Lefty and Tim by William C. Kashatus

Author:William C. Kashatus [Kashatus, William C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SPO003030 SPORTS & RECREATION / Baseball / History, BIO016000 BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Sports
Publisher: Nebraska

9

Lefty

Philadelphia captured the national spotlight in 1976 as Americans celebrated the nation’s bicentennial. Millions of tourists flocked to the city to visit Independence Hall, where the Second Continental Congress voted for separation from Great Britain and later adopted the Declaration of Independence. Across the street the Liberty Bell beckoned visitors, and images of the iconic symbol could be found throughout the City of Brotherly Love, including one at Veterans Stadium, which was tapped to host Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game.

The Phillies were primed to capture the national spotlight, too. After years of mediocrity, the 1976 team boasted the talent to contend for the franchise’s first World Series title. The lineup was stocked with exceptional young talent. The offense was powered by third baseman Mike Schmidt, who had captured his second straight home run title the previous season, and left fielder Greg “The Bull” Luzinski, who led the National League with 120 RBIs in ’75. The Phils also enjoyed a remarkable defense that was bolstered by shortstop Larry Bowa, second baseman Dave Cash, center fielder Garry Maddox, and right fielder Jay Johnstone. All these players had not even reached their prime, being only in their mid- to late twenties, and they were coming off the best offensive performances of their respective careers. Thirty-three-year-old first baseman Dick Allen was the eldest member of the starting lineup. Although he hit a disappointing .233 with just 12 homers and 62 RBIs in ’75, Allen’s prodigious history as a power hitter still struck fear in opposing pitchers who realized that he was still a dangerous long-ball threat. Schmidt and Luzinski respected him so much, they turned to him for advice.

The biggest question mark was the starting pitching, which had been shaky at best in ’75. At the top of the rotation were two previous Cy Young Award winners who appeared as if their best days were already behind them. Thirty-one-year-old Steve Carlton (15-14, 192 SO, 3.56 ERA) had struggled to recapture his brilliance of 1972, when he had earned the award. Thirty-four-year-old Jim Lonborg (8-6, 4.12 ERA) had been hampered by injuries the previous season and seemed to be even further from a return to the glory of his 1967 Cy Young season with the Boston Red Sox. The Phillies were pinning their hopes on a pair of twenty-two-year-olds—Larry Christenson (11-6, 3.67 ERA) and Tommy Underwood (14-13, 4.14 ERA)—to pick up the slack.1 But Carlton surprised the naysayers, proving that he was still one of the best pitchers in baseball.

The year 1976 turned out to be the one in which the Phillies’ ace resurrected his career. With McCarver catching him, Carlton finally found the right mental balance on the mound and won twenty games for a Phillies team that captured its first of three straight division titles. Tim also gave his batterymate a new nickname, “Lefty,” which is baseball parlance reserved for the left-handed ace of the pitching staff. McCarver would make sure that Carlton lived up to the complimentary moniker, too.

The ’76 season got off to a rocky start when labor conflict interrupted spring training.

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