1976 World Series

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1976 World Series
Joe Garagiola
Marty Brennaman (in Cincinnati)
Phil Rizzuto (in New York)
Tony Kubek
RadioCBS
Radio announcersBill White (in Cincinnati)
Marty Brennaman (in New York)
Win Elliot
ALCSNew York Yankees over Kansas City Royals (3–2)
NLCSCincinnati Reds over Philadelphia Phillies (3–0)
← 1975 World Series 1977 →

The 1976 World Series was the

swept the Series in four games to repeat as champions, avenging their 1939 and 1961 World Series losses to the Yankees. The 1976 Reds became, and remain, the only team to sweep an entire multi-tier postseason, one of the crowning achievements of the franchise's Big Red Machine era.[1] They also became the third NL team (following the Chicago Cubs in 1907–08 and the New York Giants in 1921–22
) to win consecutive World Series, and remain the last to do so.

This was also the second time that the Yankees were swept in a World Series—the Los Angeles Dodgers were the first to sweep them in 1963. It was the first sweep of the World Series in ten years and the Reds' first; their next came fourteen years later in 1990.

The Reds won the NL West division by ten games over the Dodgers, then defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in three straight games in the NL Championship Series, after losing seven of twelve to them during the regular season. The Yankees won the AL East division by 10+1⁄8 games over the Baltimore Orioles, then defeated the Kansas City Royals in the deciding fifth game of the AL Championship Series.

This World Series was the first in which the designated hitter rule, which had been introduced in the AL three years prior, was in effect; it was used for all games (for the first ten years, the use of the DH alternated; in even-numbered years, it was used in all games, in odd-numbered years, it was not used; starting in 1986, the DH was used only in games played at the AL representative's park).[2] The use of the DH wound up benefiting the Reds, who were able to get utility infielder Dan Driessen's bat in the lineup. Driessen hit .357 with one home run. Elliott Maddox, Carlos May, and Lou Piniella shared the role for the Yankees. Game 1, played at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, marked the first time the DH was used in a NL ballpark. Game 2, also at Riverfront Stadium, was the first World Series weekend game to be scheduled at night.

Reds catcher Johnny Bench was named the World Series MVP. Bench batted .533 with 8 hits, 6 RBIs and two home runs and also scored 4 runs.

Background

See also:
1976 MLB Postseason

After spending the last two years sharing home field with the

Angels for Bobby Bonds; Willie Randolph and Dock Ellis from the Pirates for Doc Medich; and Doyle Alexander, Ken Holtzman, and Grant Jackson from the Orioles for Rudy May, Tippy Martinez, Scott McGregor, and Rick Dempsey
.

The heart of the team was Yankee captain,

power hitters. Super free agent Catfish Hunter headed the staff while reliever Sparky Lyle led the A.L. in saves with 23. The Yankees finished 10+1⁄2 ahead in the A.L. East advancing to the World Series by beating the Kansas City Royals in the fifth game of the playoffs on a ninth-inning walk-off home run by Chambliss
.

The defending champion

Ken Griffey
, and Morgan, who combined power (27 homers, 111 RBI) and speed (67 stolen bases) from the third-spot in the batting order. Morgan went on to win his second-straight National League Most Valuable Player award, outdistancing runner-up teammate Foster. Foster would go on to win the 1977 MVP award, giving the Reds six MVPs in an eight-year stretch. Bench won MVP honors in 1970 and 1972 while Rose took home the hardware in '73.

The Reds led the NL in every significant offensive category including runs scored, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases.

On the mound, the

New York Giants. The Reds did not make a single offensive or defensive substitution (save pitching changes) during the entire series. Bench would claim the MVP of the series hitting .533 with two home runs and six runs batted in. His catching counterpart, Thurman Munson
, had nine hits, all singles, and a .529 batting average.

Summary

NL Cincinnati Reds (4) vs. AL New York Yankees (0)

Game Date Score Location Time Attendance 
1 October 16 New York Yankees – 1, Cincinnati Reds – 5 Riverfront Stadium 2:10 54,826[3] 
2 October 17 New York Yankees – 3, Cincinnati Reds – 4 Riverfront Stadium 2:33 54,816[4] 
3 October 19 Cincinnati Reds – 6, New York Yankees – 2 Yankee Stadium 2:40 56,667[5] 
4 October 21† Cincinnati Reds – 7, New York Yankees – 2 Yankee Stadium 2:36 56,700[6]

†: postponed from October 20 due to rain

Matchups

Game 1

Joe Morgan
October 16, 1976 1:00 pm (ET) at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio 51 °F (11 °C), cloudy
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 1
Cincinnati 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 X 5 10 1
WP: Don Gullett (1–0)   LP: Doyle Alexander (0–1)
Home runs:
NYY: None
CIN: Joe Morgan (1)

Pedro Borbon
pitched 1+2⁄3 shutout innings to close the game.

Game 2

Tony Perez
October 17, 1976 8:30 pm (ET) at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio 43 °F (6 °C), partly cloudy
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 9 1
Cincinnati 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 10 0
WP: Jack Billingham (1–0)   LP: Catfish Hunter (0–1)

The Reds scored three runs in the second off

Ken Griffey reached second when Stanley threw wildly past first after fielding his slow bouncer. Joe Morgan was walked intentionally and Tony Pérez
ended the game by driving in Griffey with a single.

The Sunday night contest, the first weekend World Series game to begin after dark, was played under temperatures that started at 43 °F (6 °C) and dipped into the 30s as the game progressed.[7] Major League Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn responded to criticism of the scheduling, which was done to accommodate NBC television, by attending the game without wearing an overcoat in spite of the cold nighttime weather.[8][9]

Game 3

George Foster
October 19, 1976 8:30 pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York 48 °F (9 °C), overcast
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cincinnati 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 6 13 2
New York 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 8 0
WP: Pat Zachry (1–0)   LP: Dock Ellis (0–1)   Sv: Will McEnaney (1)
Home runs:
CIN: Dan Driessen (1)
NYY: Jim Mason (1)

As the Series moved to Yankee Stadium, the Reds struck first with three runs off starter Dock Ellis. Dan Driessen hit a leadoff single, stole second and scored on an RBI double by George Foster, After Johnny Bench singled, an RBI force-out by César Gerónimo made it 2–0 Reds. Geronimo stole second and scored on an RBI single by Dave Concepción to cap the inning's scoring. Dan Driessen smacked a home run in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, the Yankees got on the board on Oscar Gamble's single off of Pat Zachry. A seventh inning home run by Jim Mason—the 500th home run in the history of the World Series[10]—cut the Reds' lead to 4–2. Mason became the first of two players to hit a home run in his only World Series at-bat, the second being Geoff Blum in 2005 for the Chicago White Sox. The Reds got both runs back in the eighth on Joe Morgan's RBI double off Grant Jackson after two leadoff singles and Foster's RBI single off Dick Tidrow.

This game featured a slick defensive play by Grant Jackson in the top of the seventh. Johnny Bench hit a hard grounder up the middle which appeared to be a sure base hit, but Jackson speared the ball with his glove behind his back and retired Bench.

This was the first World Series game at Yankee Stadium to open with opera star Robert Merrill's famous rendition of the National Anthem.

Game 4

Johnny Bench
October 21, 1976 8:30 pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York 49 °F (9 °C), partly cloudy
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cincinnati 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 4 7 9 2
New York 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 8 0
WP: Gary Nolan (1–0)   LP: Ed Figueroa (0–1)   Sv: Will McEnaney (2)
Home runs:
CIN: Johnny Bench 2 (2)
NYY: None

The Yankees got on the board in the first (which would be their only lead in this Series) on a two-out Thurman Munson single and a Chris Chambliss double off of Gary Nolan. Munson would collect four hits in the game. In the fourth, Joe Morgan walked off of Ed Figueroa, stole second, and came home on a George Foster single. Johnny Bench followed with his first home run to give the Reds a 3–1 lead. The Yankees cut the lead to 3–2 in the fifth inning when Mickey Rivers hit a leadoff single, stole second and scored on Munson's single, but the Reds padded that lead in the ninth. Figueroa walked two before being relieved by Dick Tidrow, who allowed a one-out three-run home run to Bench to extend the Reds' lead to 6–2. César Gerónimo and Dave Concepción followed with consecutive doubles to make 7–2 Reds. Will McEnaney pitched 2+1⁄3 shutout innings to end the series. It was the Reds' second-straight World Series victory and the second-straight time McEnaney would be on the mound for the Series' final out. It also, to date, is the only perfect playoff season since the LCS was created in 1969. This was Tony Perez's final game in a Reds uniform until 1984.

Composite box

1976 World Series (4–0): Cincinnati Reds (N.L.) beat New York Yankees (A.L.).

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cincinnati Reds 1 6 1 4 0 1 2 2 5 22 42 5
New York Yankees 1 1 0 2 1 0 3 0 0 8 30 2
Total attendance: 223,009   Average attendance: 55,752
Winning player's share: $26,367   Losing player's share: $19,935[11]

Broadcasting

This was the last of 30 consecutive World Series telecasts by

Fox.) It was also the last time that local announcers for the participating teams (the Reds' Marty Brennaman and the Yankees' Phil Rizzuto
, in this case) would be regularly featured on the network telecast.

This was the first of 21 consecutive World Series to be broadcast by CBS Radio.

Notes

  1. ^ Fimrite, Ron (November 1, 1976). "Ah, How Great It Is". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
  2. ^ "American League adopts designated hitter rule". history.com. History.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018. At first, the designated hitter rule did not apply to any games in the World Series, in which the AL and NL winners met for the world championship. From 1976-1985, it applied only to Series held in even-numbered years, and in 1986 the current rule took effect, according to which the designated hitter rule is used or not used according to the practice of the home team.
  3. ^ "1976 World Series Game 1 – New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  4. ^ "1976 World Series Game 2 – New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  5. ^ "1976 World Series Game 3 – Cincinnati Reds vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  6. ^ "1976 World Series Game 4 – Cincinnati Reds vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  7. ^ Durso, Joseph (October 18, 1976). "Yanks Lose Second Series Game, 4-3". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Kuhn, Bowie (October 31, 1976). "Bowie Kuhn Answers Critics of Series Night Baseball". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Anderson, Dave (November 2, 1982). "Sports of the Times: The Thermal Man". The New York Times.
  10. ^ "Postseason Batting Event Finder: All of MLB: 960 Home Runs in 1903-2020 Postseason, World Series". Stathead. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  11. ^ "World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares". Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2009.

See also

References

External links

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