June 20th, 1993- Florida Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies
For Those About to Kruk, We Salute You.
An Introduction…
I’m the guy who actually tried to write Chase Utley to be his best friend before the It’s Always Sunny
in Philadelphia episode (and technically wrote for his website for two months because of it). With the
chance of the season barely hanging in hope and only the KBO to salve my baseball addiction, I
made the decision to go back in time. Thanks to the internet and more specifically the saint who runs
the ClassicPhilliesTV youtube channel
1993 Phillies, day for day just like if it was 27 years ago (but with the internet). To reminisce about
the legends of John Kruk, Mitch Williams, and Darren Daulton, mixing the knowledge we have now,
with jokes of how dumb things were then. Follow along for the month of June and if it works out, I’ll
continue to the month of July.
Where We Last Left Our Intrepid Heroes (and Villains)
The Philadelphia Phillies are 47-20 and sitting comfortably in first place. They are riding depth and
key free agent acquisitions to a surprising first half domination of the National League. As Jayson
Stark wrote before the 1993 season for the Philadelphia Inquirer, “They talked about David Cone.
They delivered Danny Jackson. They negotiated with Joe Carter. They wound up with Pete
Incavigla. It was one of the Phillies’ most critical off seasons in 20 years. And now that it’s over, all
they’ve produced is rampaging indifference in a city desperate for something better.” While
preposterously wrong about most of his outlook, Jayson Stark was absolutely right about one thing,
the city was desperate for something better. And when they got it, they showed up to support it.
Today’s daytime game (with its only-grown-up-men giveaway) is a complete sell out and the largest
crowd at the Vet since 1982 with a paid attendance of 58,000+.
The Florida Marlins are near the bottom of the NL East standings, but are winning at a better clip
than any other expansion team in history. While there were many great moments in the inaugural
season, the Marlins really peaked in their first game of the season. With today’s starter Charlie
Hough on the mound, the clouds in Florida cleared just in time for the sold out crowd at a converted
Joe Robbie Stadium to watch Joe Dimaggio throw out the first pitch. Against Orel Hershiser, Hough
would last 6 innings and earn the first victory in Marlins history. Some gems from Sports Illustrated’s
season preview, “Head Coach Rene Lachemann wears a nicotine patch on his rear end… There is a
Japanese rock group named for first basemen Orestes Destrade… and that catcher Benito Santiago
has the number 09 (not just 9)” They stand at 31-36 for the season.
On the Mound
Wearing the red pinstripes on the mound is Tommy Greene, lovingly referred to by Harry Kalas as
Tee the Greene. Legend says that Kalas always carried the same golf tee in his pocket on the days Tommy Greene pitched, thus the nickname. Around this time of the season in ‘93, Kalas would
replace the original tee with a new one that was Carolina blue in respect to Greene’s home state.
Tommy is currently 8-1 with a 2.56 ERA while averaging 7.7 strike outs per 9 innings. He sits in 6th
place in the NL in strike outs and leads the NL is batting average against him with other players
hitting a Mendoza-esque .204.
For the Marlins, their starter today is the 45 years young Charlie Hough, who comes into the game
with a 3-7 record and a 4.47 ERA. Sports Illustrated notes, “That No. 1 starter Charlie Hough took
his physical and was told that he was in great shape for a man in his 50’s.” Hough is a knuckleballer
and at this point in his career is a 23 year veteran. His last start in Philadelphia was for the Dodgers
in 1980. Some historical fun facts about Hough: one of the pitchers to give-up a home run to Reggie
Jackson in 1977 World Series when Jackson hit three consecutive home runs on 3 pitches, he was
the last active pitcher born in the 1940’s, in 1993 he was a part of the oldest battery in baseball with
43 year old Carlton Fisk, he started 400 games and relieved 400 games, he holds the record with
battery mate Geno Petralli for most passed balls in one inning, and his career record is a cool 216
and 216.
Today’s Game
It is Father’s Day, June 20th, 1993 and the Phillies are at home in Veteran’s stadium. Today’s
broadcast is on WPHL 17 (make sure you stick around for Money Pit at 4:00) with Harry Kalas and
Whitey for the beginning and end of the game, as well as Andy Musser and Wheels for the 4th
through 6th.
Watch For Yourself At:
The Line-up
CF Lenny Dykstra
SS Mariano Duncan (.340 daytime hitter)
1B John Kruk
LF Pete Incavigla
RF Jim Eisenreich (9 game hitting streak)
C Todd Pratt
3B Kim Batiste
2B Mickey Morandini
P Tommy Greene
Highs (Hopes) and Lows
Low: Slow Starts
The Phillies but more specifically Tommy Greene got themselves into an early hole when giving up a
run in the first on an Orestes Destrade sac fly. Furthering the issue in the 2nd inning Tommy Greene
loads the bases after walking Chuck Carr, and allowing a runner reach on an error and a single. This
brings up perpetual thorn in the Phillies side (and my new enemy) Brett Barberie to the plate, on the
third pitch of the at-bat Barberie decides to pull a Ted Mosby (this is a pretty deep How I Met Your
Mother reference), and leans into an inside pitch, but the pitch isn’t inside enough. Instead of then
attempting to use the bat he has with him, Barberie again decides to get hit by a pitch and refuses to
move when Greene throws a low inside pitch and hits Barberie in the foot scoring a run. The Marlins increase their lead to 2-0.
Low: Casual Racism
The Atlanta Braves are on their way to the Vet for an important three game series, so whomever was
writing the WPHL advertising copy for the series decided to throw in some racism to up the ante.
First saying the Braves are “on a warpath” which is slightly not offensive (I guess), but then doubling
down by adding the Phils are going to send the Braves home “on a trail of tears.” Yikes. It’s hard to
stay on the high road of calling out Braves fans for doing the stupid chant and axe slash while your
team's commercials say stuff like this.
Low Then High Then Low Then HIGHHHHHHHHHH:
The Phils are getting completely handcuffed by Charlie Hough even as he has given up four walks in
the game. Especially troubled by the knuckleballer is John Kruk, who today has popped up twice
with men in scoring position. The score in the bottom of the 7th stands at 3-1 after the Phils scored
on a Marlins error and the Marlins scored on an Orestes Destrade solo home run. After a Phillie can
be heard dropping an F bomb over the broadcast, Harry mentions how frustrated the Phillies hitters
have been today. Pinch hitting for Tommy Greene, who is finished after a 7 inning 2 ER run
performance, Milt Thompson knocks a grounder to second baseman/enemy Brett Barberie
who has the good grace to biff the play allowing Thompson to reach first. This error sends the highly
effective Hough to the showers to the joy of the Phillies clubhouse (and probably Benito Santiago).
After a Lenny Dykstra walk and a Mariano Duncan pop out, the Marlins make another pitching
change as John Kruk makes his way to the plate. The new pitcher for the Marlins is a 25 year old
fireballer by the name of Trevor Hoffman, whom at this point in his career has no change-up to
speak of. It would be another year before Hoffman undergoes surgery and loses his ability to throw
95 MPH and decides to figure out the pitch that would devastate all hitters in baseball for the next 15
years, too bad. Right now he’s just a kid so unknown that when ESPN did a three hour expansion
draft show in which the hosts had over 300 player profiles ready, he was the guy they had nothing
on. The local Marlins draft coverage had Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter who was quoted to say at
the time, “I wish I could give you some expertise on him, but I don't know a whole lot about him.” When he faces Kruk in this game he has a 2-1 record, a 2.94 ERA, and his first 2 career saves (of
an eventual 601). John Kruk entered the game 1st in the league in batting average, walks, and on
base percentage, but struggled mightily against Hough. The first thing you notice about John Kruk, is
that his body shape is not one you might see on a baseball field. There hasn’t been a baseball
player that looks like John Kruk since he played, because he simply didn’t make sense. His “most
unconventional swing you might see”, starts with Kruk standing a foot and a half off the plate, he
then stands straight up and holds the bat perpendicular above his head. There’s a reason he’s only
been hit twice in his career, a ball would have to be thrown so far out of the strike zone the pitcher
would have to try to do it. His most impressive talent was the quickness of his hands to start that far
away, contract into his body during the swing, and extend to reach the entire plate. Kruk frustrated
pitchers with one of the best hitter’s eyes in the game, constantly taking pitches and waiting for the
one he could shoot into the gaps for a hit. Sadly throughout this series of rewatches we have yet to
see Kruk unload for a home run.
Wild Rides
Mitch Williams warms up for the ninth inning as the stadium speakers blast The Troggs’ classic,
“Wild Thing”. Which is pretty awesome. Despite the popularity of the Major League films, closer
music wasn’t really a thing until Mariano Rivera came out to “Enter Sandman”, so this gives you the
warm and fuzzies. At a score of 4-3, this is the tightest game Mitch has pitched in during our re-
watch, and he comes into this game with six straight appearances without giving up a run. Mitch gets
a pop up to Mickey to record the first out and then strikes out Carr for the second. After giving up a
single to Barberie (that piece of scum), Florida Marlins 3rd baseman Dave Magadan comes up as
the game winning a run.
A quick diatribe about David Magadan, the 15 year veteran was a fine player, but is of special note
to me (and probably thirty other people) for being integral to the plot of the 1993 baseball film Little
Big League. In about 6 days from now (in 1993) Magadan will be traded from the Marlins to the
Seattle Mariners for Jeff Darwin (weirdly, 6 months later the Mariners and Marlins would repeat the
trade, because I guess no one said “no take backs”) and thus make him a Mariner while they filmed
Little Big League. In the movie, the Twins play a one game playoff against the Mariners for the Wild
Card (even though the Wild Card wouldn’t be introduced as a rule til 1995), and Magadan knocks in
the run to take the lead for the Mariners due to an error by fictitious Twin Third Baseman Larry
Hilbert. More importantly (to me, not to anyone else) to even get to the one game playoff, the Twins
must sweep a four game series against the Indians and need the Mariners to get swept in a four
game series. The Twins achieve their sweep with the help of a montage to “Runaround Sue”, but
need the Mariners to lose their last game to force the playoff. We watch with the Twins players as
Dave Magadan comes up to bat in a one run game with the Twins season on the line, and hear relief
pitcher Jim Bowers (played by Jonathon Silverman) say, “Mags, I know you’re a decent human
being, but die like a dog.” Magadan would then hit into a double play to lose the game in the fake world.
In the real world Mitch strikes out Magadan on 5 pitches, the Phillies win 4-3, and Mitch Williams
earns his 21st save.
 |
| I'm sorry Mags, I'm sure you're a decent human being |
In Conclusion
After getting their lunch handed to them for 6 innings, John Kruk decided to lift the Phillies on his
shoulders with a huge 3 run home run. David West and Mitch Williams took it the rest of the way as
the Phillies win 4 to 3. If you enjoyed this wonderful blast from the past please feel free to share, like, or
comment on it. The hope is to have more people watching 93 Phillies games on youtube and talking
about it. So hit me up @Kevin_Seamus on twitter or @loudphilliesguy on Instagram. The Braves are
coming into town for a playoff preview, but sadly there is only the third game of the series on youtube.
Beggars cannot be choosers, and we’re already super lucky how many of these games are illegally
posted anyway, so we’ll be back then for the Braves and Phillies at the Vet.
No comments:
Post a Comment