Topps "Redemption Card" Recalls Craziest Inning in Dodgers-Phillies Postseason History
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With the Dodgers advancing past the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round, the table is set for a Dodgers-Phillies playoff matchup fans have seen many times over. In all, the two teams have squared off in the postseason five different times, with the Phils taking the last three in decisive fashion. This century alone, the Phils have won eight of their last postseason games against Los Angeles, outscoring their West Coast rivals 60-36 in the process.
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Phils as the Phavorites
The first time the two teams met followed a very different script. Though the Phils won a league-best 101 games in 1977, the 98-win Dodgers had their number in the playoffs, taking the series three games to one. Though the series was not decided in earnest until game 4, most fans will agree the series was over after game 3, thanks to one of the most chaotic and controversial ninth innings in postseason history.
With the series knotted at a game apiece and Philadelphia taking a two-run lead into the game's final frame, things unfolded unremarkably enough. Phils reliever Gene Garber induced infield grounders from the Dodgers first two batters, Dusty Baker and Rick Monday, and registered a quick two outs in the process. Second-year manager Tommy Lasorda then pinch-hit Vic Davalillo for catcher Steve Yeager, and that's when all hell broke loose.
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An Utterly Epic Unraveling
On an 0-1 count, Davalillo successfully parlayed a drag bunt (yes, a drag bunt!) into a single, and all of a sudden the tying run was at the plate. Still there were two outs and the batter was pinch-hitter Manny Mota, not exactly known for the long ball. Nonetheless, Mota came through with exactly that, an RBI double high off the left field screen, just over the glove of a leaping Greg Luzinski. To make matters worse, miscues on the play allowed Mota to advance to third with the top of the Dodger order coming up.
As unlikely as the inning had been to this point, it only got weirder when leadoff man Dave Lopes hit a grounder to the left side that caromed off the glove of third baseman Mike Schmidt but was fielded by shortstop Larry Bowa. In what might have been the finest play of the all-star shortstop's career, Bowa made the throw to first just ahead of a streaking Lopes to end the game except for one detail. Umpire Bruce Froemming called Lopes safe.
Just when Phillies fans thought things couldn't get any worse, an errant pickoff attempt on Lopes sent the Dodgers speedster to second base where he scored with ease on teammate Bill Russell's go-ahead single. For Phillies fans wanting to forget this third of an inning ever happened, Topps cards the next year came with a mix of bad news and good news.
"But he was out!"
The bad news was Topps dedicated a card to the 1977 NLCS and (of course!) chose Dave Lopes as its subject. "But he was out," protested many a young collector, still struggling six months later to cope with the blown call. (In fairness, many fans are still struggling 48 years later!) Ah, but here's where the good news comes in. Though you might expect the card showed the play that shall not be mentioned, various clues in the photo point otherwise.
First off, the controversial Lopes single was in game 3, but the catcher on the card, Tim McCarver, only played in games 1 and 4. Parsing the clues a bit more, McCarver's home uniform further narrows the action to game 4. As for the at-bat itself, further "cardboard detective" work identifies it as the first of the Dodger leadoff man's five plate appearances that day, one in which he lined out harmlessly to second baseman Ted Sizemore. And that's where the redemption comes in. If you were one of thousands of kids in Philly who pulled the card back in 1978 certain Lopes was out, guess what. You were absolutely right!
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.