This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.
San Francisco Giants faced the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium for a Sunday afternoon game on May 4, 1980.
The Giants had a successful season for the first time in a decade in 1978 when they finished 16 games over 500 under manager Joe Altabelli.
The team slipped badly in 1979, however, falling 20 games under 500 by early September.
Altabelli was fired and Dave Bristle took over as skipper for the final few weeks of the season.
He would continue as manager for the 1980 season.
There was a lot of excitement brewing in Montreal under manager Dick Williams.
In his third year with the club, he was able to lead the Expos to 95 wins in 1979, finishing just short of the NL East title to the Pirates.
The team shifted to more youth in the offseason, saying goodbye to veterans Rusty Staub, Tony Perez, Rudy May, and Dave Cash.
This audio recording is from the San Francisco Radio broadcast featuring announcers Lindsey Nelson and Hank Greenwald.
The battle is standing in shadow and the picture is in bright sunshine although the temperature is considerably lower today than yesterday in Montreal.
This is a 2-0 delivery in there for a called strike.
Billy North thinking all the way.
Two balls and one strike.
Jim Davenport on the coaching lines at third, Jim Lativa on the coaching lines at first for the San Francisco Giants.
Right as again, Rox and delivers and that picture is in for a called strike too.
It's 2-2.
Nick Colosi calling balls and strikes.
Andy Olsen who worked behind the plate yesterday, he is taking the day off.
Here's a 2-2.
Swung on and fouled off.
It's still a 2-2 count to Billy North.
Darrell Evans is out there on deck.
Giants in the dugout along the third baseline and the expos the first baseline.
Steve Rogers, right-hander, offers 2-2 and it's high.
The count runs full of three balls and two strikes.
I just told you the ability to step up onto the rubber as Billy North comes back in at the plate.
And the 3-2, swung on and fouled off.
Continuing count of 3-2.
Rogers with a record of two wins and two losses.
Here's a 3-2.
Swung right-hander on the ground at second base.
Berners-Arts has it.
Goes over the first end.
There's one away.
That will bring up Darrell Evans hitting 2-31.
He has three homers and seven runs batted out.
Evans waiting until he steps in.
They play him to pull in center.
Andre Dawson swung well around toward right.
Great pitch is low and inside for a ball.
It's 1-0.
Rogers rocks into the motion.
Bring in a high fly ball to left field and shortstop.
Rodney Scott goes out in short left.
Makes the catch back up by around the floor.
So what?
Emory doesn't only deliver to the major cities,
they also ship things down to the minors.
Emory, from here to there, overnight.
Jack Clark is coming up.
He's hitting 2-0-3.
Has two homers and five runs batted out.
Outfield defenses are lined straight away.
There's Rogers with the pitch and it's inside high for a ball,
1-0.
Two men out, nobody on base.
And the 1-0.
Low for a ball.
It's 2-0.
William McCover is on deck.
Gary Carter sends out the sign.
Here's the 2-0 delivery.
Hung on at it is foul back.
Coming back is Carter, but he can't get it.
He's crossed the screen into the seats behind home plate.
So it's just two balls and one strike.
Scheduled pitchers in the second game of the doubleheader,
Ed Helicki and Bill Lee.
First doubleheader of the year for each of these teams.
Here's the 2-1.
Hung on and there.
Two balls and two strikes to Jack Clark.
Comes back in at the plate.
Rogers rocks, kicks.
Delivers low and away.
So it's gone to three balls and two strikes.
It just takes a little breath and now looks for the sign.
Delivers 3-2.
Low walking.
So Clark goes down to first to become the first giant base runner of the day
and that will bring up William McCovey.
He yesterday hit a home run, his first of this year, 521st of his career.
Tying him for eighth place on the all-time list with Ted Williams.
Moves out the dirt and then steps out in the batter's box before coming back in.
Left hand batter facing the right hand pitcher.
The pitcher is tying away for a ball. It's 1-0.
Warren Cromartie, the first baseman, is holding against Jack Clark with two men out.
This is a 1-0.
Breaks inside low.
2-0.
Dave Rogers, one and one last year against the Giants.
His lifetime record against San Francisco, six wins and six losses.
He sets up.
Tries a fastball outside.
3-0 now to McCovey with Terry Whitfield waiting on deck.
I just tried a 3-0 to Willie Mack, high and away walking.
Willie Mack had that batcock ready to swing away on the 3-0.
Successive walk to Clark and McCovey with runners at first and second
and that brings up Terry Whitfield.
Hitting 250, no homers in three runs out of that.
Whitfield is a left hand batter.
Two years ago Steve Rogers had elbow surgery.
Came back last year to get 13 wins.
That's up.
Jack's runners first and second.
Fitches inside low for a ball, it's 1-0.
Just takes a deep breath out there on the mound.
Trying to get composed, settle down.
Giant runners lead first and second.
Fitches in there for a cross-cock on the inside corner.
Whitfield doesn't think so.
Points with the bat, trying to show Nick Koloski to play dumbball
where he thought it went.
One ball and one strike.
Again giant runners take their lead.
And the 1-1 pitch.
Breaks inside low so it's gone to two balls and one strike.
No question that Rogers has been struggling.
He's been going to three balls on Billy Norris, three and two,
before getting north on a ground ball.
And after Evans popped up, walking Clark and McCovey,
McCovey on four pitches.
Galen Sisco, the pitching coach, has gone out now.
Trying to offer a few words of advice to steady Steve Rogers.
Sisco now going back to the dugout.
Whitfield back in at the plate.
Giant runners lead first and second.
The count is two balls and one strike with two men out.
Rogers sets up.
Kicks and delivers.
That is low for balls.
It's gone to three and one now to Terry Whitfield.
Rogers is one pitch away from loading the bases.
Rene Stenit is on deck.
Runners lead first and second.
Three-one pitch.
One on and missed.
Three-two.
That means the runners will be moving on the pitch.
An automatic start for Jack Clark at second
and William McCovey at first on the three-two pitch
that Terry Whitfield has to play.
Rogers takes his time.
Runners lead.
Now bluffed by Rogers, he whirled and did not throw.
Clark going back to the bag at second.
Nobody covering.
Infielders did not move.
So again, runners lead.
Whitfield is waiting.
Runners go.
Come on, hit up the alley on right center field
and it's going to be all the way to the wall one-half.
One run is scored as Clark comes across.
McCovey is around 30 coming home.
McCovey scores as the throw goes to second.
Whitfield with a double and two runs vetted in.
And the Giants are out front with a two-run margin
here at the top of the first inning.
An advantage in having the runners going on the three-two pitch.
They were able to score both of them as the ball was slammed up the alley.
One hop to the wall in right center field by Terry Whitfield.
Now with the runner at second, it's still two men out.
Rene Stenis coming up.
Well, there's another case of a two-out walk coming back to haunt Steve Rogers
after getting the first two men out and walking successive batters
and getting behind to Whitfield.
That really cost him.
Stenis hitting 274.
No homers in three runs vetted in.
Come on, hit underground to third.
Jen Macahe is up and throwing across to Comarty in time.
Side is out, but the Giants got two runs on a hit and they left one
in the middle of the first inning to score the Giants two in the X-Float coming to bat.
Music
Giants will feature several interesting promotions on this next home stand at Candlestick Park.
For example, this photo album day on Sunday, May 18th,
the first 40,000 fans entering the park will receive a 60-page full-color photo album
containing action shots and statistical information on all the players and coaches.
That's photo album day on Sunday, May 18th, as the Giants meet the Cardinals.
Also on this next home stand, Giants will hold their first business fight for the season
and can have lunch with the Giants.
The game starts at 12 noon as the Giants host the World Champions Pittsburgh Pirates
on Wednesday, May 14th.
John Monofisco on the mound today in this first game.
He has a lifetime record against the Montreal X-Floats with five wins and two losses last year,
and he's only starting against the X-Floats he won until he was 1-0.
He has not lost to the X-Floats since May 3rd, 1977.
Up to lead it off, Ron LeFloor hitting 268.
He has no homers and two runs batted in.
...