#ThePhillies #PhiladelphiaPhillies #mlbhighlights 1980 World Series matched the Philadelphia Phillies against the Kansas City Royals, with the Phillies winning in six games to capture the first of two World Series titles in franchise history to date. It is remembered for Game 6, which ended with Tug McGraw striking out Willie Wilson at 11:29 p.m. Wilson set a World Series record by striking out twelve times (after getting 230 hits in the regular season) in the six-game set. The Phillies became the last of the original AL and NL franchises to win a World Series title.
The Kansas City Royals became the second expansion team, and the first American League expansion team, to appear in the World Series. The AL would have to wait until 1985 before one of their expansion teams-the Royals themselves-would win a World Series.
This was the first World Series played entirely on artificial turf. As of 2008, this was the last World Series in which neither of the participating franchises had won a World Series to that point. This was the first time that had happened since 1920.
The 1980 Philadelphia Phillies seemed to have it all including eventual 1980 Most Valuable Player, third-baseman Mike Schmidt (48 HR, 121 RBI, .286 BA) and Cy Young Award winner, lefty Steve Carlton (24-9, 2.34 ERA). This mostly veteran club finished between first and third in almost all offensive categories in the National League. 39-year-old Pete Rose led the club in hits (185) and doubles (42), while speedster center fielders Garry Maddox and utility-man Lonnie Smith combined for 68 steals. The pitching staff was just good enough, led by Carlton and seventeen-game winner Dick Ruthven. In the bullpen was the ever enthusiastic screwballer Tug McGraw who was making his third trip to the Series, having riden the bench with the winning New York Mets in 1969 and the losing Mets in 1973. Third time was the charm for both the cheerleading McGraw and the bad-luck Phillies.
Game 6 would be the culmination for the first Phillies championship ever. Philadelphia scored two in the third on a Mike Schmidt single. It was all that Steve Carlton and Tug McGraw would need for the 4-1 win. Kansas City made Philly fans nervous by loading the bases in the eighth and the ninth but Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson for the third out in the final frame.
Phillies catcher Bob Boone's knees were so sore by the end of the World Series that he could barely make it to the mound after the final out was recorded.
When the modern-day World Series began in 1903, the National and American Leagues each had eight teams. With their victory in the 1980 World Series, the Phillies became the last of the "Original Sixteen" franchises to win a Series (although it should be noted that the St. Louis Browns never won a Series in St. Louis, having to wait until 1966, twelve years after they had become the Baltimore Orioles).
While Mike Schmidt was the official MVP of the 1980 World Series, the Babe Ruth Award (another World Series MVP) was given to Tug McGraw.
This Series had the highest overall television ratings to date, with the six games averaging a Nielsen rating of 32.8 and a share of 56.
Soon after the World Series, members of both teams played for a week on Family Feud with host Richard Dawson. The week of shows was billed as a World Series Rematch Week. The Phillies won three out of the five games played, with all the money going to charity.
The 1980 World Series was the first of numerous World Series that journeyman outfielder Lonnie Smith (then with Phillies) participated in. He was also a part of the 1982 World Series (as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals), 1985 World Series (as a member of the Kansas City Royals), and the 1991 and 1992 World Series as a member of the Atlanta Braves.
Four men who played in the 1980 Series (John Vukovich, Ken Brett, Dan Quisenberry, and Tug McGraw) have died of brain cancer. (Bobby Murcer and Johnny Oates, who played for the New York Yankees against the Royals in that year's ALCS, also succumbed to the disease, as did 1980 Yankees manager Dick Howser.)