1977 WORLD SERIES
Germantown, PA – The Chicago Demolition and the Germantown Grays locked up in the 1977 Mid-West Winter League World Series, and what a series these two clubs put on. In probably the most classic World Series since the Mid-West Winter League started in 1970, this one went down to the wire with a game seven. In the end, with a game seven to be remembered one team walked away as the 1977 MWWL World Series Champions, while one team just walked away.
Chicago @ Germantown
Game 1: J.R. Richard (25-7 2.88) vs. Jerry Koosman (22-5 2.20)
The scoring started in the bottom of the first after a Robin Yount single, Al Cowens drives one to the gap that is mishandled by Chicago outfielder Merv Rettmund. Yount scores as Cowens is thrown out at third, but this puts Germantown up 1-0. Chicago ties it on a Barry Bonds triple, followed up by Dave Concepcion single in the third. In the fourth inning Darrell Porter gets a lead off walk, which is manufactured into a run with a ground out, single, and a passed ball, giving the Grays a 2-1 lead at the end of four. A two run No-Doubter Blast to left from Thurman Munson puts the Demolition back up 3-2. A solo shot off the bat of Joe Morgan in the 8th put Chicago up by two at 4-2, and a Ted Cox error in the 9th let Chicago put up a insurance run in the ninth. Chicago goes on to win 5-2.
J.R. Richard picks up the win, Sparky Lyle picks up the save, Elias Sosa picks up the loss for the Grays.
Game 2: Don Gullett (15-5 3.16) vs. Paul Spiltorff (23-10 3.36)
Carlos Lopez leads off the scoring in game two with a solo shot in the bottom of the second, followed by Phil Garner walk, a nice sacrifice bunt attempt that Thurman Munson throws into right field, allowing Garner to come all the way around and score on making the Grays lead 2-0. Joe Morgan walks to lead off the third, steals second, and promptly takes third on a Rusty Staub single. Andre Thornton doubles to center, Morgan scores, Staub is held up at third. Graig Nettles grounds to second as Staub races home to tie the score at 2 apiece. With one out in the third, Al Cowens punches a single to left center, followed by a Cecil Cooper walk, putting two on with one out. Carlos Lopez singles home one run, and Cooper ends up on third. Phil Garner triples to left scoring both base runners and giving the Grays the lead at 5-2. A Marc Hill single followed by a Don Gullett wild pitch, and a hot grounder down the line past Graig Nettles – which rolls into the corner and scores Marc Hill, off the bat of Robin Yount puts the Grays up 6-2. Chicago gets one back on a Andre Thornton Home Run in the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth with Cecil Cooper on first after a single, Phil Garner crushes one to deep to center field, which Bobby Bonds just turns and watches for a Two Run Homer. In the ninth Skip Lockwood drills Andre Thornton in the ribs, and Graig Nettles Doubles making the score 8-4 Germantown in the lead. It ended that way with Mark Littell picking up the win, Don Gullett taking the loss for the Demolition.
Germantown @ Chicago
Game 3: Jim Bibby (13-10 4.20) vs. Tommy John (15-9 2.68)
Steve Staggs singled followed by a Cecil Cooper Two Run Homer put Germantown up 2-0 in the top half of the first. Chicago was hoping Tommy John would settle in, but that didn’t happen as in the top of the second Marc Hill hit a sacrifice fly that scored Phil Garner to make the score 3-0. Chicago’s bat’s couldn’t get anything going. Germantown score three more in the top of the third. After a walk to Al Cowens and a single for Cecil Cooper which put runners at first and third, Amos Otis smacked a triple clearing the bases and making the score 5-0. Phil Garner hit a sacrifice fly that scored Otis for a 6-0 Germantown lead. After a leadoff Double for Bobby Bonds, Dave Concepcion hit one hard down the left field line, which Carlos Lopez dropped. Bonds scored easily 6-1 Germantown at the end of seven. In the ninth Marc Hill reached on a Tim Jones error for Chicago. Al Cowens finished off the scoring for the game with a two-run blast to left give Germantown a 8-1 lead and victory. Jim Bibby picked up the win, Tommy John took the loss for the Demolition.
Game 4: Rick Waits (8-4 3.11) vs. Vida Blue (19-7 2.99)
This one was all Chicago, all the time. Germantown managed to scratch out a single run in the top of the first after Steve Saggs Doubled, and Robin Yount laid down a successful sacrifice, Cecil Cooper singled him home. That was all for Germantown. Someone decide to wake up Chicago’s bats. Bobby Bonds started it off with a run scoring Triple scoring Graig Nettles. Dave Concepcion walked, followed by a Joe Morgan single scoring Bonds. Merv Rettmund walked loading the bases for Ron LeFlore. LeFlore singled down the right field line scoring two. Andre Thorton then Doubled to make it 6-1 Chicago at the end of two. In the fourth Mark Littell walked Rettmund & Bonds back to back on 8 pitches, and then served up a meatball sandwich to Andre Thornton who connected for a Three Run Homer. After back-to-back singles by by Rettmund and LeFlore, John Mayberry Doubled hard down the line in right, scoring two more runs for Chicago. Final Score was 11-1 Chicago. The winning pitcher was Vida Blue, with the loss to Rick Waits.
Game 5: Jerry Koosman (22-5 2.20) vs. J.R. Richard (25-7 2.88)
Scoreless through the first-three innings, Germantown jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Al Cowens scored on a Darrell Porter Single & Cecil Cooper scored on a ground out by Carlos Lopez. Chicago got one back in the bottom half on Double by Leflore followed by a Run Scoring Single from Andre Thornton. A lead off walk to Amos Otis in the 5th followed by yet another walk this time to Jay Johnstone and a Cecil Cooper Single scored yet one more. 4-1 Germantown trough five. In the sixth the Grays struck again with a Carlos Lopez single and a Doug Decinces infield hit, Amos Otis drove in one with a single. After a walk to Robin Yount, Al Cowens doubled to left scoring two more making it 7-1 Germantown.
Chicago @ Germantown
Game 6: Paul Spiltorff (23-10 3.36) vs. Don Gullett (15-5 3.16)
Joe Morgan lead off the game with a Double to right center, and Ron LeFlore looped a single to right that scored Morgan. LeFlore stole second and with two outs Thurman Munson Singled home LeFlore to make it 2-0 Chicago after one. It stayed that way until the third when Chicago tallied another run on a Joe Morgan walk, stolen base, and a single by Merv Rettenmund. Chicago up 3-0 after three innings of play. In the bottom of the fifth a Single by Steve Skaggs and a Two-RUn monster shot to deep left off the bat of Catcher Marc Hill cut the score to 3-2 Chicago. Chicago’s bullpen took over as Tim Jones & Ken Forsch then shutdown the Grays attack, and Sparky Lyle came on in the 9th to record his second save of the series. Don Gullett picked up the win, and Paul Splittorff took the loss for the Grays. After six games the series was tied at three games apiece.
Game 7: Tommy John (15-9 2.68) vs. Jim Bibby (13-10 4.20)
When any series gets to a game seven it’s an unbelievable experience. This one was as well. Both pitchers faired well throughout the first-six innings. Jim Bibby allowed only one hit, and Tommy John went seven innings allowing only three hits. A lead off walk for Al Cowens in the seventh, came around to score on a Carlos Lopez Double putting the Grays up 1-0. Enrique Romo (Two scoreless), Dave LaRoche (1/3 scoreless), and Mark Littell (2/3 Scoreless) shutdown the Demoiltion the rest of the way giving the Grays a 1-0 Game Seven win, and taking the 1977 Mid-West Winter League World Series 4 games to 3 over Chicago. What an un-believable game that was. Every pitch mattered right down the last out.
MVP:
Al Cowens (10-26 5R 2D 4 RBI .385 BA .467 OBP)