faked the catch.
And Quirk just spins around throws his bat up in the air.
There's one away.
Quirk Chambers having some kind of steering.
Not only with the bat.
But with the leg.
And with the leather.
Oh there's one out.
Nobody on the batter cookie Rojas.
Rojas single and center back in the second.
And he stole second and scored on a single by Buck Martinez.
And he takes a strike.
Rojas is also flying to left field so he's one for two.
Both managers have gone to their bullpens quite a bit.
Pitches it up the middle.
Stanley to his left has a nice hop.
Skip Brews on the first base has got Rojas two down.
Oh what's two out to nobody on top of the seventh.
The Yankees lead 6-3.
The batter is Fred Potech at Georgia Cup.
Potech has struck out and fouled out.
He's all for two.
Little fellow 6-16 in the series.
He's given it four runs.
And he fouls the first pitch off.
Upper deck right side out of play.
Ball 100.
Off his glove.
Stanley picks it up.
Flows the first.
Run in time.
Potech takes it out.
A strike to the left of Zettos.
He went to his left.
Got the glove on the ball.
Ball kicked off his glove.
Stanley over behind.
He picks it up and he just missed it.
Potech at first base.
And that should be a base hit.
We'll wait on the scoring move.
Anyway Potech is on the first base.
Two outs.
The batter is bucked by Martinez to catch it.
Martinez has single twice in this football game.
Base hit for Freddy Potech.
That's the seventh base hit of the football game for the Royals.
We've got a double, a home run, and five singles.
Here's the pitch to Martinez.
Runs the ball.
Pitch to Menier left field.
White coming on.
White there now.
And he's got it.
He retires.
No runs.
A base hit.
A pass to Dante.
And the second base hit coming up.
He's six, Royals, three.
He's got a six, three lead over the Kenyan.
And the Yankees.
And then goes up with.
And then he's in the inning.
And then let him have Oscar again.
And then he ran up again and then stayed at the atler.
Here's the atler.
And then he's inside.
Oh.
He's got that one out of the third field.
He's got the one on the pitch.
And then he's got a six, three lead over the Kenyans.
Here's three.
Oh.
Ball.
Or gets a pass to Cassiter.
Nettles humping the first base.
Martinez comes up with the ball.
And Nettles will hold it first.
So Greg Nettles walks leading off the seven.
Now Dick Hauser wants to talk to Oscar Gamble.
Who is it do better?
Gamble is struck out.
Bounce the second and walks.
He probably wants Gamble to punch that ball.
Oscar Gamble's in.
Nettles off first.
He's being held there by Mayberry.
Here's the set and the pitch.
Gamble squares his butt.
Stops on the play.
Up with his Martinez.
His play will be the first base.
He makes it in time.
The rojas, the second base, can cover.
So Gamble does his job.
Perfect sacrifice to put out two to four.
Nettles now down at second base.
That is Willie Randolph.
And out pops Whitey Herzog.
He's going out to the mound.
He looks like he might want that right hander, Mark Lattell.
And he does want Lattell.
That'll be all for Andy Asler.
The Royals will use their first pitcher, the ballgame.
To recap the games of this 1976 championship series.
The opening game was played out in Kansas City on Sunday afternoon.
Saturday afternoon, rather.
The Yankees won it 4-1 behind Catfish Hunter.
Hunter beat Larry Gura.
Then on Saturday night in Kansas City, the Royals came back and won it 7-3.
Paul Slitnor pitching good relief pitch.
Relief baseball, he won it.
Over at Figueroa.
So the Tier Series was tied up in one up piece when they came back to New York for a night game on Tuesday.
And the Yankees won that one 5-3 as Zach Ellis beat Andy Asler.
And last night, the Royals came right back and beat the Yankees 7-4 here in New York.
With Doug Byrd coming out of the bullpen and winning that ballgame.
And Catfish Hunter, the loser.
So the Cat, so far in the series, has won one and lost one.
Zach Ellis has won one, lost none for the Yankees.
For the Royals, Byrd's off has won one, lost none.
And Doug Byrd has won one and lost none.
The losing pitch is Larry Girl, 0-1 for the Royals.
And that figure off, 0-1 for the New York Yankees.
So this is it, fifth and final game.
Jerry tied it to a piece, but Terrell Mow is finished.
And Willie Randolph steps in.
Yankees have six runs on 10 hits, the Royals three runs on seven base hits.
Each team has made an error.
We're playing the bottom of the seventh.
Nettles off second base with two outs.
As Latel sets.
And the first pitch to Randolph.
Fastball is up and in a ball.
Willie's flying to right field, he's lying to first base and he's walked.
He's 0-2.
Steve Mingoria, left-hander, gets up and starts losing up for the Royals.
Latel sets again.
And the 1-0 pitch.
Bounced up the middle to his left and charging his pot-tech.
Clips on the first base and got Randolph.
Moving to third base is Greg Nettles.
Another two outs.
And the batter is Fred Stanley.
Stanley is bounced to third, he's walking his line to second, so he's 0-2.
Fred was a 2-38 hitter on the year for the Yankees.
He's 5-14 in the series.
And here's the first pitch to it.
Inside a ball.
Looking ahead for the Royals.
They'll have the top of their batting order up against Figueroa at the top of the eighth.
Cowan, Folkett, and Brett.
Latel takes a long look for the side.
And now the right-hander sets.
And the pitch.
Swung on, loop to right field, coming on his back right.
Still coming and he's got it on the run.
Al McCray charging all the way, made the catch and shallow right for out number three.
The Yankees, no runs, no hits.
A walk and a man left on base.
We're playing seventh, and at the end of seventh, the Yankees take the Royals.
Three.
The Yankees lead six to three, and Al Cowan, Tom Folkett, and George Brett are two for the Kansas City Royals.
Now it's over four so far.
Check that over three.
He hasn't gotten the ball out of the infield.
Bounced off right for second and bounced for short.
Bounced into a double play in the fifth.
And now Figaro has scattered at seven base hits.
Gave up two hits in the first two innings.
Two in the first, two in the second, a total of four.
They retired eight in a row before Martinez got a base hit in the fifth and single.
Then Cowan bounced into the double play.
Mayberry got a single off the wall and right field in the sixth.
And Patek got a single off nettle's glove in the seventh.
So here's Cowan.
And he takes up and in a ball.
They play Cowan straight away.
Here's Figaro's next hit.
Foul straight back up on the screen, a ball to try.
And three crowds a little over 56,000 here at the stadium for the three games.
Figaro now with a new baseball rock, kicks the deal to one, one, six.
Line pass, that'll be hit left field.
Right over the corner comes up with a ball and Cowan's at the hole in first base.
And here comes Billy Martin.
Now Cowan is jumping on a high pitch and slamming it.
The left field for base hit.
Martin out he waved with a rough hand.
He must want Grant Jackson.
And it's going to be Grant Jackson.
Listen to the hand for Ed Figaro.
So Ed Figaro leaves and Grant Jackson's coming on.
And it looks like the Royals are going to make a change.
They bring back Polkett and they're going to send it up a right-handed batter, Jim Wolpert.
So Figaro leaves.
He went seven innings, pitched to one man here in the eighth.
Gave up three runs on eight base hits.
He struck out three and did not walk about it.
And he got quite a hand as he left.
He's talking about Figaro and how he was a stopper last year for the California Angels.
And picked up great baseball for the Angels here in 1976.
Ended up 19 wins, 10 losses.
And he missed a couple of times for his 20th and then got rained out the final time on the Sunday,
The final game of the year for the Cleveland Indians.
Figaro has got to be satisfied with what he's accomplished here in 1976.
So he leaves with the Yankees up 6-3 over the Royals and Grant Jackson comes on.
Jackson's making his second appearance in the series for the Yankees.
He pitched here yesterday afternoon, pitched two in the third innings, gave up one run on two base hits.
He struck out two and walked one.
Jim Wolpert comes on to back for Tom Bochette with a runner at first base.
Nobody odd in the eighth inning.
The Yankees leading 6-3 over the Royals.
Wolpert takes the shot.
Jackson works quickly.
This is high, one ball, one shot.
Wolpert has been up nine times.
He has one base hit.
Here's the 1-1 pitch to it.
Swung on and missed the ball and two strikes.
Jackson third base and George Flick.
Jackson straightens, sets it to the bell.
Jackson runner and the 1-2.
Foul straight back to the screen.
Counting names of all two strikes on Jim Wolpert.
Yankees set up looking for two, except for Chambers.
He's holding Cowan here for his base.
Jackson changes base ball with own play to apply hard play.
Now Chambers will play behind Cowan to third base.
Royals down three.
Chambers does not think Cowan might move towards set.
Here's the 1-2.
The curve ball is high.
Two balls, two strikes.
Marky Lyle and Dick Cidrill warming in the Yankee bull pit.
Jackson's set and the 2-2 pitch.
Low, three balls, two strikes.
Now Jackson ready again.
Here's the 3-2 pitch.
Line center field.
Rivers started back.
Now he's coming on.
He can't get to it.
Base set.
Throw in the second base will not be in time.
Rivers took just one step back.
He couldn't have gotten that ball anyway.
It was a broken bat looper in the center field.
He decoyed Cowan's offense.
Throw it in the second, but Cowan's on safe there.
So a broken bat single in the center field by Jim Wolpert.
And the tying lead now is at the plate.
That's George Flick.
Cowan's down at second.
Brett on it first.
Check that Wolpert on it first.
And Brett's the batter.
Brett is double in court.
He's flying to center field, and he's lined to center field.
One for three.
And on deck is John Mayberry.
And these Royals do not give up.
They keep fighting.
They don't hit the long ball too often, but they get the bat on the ball.
As Jackson sets the check to run it.
The pitch is high.
Cowan moving off second.
Wolpert off first.
Here's the one over the breast.
Plung on it down the right field line.
That ball is going to be double it is.
Come on, a home run for George Flick who's got a tie ball game.
One hit one right down the right field line about 10 rows back in the lower deck.
Cowan scores.
Wolpert scores.
And now Brett scores.
And the tie is for the Yankees, 6 and the Royals, 6.
That's the Royals second home run of the series.
It's fellow John Mayberry hits their first in the first inning with a bat on.
The Yankees swing their infield and their off field around toward the right side now for Mayberry.
And the curve ball is over his head.
Mayberry is in a two run over.
He's bowed his second and he's single the right field.
So he's two for three.
One swing of the bat and the ball game is all tied up.
Here's the one oh.
Breaking ball is on the inside corner.
It's one and one.
On deck is Al McCray.
Here's the one one pitch to Mayberry.
Plung on it.
Mayberry trying for another home run.
It's one and two.
Here's the one two pitch to Mayberry.
Swung on, popped straight back.
It'll be up on the screen.
No play for much.
The Royals here in the eighth inning got a lead off single by Al Cowan.
That got rid of Figueroa.
Jackson came on.
Wolpert batted for Polkett.
He's broken bat single and center then George Brett, a three run shot.
We've got a tie game.
That ball just misses inside.
Two balls, two strikes on Mayberry.
Drodd-Lyle still loosening up in the Yankee bullpen.
Here's the two two pitch.
Third ball is bowled back.
And it now remains two and two.
Yankees have Stanley off behind second base Randolph playing a deep second.
And Chambers back on the grass at first on the outfield grass.
Here's the two two pitch to Mayberry.
That ball catches wing, bounces at the second.
Randolph there, gobbles it up, flips it on the chambers, and there's one away.
There was one out, nobody on.
That'll bring on Al McCray, the right fielder.
He's dropped off, he's popped the chambers at first base, and he's bounced back to the mound.
He's 0-3.
Yankees in the bottom of this inning will have Rivers, White, and Munchen.
Against Mark Lattell.
First pitch to McCray, takes outside a ball.
On deck is Jamie Quirk.
He might be bowled back though.
He's a left-handed hitter.
High two balls, no strikes on McCray.
Here's the two-oh.
High ball three, three balls, no strikes.
One on, nobody on.
Scores tied. Yankee six, Royals six.
Playing the top half of the eighth inning.
McCray backs out a couple of times.
Now he gets back in.
Here's a three-one to him.
Swung on, it's deep to left, but White's there.
McEnery got it.
Two outs.
McCray backs out, wanted to get the green light.
Got it, it's a ball hard, but right to Roy White.
So there's two outs now, still nobody on.
George Brett took care of that with the three-run home run.
The batter will be Jamie Quirk.
He'll slide left, bounce to short, line to the first baseman, Chambers.
Jamie Quirk is open three.
With a three-run home run.
He got it all.
When he hit it, he jumped.
He knew he got it.
Here's the two-strike back.
Backs him off the ball and two strikes.
Jack's a-looking in.
Now the one-two.
Her ball is one-run.
And this Quirk goes down swinging for the third off.
But the Royals take it up three runs on the three-run home run by George Brett,
nayside the ball game.
We're going to the bottom of the eighth, scores offside, Yankee six to Kansas City Royals.
Six.
Wilford.
Now Jim Wolford, who's got that key single, a broken back single in the center of field,
just ahead of George Brett's home run, stays in the ball game and he'll play left field.
So the Royals have Wolford in left, they've got Cowans in center,
and they've got Hal McClay out of right field.
The infield's still the same, but at third.
Contact to shortstop, Rohan at second base, Mayberry at first.
Martina's catching.
And the first pitcher, a pitcher used by, and by Whitey Herzog.
Mark Lachell is still on the mound.
Leonard's started, Lachell came on on the first.
Patton in the fourth.
Hasler in the fifth.
Lachell came on last inning.
Here's Mickey Rivers.
He's four for four, a triple and three singles, three runs short.
And the first pitch to Mickey.
Back ball tails away, a ball.
Rivers is eighth for 22 in the series.
Brett way in at third base on the grass.
Back ball is high, two balls, no strikes.
Doug Burdard, a right-hander, and Steve Mingoria, a left-hander,
warming up in the Royal Bowl pitch.
Leading on deck is Roy White.
Here's the two out of river.
He fakes a bunt, fakes a strike, it's two and one.
Big gap for Mickey in the right center field.
They've got Wolford over there in the line playing shallow in left.
They've got Cowans over toward left center.
McClay straight away in right.
Here's the two on the river.
In the air, right field, going back is McClay.
He's got room, waiting.
He's got it.
Oh, Rivers goes out for the first time in the ball game.
A fly ball to the right fielder, Al McClay.
That'll bring on Roy White.
White batting a left-handed against Mattel.
Roy has only been at bat officially once in the ball game
when he beat out a single to Dee Shorts,
scoring the Rivers in the first inning.
He also scored after seaming a base.
He walked and scored in the third, walked again in the fourth,
and sacrificed in the sixth.
So he's one for one.
Yankee sixth on the Royal six, playing the bottom half of the eighth inning.
One out, nobody off.
Mr. Barnburner.
First pitch is hit, one hopper, and gobbled up by Mayberry.
He'll take himself a first base.
There are two outs.
Self-play for Mayberry.
Short hopper, he saves one of us.
McClay got his man.
So with two outs, nobody on, that'll bring on Sir Muckston.
Muckston's had a great series.
He has 10 hits and 22 times it back.
He and Jambals each have 10 hits.
That's the new championship series record, so think six.
Muckston has singled three times in this ball game.
He's driven in two runs.
He's also fly to left field.
He's great enough for Muckston.
Kidrow now gets up and starts warming up in the Yankee bullpen.
Here's the first pitch to Thurman.
That ball is one on a mix.
The Royals will have all right-handers batting in the bottom half of the ninth inning,
so we might get Kidrow in.
We'll have Rojas Patek and Martinez.
Our fans look at that baseball, and he'll throw it out.
Let's go.
We'll get a new baseball.
There's Augs.
Mike Goer with his left-hander.
One on a mix.
Two strikes on Muckston.
Sir Muckston hits the ball out.
McRae deep in right field.
Dower deep in center.
Here's the two-strike pitch.
Breaking ball is low.
One ball, two strikes.
Martinez thought it was a strike.
A ball and two strikes on Muckston.
Now Lachell goes on the backside of Mound, goes to the mound.
He's going to back up top looking in for a shot.
He winds, and here's the one-two pitch.
Wong on fouls straight back and out of play.
The count remains, a ball and two strikes.
Well, nobody's gone home yet.
All these seats are still full.
We're in the bottom half of the eighth inning, two outs and nobody on.
And the scoreboard is set.
The Yankees have six runs on ten hits, they've made an error.
The Royals also have six runs on ten hits, they've made an error.
Here's the one-two to Muckston.
Wong on and this tournament goes down swinging on a good trigger.
No runs, no hits, no errors, and nobody left on base.
It's late eight, and at the end of eight the score is tied.
The Yankees six, the Kansas City Royals six.
Well, Jake Pedro will come on and take for the Yankees on the top of the ninth.
So Jackson's record is complete along with Sigarroa.
Sigarroa went seven, gave up four runs as he was charged with Cowan's run on eight bases.
Sigarroa struck out three and didn't walk anybody.
Jackson picked one of these, gave up two runs on two bases.
He didn't walk anybody, and he struck out one.
Now it's up to Dick Kidrow and Mark Lichell.
This has been a key softball game.
The Royals took a two-nothing lead in the top of the first on the home run by John Napier.
Yankee came back in the bottom of the first with two to tie it.
The Royals scored one to go ahead in the top of the second.
They want to add three-two.
Yankee came right back with two in the bottom half of the third to go ahead 4-3.
Then the Yankees got a couple of insurance runs in the sixth to make it 6-3.
But the Royals in the eighth inning used a single by Cowan, a bench single by Wolford,
and a three-run home run by George Brett to tie the ball game up.
So we're going into the ninth inning now.
And we've got a six-six tie.
It's going to be Rojas, Poptek, and Marcinis,
who are for the Kansas City Royals against Dick Kidrow.
Kidrow picked Sunday night in Kansas City, went two and two-thirds innings,
gave up three runs on three hits.
He also picked Wednesday afternoon, three and two-thirds innings.
Rojas hits a one-hopper to Stanley.
He's right there at shortstop.
Staten throws on the first to get Rojas, and there's one away.
So Kidrow is making his third relief appearance in the championship series.
Here's Freddie Poptek.
Poptek has stuck out, crawled out, and got an infield hit.
He's hit it all five games.
He's one for three, and a seven for 17 in the series.
Neto is up a third base.
He guards the line a bit.
Outfield playing Poptek straight away.
And the first pitch is low.
Yankees in the bottom of this inning will have Kamblis, Alomar,
and Greg Neto's to against Mark Littell.
That ball has just got the outside corner.
One ball, one strike on Poptek.
Kidrow looks for a sign.
Now he's ready, and a one-one pitch.
Poptek fouls straight back and off the master much of the ball and two strikes.
Now Kidrow is taking a lot of time out on the mound.
Now he gets the sign.
Here's the one-two pitch to Poptek.
Chopped foul outside a third.
He broke his back, so he'll need the new lumber.
Kidrow jammed it with a fastball.
The tail down and in.
Poptek trying to get out front, got hit on the first and pulled the ball foul and broke his back.
Poptek has a new back.
He's back in.
Kidrow getting a new sign.
It takes so long that Poptek calls time and backs off.
One out, nobody on.
Nice inning scores tied.
Yankee picks the Kansas City Royals.
They count a ball and two strikes on for that Poptek.
And the pitch.
Swung on, fouled back again.
That's got Munchen again on the mat, but on his shoulder.
And that hurts.
Munchen hit on, oh, got him in the cheek.
In the neck.
Mired not quickly.
And here comes Dean Monahan, the Yankee trainer.
He's hustling out.
That's the worst place a catcher can get hit.
Might have got him on the best ball, on the sit-up tonight.
Mired not there along with Dean Monahan.
Dick Kidrow.
Kamlitz in there along with Nettles.
And Poptek bending down.
They're all looking at Munchen.
And Thurman.
Now gets up off his knee.
Gets up off his knee.
Oh, Thurman gets there.
They count a ball and two strikes on Poptek.
With one out, nobody on.
Nice ending Yankee 6 Royals 6.
Down to the wire.
Kidrow now cleaning the dirt out of his pipe.
He goes back up top of the mound.
Now the big right hander looks for a sign.
It's a big sign.
Now the 1-2 picks the project.
Low, two balls, two strikes.
Alexander's up in the Yankee bullpen along with Sparky Lyle.
Alexander has not gotten into the ball game.
A ball game, nor has Kenny Olson.
Here's the 2-2 stretch now.
Long on, hit on the ground and shortstop.
Stanley takes the ground.
He's got to hurry.
In time and first place by half a step.
Two out.
And the batter is the catcher, Buck Martinez.
In fact, Alexander and Guidry and Olson, the only pitch is not used by the Yankees.
Guidry didn't get into a ball game as a defense on it.
As Buck Martinez steps in.
Martinez is 2 for 3.
And here's the first pitch to him.
Long on, line, big hit, left center field.
Over quickly, white rivers.
He'll get it in quickly.
Martinez with not much speed.
He'll have to hold it first base.
So Martinez is 3 for 4.
He's on it first base with two outs.
And that'll bring on Al Cowans at center field.
Cowans is 1 for 4.
He's grounded the Randolph twice the second day.
He bounced into a double play.
And he's single to left field.
He started a double in the eighth inning with a single to left.
That got rid of Bigger Oars.
Brought on Jackson.
Gave up the pitch single to Jim Wolford.
And the home run to Brett.
This one's tied 6-6.
Here's the pitch to Cowans.
Low a ball.
Now that's set again by Kid Rowe.
He checks Martinez at first.
The one old pitch.
Low again.
Two balls, no touch.
Jim Wolford.
The first base coach says something to Martinez at first.
Martinez does not take a big lead.
And Kid Rowe backs off.
Martinez goes back to first.
And Cowans backs out of the box.
Kid Rowe wants another sign from Mutch.
They move netto just off the third base line.
Maybe a fifth.
And Kid Rowe's fifth.
A two-old fifth.
And side ball.
Three.
Three balls, no touch.
Now Yankee.
And Kid Rowe in danger of getting that tying run down to second base.
Now Kid Rowe's ready.
And the three-old to Cowans.
12 strikes on the inside corner.
It's three and one.
Now Kid Rowe is ready.
And the three-one pitch.
Low ball for Cowans' walk.
And the tying little go-ahead run now is down to second.
And Martinez now, remember, does not have that much speed.
And Erzog just when he's talking to his third base coach, Chuck Inler,
and he's telling Erzog, he's going to go out and tell Martinez to get a bigger lead.
Mutch does not run that well.
And if he takes that short lead, in case the Wolfers get the base hit,
The Wolfers really doesn't sing the ball that far.
He wants Martinez with a good lead to catch the score.
Yankee off-field and short enough for Wolfers.
Royals have runners at first and second.
Martinez down at second.
Cowans on at first.
They're two outs.
And the batter is Jim Wolfers.
And we single the center as a pincer in the eighth inning.
Right-handed batter.
Pitch choice.
Low of all.
And on deck is George Brecht.
He likes to get away from the air without allowing Brett Mayberry in here the ninth inning.
Here's the 1-0 now to Wolfers.
Pop foul out of play, right side.
That's the ball in the shot.
River's playing a shallow center field and Gamble with an extra arm playing a shallow right field.
As Hidro sets the test to run.
Here's the 1-1 pitch.
Inside.
Two balls in the shot.
Yankee six.
Royals six playing the ninth inning.
Royals have to go ahead and run down at second base with two outs.
That's Martinez down at second.
Cowans on at first.
Here's the 2-1 pitch.
On top of the hopper.
Nettles in front.
Thumbs up.
Throws the second.
They get the 4-3 down and there the size of the time.
Brett Nettles, king of grass they charge in front of Stanley.
Clipped that ball to second base just in time to get a sliding outcoward.
Loran's on at base.
There's two men left on base.
Yankees up.
Bottom of the ninth.
Force tie.
Yankee six.
Royals six.
The ball game and he'll pitch
The gambler and Alomar is on
deck and then Greg Nettle
Campbell's has had some kind of
championship series he's been
playing for a long time he has
been basic he's given in seven
runs he scored four runs he's
stolen two bases he's got a
double a triple in a home run
and he's batting five under he's
then against the right hander
Mark Luttrell here in the bottom
of the batting and he's got a
lot Hendricks has a bat walking
around the Yankee dugout so he'll
probably be sending the bat for
Sandy Alomar as we wait for Al
McCrae to give the ground to
right field and Mark Luttrell
takes advantage of that little
law while Mo Al McCrae does a
lot of house cleaning out there
to get the next to warm up
those bottles things going on
out there somebody can get her
and we would hope that if any
brought any of the fans have a
radio up in that upper deck they
will please stop people from
throwing bottles down on the
field or throwing anything on
The field.
I was just admiring the series
game with someone getting hurt
on the umpires are going to get
together and I'm sure that we're
going to get an announcement
from Bob Keppert.
Ducky Medwick of the Dodgers in
Detroit.
He was with the Cardinals and to
be taken out by the committee
people throwing debris all over
The place and across the billy
Martin.
Billy's going to have Bob
Keppert make the announcement
for fans to please be good for
not endanger other fans and
players on both teams with
throwing objects.
Here's an announcement from Bob
Keppert.
Here's an announcement from
Bob Keppert.
Here's an announcement from
Bob Keppert.
We're waiting for Chris
Campbell says the Yankees who
which has done an excellent job
all year long.
Jimmy Esposito in his group and
keeping his field in good shape
play football here.
They've had a boxing match here.
They've had a boxing match here
with this field still is in very
good shape.
And it's a tribute to Jimmy
Esposito and his ground.
Well that's funny.
Now Campbell starts up with
going to run with a sacrifice
line the first.
Go with another one about the
third double the right center
but was left handed in the
fifth single is better than the
sixth goal a second base and
scored when Brett threw wilder
in that big city.
Campbell's is that some kind of
theory he's gotten some big hits
all year long for the Yankees
and he's in now against the
right hand of Mark Luttrell.
And here's the first set.
Did you get the idea.
He's flying alone the field
And the Cubs will try to let Campbell score.
And Campbell's running through the clouds.
Hey!
He's got a touch-up goal play.
Campbell's hasn't touched the whole play yet.
Fans were out on the field.
Fans were all over the field.
Campbell's had to work his way all the way around the field to second base.
After he touched first.
Fans out on the field.
Both second base up.
Somebody threw a third base up.
They're down and they're now trying to take up home plate.
And Campbell still has not touched the whole play.
And the ball game I think is over.
Chris Campbell is stepping on the first pitch for Mark Lattell.
Getting it over the wall at the 3.53 mark.
Hal McCleary gave it a good shot.
But the ball was out of reach.
And the Yankees win it by a score of 7-6.