Baseball History: Observations on 1980 NLCS Game 5

It is always fun and informative for me to review old games, especially great ones, such as the decisive fifth game of the 1980 N.L.C.S.

This game concluded an incredible series featuring the Philadelphia Phillies vs the Houston Astros. Philadelphia would go on to win their first World Series, beating the Kansas City Royals, who had just won their first pennant.

Some new observations include noting the fortuitous carom to Astros outfielder Gary Woods on Del Unser’s double in the tenth inning. Otherwise, likely it would have been a one out triple.

As fate would have it, the Phils needed and got the two out eventual pennant winning hit from Garry Maddox.

Maddox caught the final out to clinch the pennant and the last out of a “sudden ending possibility bottom of the 9th” and I doubt anyone has ever done all three in such a big game.

The late, great player and commentator Ralph Kiner’s praise of Maddox, a tremendous outfielder was “two thirds of the earth is covered by water, the other third by Garry Maddox.”