May 5th, 1993: Swifter Than A Tartar's Bow

 May 5th, 1993: Philadelphia Phillies (19-6) vs  San Francisco Giants (17-10)

Swifter Than a Tartar's Bow

An Introduction…

I’m the guy who drafted Randy Wolf with his last pick in every fantasy season till his retirement. Now that the 2021 season has begun, my attention has returned to the current Phillies, but as too the heartbreak of being a fan of this franchise has also begun, I’ve decided once more to go back in time and revisit the greatest season of baseball of my childhood, the 1993 Phillies.  Thanks to the internet and more specifically the saint who runs the ClassicPhilliesTV youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWb6dGkCnKBlrQLJAjZ-4-w), I’m going back and watching every 1993 Phillies I can find just like if it was 28 years ago (but with the internet)... Previously I attempted to go day for day with every Phillies game in the month of June, which was a bold idea but proved to be futile. Now the plan is to start from the beginning of the season and attempt 1 game recap per week until we get to game 5 of the 1993 World series and then decide if I really want to torture myself with game 6. Come along for the ride to reminisce about the legends of John Kruk, Mitch Williams, and Darren Daulton, to mix the knowledge we have now, with jokes of how dumb things were then.  

Where We Last Left Our Intrepid Heroes (and Villains)

On a west coast swing of the California teams , the Phillies have gone 5 and 1 with the only loss on their record coming from Tom Candiotti on May 1st. Last night the Phillies took a 2-1 lead into the 9th inning with Curt Schilling on the mound, entering the inning he had thrown 100 pitches, and Mitch Williams was rested, but Jim Fregosi stuck with his starter, who then gave up a game tying home run to Giants Third Baseman (and current manager of the Kia Tigers of KBO league) Matt Williams. In the 12th inning, Dave Hollins hit his third home run of the season to help secure the victory (with a Mitch Williams save) over the NL West leading San Francisco Giants. They continue to lead the NL East, thanks to timely hitting and great starting pitching. 

The San Francisco Giants, after a relatively slow start (they were 11-8 last time we saw them), are starting to round into the powerhouse they will become in 1993, winning 6 of their last 8. Their new coach Dusty Baker, has the benefit of having Will Clark and Matt Williams in the infield and the ultimate weapon Barry Bonds, patrolling left, but what Baker showcases in his first year, and subsequently with every team he’s coached since, is his ability to garner great performances out of unknown players. Baker, who was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and essentially adopted by Hank Aaron, is one of the best nurturers of talent in coaching history, all five teams he’s been hired to coach eventually made the playoffs during his regime. He was promoted from First base Coach to Manager during the 1992 offseason after the new ownership group led by Peter Macgowan (you can read more about that sale in the April 26th post) fired Jim Craig, who at that point was the winningest coach in franchise history.  Dusty rewarded their trust by taking an early lead in the most difficult division in the league, the NL West. 

Today’s Game:

It is Wednesday, May 5th, 1993, with the Phillies visiting what is possibly the only stadium in America worse than the Vet, San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. This uncomfortable monstrosity, built in 1958, became home to the Giants in 1960, and was infamous for it’s terrible conditions for playing baseball. The entire stadium was essentially a big wind tunnel, and the sea air from the bay made the air thick with dew, and at night it quickly became very cold. It’s so bad, the Giants are thinking about going to all day games in the 1994 season except for Friday nights. Some nicknames for the field found on Wikipedia, “Windlestick” “The Quagmire” “The Cave of Winds” and “The Ashtray by the Bay”, help paint the picture.  Candlestick famously was the home of the 1989 World Series game between the Oakland A’s and the Giants that was postponed due to an earthquake (for ten days to make sure the building was still structurally sound). It’s also one of the locations used in the 1996 thriller The Fan where Wesley Snipes played a San Francisco Giant whose teammate in the film is a young actor named John Kruk. Today’s game is brought to you on Sportschannel where we get a nice change of pace with Andy Musser and Ken “Tek” Tekulve for all nine innings. Tek adds to the Candlestick Park discourse, “It’s nice during the day, but when the sun goes down, it turns into a house of horrors.” 

Watch for yourself at: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd4w_7nWZ8k 

The Line-up

CF Lenny Dykstra .

2B Mickey Morandini

1B John Kruk

3B Dave Hollins Batting .346 on road trip

C Darren Daulton 2 for last 27 

RF Jim Eisenreich 11 for last 18

LF Milt Thompson

SS Mariano Duncan 

SP Danny Jackson

On the Mound:

Pitching for the visiting Phillies is key free agent acquisition Danny Jackson, who though only 2-0 for the season with a 3.56 ERA, has been exactly what the Phillies needed, with the team going 5-0 in Jackson’s starts. A big wrestling fan, Jackson fit right in with the Macho Row crew (despite being a pitcher) with his goofy antics, particularly his affinity for ripping off his jersey and screaming. According to Kruk’s autobiography, “ After the game in the clubhouse Danny peeled his shirt off all of a sudden and started flexing, saying ‘Pump us up’ and we were looking at each other like, damn, look at this guy. Then he went out his next start and pitched a shutout. So he just kept doing it.”  (this is the game Kruk is referencing). Kruk also mentions “If it works for (Jackson), let him do it. He makes enough money to be able to buy new shirts” 

Pitching for the home team San Francisco Giants is former number 2 overall pick, Billy Swift. Swift, a Portland, Maine native (where he was named to the New England Sports Hall of Fame) came to the Giants in the trade that sent 1989 MVP Kevin Mitchell to the Seattle Mariners in the 1991 offseason. Swift started his career as a starting pitcher, but was converted to a reliever later to some success before the trade to San Francisco where he was stretched back out into a Starter. In his first season with the Giants (1992), the conversion was a great success as he would lead the National League in ERA with a 2.08. Yet there are still looming questions if Swift will be able to handle the workload of a highly competent starter for the full season of 1993. In 1995, Swift would sign a huge deal with the Rockies and like most pitchers would find that pitching in Denver was easier said than done, after a last hurrah in Seattle in 1998, Swift would retire with a 94-78 record with a 3.94 FIP and 22.5 WAR accumulated.  For more information about Swift, check out the SABR.org profile on him, and read about his amazing college career, his run in the olympics, and his business savvy. Also according to Wikipedia, Billy Swift’s career stats are eerily similar to Bill Swift of the 1920’s and 1930’s. So that’s cool.

Highs (Hopes) and Lows

LOW- Small ball- Bottom 2nd

In his first of what is now 28 years of professional Baseball managing, Dusty Baker decides to play a little small ball in the second inning. After a Barry Bonds double (who is hitting a cool .405 for the 1993 season so far) to start the inning, Baker sends out his 6 hole hitter Robby Thompson to bunt over Bonds with no outs in the inning. To quote Billy Beane in the film version of Moneyball “they’re giving you an out, just giving to you. Take it. Say thank you”. Yes, Barry Bonds is now at third base, but why give up the chance for your hitter, take the bat right out of their hands? This was not in the thought process of most coaches in 1993, and the next hitter grounded out to score Barry Bonds to make it 1-0 GIANTS, so maybe Baker was right?

LOW- Will Clark is Good- Top 3rd (the whole game)

Will Clark is entering this game in the midst of a slump to start the season, the 5 time all star and 4 time top 5 MVP finisher (including being a runner up for the award in 1989), is slashing a replacement level .202/.282/.288 over the first month of the season while hitting one (1) Home Run and knocking in 10. His season turns around today, with 2 hits and 2 runs scored, while continuing his above average defensive play. In the third inning, he robbed the Phillies of runs with a nifty catch on a Darren Daulton line drive with two men on base. This catch may have caused a certain Phillies fan (me) to say under their breath  “fuck you Will Clark”.

Over the rest of the season Clark will slash .302/.387/.469 with 135 wRC+ (weighted Runs Created).  

HIGH- Tying it up- Top 4th

The Phillies open up the fourth frame with a couple of singles from Jim Eisenreich and Milt Thompson, but after a ground out and a subpar sac bunt attempt from Danny Jackson, they remain on 1st and 2nd base, respectively. But “the Dude” Lenny Dykstra comes through with an RBI single to score Mariano Duncan to tie up the game.

This RBI is the first non-home run RBI from Dykstra all season. 

LOW- Tires Loosening- Bottom 4th

Sloppy glovework from John Kruk and Dave Hollins lead to Will Clark to score to make it 2-1 GIANTS.

Royce Clayton then hits a ball in “the perfect spot” says Tek, that is right between Morandini and Duncan at 2nd and short to score Bonds 3-1 GIANTS. The next batter hits another ball weakly through the infield, “perfectly placed for the second time”, adds Tek,  to score another Giant 4-1 GIANTS. With the pitcher Billy Swift up to bat, one out, and men on first and third, Baker decides to try another sacrifice bunt. Jackson fields the ball and easily throws out Swift at first, but the Giants runner at third then decides to try to score, and gets thrown out at home for the double play and ends the inning.

4-1 GIANTS.

LOW- Tires come off- Bottom 5th

After retiring one Giant, giving up a single to another, throwing a wild pitch, and walking a Giant, Manager Jim Fregosi finally decides to lift Danny Jackson from the game and replace him with Bob Ayrault who promptly allows 7 runs to cross the plate (2 are attributed to Jackson, the other 5 to Ayrault) after 2 singles from Matt Williams and Barry Bonds (4 for 4 on the day raising his average to .435), a walk, a triple and finally a home run by Royce Clayton. The inning (and game essentially) ends with the Giants ahead 11-1

mids- Some positivity- Top 8th

To add some happiness for the occasion, Darren Daulton hits a monster home run in the 8th inning to narrow the score to 11-2.

It’s Daulton’s 6th home run of the year. 11-2 GIANTS

Wild Rides

In an almost cruel punishment, Dusty Baker decides to use his closer against the Phillies in the 9th even with a nine run lead. Beck is 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA, 1.56 FIP, 21 strikeouts, 0.82 WHiP and 7 saves on the year over 16 ⅓ innings. He retires the Phillies 1-2-3 to secure a San Francisco Giants victory.

Final: Philadelphia Phillies 2 (19-7) San Francisco Giants 11 (18-10)

Words of Wisdom from Musser and Tek

“The worms are going to have a tough day if this keeps up” Musser is talking about Billy Swift’s ability to induce grounders (Swift led the NL in double plays in 1992), and it’s one of my favorite baseballisms. 

“Sporadic but timely scoring” Musser on the Phillies offense so far this season as they haven’t been setting the world on fire with their bats, but they’re still winning.

“Sometimes when it goes bad, it goes completely ugly” Tek perfectly describes the 7 run inning by the Giants. 

“Matt Williams could be comeback player of the year this year. He was awful last year.” Musser doesn’t not spare feelings on air. 

Final Conclusions

Maybe it was a good thing, the Braves ended up topping the Giants in the West in 1993, because I don’t think that NLCS would have been fun for the Phillies.  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. Next game available is May 8th against the Cardinals, it’s the day before Mother’s Day, so anything could happen (because 93 fans know exactly what occurs on Mother’s Day, I’m pumped). 

April 17, 1993: Say It Ain’t Sosa

 April 17th, 1993: Philadelphia Phillies (8-2) at Chicago Cubs (5-5)

Say It Ain’t Sosa

An Introduction…

I’m the guy who has a backpack from college filled with every Philadelphia Inquirer Sports section from October 2008.  It’s crazy, but the Major League Baseball season was actually played in 2020, and the Phillies have done everything they could do to try to ruin my fanhood. So I’ve decided once more to go back in time and revisit the greatest season of baseball of my childhood, the 1993 Phillies.  Thanks to the internet and more specifically the saint who runs the ClassicPhilliesTV youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWb6dGkCnKBlrQLJAjZ-4-w), I’m going back and watching every 1993 Phillies I can find just like if it was 27 years ago (but with the internet)... Previously I attempted to go day for day with every Phillies game in the month of June, which was a bold idea but proved to be futile. Now the plan is to start from the beginning of the season and attempt 1-2 game recaps per week until we get to game 5 of the 1993 World series and then decide if I really want to torture myself with game 6. Come along for the ride to reminisce about the legends of John Kruk, Mitch Williams, and Darren Daulton, to mix the knowledge we have now, with jokes of how dumb things were then.  

Where We Last Left Our Intrepid Heroes (and Villains)

The Philadelphia Phillies have lost their second game of the season, putting their record at a very respectable 8-2 start. Manager Jim Fregosi is using multiple platoons to great success, but still as a sinkhole at short stop. They are first in the NL East, a game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals.  

The Chicago Cubs are at a less auspicious 5-5 start under the management of Jim LeFebrve. The Cubs came into the 1993 season with a lot of question marks after failing to secure the services of their staff ace and future Hall-of-Famer Greg Maddux, as well as their best outfielder and future Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson. LeFebrve is “Baseball’s first new age coach” according to Sports Illustrated saying that “ The Cubs do not have coaches they have pitching and hitting coordinators” the italics and condescension there within are all SI’s. The 2021 Red Sox just hired Jaseon Varitek as game day coordinator, and Miami Marlins unofficially have deemed their hitting coach their offensive coordinator. 

Today’s Game:

It is Saturday April 17th, 1993 at the Friendly Confines in Chicago, Illinois. Though it is much sunnier than the previous day it is a balmy 45 degrees in April.  Today’s game is on Sportschannel (an offshoot of Prism) which means our hosts for all nine innings are the venerable Andy Musser and former relief pitcher Kent “Tek” Tekulve. The Cubs are wearing uniforms this season that for the first time in their history provide the names on the back of the jersey. 

Watch for yourself at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjx5U72ctgM

The Line-up

CF Lenny Dykstra 11 Runs in first 10 games 

2B Mickey Morandini

1B John Kruk Leads the NL in doubles

3B Dave Hollins

C Darren Daulton .306 Lifetime Average in Wrigley

LF Milt Thompson

RF Wes Chamberlain

SS Juan Bell

SP Curt Schilling

On the Mound:

Taking the ball for the Phillies is Curt Schilling who on the year is 2-0 with a 1.59 era. His last start was also against the Cubs and he silenced them to the tune of four hits and a complete game shutout. With Schilling’s Hall-of-Fame candidacy being discussed currently (in January 2021) I’d like to step away from his playing record and his utterly disgusting public record since retirement and take a look at what his teammates  and coaches thought of him. Jim Fregosi was quoted as saying “Curt Schilling is a horse on the days he starts and a horse’s ass the four other days.” This quote in some form is also attributed to Darren Daulton. Kruk would later say, “Curt wants to be one of us but we won’t let him.” Curt would defend himself and his position on the team by saying things like, “I like to read books and they didn’t.” 

Pitching for the Cubbies today is Jose Guzman, a Puerto Rican native whose pitching arsenal consists of a power sinker, a split finger, and a change-up according to Tek. Guzman was the 1991 Comeback player of the year for the Texas Rangers, and followed the award with his best year as a professional pitcher in 1992, going 16-11 with a 3.66 ERA and 3.2 FIP. His last outing was against the Phillies where he gave up 2 unearned runs over 6 ⅓ innings of work. His first start of the year against the Atlanta Braves was arguably the best start of his career, taking a no-hitter into the 9th inning. It wasn’t until the last hitter the Braves had left, Otis Nixon, came up to bat with two outs that Guzman gave up his first hit of the game. For the 93 season Guzman has a 0.00 Era, with batters hitting .103 against him. During his career Guzman was four times in the top 10 in k/9 and twice top 10 in K’s, which is pretty cool.  

Highs (Hopes) and Lows

Low and Lower- 1st Inning- A Bad Start

After Mickey Morandini busted out of a 0-13 mini-slump with a double, Guzman walks the bases loaded with two outs and Milt Thompson at the plate. This is very familiar territory because almost the exact same thing happened in the previous game. Sadly, just like yesterday (in 1993) Milt Thompson grounded out back to the pitcher to end the inning with zero runs scored. Schilling then adds to the woes by giving up a lead-off home run to Dwight Smith (who came in 2nd in NL ROY voting in 1989), making the score 1-0 CUBS.

Low- Bottom 2nd- Ghost of Baseball future

To start off the 2nd inning, Schilling once again gives up a home run to a Cubs outfielder, Tek says of the home runs, “two guys you don’t really expect to hit a lot of home runs”. The second Cubs outfielder is a tiny little Dominican by the name of Sammy Sosa, who at this point is at the start of his fifth season in the Majors and with that home run has a career total of 38. He will hit 571 from this point until his retirement in 2007. Sosa is the poster child of the steroid movement and is the guy every one points to when they say you could take any player and make them a super star with steroids. It’s interesting that Bonds and Clemens continually get close to the 75 percent vote rate while Sosa continually gets less and less votes for the Hall. The argument has shifted to they’re all cheaters, to well Clemens and Bonds were really amazing but also used steroids.   2-0 CUBS

Low with a High Kicker- Top 3rd- The argument against Moneyball

The most basic tenet of the Moneyball ethos particularly if you only saw the movie, is that walks are good. Getting on base is extremely important when attempting to score runs, and runs are the reason you win baseball games. Billy Beane looked at on base percentage as an indicator on how to create runs, while other talent evaluators were obsessed with batting average. The basic principle (without taking other numbers into account) being that if a guy hits .300, but has an on base percentage of .312 (Peak Ben Revere numbers) he’s not as productive as a guy who hits .268 but with an on base percentage of .420 (hello Bryce!). The argument that developed against this (once again very basic idea) was that if your best hitters are taking walks instead of swinging, you’re taking the bat out of the hands of your best players. Which is what occurs once more with the Philadelphia Phillies, for the fourth time in 2 games the Phillies loaded the bases, and in three of those occasions both Dave Hollins and Darren Daulton, the number 3 and 4 hitters in the line-up, were walked. The heart of the order and the players most expected to knock in runs by doing the “smart” thing and taking pitches. On this occasion, Guzman decides to do the Phillies a small favor and throw a wild pitch to allow a run for the away team. But Wes Chamberlain then grounds out to third base to end the inning, with the Phillies once again failing to take advantage of having runners on base. The law of averages does say that the rest of the Phillies will start hitting in those situation and scoring runs,  two games is a very small sample size, but still this has been annoying. 2-1 CUBS  

Low then Lower then Lowest- Bottom 5th- The Anger Never Goes Away

These games happened 27 going on 28 years ago, but that doesn’t stop me from getting angry at managers, pitchers, or most importantly umpires. With two on and no outs, 3rd Basemen Steve Buchele hit a slow roller to Phillies 2nd Baseman Mickey Morandini, who astutely tried to tag out the runner, Sammy Sosa, as he attempted to get to 2nd base. The fiendish Sosa, dodged the tag, by very obviously running out of the base path and continued to 2nd. Morandini then threw to first base to get the force out at first. Except the umpire didn’t call out Sammy Sosa for stepping out of the base path, because the Umpire was only looking to see if Morandini had made the tag (which he did not).

And since this is 1993, the umpire can’t look like an idiot and reverse his decision, because it would make him look like an idiot, and since since this is 1993, there’s no video review. Fregosi comes out and yells for ten minutes, but it doesn’t matter, the Cubs get an extra out and extra base runner. Unsurprisingly as these things go, the Cubs will go on to score four more runs in the inning to make it 6-1 CUBS. 

Low then a little High- Top 7th- Here we are again

The Cubs call to their bullpen and immediately load the bases by walking Phillies for the 5th time this series. For a change of pace, John Kruk the three hole hitter is up to bat, for a terrible twist, he then hits into a 1-2-3 double play. Like literally pitcher to catcher to first. Some solace is achieved when Hollins follows up with a double scoring two Phillies to tighten the game 6-3. Since I’m actually in 2021, it’s impossible for me to imagine a scenario where a Philadelphia Phillies team could possibly overcome a 5 run deficit. 

Wild Rides

The Chicago Cubs Closer Randy Myers is a perfect 8-8 on save attempts against the Phillies, and his only two saves this season are against Philadelphia. Dykstra walks to provide some excitement, but then Morandini strikes out on a bad pitch.

Let's go ump.

Kruk sacrifices Dykstra to second on a nubber in front of the plate, but the game ends when Dave Hollins strikes out. Randy Myers improves to 9 for 9 against the Fightins. The Phillies lose their first series of the season and their first consecutive games.

Final: Philadelphia Phillies 3 (8-3) Chicago Cubs 6 (6-5)

Words of Wisdom for Andy and Tek

“The Plate looks the size of a postage stamp and seems about 50 miles away” Tek is commenting on a Cubs pitcher who walks the bases loaded. I enjoy metaphors.

“Saves them a big sewing bill.” Musser talking about how Rockies decided not to put their player’s names on the back of their jersey. 

This isn’t a quote, but Jim Lefebrve wears batting gloves while he coaches… why?

Final Conclusions

The Phillies continually get the bases loaded, but fail to make the most of those opportunities and lose again 6-3 to the Cubs. 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 final leg of the 3 game set is scheduled with Danny Jackson facing Terry Hibbert (whoever that may be), we’ll just have to see when I write it.

April 16, 1993: LeFebrve for more Cowbell

 April 16th, 1993: Philadelphia Phillies (8-1) at Chicago Cubs (4-5)

LeFebrve for more Cowbell

An Introduction…

I’m the guy who legitimately feels jipped by not being alive to root for an NL Champion Phillies team whose average age was 36 (RIP Joe Morgan).  It’s crazy, but the Major League Baseball season was actually played in 2020, and the Phillies have done everything they could do to try to ruin my fanhood. So I’ve decided once more to go back in time and revisit the greatest season of baseball of my childhood, the 1993 Phillies.  Thanks to the internet and more specifically the saint who runs the ClassicPhilliesTV youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWb6dGkCnKBlrQLJAjZ-4-w), I’m going back and watching every 1993 Phillies I can find just like if it was 27 years ago (but with the internet)... Previously I attempted to go day for day with every Phillies game in the month of June, which was a bold idea but proved to be futile. Now the plan is to start from the beginning of the season and attempt 1-2 game recaps per week until we get to game 5 of the 1993 World series and then decide if I really want to torture myself with game 6. Come along for the ride to reminisce about the legends of John Kruk, Mitch Williams, and Darren Daulton, to mix the knowledge we have now, with jokes of how dumb things were then.  

Where We Last Left Our Intrepid Heroes (and Villains)

The Phillies currently stand with a record of 8-1 which equals the best start in the (then) 110 year history of the team, matching the 1915 NL Champion Phillies (Whose four outfielders first names were, Dode, Beals, Possum, and Gavvy). They just finished sweeping the Cincinnati Reds and are starting a three game set at the friendly confines of Wrigley Stadium. Their third year manager, Jim Fregosi is using three platoons and depending on veteran leadership to help bring his team to the World Series. Fregosi was a 6 time all-star shortstop for the Los Angeles Angels and when asked by Tommy LaSorda one time if Fregosi ever faced LaSorda, Fregosi replied “No Tommy, that’s because I was in the majors … YOU were pitching in the minors.” 

The Chicago Cubs are currently 4-5 but four of their losses were one run games. They have also handed the Phillies their only loss on the season in an 11-7 slugfest. The 1992 offseason has left the Cubs without number 1 starter and future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux and their number 1 slugger and future Hall of Famer Andre Daweson. Both departed the Windy City without even getting an offer from a penny pinching Cubs ownership group. Now to start the season, future Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is on the injured list, and the pitching staff has been lackluster. Their second year coach Jim Lefebrve (pronounced Le Fever) is optimistic though, telling Sports Illustrated “Not signing Maddux and Dawson was a blessing”, for he has great hopes for newcomers Willie Wilson (the strike out victim of Tug McGraw in the 1980 World Series) and Candy Maldonado, but also has great faith in young outfielder Sammy Sosa to step up in Dawson’s absence. SI’s 1993 season preview also mentions that Lefebrve is “Baseball’s first New Age manager” without actually mentioning in what way he is other than the he didn’t hire coaches he hired co-ordinators. Some research brings up that Lefebrve was a hot name in coaching circles in the mid 80’s after being on the bench with Tommy LaSorda in Los Angeles and Tony LaRussa in Oakland. After playing for the Dodgers, Lefebrve spent some time in the far east playing in Japan where he befriended home run king Sadaharu Oh and studied Zen with him,  before returning to America and becoming a hitting guru. Lefebrve would get his first shot as coach of the Seattle Mariners before not getting re-signed and heading to Chicago. Despite finishing above .500 in both 1992 and 1993 Lefebrve would again not be retained and would only coach one more season in professional baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1998. According to an Los Angeles Times article about his hiring in Seattle, Lefebrve is the best managerial prospect since “Bobby Valentine” and is exceptional in that he actually talks to players about themselves. According to one relief pitcher, “(Lefebrve)’s talked to me more in two weeks than (former manager) Dick Williams did in two years”. The article also describes Lefebrve’s exit from LaSorda’s good graces (and hitting coach position) when LaSorda believed Lefebrve was going directly to ownership to try to take LaSorda’s job. Lefebrve thought that LaSorda was being paranoid and that LaSorda was telling hitters to ignore Lefebrve’s advice. This all came to a head in the parking lot of a Los Angeles Sports talk show, and ended when Lefebrve punched Tommy LaSorda and split his lip. LaSorda would tell the press he was sucker punched, Lefebrve agreed and said, “He’s right. It was the sucker who got punched”. 

Today’s Game:

It is Friday April 16th, 1993, in the Windy City of Chicago at the perennial home of the Cubs, Old Wrigley Stadium. At time of starting pitch the temperature is a balmy 44 with a wind chill that takes the tempertature all the way down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s important to note at this juncture that Chicago, while quite windy, was not called “the Windy City” because of weather patterns but because it was so politically corrupt. Today’s game is on Sportschannel (an offshoot of Prism) which means our hosts for all nine innings are the venerable Andy Musser and former relief pitcher Kent “Tek” Tekulve. 

Watch for yourself at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGWoiuwfC90

The Line-up

CF Lenny Dykstra

2B Mickey Morandini

1B John Kruk

3B Dave Hollins

C Darren Daulton

LF Milt Thompson

RF Wes Chamberlain

SS Juan Bell

SP Terry Mullholland

On the Mound:

For the visiting team, Terry Mulholland takes the mound coming off two starts where he gave up a combined 1 run in 17.2 innings. Terry was a first round draft pick in 1983 to the San Francisco Giants after an exemplary career at Marietta College in Ohio. Later in life mulholland bought Marietta’s baseball field a new lighting system and the College named the street on which the field sits, Mulholland Drive (no correlation with the David Lynch film).

Pitching for the home team is Mike Morgan who currently sits at 0-2 for the year with a 3.29 ERA and as of 1993 has a lifetime career of 83-114. A former 1st round pick (4th overall) of the Oakland A’s in 1979, Morgan was fast tracked to the majors as an 18 year old where he was unsurprisingly trounced to the tune of 2-13 record over 90 innings with a 6.15 era and a 5.56 FIP. He would then spend three years seasoning in the minors before returning to become the quintessential journey man starter nicknamed “The Nomad”. Morgan would retire in 2004 while playing for a then record 12 Major League Baseball teams. He made one all star team as a starter for the 1991 Los Angeles Dodgers which coincidentally was his first winning season as well. In 2001, along with 93 Phillie Curt Schilling, Morgan would win the World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a relief pitcher. In the 7 game series, Morgan pitched 4 ⅔ innings without giving up a run to the New York Yankees. 

Highs (Hopes) and Lows

Low- Top 1st- Leaving men on.

The offense starts as it typically does through the first 9 games of the season, with the Phillies loading the bases with a John Kruk double and walks to Dave Hollins and Darren Daulton. Yet, uncharacteristically for the men in red, they are unable to take advantage of the situation when Milt Thompson grounds out to the pitcher leaving the game scoreless.

Low- Bottom 1st- Early Holes

Mulholland is coming off back to back gems and is the early leader in every pitching category in the NL, but as with the Phillies Offense in the first inning, Mulholland also uncharacteristically falters in the first inning. After giving up two dinkers to the Cubs lead off hitters (one of which should have been a fielder’s choice if not for Juan Bell), Mark Grace smashes a double down the first base line off of Kruk’s glove to score two runs.

So close

Grace is knocked in a batter later on another dinker that barely finds a hole between short and 3rd. 3-0 Cubs.

High and Lows- 2nd through 7th inning- Cruising

Following a very active first inning, both starting pitchers decide to put their respective cars int cruise control. Morgan would give up 2 hits and a walk in 59 pitches (after 21 in the first inning) silencing what has been one of the most potent line-ups in the NL. Mulholland would equal Morgan for the most part scattering 5 hits and 3 walks without giving up another run before making way for Mark Davis. 3-0 Cubs.

High- Top 8th- Close but no cigar

After finally getting Mike Morgan sent to the bench following a Lenny Dysktra single, the Phillies try to make their move. A Kruk single moves Dykstra to third, and Dave Hollins knocks in Nails in the next at bat to narrow it 3-1.

Daulton does his part with another single to load the bases once again for the Phillies, but for the second time today, the Phillies can do nothing in the situation and the rally is ended with a fly out from Eisenreich and a ground out from Wes Chamberlain. 3-1 Cubs

Wild Rides

The ride starts wild with a pinch hit double by back-up catcher Todd Pratt in his first at-bat of the season. The Phillies are then retired promptly with a strikeout to Pete Incavigla, a pop up from Lenny Dyskstra and a final strike out to Mickey Morandini to end the game 3-1. The Chicago Cubs Closer Randy Myers was 6 for 6 in save opportunities against the Phillies in 1992 and continues his dominance today.

Final: Philadelphia Phillies 1 (8-2) Chicago Cubs 3 (5-5)

Words of Wisdom for Andy and Tek

“According to our good friend Whitey Ashburn, that ivy doesn’t help a whole lot, even in July”  - Andy Musser, discussing with Tek how much it hurts when you go run into the Wrigley Field wall which is made of brick. The idea being that the vines are just as good as padding, but it’s still winter in Chicago and there is no ivy. 

“The writers down in Jim’s office this morning and asked ‘Jim how are you getting Mitch to do what he’s doing’ and Jim goes ‘shhhh’” - Tek, if Mitch Williams is rolling, no one mess with him.

“Todd Pratt got on the bus in a short sleeve shirt today… that’s a man that forgot to pack!”- Andy Musser

“Look at Lenny”- Musser

“Lenny saying that one was high” -Tek

“I believe those umpires would prefer Lenny didn’t exactly”- Musser

“Yeah usually those hand gestures aren’t really high on things they want to see you do up there” -Tek. Dykstra did not agree with a call in the ninth and visually made the ump aware of it. According to Macho Row Lenny would intimidate umps into giving him a better strike zone by blackmailing them about gambling? So I’m going to keep an eye on these situations, but mostly in my opinion Lenny was just a dick.

Final Conclusions

The Cubs put away the Phils 3-1 after a fluky first inning and a strong outing from “The Nomad” The Cubs remain the only team to beat the Phillies in the 1993 season.  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 Phillies look to split the series tomorrow in Chicago as Jose Guzman takes on Curt Schilling.