‘55 Boys of Summer sweep ‘08 Phightin’s in series marred by off field antics

SERIES SUMMARY:  Fireworks were expected in this series that matched up two teams that seemed to be mirror images of themselves.  Both play in virtual bandboxes and both win on power.  The reason I say "mirror image" is because the Dodgers rely on rightanded power and the Phils rely more on left handed power.  Making the series even more interesting is the fact that both teams represent cities that detest each other and both managers are natives to those towns.  The key to winning the series would be which pitching staff could make the least mistakes and which ace would come up bigger.  The local tabloids were creating a carnival atmosphere as tension began to mount.

10/2-10/3 - Citizens Bank Ballpark
GAME 1 - Dodgers 2, Phillies 1
As if playoff series aren't tension riddled on their own the New York vs Philly rivalry added a bit more to the mix.  Both teams started out slow like two heavyweight contenders attempting to feel each other out before throwing haymakers.  A jab here, a jab there, but no big punches were thrown.  Credit the pitching for keeping the hitting off stride.  Philly would score first when third baseman Greg Dobbs would homer with 1 out in the fourth off of Dodger starter Don Newcombe.  Many in attendance expected this to be the first of many big punches thrown on the day the hometown team.  The Phightin's manager, Gary B was one of those with high expectations and those expectations got the best of him.  After witnessing Don Hoak tie the game with a 1 out solo shot in the 5th and seeing Cole Hamels walk Roy Campanella to force in a run the Phils manager lost his temper.  Thankfully his coaching staff was able to restrain him, but the uneasiness in his teams dugout might have contributed to his team's tightness as they would not score the rest of the way.  Newcombe, who for so long has had to battle the label of "choker" came up big in this "big" game.  Newk would go 8 innings and the only blemish on his pitching line was Dobbs solo homer back in the 4th.  Newk would start the 9th and give up a lead off single to Chase Utley.  That would facilitate the Dodgers decision to go to the pen and summon lefty Karl Spooner to face Ryan Howard.  Curiously the Phils manager responded by pinch hitting for his 49 home run slugger, Ryan Howard, with Pedro Feliz.  Spooner struck out Feliz, but more importantly the Phils lost a chance to win the game with 1 swing, which is Howard's specialty.  Pinch hitter Matt Stairs walked and Clem Labine was brought on to get the final 2 outs.  First Dobbs grounded to second and Geoff Jenkins, who curiously pinch hit for Pat Burrell who hit 35 homers that season, fanned to end it.  To add to the controversy Howard was seen jawing with his manager at the end of the game.  One can only surmise what was said, but you can bet the powerful lefty slugger was not happy about being removed from the game for a pinch hitter with his team 1 down.  Pat "the bat" Burrell was also seen shaking his head and looking for a piece of his manager.  Lost in the shuffle of all this controversy is the fact that Cole Hamels pitched a wonderful game only allowing 2 runs to that powerful righty lineup that Brooklyn plays.

GAME 2 - Dodgers 8, Phillies 1
Hoping to put the controversy of game 1 behind them the Phightin's ran into 1955 World Series MVP Johnny Podres.  As you all know Podres is a southpaw, and the Phils have trouble with those port siders.  Podres was locked into cruise control giving up just a solo homer to Jayson Werth in the bottom of the 5th, when something went wrong.  It is not known if Podres just tweaked his knee or seriously hurt it.  In either case he was done for the day.  Thankfully for the Dodgers they had been beating up on Philie starter Brett Myers and were up 7-1.  Carl Erskine was brought on to finish it out and the curve ball master was at the top of his game going 3 2/3 innings in relief and allowing only 2 hits.  Brooklyn took Myers deep 3 times.  Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese and  Podres himself went deep.  Gil Hodges went 3 for 3 and played flawlessly like he usually does in the field.  Once again the antics off the field overshadowed the events on the field.  The Phils manager once again lost his temper and began yelling at his lefty power hitters to "hit this sh-t pitcher".  Baseball players as you know do not respond well to the added pressure of their manager calling them out.  Opposing teams do however respond well when they are given bulletin board material.  Once all the dust cleared it became apparent that the Phightin's were down 2 games to 0 and the series was heading back to the Borough of Churches.

10/5 - Ebbets Field
GAME 3 - Dodgers 4, Phillies 0
Off days are supposed to a time for travel and preparation for the big game scheduled the following day.  Things are supposed to be calm and relaxed, but that was not the case as both the Brooklyn Eagle and the Philadelphia Inquirer were printing stories about the controversies surrounding the first 2 games.  While Brooklyn is known to have the most rabid fans in the league, these fans typically focus on their team and try to ignore the other.  Having read all the stories regarding the insults aimed at their players and the way they play the game those same fans came to the park looking for bear.  The bear would come in the form of Phillies manager Gary B, who has fueled the fire with his incendiary statements about game play, his team and especially his opponents players.  After Brooklyn jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first the TV cameras began to focus on Philly's embattled manager who was stirring like a dormant volcano.  After seeing his team not score in 3 innings against Dodgers starter Karl Spooner the volcano erupted.  His first attack was aimed at the umpire crew for not calling the game fair, then it turned to the Dodgers lefty, whom he called a "crap pitcher" who had no business getting his hitters out.  At this point Brooklyn's own manager who to this point in the series remained quiet decided to chime in.  That caused a verbal altercation as well as a bench clearing incident.  Luckily for all  there were no punches thrown and no players injured.  The only casualty was Philly's manager who had said one four letter word too many, so he was gone.  GB packed it in, but still managed to shoot off a few more expletives on his way out the door.  Bench coach Michael Hopcroft admirably stepped in to finish out the game, but you could see he was inheriting a shell shocked team that just wanted to get on the bus and head home from Gotham.  Jamie Moyer would go 7 innings and give up 3 runs, the biggest being a 2 run shot to Duke Snider.  That game changing homer occurred just after the bench clearing incident ended.  When interview after the game Moyer, the elder  statesman of the clubhouse, said: "we're all professionals, but certainly a situation like this never helps the club...we hope our manager can work things out for himself and we thank Mike for taking over under such adverse conditions".  Spooner would exit the game after 5 2/3 innings of work. Clem Labine would pitch the final 3 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball, which seemed to be very easy for him as he was facing a toothless foe that had the wind sucked right out of their sails.  Brooklyn would clinch the series in 3 straight, but that would unfortunately become page 2 news as the carnival antics that surrounded the game itself took front page space.  NYPD reported that there were at least 20 arrests as Brooklyn natives were seen fighting with those who traveled north on the NJ Turnpike to root for Philly.  Sadly the poor behavior on the field filtered into the highly charged crowd.