Skills Scorecard
Contact
B-
Power
C
Speed
C
Durability
B
Range
C
Fielding
B+
Career Timeline
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4½ hours
Oct 9, 1977Oct 9, 1977
The decisive Game 5 of the 1977 American League Championship Series featured the New York...
1977 ALCS G5 - New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals - Radio Broadcast / The decisive Game 5 of the 1977 American League Championship Series featured the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals at Royals Stadium. The Yankees were on the brink of another World Series appearance under the leadership of manager Billy Martin, while the Royals, managed by Whitey Herzog, were determined to break through to their first-ever World Series. The Yankees sent left-hander Ron Guidry to the mound, who had been reliable throughout the season, while Kansas City countered with their veteran southpaw Paul Splittorff. Both teams were in fine form, with Kansas City relying heavily on George Brett and Hal McRae, and New York banking on their power-laden lineup, led by Thurman Munson and Reggie Jackson.
The Royals took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, courtesy of a triple by George Brett that scored Hal McRae. Kansas City added another run in the third, with Al Cowens driving in McRae to make it 3-1. The Yankees battled back, with a key RBI single from Thurman Munson in the third inning and a clutch RBI from Reggie Jackson in the eighth inning to close the gap to 3-2. In the ninth inning, New York rallied for three runs, capitalizing on a defensive error by Brett and a critical single from Mickey Rivers. Sparky Lyle came in to shut down Kansas City's final attempts, and the Yankees secured the victory to advance to the World Series.
#NewYorkYankees #KansasCityRoyals #RonGuidry #GeorgeBrett #ThurmanMunson #ReggieJackson #ALCS1977 #PaulSplittorff #SparkyLyle #MickeyRivers
2½ hours
May 1, 1973May 1, 1973
On May 1, 1973, the New York Yankees hosted the Kansas City Royals at Yankee...
1973 Kansas City Royals vs New York Yankees - Radio Broadcast / On May 1, 1973, the New York Yankees hosted the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium in an evening matchup that featured Steve Kline for the Yankees against Ken Wright of the Royals. Both teams were looking to gain footing early in the season, with the Yankees aiming to rebound from a disappointing fifth-place finish in the AL East in 1972. The Royals, still a relatively young franchise, were continuing to build their team identity and improve upon their performance in the AL West.
The game began with both pitchers holding the line, but the Yankees broke through in the second inning, scoring two runs facilitated by a sequence of hits and a fielding error by the Royals' catcher, Fran Healy. The Royals managed to cut the deficit in the third inning when John Mayberry drove in Freddie Patek, but that would be the extent of their scoring. The pivotal moment came in the seventh inning when the Yankees, led by Bobby Murcer's three-run homer, extended their lead significantly, capitalizing on reliever Tom Burgmeier's struggles to seal the game's fate.
The Yankees won the game 6-1, illustrating their capability to execute in key moments, a theme that would resonate throughout their 1973 season as they fought for, and eventually won, the AL East title.