TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

“When I missed that first pitch, I told myself, ‘Mo, you’re not gonna get another one like that, not in this situation.’” So thought Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Rick Monday.

It was October 19, 1981, Game Five of the National League Championship Series in Montreal. The Dodgers and Expos had split the first four games, and a cold, wet afternoon at Olympic Stadium would decide the pennant. Rain delayed the start 26 minutes, and with the game moved to a Monday workday and 41-degree weather, only 36,491 fans showed up.

Ray Burris started for the Expos against 20-year-old rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela. Montreal struck first when Tim Raines led off with a double and scored on Andre Dawson’s double-play grounder. The Dodgers tied it in the fifth: Monday and Pedro Guerrero singled back-to-back, and Monday scored on Valenzuela’s groundout.

From there, the pitchers took over. Burris went eight innings, allowing one run on five hits. Valenzuela was even better, retiring 20 of 21 batters at one stretch.

For the ninth, interim manager Jim Fanning passed on closer Jeff Reardon, who had a sore arm, and went to his ace, Steve Rogers. Rogers had been brilliant in the postseason, winning all three of his starts. But now he was relieving for only the third time in his career, on two days’ rest, in a cold mist.

Steve Garvey popped out on the first pitch. Ron Cey drove one to the base of the left-field wall for the second out.

Then came Monday. Rogers started him with a belt-high fastball over the middle, and Monday fouled it back. “You won’t see another one like that to hit,” he thought.

He was wrong. On 3-and-1, Rogers tried to put a sinker low and away. It hung. “I didn’t make the pitch,” Rogers admitted.

Monday lost the ball in the mist. “When I hit it, I did not know where it had gone until I saw the outfielders at the wall.” When Dawson ran out of room in right-center, Monday punched the air rounding second as the Dodgers bench emptied.

In the bottom of the ninth, Valenzuela retired the first two batters, then walked Gary Carter and Larry Parrish. Tommy Lasorda brought in Bob Welch, who needed one pitch to get Jerry White to ground out and send the Dodgers to the World Series.

Monday, 35 and weighing retirement, went on to help Los Angeles beat the Yankees for its first title since 1965. He played until 1984 before a long broadcasting career.

He was the first pick in baseball’s first amateur draft in 1965, and in 1976 he saved an American flag from being burned on the field. Now he had crushed a nation’s heart. To this day, Montreal fans call that game “Blue Monday.” It was the Expos’ only postseason appearance.

Parts of this article can be found on SABR Games Project

Todays Podcast

Brought to you by: This Day In Baseball

This day in baseball has a deeper dive into every event from October 19

October 19, 1949 — In one of their best trades in franchise history, the White Sox obtained 21-year-old future Hall of Famer Nellie Fox from the A’s in exchange for catcher Joe Tipton. The hard-nosed second baseman will lead the league in hits four times and will win the 1959 American League MVP and the Gogo White Sox to the World Series. Fox played in 12 All-Star Games, won 3 Gold Gloves, and finished in the top 10 MVP voting four times during his 14-year tenure with the team. Tipton will collect just 200 hits playing for multiple teams over the next five seasons.

October 19, 1964 — Fred Hutchinson, who compiled a 443-372 (.544) record and won the 1961 National League pennant during his six seasons with the team, formally resigns as manager the Reds. The 44 year-old much-respected skipper, after a courageous battle against lung cancer, will die three weeks later in Bradenton, Florida.

October 19, 1972, at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Oakland A’s stage a dramatic comeback to win Game Four of the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Trailing 2-1 in the ninth inning, the A’s string together four consecutive hits, including three by pinch-hitters Gonzalo Marquez, Don Mincher, and Angel Mangual, who provides the game-winning run with an opposite-field single. The Series is even at two games apiece.

“Get a good pitch you can drive” said Oakland Manager Dick Williams “Try to gel the ball some place.”

Pinch-hitter Angel Mangual got the pilch he wanted and put it in the right place— a single to right field that scored the winning run for the A’s Thursday night The dramatic base hit through a drawn-in infield capped a two-run rally in the last of the ninth inning as Oakland beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 and took a solid 3-1 lead in the 1972 World Series “I prayed that the ball would go through” said Mangual after driving in Gene Tenace from third base with the winning run.

October 19, 1976 — The Cincinnati Reds take a commanding 3-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the World Series with a 6 – 2 victory at Yankee Stadium. Cincinnati’s designated hitter, Dan Driessen, has a single, double, home run and a walk to lead the attack. Jim Mason has a solo homer in the 7th inning for the only home run by the Yankees in the Series.

October 19, 1980 — At Royals Stadium, in Game Five of the World Series, a 9th-inning rally for two runs against Kansas City Royals reliever Dan Quisenberry gave the Phillies a 4 – 3 win and series edge three games to two. Del Unser pinch hitting for Lonnie Smith delivers Mike Schmidt with a double to tie the game at three, and then scores the go-ahead run on a two-out Manny Trillo single. Tug McGraw will close out the Royals but not without drama after walking the bases loaded with two outs he fans Jose Cardenal to seal the win. McGraw was in his third inning in relief, he gave up just one hit and four walks. Quisenberry also pitched 2.2 innings in relief for the Royals.

October 19, 1982 — The St. Louis Cardinals sit through two rain delays to easily win Game 6 of the World Series by a 13 – 1 score over the Brewers.

October 19, 1983, Pete Rose released by Philadelphia Phillies “It’s the best thing for the Phillies for me to hit the road and the best thing for me then hit the road,” said Rose 42 who was dropped Wednesday after refusing to accept status as a part-time player. “I don’t like to play part-time” said the player who is among the top five in almost every major league offensive category “I’ve been an everyday player for so many years it is hard for me to play three days a week I’m sure there are some teams out there who want me.” ‘Rose turned down the role the Phillies offered because he wants to break Ty Cobb’s all-time career major league hit record He has 3990 just 201 short of Cobb’s mark of -4191- He needs just 10 to become the second player in major league history to reach 4000 hits. Rose said there are no hard feelings toward the Phillies. Rose will sign with the Expos in January.

October 19, 1985 — At Royals Stadium, Cardinals ace John Tudor is a 3 – 1 winner in the I-70 World Series opener against in-state opponent Kansas City. When Lonnie Smith led off for the Royals, he became the first player in MLB history to be traded from a team (the St. Louis Cardinals) during a season and play against that team in the World Series the same season. This was the first Saturday night game in World Series history.

October 19, 1986 — At Shea Stadium, Steve Crawford is the winning pitcher in the Red Sox’ 9-3 victory over the Mets in Game 2 of the World Series. Boston has 18 hits and batters, Dwight Gooden, for six runs in five innings. Crawford was 0-2 before the start of the postseason, becomes the first hurler to win a Fall Classic contest after being winless during the regular season. Crawford also won the Dave Henderson game (game 5) in the ALCS.

October 19, 1987 — The Yankees name Billy Martin as their manager for the fifth and final time, replacing Lou Piniella, who replaced Martin and is moved to general manager. Piniella led the Yankees to an 89-73 record in 1987, fourth in the AL East.The fiery skipper will stay at the helm until June 23 of next year, finishing his tumultuous tenure with the Bronx Bombers with a 556-385 (.591) record that produces two pennants and a World championship during his eight seasons with the team.

October 19, 1990 — The Cincinnati Reds move within one game of a shocking World Series sweep by beating the Oakland Athletics, 8 – 3, in Game 3. Chris Sabo has a pair of home runs for the Reds.

October 19, 1991 — Minnesota defeats the Braves, 5 – 2, in Game 1 of the World Series. Greg Gagne’s three-run home run off Charlie Leibrandt in the 5th inning helps support the strong effort of winning pitcher Jack Morris.

October 19, 2001 — In the NLCS, Curt Schilling’s four-hitter gives the Arizona Diamondbacks a 5 – 1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Schilling strikes out 12 Braves as Craig Counsell gets three hits and Steve Finley drives home three runs.

October 19, 2004 — In a game known as the “Bloody Sock Game” which features two reversed calls by the umpires, the Boston Red Sox, who were just three outs from being swept in Game 4, become the first team in baseball history after trailing any series 0-3 to force a Game 7. Curt Schilling, playing with a dislocated ankle tendon being held in place three sutures put in the day before, gives up one run over seven innings, in Boston’s 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

October 19, 2005 — In Game 6 of the NLCS, the Houston Astros earn the first World Series berth in the team’s 44-year history with a 5 – 1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Roy Oswalt, who also won Game 2, gives up only three hits and strikes out six Cardinals over seven innings in earning the NLCS MVP award.

October 19, 2006 — For a new generation of fans, the term “the Catch” may conjure up memories of Endy Chavez’s NLCS Game 7 leaping catch at Shea’s left field fence with his outstretched glove, grabbing a ball destined to be a Scott Rolen two-run home run, and starting an unbelievable double play. The heroics are overshadowed in the ninth inning as Yadier Molina hits a two-run homer and Carlos Beltran, who has the best HR ratio (11/81) in postseason history, looks at a third strike with the bases loaded with Mets, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 victory and the pennant.

 ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA

TRIVIA ANSWER: TOM GLAVINE

.

Thank you Horsehide Trivia

JOIN CLASSIC BASEBALL BROADCASTS TODAY