McGraw Had to Get on His Horse Before Game Went Right to the Dogs

In the 1980 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals, mounted policemen and attack dogs were at the ready as the Phillies went for the clincher in the sixth game at Philadelphia.

The idea was to discourage postgame riots, but the way Phillie pitcher Tug McGraw tells it, they served another purpose.

With the Phillies leading in the ninth inning, 4-1, the Royals loaded the bases against McGraw with one out. The next two batters were Frank White and Willie Wilson, and McGraw told Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News that he was plainly scared. He said his screwball had gone south and that his tank was almost on empty. He was pitching on fumes.

While pondering his situation, he looked over and saw a horse pawing and scraping at the end of the Phillies’ dugout.

“The horse was doing what you’re afraid horses will do when you bring them onto a rug,” McGraw said. “I thought, ‘If I don’t get out of this inning, I’m going to be just what that horse is dropping on the AstroTurf.’ That relaxed me a little because it gave me something to laugh at.”

White then fouled out, although catcher Bob Boone made it an adventure when he let the ball bounce off his mitt. Pete Rose came to the rescue, catching it before it hit the ground.

Said McGraw: “Now I’m looking over by the dugout and there’s a cop and a dog standing there. I thought, ‘What do they call those guys? There was a name for that.’ Then I remembered--K-9 Corps. This was the ninth inning and I needed a K. Thank you very much, let’s go get ‘em.”

Wilson struck out, and the Phillies had won their first World Series in history.

Trivia Time: On Oct. 8, 1956, exactly 30 years ago, Don Larsen of the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 2-0, with a perfect game in the fifth game of the World Series. Who made the last out? (Answer below.)

From Houston Astro reliever Dave Smith: “The press in New York, the Mets, everybody’s got us steamed. I can’t say I wouldn’t mind four shutouts.”

Said bullpen mate Charlie Kerfeld: “I’ve read the article that their pen is mightier. The stats say different. Bring on the Mets.”

Keith Hernandez of the Mets, after the team played an exhibition game in Fenway Park, said: “I could take playing 81 games here. I hope Boston wins it. I love old parks like this. You don’t see this in the National League, except for Wrigley Field. It’s just played on a computer, and they all come out the same.”

Trivia Answer: Pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell, on a called third strike.

Add Mitchell: His son Dudley (Bo) Mitchell, only 7 at the time, was at the game with his mother at Yankee Stadium. He told Buddy Martin of the Denver Post that when his dad came up, his mother told him: “If he gets a hit, don’t yell out that he’s your dad. We might get killed by this crowd.”

Actually, Bo said he had been a fan of the Yankees, particularly Mickey Mantle, even when his dad played for the Cleveland Indians.

“Mom would always scorn me when I rooted for the Yankees,” he said. “She’d say, ‘If it wasn’t for the Yankees, we’d be driving a Cadillac instead of this Chevrolet.’ ” Quotebook

San Francisco 49er quarterback Jeff Kemp, asked if he had developed a special rapport with receiver Jerry Rice: “Rapport? You mean like, ‘You run as fast as you can, and I’ll throw as far as I can?’ ”