Memories of the Royal Wedding

How long was the train Diana wore when she married Prince Charles? It seemed to go on forever.

That was the overriding question my cousin Fred and I had when we stayed up late one summer night in the summer of 1981.

I was thinking about that Royal Wedding recently when I saw Princess Beatrice getting married. It has been a long time since Uncle Charles got married – the first time.

Announcement

We talked a little bit about the Royal family in Social Studies class. When we heard that Prince Charles was getting married, there were a few interesting things.

Her name was Diana Spencer. She actually had a last name. I remember one day, someone asked what the Royal Family’s last name was. Doug, one of my classmates, responded it was Spencer. Our teacher informed us it was not Spencer, that was Lady Diana’s last name. In fact, the Royal Family did not have a last name. That was good enough for me at 11.

Diana was a Kindergarten teacher. That was the first time I had heard of anyone from the Royal Family having an actual job other than, you know, being royal.

In the interview about the engagement, which occurred in February of 1981 by the way, she seemed quite shy and reserved. She seemed a little bit uncomfortable, and Prince Charles seemed to do all the talking.

The photo of their engagement featured Diana wearing a blue suit. That photo seemed to be everywhere after that from plates to pictures in magazines and even matchbook covers. I found one of the matchbooks when I was at a different wedding in Calgary, lying on the ground when me and some cousins went outside to look around.

And, we all said she was the future Queen of England, because she was marrying the heir to the throne.

How things would change.

The wedding

The wedding took place during the middle of the week, July 29, 1981 to be exact. There were a couple other things I had heard leading up to it. One was that it was going to take place at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Apparently that was not the usual place for Royal Weddings, Westminster Abbey was.

The other one was that Diana’s dress was going to be spectacular.

Fred and I really got along well, especially that year, because that was the first year he came to stay out at the farm. We would talk for hours and play games well into the night.

We had heard the Royal Wedding was on, and I recall even asking my Mom if she was going to stay up to watch it. She really had no interest.

Neither did we.

But, we watched TV, then started playing games and talked and talked. There were only three channels back then in the rural cable network, and suddenly, there was build up to the broadcast of the Royal Wedding.

It was four in the morning.

Because we had heard about the wedding, we watched until Diana entered the cathedral, then went to bed.

Her dress was stunning.

The years after

The dream wedding did not turn into the fairy tale life. Cracks would appear in the marriage and, after 11 years, the couple separated in 1992. They would divorce in 1996.

Yet Diana used her time in the spotlight to do much good work, including with cancer, mental illness, AIDS patients and in the campaign for the removal of land mines.

Diana seemed to be someone who could not catch a break though. Rid of the yoke of responsibility, the pressure and the scrutiny that came from being part of the Royal Family, and the next Queen of England, Diana died in 1997 in a car accident shrouded in controversy.

It was a sad ending to the life of such a kind and giving woman.

Parting thoughts

Had I been older, I think I may have taken a greater interest in the Royal Wedding. I did when Diana’s two sons Andrew and Harry had their weddings. I watched with a bit of sadness because their mother should have been there on their big days.

Still, I do have some memories of that wedding such as the pomp and circumstance, the formality and the clothing. Ah yes, the clothing and Diana’s dress in particular, which was stunning.

By the way – the train was 25 feet long.

Doug Wilson: No lack of heart

Defenceman Doug Wilson, who starred with the Chicago Blackhawks

throughout the 1980s, will be part of the class of 2020

inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Source: https://https://www.secondcityhockey.com
(Photo by Mike Powell/Getty Images)
(may be subject to copyright)

The Chicago Blackhawks were in over their head in the 1983 Campbell Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers, who were about to win five Stanley Cups in seven years. After another one-sided loss, and heading back to the friendly confines of Chicago Stadium, Chicago coach Orville Tessier said “I think we need to stop at the Mayo Clinic and get 18 heart transplants”.

One player on that team never showed a lack of heart or determination. He started his career in an era where he wasn’t required to wear a helmet, so there he was on the ice, blocking shots and throwing heavy body checks with a thick, curly brown shock of hair. So he was courageous too.

For all his hard work, effort, determination, skill and accomplishment, and almost 30 years since he retired, Doug Wilson was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2020.

Hall of Fame stats

The Blackhawks drafted Wilson in 1977, sixth overall, from the Ottawa 67’s, and he joined the Blackhawks immediately, playing the next 14 seasons for Chicago.

By the time he was traded to the expansion San Jose Sharks before their inaugural season in 1991-1992, he was the Blackhawks’ all-time leader among defenceman in points (779), goals (225), and assists (554).  He was also fifth all-time in games played for the Blackhawks with 938.

His best season may have been 1981-1982 when he set the Blackhawk single season record for defenceman with 39 goals and 85 points, both records. He was also awarded the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenceman and was named a first team all-star.

He would appear in seven all-star games for the Blackhawks and be named an second team all-star in 1985 and 1990.

Wilson’s best years were in the 1980s, when he played the majority of his career.

His individual success translated into only limited success in the playoffs, where the Blackhawks benefitted from the playoff system of the time.

Mixed blessings

On the up side, the Blackhawks made the playoffs every season of the 1980s. The down side, they never made it to a Stanley Cup Final, and they owed both results to the playoff format of the time.

At the dawn of the decade, Chicago won the Smythe Division but lost in the second round of the playoffs. The next year, they finished second in the Smythe but lost to the first-year Calgary Flames.

There would be a seismic shift in fortunes for the Blackhawks. The National Hockey League realigned, placing the Blackhawks in the Norris Division with Detroit, Toronto, St. Louis, and Minnesota. The Norris Division was part of the Campbell Conference with the much stronger Smythe Division, made up of Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and others. The winners of the two divisions met in the conference final for a berth in the Stanley Cup final. From the year of realignment up to and including the 1989-1990 season, the Smythe Division won the Campbell Conference every single year.

So, the mixed blessing was the Blackhawks were virtually assured a spot in the playoffs, but they hit a ceiling in the conference final, which doubled as the Stanley Cup semi-final.

The Blackhawks would advance to the conference final in 1982, when they lost to Vancouver; 1983 and 1985, when they lost to Edmonton; and 1989 when they lost to Calgary. They also advanced to the conference final in 1990 but lost to Edmonton. (They would eventually triumph and break through to the Stanley Cup final before running into the juggernaut Pittsburgh Penguins, defending Stanley Cup champion led by superstars Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.)

They were never really competitive, losing 4-1 in 1982, 4-0 in 1983, 4-2 in 1985, and 4-1 in 1989.

It was in 1983 when Orville Tessier came along.

You gotta have heart, miles and miles and miles of heart

Tessier was hired in 1982 and led the Backhwaks to a record of 47-23-10 for 104 points and first place in the Norris Division. For his efforts he would be named NHL coach of the year.

However, the playoffs would not be his finest hour. The Blackhawks beat St. Louis then Minnesota to advance to the Campbell Conference Final, where the Edmonton Oilers were looming. The Oilers were not yet the powerhouse they became, but they were hungry to advance to their first Stanley Cup Finals.

They blasted the Blackhawks 8-4 in Game 1, then followed that up with an 8-2 win in Game 2 to lead 2-0 going to Chicago for Game 3 and 4.

Perplexed by his team allowing 16 goals in two games, Tessier said he had been in hockey a long time and never been that embarrassed.

“We’ll probably call the Mayo Clinic for 18 heart transplants,” he said.

Ouch.

Chicago did play better at home in Game 3, but still lost 3-2, and were swept in Game 4 after the Oilers won by a score of 6-3.

After a first-round loss the next year, Tessier was fired part way through the 1984-1985 season, replaced by general manager Bob Pulford. Ironically. The Blackhawks would again advance to the conference final against Edmonton, and again drop the first two games in Edmonton. This time, they allowed 18 goals in the first two games, including an 11-2 shellacking in Game 1. However, this time they rebounded to tie the series 2-2.

Perhaps, the Blackhawks had found the heart Tessier had been looking for, although they bowed out in six games.

Parting thoughts

For the better part of a decade, Doug Wilson was the heart of the Blackhawks, despite what anyone said.

He had a booming slap shot, scored, and was a stalwart on the blue line. He also represented Canada in the 1984 Canada Cup, which the Canadians won. He would reach many milestones with the San Jose Sharks where he moved into the front office and has been very successful as the Sharks’ general manager. He has been GM since 2003, the second longest tenured GM in the league.

The only question left to ask on a Hall of Fame career was, “Why did it take so long?”

Whatever, the reason, Doug Wilson will tentatively be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Nov. 16 in Toronto

Richard Herd: Stern at every turn

Richard Herd as Captain Dennis Sheridan in "T.J. Hooker".
Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0715488/mediaviewer/rm2097173504
(may be subject to copyright)

He was the one giving orders to T.J. Hooker and later leading a force of friendly aliens who turned out to be something much more sinister.

Always looking stern and serious, I wondered if Richard Herd ever smiled.

I thought about him, and his two most prominent roles in the 1980s, when he died on May 26, 2020, at the age of 87.

Reeling in Hooker

Richard Herd as John "V".Source: https://http://www.ksitetv.com/
(may be subject to copyright)

T.J. Hooker debuted in 1982, starring William Shatner in his first regular series role since the short-lived "Barbary Coast". That I recall always being mentioned in "TV Guide" and "Entertainment Tonight". Shatner played detective T.J. Hooker who, after his partner is killed, leaves his plain clothes behind to teach recruits at the police academy. He also returned to a beat with partner Vince Romano, to rid the streets of the criminals.

Keeping him in check and under some semblance of control was Captain Dennis Sheridan.

Sheridan’s character had another dimension added in the third season when his daughter Stacy joined the precinct. She was played by Heather Locklear, fresh off a stint as Sammy-Jo in the nighttime drama “Dynasty”.

He always looked solemn, and thoughtful with his hands clasped behind his back.

Top visitor

A mini-series aired in 1983 when I was in Grade 9 that absolutely captured my attention and held it.

“V” started with massive space ships coming to Earth and hovering over the capital cities of the world. (Long before a different race of aliens descended on Earth a decade later in “Independence Day”).

The aliens, called ”Visitors”, came in peace to help mankind solve its problems. It is soon revealed they have a much more sinister plan – to denude the Earth of its resources and use humans as a source of food when everything else has been extracted from them.

“V” was an allegory for Nazi Germany in the 1930s, making references to the way the Visitors promised prosperity then slowly tightened their grip, rounding up and discrediting intellectuals, faking a terrorist attack to impose martial law, creating a youth group strikingly similar to the Hitler youth, and creating an atmosphere of distrust turning citizen against citizen.

There is even one scene where a scientist, played by Michael Durrell, has to flee with his family. His father, a Concentration Camp survivor, who had been warning his family he had seen this movie before, stayed behind to distract the Visitors. It was a bit obvious and over the top, but left no doubt what the writers were trying to communicate.

“V” was a ratings winner and was left unresolved, so the following year, a sequel was made and again topped the ratings. Called “V: The Final Battle”, it chronicled the burgeoning resistance movement and how they finally saved the Earth.

Sitting at the top of the “Visitor” food chain, calling the shots, with a stern look and his hands clasped behind his back was Richard Herd.

The years after

Richard Herd would go onto to play a lot more characters of authority, from George Costanza’s boss in “Seinfeld” to Admiral Owen Paris, the father of renegade Tom Paris in “Star Trek Voayger”.

Parting thoughts

Richard Herd definitely had a type in the 1980s, of a sort. He was stern and authoritative, and that is exactly what the characters he played had to be. Over the years, he realized that and, in his role in “Seinfeld”, poked fun at that very type.

Every story needs the boss, the guy who has to play it straight and call the shots.

Richard Herd played that role perfectly, whether he headed a fictitious police squad or insidious alien invaders.

Houston Astros of the ‘80s, Part six: 1986 heartbreak

Houston Astros pitcher Mike Scott, in centre, pitching a no-hitter
to clinch the National League West Division title in 1986.
Source: https://www.astrosdaily.com/history/19810926/
(may be subject to copyright)

A lot had changed over the next five years, as the Houston Astros began to re-tool and change. They would change managers and players, but in 1986 found themselves in the National League Championship Series again. Once more it would take extra innings to determine their fate.

Rebuilding

The Astros dropped to fifth in the National League West in 1982, 12 games back of Atlanta, and fired manager Bill Virdon, replacing him with Bob Lillis. I remember how sad that made me, because I thought Virdon had been an excellent manager.

They would finish third in 1983, six games back of the Dodgers; tied for second in 1984, 12 games back of San Diego; and third in 1985, 12 games back of the Dodgers.

Houston also began to assemble the pieces that would return them to contention for a championship. Don Sutton was traded to Milwaukee for three prospects in 1982 including Kevin Bass.

Bill Doran was called up the same year and got in some games. The next year, he took over at second base where he would stay for the next seven years.

Before the 1983 season began, the Astros traded utility player Dan Heep to the New York Mets for pitcher Mike Scott, who had been largely ineffective in New York. Scott would learn the split-finger fastball from guru Roger Craig. He went from going 5-11 in 1984 to 18-8 in 1985, and became the ace of the Houston pitching staff.

Late in 1984, the Astros made another September call up. This time it was Glenn Davis, who would earn the starting job at first base in 1985. That September, Houston also traded longtime starter Joe Niekro to the New York Yankees for pitching prospect Jim Deshaies.

After the 1985 season, Houston fired Manager Bob Lillis and dipped into the coaching staff of the defending National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, hiring third base coach Hal Lanier.

Before the season, the Astros made another move, acquiring Billy Hatcher from the Chicago Cubs for Jerry Mumphrey.

Lanier would bring a new attitude to the team, and all these young players would gel with the remaining veterans from their earlier championship teams to make Houston a contender again.

Hot start

After dropping the first two games of the season, the Astros went 14-4 the rest of the month to enter June in first place.

Lanier moved to a three-man starting rotation with Nolan Ryan, Bob Knepper, and Mike Scott, while slowly bringing along Jim Deshaies.

The Astros were inconsistent in June, going 13-13 in the month, but remaining in first place.

It was more of the same in July, as the Astros played below .500 baseball, going 14-15, but amazingly starting July up half a game with a record of 41-34.

In July they rebounded to go 16-11, pushing their record to 57-45, and leading the division by 4.5 games going into the dog days of August.

The Astros went 16-12 in August, and 73-57 overall, pushing their lead to seven games.

They had an 18-9 record in September, making their record 91-66 overall, entering the final week of the season with a nine-game lead in the division.

Houston wrapped up the season going 5-0 in October, to finish the year with a 96-66 record, their best in franchise history to that point.

Incredibly, Mike Scott pitched a no-hitter on September 25 against San Francisco, to clinch the division. That was his 18^th and final win of the year against 10 losses. He would go on to earn the Cy Young Award as the National League’s top pitcher.

Houston also hosted the all-star game in 1986, sending Mike Scott, Kevin Bass, Glenn Davis, and Dave Smith to the National League team.

Now, awaiting them in the National League Championship series were the New York Mets, champions of the National League East with a record of 108-54, 21.5 games ahead of second place Philadelphia.

National League Championship Series

The Astros were back in the championship series after six years, while the Mets hadn’t been there since 1973.

The teams would hook up for a tough, hard-fought battle.

Dogfight

The series opened on October 8 at the Astrodome. The Astros sent their ace Mike Scott to the mound to face Dwight Gooden, the Mets’ ace. The two hurlers would not disappoint. Scott went the distance, pitching a complete game, five-hit shut out, striking out 14 and walking one. Gooden allowed just one run over seven innings, but it was costly. Glenn Davis led off the second inning with a solo home run. It was the difference in the game as the Astros won 1-0 to take an early lead in the series.

The teams returned to the Astrodome diamond where Houston sent fireballer Nolan Ryan against Bob Ojeda. The Mets got the better of the Astros as Ojeda went the distance and New York scored twice in the fourth inning and three more times in the fifth to take an insurmountable lead. Houston got one back in the home seventh but that was it as the Mets tied the series with a 5-1 win.

The series moved to Shea Stadium where Houston’s Bob Knepper faced Ron Darling, on Oct. 11. The Astros drew first blood with two runs in the first inning then made it 4-0 on a two-run home run by Bill Doran in the top of the second. New York got all those runs back in the bottom of six keyed by a three-run home run off the bat of Darryl Strawberry. The Astros took a 5-4 lead in the seventh. Knepper then turned the game over to the bull pen, only to have Dave Smith surrender a walk-off, two-run home run by Len Dykstra to win the game 6-5.

Game 4 was on Oct. 12 in New York. Sensing a loss would put the Astros in a 3-1 hole, they sent Mike Scott back to the mound on three days rest to face Sid Fernandez. Scott pitched another gem, going the distance, allowing just one run and three hits. He got run support from Alan Ashby with a two-run home run in the second, and a solo blast by Dickie Thon in the fifth inning, to make 3-1 the final score.

Game 5 was also in New York, as the teams locked into a pitchers’ duel, as Nolan Ryan faced Dwight Gooden on Oct. 14. Ryan would allow one run  in nine innings, while Gooden would allow Houston just one run in 10 innings. The Astros opened the scoring in the top of the fifth only to have Strawberry tie it in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer. There would be no more scoring through nine, 10, and 11 innings. Finally, in the bottom of the 12^th the Mets broke through with the winning run off Astro reliever Charlie Kerfeld to win 2-1 and need one more win to advance to the World Series as the teams headed back to Houston.

Game 6 was on Oct. 15 and would be one for the ages. After battling 12 innings the day before, the teams were back at it again. Houston gave starter Bob Knepper an early lead with three runs in the first off Met starter Bob Ojeda. Knepper was strong, pitching eight scoreless innings heading into the ninth inning. Disaster struck as the Mets cashed in three to tie the game and send it back to extra innings – again. There would be no scoring through the 10, 11^th, 12, and 13^th innings. Then, in the top of the 14^th, the Mets manufactured a run to lead 4-3. Houston did not give up though, as Billy Hatcher homered in the bottom of the 14^th to tie the game 4-4. The Mets would score three in the top of the 16^th, but that lead was not secure. The Astros scored two and had the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on first when Kevin Bass struck out to end the game.

The Mets were heading to the World Series and, after giving it all they had, and playing the equivalent of another 10-inning game on top of the six games they played, the Astros were going home. Mike Scott had been named the most valuable player of the championship series with a microscopic 0.50 earned run average in two victories.

Stray thoughts

I have some odd memories about this series.

This series featured one of the few players I have seen play live. It was New York pitcher Sid Fernandez who was in the Dodgers chain and started his journey to the majors at Henderson Stadium with the Lethbridge Dodgers of the Pioneer League.

The series took place in October of 1986, when I was in my first semester of Grade 12. It was in Physics 30 one afternoon when Derek Flaman, one of my classmates, had been watching the game at lunch time, and said it looked like they could play forever. He was not far off, as they did go 16 innings.

I watched one of the games at night and, I have to admit, did not know some of the players. One who I remember distinctly was Houston reliever Charlie Kerfeld, primarily because he wore sunglasses, at night, when he came into pitch. He threw a lot of heat, and I joked he wore sunglasses so he wouldn’t get burnt by the gas he was throwing.

Parting thoughts

It was the end of a great run for the Astros. Interestingly, all three losses were to the eventual World Series champions – Philadelphia in 1980; Los Angeles in 1981; and New York in 1986. Each time, they lost in a different format too – 1980 was a best-of-five championship series; 1981 was a best-of-five, unique divisional series; and 1986 was a best-of-seven championship series.

The Astros also did have several players who persevered and played for all three teams – Terry Puhl, Jose Cruz, Nolan Ryan, Alan Ashby, Denny Walling, Craig Reynolds, and Dave Smith.

The Astros went through an interesting transformation too, from a team loaded with pitching to a team that had three solid starters and a lot of offensive weapons.

However, unlike after 1981 when the Astros re-tooled, after 1986 they faded into the background, taking a decade to get back to the playoffs, close to another decade to get to the World Series, and another decade to win the World Series.

Still, the Houston Astros of the ‘80s were fun to watch, and it seemed always a game away from the World Series.

What more could you ask for?

Houston Astros of the ‘80s, Part five: Nolan’s No No

Houston Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan celebrates after pitching
his fifth career no-hitter on September 26, 1981.

Source: https://www.astrosdaily.com/history/19810926/
(c) Houston Astros

(may be subject to copyright)

Although baseball is a team game, one player can take over and completely dominate a game.

Nolan Ryan was just such a player, and he provided me with my best memory of the Houston Astros of the 1980s, when he pitched his fifth career no-hitter on Saturday, Sept. 26, 1981 against the Dodgers on national television.

Free agent frenzy

Nolan Ryan was the first big free agent I had heard about when I started watching baseball. When the feeding frenzy finished, the Astros had landed the fastball throwing Texan who had notched four no-hitters as the ace of the California Angels pitching staff. That tied him with Sandy Koufax for most career no-hitters.

Ace of the staff

Ryan won 11 games in 1980, and would go 11-5 in 1981, a season interrupted by a players’ strike. He also led the major leagues with a 1.69 earned run average.

However, his best outing took place against a familiar foe as the world watched.

More history

On Saturday, September 26, 1981, I was shopping with my parents in Lethbridge, when they decided to drop in on my Aunt Johanna and Uncle Ed. I always loved going there because they had cable and, much to my delight, the Astros were on.

Nolan Ryan was pitching and every time he went out, there was a chance he could pitch a no-hitter. I had seen him pitch before, against the Montreal Expos, on CBC and he held the Expos hitless for three or four innings and looked just unbeatable. That seemed to be every start for him. He always started out so strong.

It was the same against he Dodgers, who went down one-two-three in the first, as Davey Lopes grounded out to shortstop Craig Reynolds, Ken Landreaux was caught looking, and Dusty Baker grounded out to Phil Garner at second base.

In the second, Ryan walked Steve Garvey who then stole second. He followed that with a wild pitch to Pedro Guerrero, sending Garvey to third, and it looked like a no-hitter would be gone that fast. Then Ryan struck out Guerrero, and Mike Sciosia, then induced Ron Roenicke to pop out to Art Howe at third and the threat was over.

Ryan started the third inning with a walk again, this time to Derrel Thomas, who then stole second. Ryan struck out Ted Power then Lopes. He walked Landreaux then induced Baker to ground out to Phil Garner at second. The threat had once again been extinguished.

The Astros then helped Ryan’s cause, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third.

The Dodgers went in order in the fourth as Garvey struck out, Guerrero flied out to Terry Puhl in rightfield, and Sciosia struck out.

It was more of the same in the fifth, as Roenicke flied out to Puhl in rightfield and Thomas grounded out to Howe at third base. Jack Perconte came in to pinch hit for pitcher Dave Goltz, and Ryan struck him out.

Ryan struck out Lopes to start the sixth, then Landreaux grounded out to Garner, and Baker struck out to end the inning.

Then the inevitable happened.

My mom came downstairs and said we were going home. I was used to it, just getting into a show when my parents decided to leave. It was part of living in the country and having to drive a distance to get anywhere.

I turned off the TV and hoped Nolan would get the job done.

The nightly news

The game was on cable, so I had no idea how it ended until the news came on at 6 p.m.

Of course, the sports was always last, and baseball was not always a big part of the sportscast. I figured if Nolan pitched a no-hitter, they would tell me – after they told me how Toronto and Montreal did.

Finally, it was on.

He did. Nolan Ryan had pitched his fifth no-hitter.

The end

This is how he did it.

Ryan induced Garvey to ground out to Garner, Guerrero to ground out to Reynolds at short and Sciosia flied out to Puhl in rightfield to end the inning.

Roenicke flied out to Jose Cruz in leftfield to start the eighth, followed by ground outs by Thomas and Jay Johnstone, both to Garner at second base.

The Astros added some insurance, scoring three runs in their half of the eighth inning.

Many a no-hitter is wrecked in the ninth inning, as fatigue finally catches up to a pitcher who has been throwing for almost three hours by this point.

Not Nolan Ryan.

He struck out Reggie Smith to start the ninth, then got Landreaux to ground out at first base to Denny Walling, and Baker ended the game by grounding out to Howe.

Ryan went nine innings for the complete game no-hitter, striking out 11 and walking three, to move his record to 10-5.

Parting thoughts

It should be noted a no-hitter means no hits are given up, but runners can reach base and even score, preserving the no-hitter. In fact, there have been games where pitchers threw no-hitters and lost. That means batters reached base by walking, an error, a dropped third strike, a hit batsman, fielder’s choice, or catcher interference.

A perfect game is when a pitcher does not allow a batter to reach base. Ironically, Ryan would pitch seven career no hitters, the most ever by any pitcher, and never notch a perfect a game.

I was glad I saw this one because it was the perfect convergence – one of my favourite pitchers on one of my favourite teams.

Houston Astros of the ‘80s, Part four: One more time

The 1981 Houston Astros. They would qualify for the at the time one-time-only National League Divisional Series by winning the second half of the strike plagued 1981 season.

Source: https://www.ebay.com/itm/5-1980-1981-HOUSTON-ASTROS-BASEBALL-TEAM-LARGE-PHOTOS-LOT-/400866811504

(may be subject to copyright)

The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers would renew hostilities in 1981 for the National League West Division title, battling toe to toe, back and forth, and needing another playoff to determine the division champion.

It would be a playoff of a different kind, one-time only to fit a unique situation.

Division playoff ‘80s style

The National and American League Divisional Series have become a regular part of the Major League Baseball post-season, but in the 1980s, divisional series meant something entirely different.

It was a one-time thing until expansion and realignment created the divisional playoff in 1995.

In 1981, it was truly divisional as two teams in each of the four divisions squared off to determine each of the four division champions, who would then meet in the League Championship Series.

It was all because of a 50-day players’ strike in the middle of the season.

The Houston Astros were one of the teams qualifying for the 1981 divisional series.

Changes

After their division championship in 1980, the Astros made several changes to their roster. Second baseman Joe Morgan left for the San Francisco Giants, pitcher Joaquin Andujar was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Tony Scott, pitcher Ken Forsch was traded to the California Angels for infielder Dickie Thon, and third baseman Enos Cabell was traded to the Giants for pitcher Bob Knepper. The Astros also added second baseman Phil Garner from the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitcher Don Sutton from the Dodgers.

The first half

The Astros started slow, losing 12 of their first 15 games, slowly improving, but still trailing the Dodgers by eight games, with a record of 28 wins and 29 losses, when a player strike halted the season on June 12.

When the dispute was settled, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announced the four teams leading their respective divisions would be considered first-half champions and automatically qualify for a divisional playoff. When play resumed, every team’s record would go back to zero, and the division leaders in the second half would advance to play the first half champions. If the same team won both halves, the second-place team in the second half advanced to the divisional series.

That meant the Dodgers were in, and all Houston had to do was beat out the best of the rest.

Second half

Seizing this second chance, the Astros played much better, led by their pitching staff featuring Nolan Ryan, Joe Niekro and the newly-acquired Knepper and Sutton.

The main competition was Cincinnati and San Francisco. The Astros had a slim lead on the Reds with a week to go in the season. They went to Cincinnati for two games, leading the Reds by 1.5 games. Cincinnati won the opener but Houston rebounded in the second game, as Ryan pitched a complete game for the win, restoring a 1.5 game lead.

The Astros would conclude their season in Los Angeles, where they needed just one win to clinch the second half title. They lost the opener, but Cincinnati lost to Atlanta. The next day, Houston again lost, but so did the Reds, giving the Astros the second half title. They did end the season with a 5-3 win, and a record of 33-20 in the second half and 61-49 overall.

Now it was the Dodgers in a post-season playoff once more, a best of five to advance to the National League Championship Series.

History is made

The teams opened their series in Houston as the Astros sent their ace Nolan Ryan up against rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela. The teams battled to a scoreless draw through five innings before the Astros broke through for a run in the bottom of the sixth, only to have L.A. tie it 1-1 in the top of the seventh. The Astros then won the game with a walk-off two run home run by catcher Alan Ashby, as Ryan went the distance for the win.

The teams returned to the diamond at noon the next day and locked into an epic pitchers’ duel between Houston’s Joe Niekro and L.A.’s Jerry Reuss. Niekro would pitch eight scoreless innings, and Reuss would pitch nine. The game was 0-0 right to the bottom of the 11^th inning, when Houston won it when Denny Walling singled Phil Garner home for the winning run.

The Astros were now one win away from winning the division and going back to the National Championship Series for the second straight year. They had history on their side too, because no team had ever come back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five series.

Game 3 was in Los Angeles were the Dodgers jumped on Bob Knepper for three runs in the first inning and Dodger starter Burt Hooton kept the Astros at bay, allowing one run, in the third, over seven innings. The Dodgers tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the eighth and won 6-1 going away.

Rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela got the start again in Game 4 for L.A. against Vern Ruhle, and they pitched a masterpiece. They both went the distance in nine innings, pitching complete games. Only the Dodgers got a solo home run from Pedro Guerrero in the fifth inning and the Dodgers made it 2-0 in the seventh. Houston rallied for a run in the top of the ninth, but got no closer. The Dodgers won the game 2-1, and tied the series 2-2.

The final game was the next afternoon at Dodgers Stadium. Houston sent their ace Nolan Ryan up against Jerry Reuss. The game was scoreless until the sixth when L.A. struck for three runs. They added one more run in the seventh, and Reuss pitched a five-hit, complete game shut out.

The Dodgers had come back from down 2-0 to win the series.

They had made history, and avenged their playoff loss to the Astros the year before.

Parting thoughts

Second chances are rare in sports, especially Major League Baseball, but the Astros got one and made the most of it. They put together a second half good enough to get them into the playoffs, and played well enough to win. However, they ran into the Los Angeles Dodgers, who appeared to be a team of destiny. They not only came back from 2-0 against the Dodgers, but beat Montreal in the National League Championship Series, where they also came back, and won the World Series against the New York Yankees.

Yet the Astros had shown 1980 was not a fluke. But, within a year, much of that team was gone, and the team would need a makeover before they returned to contention, but they would do just that.

Houston Astros of the ‘80s, Part three: National League Championship Series

The 1980 Houston Astros. They would win the National West Division for the first time and make their first ever appearance in the National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Source: https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-10-1980-astros-win-11-inning-nlcs-thriller-to-reach-brink-of-world-series/

(may be subject to copyright)

The 1980 season was groundbreaking for the Houston Astros as they won their first division title in franchise history. It took 163 games and a one-game playoff the day after the season ended over their arch-rival and nemesis, the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Astros did it.

They were playoff bound.

Awaiting them in the National League Championship Series were the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League East, who had just been through a dog fight of their own against my beloved Montreal Expos.

Back then, the Championship Series was a best-of-five affair, and the Astros and Phillies would need all five games to decide who would represent the National League in the 1980 World Series.

It was an intense, back and forth struggle.

Five games for all the marbles

The Phillies won Game 1 at Veterans Stadium by a score of 3-1 on the strength of a two-run home run in the sixth inning by Greg “Bull” Luzinski. Phillie ace Steve Carlton earned the win, and reliever Tug McGraw got the save. Ken Forsch went the distance in the loss for the Astros.

Game 2 was the next night at Veterans Stadium. Houston took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, but the Phillies responded in the bottom of the fourth with two runs. Houston tied the game in the seventh then went ahead 3-2 in the eighth before Philadelphia tied the game 3-3 in the bottom half of the eighth. The teams would remain tied into extra innings when the Astros scored four times in the 10^th inning, keyed by a two-run triple from Dave Bergman. The Phillies added one run in their half of the tenth, as Houston won the game 7-4 and evened the series 1-1.

The Houston Astrodome was the sight of Game 3, the first National League Championship game in Houston in team and league history. The teams went 10 full innings without allowing a run. Joe Niekro was brilliant for the Astros, but left the game tied after 10 innings, replaced by Dave Smith. Houston scored in the bottom half of the 11^th inning to win the game by a score of 1-0. Smith got the win in relief, while McGraw took the loss.

It was do or die for the Phillies in Game 4. This is a game I recall for one reason – a triple play by the Astros that wasn’t. In the fourth inning, pitcher Vern Ruhle made a catch off his shoe strings then doubled off two runners. However, the umpire ruled he trapped the ball and allowed only two of the outs. Later in the game Astro outfielder Jeffrey Leonard would make another shoe-string catch, but this one went in the Astros’ favour.

The game itself was back and forth as Houston opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the fourth and tacked on another one in the bottom of the fifth. That 2-0 lead held up until the eighth when Philly scored three to lead 3-2. Houston tied the game 3-3 with a run in the home ninth inning to send the game into extra innings again. Philadelphia scored two runs in the top of the 10^th inning and McGraw came on to shut the door in the bottom half to give the Phillies a 5-3 win and send the series into a fifth and deciding game at the Astrodome.

Game 5 was as back and forth as the entire series. Houston took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning only to surrender the lead in the top of the second as the Phillies scored twice. The Astros responded with one run in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh to lead 5-2 after seven. But the Phillies responded with five runs in the top of the eighth inning to lead 7-5, only to have the Astros tie the game again with two runs in the bottom of eight. The teams remained scoreless through the ninth, heading to extra innings yet again. Philadelphia would score once in the top of the 10^th inning and the Astros could not respond.

The Phillies were going to their first World Series since 1950.

The Astros were going home after a milestone season.

Parting thoughts

To illustrate how different the world was, this series was not broadcast on peasant vision. The only way I could follow it was on the nightly news. That is where I heard about Vern Ruhle’s catch/no catch and so much more.

It is unfortunate because I was invested and I would have loved to see the team that I had worked so hard to follow in the playoffs.

It would be just a few years before the championship series were broadcast on peasant vision.

Still, after coming close before, and amassing all that talent, the Astros had finally made it to the playoffs.

It wouldn’t be long before they were back there again.

Houston Astros of the ‘80s, Part two: Playoff bound

Pitcher J.R. Richard, at left, and Nolan Ryan played an important part
in the Astro success in the 1980 season.

Source: http://www.tailgatingjerseys.com/houston-1980s.html

(may be subject to copyright)

The 1980 season was not only the dawn of a new decade, but would signal a renaissance in Houston. After coming close the year before, the Houston Astros finally made franchise history and won their first division championship.

Along the way, they would have their fair share of ups and downs in what was the most memorable year in Houston’s history to that point.

Opening day

I had become familiar with the Astros through a number of ways – sports pages when I got to read the Lethbridge Herald; magazines, which I bought more of as I got older, and the nightly sportscasts on Channel 7 and 13. There were no all-sports channels, no Internet where I could learn everything I wanted, heck we didn’t even have cable TV which offered baseball games on the weekends of teams other than Toronto and Montreal.

Through all of this, I still learned about the Astros, and was aware of their starting line-up.

Art Howe played first base, and he was another favourite. A strong, versatile infielder, he had his greatest success as a manager. He was the skipper of the Oakland A’s from 1996 to 2002, when the team had success using metrics to select players. The book “Moneyball” and movie of the same name are about that period.

Joe Morgan was at second. He was a good hitter, fielder, and most importantly, a leader. He knew what it took to win, but he was also one of the great gentlemen of the game.

Craig Reynolds, at shortstop, had come over the year before from the Seattle Mariners. I had his Mariner baseball card.

Enos Cabell played third base. I had his baseball card and, through an Expos-Astros game, learned his named was Cabell and not Campbell.

Terry Puhl, the pride of Melville, Saskatchewan, was in rightfield and the best Canadian player until Larry Walker came along. In centrefield was Cesar Cedeno, who had a combination of speed, power and good defence; and Jose Cruz, who was another great hitter and fielder, was in leftfield.

Alan Ashby, a former Blue Jay, was behind the plate, and J.R. Richard was the opening day starter.

What I remember best about that team was the pitching staff. Beyond Ryan and Richard, they had Ken Forsch, knuckleballer Joe Niekro, the hot-tempered and fiery Joaquin Andujar, Vern Ruhle who had come over from Detroit, and Joe Sambito coming out of the bullpen. It was like the Astros collected quality pitchers.

J.R. Richard powered the Astros past the Los Angelese Dodgers on opening day at the Astrodome, by a score of 3-2. These two teams would battle for another 161 games and settle nothing, finally ending the season the way they started – against each other for all the marbles.

A lot would happen leading up to that point.

Tragedy strikes

The Astros jumped out to a 13-5 start in April, only to go 12-14 in May, and rebound to go 18-9 in June. They were led by J.R. Richard who had a 10-4 start and 1.89 earned run average.

He became the first Astro to start an all-star game. I watched that game and recall the announcers talking about how he was going to have routine surgery to remove a “blockage”. A few days after the all-star game, he collapsed, on July 30 according to Wikipedia. He had suffered a stroke, would undergo life-saving surgery, and never pitch another game.

That sent the Astros for a loop, as they plummeted to third place and fans, me included, wondered if the Astros would ever win their division.

Dramatic conclusion

The Astros rebounded and ended up battling the Dodgers right down to the wire. After taking the division lead, the Astros dropped their final three games of the season to the Dodgers leaving the teams tied for first place at the end of the season.

A one-game playoff at Dodgers Stadium on Monday, October 6 would decide everything.

Playoff bound

The Astros sent Joe Niekro to the mound to face Dave Goltz. The Astros took control early and never looked back. They scored two in the first inning, two more in the third inning, and another three runs in the fourth to lead 7-0 before the Dodgers finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning with their lone run of the game.

After that, Niekro slammed the door shut. He ended up going the distance, pitching a complete game, allowing six hits, walking two, and striking out six for his 20^th win of the season.

Offensively, Art Howe led the way with a home run, in the third inning off Goltz, and four RBIs. Jose Cruz and Cesar Cedeno each had an RBI while Craig Reynolds had three hits including a double.

Parting thoughts

At long last, the Astros had won their first ever National League West title in dramatic fashion.

They were playoff bound.