1979 World Series

76th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series

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Baseball championship series

1979 World Series

|  Team (Wins)|  Manager(s)|  Season

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Pittsburgh Pirates (4)|  Chuck Tanner|  98–64, .605, GA: 2
Baltimore Orioles (3)|  Earl Weaver|  102–57, .642, GA: 8
Dates| October 10–17
Venue(s)| Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Three Rivers Stadium (Pittsburgh)
MVP| Willie Stargell (Pittsburgh)
Umpires| Jerry Neudecker (AL), Bob Engel (NL), Russ Goetz (AL), Paul Runge (NL), Jim McKean (AL), Terry Tata (NL)
Hall of Famers| Pirates:
Bert Blyleven
Dave Parker
Willie Stargell
Orioles:
Eddie Murray
Jim Palmer
Frank Robinson (coach)
Earl Weaver (manager)
Broadcast
Television| ABC
TV announcers| Keith Jackson (in Baltimore)
Al Michaels (in Pittsburgh)
Howard Cosell and Don Drysdale
Radio| CBS
Radio announcers| Vin Scully and Sparky Anderson
ALCS| Baltimore Orioles over California Angels (3–1)
NLCS| Pittsburgh Pirates over Cincinnati Reds (3–0)
| ← 1978 | World Series | 1980 →

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The 1979 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1979 season. The 76th edition of the World Series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Pittsburgh Pirates (98–64) and the American League (AL) champion Baltimore Orioles (102–57). The Pirates won in seven games, becoming the fourth team in World Series history to come back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series. This marked the second time in the 1970s the Pirates won a World Series Game 7 on the road against the Orioles, the previous time being in the 1971 World Series. The Pirates were famous for adopting Sister Sledge's hit song "We Are Family" as their theme song during the 1979 season.

Left fielder/first baseman Willie Stargell, pitcher Bruce Kison, and catcher Manny Sanguillén were the only players left over from the Pirates team that defeated the Orioles in 1971, and Orioles' pitcher Jim Palmer, shortstop Mark Belanger, and manager Earl Weaver were the only remaining Orioles from the 1971 team. Grant Jackson pitched for the Orioles in the 1971 series and for the Pirates in the 1979 series.

In this series, each game was played with National League rules, meaning there was no designated hitter and the Orioles' pitchers would have to bat. While this resulted in Tim Stoddard getting his first major league hit and runs batted in (R.B.I.) in Game 4, overall, it hurt the Orioles because Lee May, their designated hitter for much of the season and a key part of their offense, was only able to bat three times in the whole series.

Willie Stargell was named the World Series Most Valuable Player after batting .400 with a record seven extra-base hits that matched Reggie Jackson's record of 25 total bases that the latter set in 1977. At age 39, Stargell became the oldest player to be named World Series MVP, breaking the previous mark set by former Pirate, Roberto Clemente, who won the 1971 World Series MVP at the age of 37.

The 1979 Pirates were the last team to win Game 7 of a World Series on the road until the San Francisco Giants defeated the Royals in Kansas City to win Game 7 of the 2014 series.[1] Pittsburgh also became the third city to win both the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same season or calendar year, with the Steelers having already won Super Bowl XIII (they would later repeat in Super Bowl XIV following the Pirates' championship), New York's Jets and Mets won championships in the 1969 calendar year, followed by Baltimore (Orioles and Colts) in the 1970 season, New York (Mets and Giants) in the 1986 season, and Boston/New England in the 2004 (Red Sox and Patriots) and 2018 seasons (Red Sox and Patriots).

To date, this is Pittsburgh’s last appearance in the World Series, and they have the longest active World Series appearance drought in the National League.

## Background

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See also: 1979 Major League Baseball postseason

### Baltimore Orioles

[edit]

Main article: 1979 Baltimore Orioles season

These same two teams also met in 1971. Earl Weaver's Orioles had won the first two games of that series only to lose to Danny Murtaugh's Pirates in seven. This time Pittsburgh manager Chuck Tanner was looking to win a Series of his own. Gone were the likes of slugger Boog Powell and defensive wizard Brooks Robinson—shortstop Mark Belanger and pitcher Jim Palmer were the only two remaining players from the 1971 roster. A young (23-year-old) "Steady Eddie" Murray was a staple at first base and an emerging superstar. The only other real "star" hitter on the team was right fielder Ken Singleton who set career highs in home runs, 35, and runs batted in, 111, in the regular season. Center fielder Al Bumbry provided the speed, 37 swipes, and outfielder Gary Roenicke and third-baseman Doug DeCinces provided some additional power. The talented pitching staff was captained by veteran catcher Rick Dempsey. The starters were led by 1979 Cy Young Award winner Mike Flanagan (23–9, 3.08), Dennis Martinez {15-16 (18 complete games), 3.66}, Scott McGregor (13–6, 3.35), Steve Stone (11–7, 3.77) and Jim Palmer (10–6, 3.30). The bullpen helped with 30 wins against only 13 losses led by Don Stanhouse (7–3, 21 saves) and Tippy Martinez (10–3, 2.88). The Orioles won the American League East rather easily, finishing eight games ahead of the second place Milwaukee Brewers. Many considered the series a bit of a whitewash.

### Pittsburgh Pirates

[edit]

Main article: 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates season

On the other hand, the Pittsburgh Pirates struggled early in the season, eventually winning the National League East by just two games over the Montreal Expos. Only after getting infielders, Tim Foli (from the New York Mets) and Bill Madlock (from the San Francisco Giants), did the Pirates start winning consistently. The great Roberto Clemente had inspired the 1971 team toward the title, and the key ingredient to the 1979 team was his successor and spiritual leader, 38-year-old Willie "Pops" Stargell. His clubhouse demeanor, a simple good-heartedness and friendly manner, helped keep the Pirates loose during a tight divisional race with a surprise sweep of the always powerful Cincinnati Reds in the League Championship Series.

The Bucs lineup featured the National League leader in stolen bases, Omar Moreno with 77; team runs batted in leader, Dave Parker with 94, and two-time batting champion, Bill Madlock (1975, 1976). Madlock would add two more batting titles in 1981 and 1983. The pitching staff was a ragtag bunch led by the "Candy-Man" John Candelaria's 14 wins (nine losses), with five other pitchers winning ten or more games. The tall and lean Kent Tekulve had 31 saves, good for second in the league, while winning ten games.

"Pops" Stargell would hit three home runs in this series becoming the oldest player to win both the regular season MVP and the World Series MVP. His "Family" would persevere after losing three out of the first four games, giving Earl Weaver and his Orioles a déjà vu nightmare when the Bucs came back to win in seven games.

## Summary

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NL Pittsburgh Pirates (4) vs. AL Baltimore Orioles (3)

Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance

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1 | October 10 | Pittsburgh Pirates – 4, Baltimore Orioles – 5 | Memorial Stadium | 3:18 | 53,735[2]
2 | October 11 | Pittsburgh Pirates – 3, Baltimore Orioles – 2 | Memorial Stadium | 3:13 | 53,739[3]
3 | October 12 | Baltimore Orioles – 8, Pittsburgh Pirates – 4 | Three Rivers Stadium | 2:51 (1:07 delay) | 50,848[4]
4 | October 13 | Baltimore Orioles – 9, Pittsburgh Pirates – 6 | Three Rivers Stadium | 3:48 | 50,883[5]
5 | October 14 | Baltimore Orioles – 1, Pittsburgh Pirates – 7 | Three Rivers Stadium | 2:54 | 50,920[6]
6 | October 16 | Pittsburgh Pirates – 4, Baltimore Orioles – 0 | Memorial Stadium | 2:30 | 53,739[7]
7 | October 17 | Pittsburgh Pirates – 4, Baltimore Orioles – 1 | Memorial Stadium | 2:54 | 53,733[8]

## Matchups

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### Game 1

[edit]

October 10, 1979 8:30 pm (ET) at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland 41 °F (5 °C), overcast Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E

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Pittsburgh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 3
Baltimore | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 6 | 3
WP: Mike Flanagan (1–0)   LP: Bruce Kison (0–1)
Home runs:
PIT: Willie Stargell (1)
BAL: Doug DeCinces (1)

Game 1 was originally scheduled for Tuesday, October 9 but was postponed due to a wintry mix of rain and snow.[9] When it was played the following night, the first-pitch temperature of 41 °F (5 °C) was the coldest in the history of the Fall Classic until it was eclipsed 18 years later in Game 4 of the 1997 World Series. A steady rain that fell throughout the contest also factored into the six total errors, three committed by each team.[10] All five Orioles runs were scored in the first inning; two on a throwing error by second baseman Phil Garner, followed by one on a wild pitch by starter Bruce Kison and the final two on a Doug DeCinces home run. A pair of RBIs each for Garner (two-out single in the sixth) and Willie Stargell (groundout in the fourth, leadoff homer in the eighth) sparked a Pirates comeback that fell a run short.

### Game 2

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October 11, 1979 8:30 pm (ET) at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland 46 °F (8 °C), overcast Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E

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Pittsburgh | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 2
Baltimore | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1
WP: Don Robinson (1–0)   LP: Don Stanhouse (0–1)   Sv: Kent Tekulve (1)
Home runs:
PIT: None
BAL: Eddie Murray (1)

This time, the Pirates struck first with two in the second on an RBI single by Bill Madlock and a sacrifice fly by catcher Ed Ott. The Orioles countered in the bottom half of the inning with an Eddie Murray homer. Murray would also tie the game in the sixth by doubling in Ken Singleton. Murray tried to put the Orioles ahead in the same inning by tagging and attempting to score on a line-out to right by John Lowenstein, but Dave Parker threw him out easily. Making the decision to send Murray was made that much odder by the fact that Parker's throw to the plate arrived well ahead of him. Murray tried to bowl Ott over at the plate, but the stocky Ott held fast, staying on his feet.

Murray also made a questionable base running decision in the eighth. With Murray on second and Doug DeCinces on first with no outs, Lowenstein grounded to shortstop Tim Foli. Murray strangely stopped instead of running out the force play. Foli attempted a tag which Murray eluded, and then threw to Phil Garner at second to force DeCinces. Murray's hesitation allowed Garner to throw to third and catch him in a rundown. Murray slowed up returning to second when he should have sped back since he was entitled to the base with DeCinces being forced out.

Murray would not collect another hit or RBI for the rest of the Series.

In the ninth, after a two-out single by Ott and a walk to Garner, Manny Sanguillén pinch-hit for Don Robinson and hacked a high and outside fastball from Don Stanhouse into right for a single. Ott barely slid past the outstretched arms of catcher Rick Dempsey to score the winning run, after Murray had questionably cut-off a strong throw from RF Ken Singleton. Kent Tekulve retired the side in the ninth for the save.

### Game 3

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October 12, 1979 8:30 pm (ET) at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 51 °F (11 °C), overcast Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E

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Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 0
Pittsburgh | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 2
WP: Scott McGregor (1–0)   LP: John Candelaria (0–1)
Home runs:
BAL: Benny Ayala (1)
PIT: None

The Pirates jumped out to an early 3–0 lead on a Dave Parker sacrifice fly in the first and a one-out, two-run double by Garner in the second. A Benny Ayala one-out, two-run homer cut the Orioles' deficit to one just before a 67-minute rain delay in the middle of the third inning. The Orioles seized the momentum after play resumed by scoring five runs in the fourth, highlighted by a Kiko Garcia bases-loaded triple that chased Pirates starter John Candelaria from the game along with an RBI single by Ken Singleton and groundout by Doug DeCinces off of Enrique Romo. Garcia added a two-out RBI single in the seventh, finishing the evening going 4-for-4 with four RBI. Scott McGregor allowed only one other run after the second (on Bill Madlock's RBI single in the sixth after a Willie Stargell double) and pitched a complete game to give the Orioles a 2–1 series lead.

### Game 4

[edit]

October 13, 1979 1:00 pm (ET) at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 43 °F (6 °C), mostly cloudy Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E

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Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 0
Pittsburgh | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 1
WP: Tim Stoddard (1–0)   LP: Kent Tekulve (0–1)
Home runs:
BAL: None
PIT: Willie Stargell (2)

The Pirates seized an early 4–0 lead in the second on a leadoff homer by Stargell, a two-run double by Ott and an Omar Moreno two-out RBI single. The first two were among five straight hits that effectively ended starter Dennis Martínez's afternoon. The Orioles countered with three runs in the third off Jim Bibby on consecutive one-out doubles by Garcia (2 RBI) and Ken Singleton. The Pirates stretched their lead to 6–3 on RBI doubles by John Milner and Parker in the fifth and sixth innings respectively.

With one out in the eighth and the bases loaded, Pirates manager Chuck Tanner sent in submarining relief ace Kent Tekulve to face right-handed hitting Gary Roenicke. Weaver countered by pinch-hitting lefty John Lowenstein. Lowenstein made the move pay off by slamming a two-run double. After a walk loaded the bases again, Weaver sent another lefty hitter, Terry Crowley, to bat for Dave Skaggs. Crowley smashed another two-run double off Tekulve to give the Orioles the lead. Pitcher Tim Stoddard, batting because Weaver was out of pinch hitters at that point, followed with an RBI single. An RBI force-out by Bumbry ended the scoring.

### Game 5

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October 14, 1979 4:30 pm (ET) at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 46 °F (8 °C), mostly cloudy Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E

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Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2
Pittsburgh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | X | 7 | 13 | 1
WP: Bert Blyleven (1–0)   LP: Mike Flanagan (1–1)

With a world championship on the line and Game 1 starter Bruce Kison injured, Chuck Tanner decided to go with little-used veteran left-hander Jim Rooker as his starter. He would let Rooker go as long as possible, then bring in Bert Blyleven to finish, saving his two best pitchers, sore-shouldered John Candelaria and Jim Bibby for Games 6 and 7, if played. The risky move more than paid off as Rooker gave Tanner five good innings, retiring the first 10 batters, no-hitting for four innings, and holding the Orioles to one run in the fifth when Gary Roenicke scored on a double play grounder. The Pirate bats finally came alive against Mike Flanagan in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Willie Stargell and an RBI single by Bill Madlock. The Pirates added two more in the seventh on a RBI triple by Tim Foli and a RBI double by Dave Parker, and then three more in the eighth on a RBI single by Phil Garner and a two-run single by Foli. Thanks to the unexpected performance from Rooker, a 4–for–4 day from Madlock, and Foli's three RBIs, the Pirates had staved off defeat.

Chuck Tanner's mother died the morning of Game 5 (this was mentioned during the telecast by announcer Howard Cosell). According to Kent Tukulve, Tanner told the team before the game that his mother was a big Pirates fan, "and she knew we needed some help, so she went to get us some." The 1960 World Series hero Bill Mazeroski threw out the first ball in Game 5, which would be Three Rivers Stadium's final World Series game and, to date, the last World Series game played in Pittsburgh.

### Game 6

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October 16, 1979 8:30 pm (ET) at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland 55 °F (13 °C), overcast Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E

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Pittsburgh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0
Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1
WP: John Candelaria (1–1)   LP: Jim Palmer (0–1)   Sv: Kent Tekulve (2)

Back home at Memorial Stadium, local baseball coach Mary Dobkin threw out the ceremonial first pitch.[11] The Oriole bats continued to be unexpectedly cold as John Candelaria and Jim Palmer locked into a scoreless duel through six innings. Dave Parker broke the ice with a RBI single in the seventh, followed by a Stargell sacrifice fly. The Pirates added two more runs in the eighth on a Bill Robinson sac fly and a RBI single by Omar Moreno. Kent Tekulve earned his second save of the series.

After the game Howard Cosell in his limo was surrounded and attacked by angry Oriole fans with shaving cream, which prompted Baltimore police to complement his private security for Game 7.[12]

### Game 7

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October 17, 1979 8:30 pm (ET) at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland 59 °F (15 °C), mostly cloudy Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E

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Pittsburgh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 0
Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2
WP: Grant Jackson (1–0)   LP: Scott McGregor (1–1)   Sv: Kent Tekulve (3)
Home runs:
PIT: Willie Stargell (3)
BAL: Rich Dauer (1)

The Pirates capped an amazing comeback on the strength of Willie Stargell, who went 4–for–5 with a single, two doubles, and a towering two-run homer in the sixth off Scott McGregor. McGregor pitched eight solid innings in a losing cause. For insurance in the ninth, Omar Moreno collected an RBI single, while another run scored when Dave Parker and Bill Robinson were hit by pitches back-to-back, scoring Moreno. Orioles manager Earl Weaver made five pitching changes in the ninth inning in an attempt to keep the game within reach. The O's only run came on a Rich Dauer homer in the third, the team's only RBI in the last three games (the run in Game 5 scored on a double play, which is not credited as an RBI to the batter). Significantly, Eddie Murray, the Orioles' main offensive threat, was 0-for-21 in the final five games of the Series, including a fly-out to Parker to end the eighth with the bases loaded (following an intentional walk to Ken Singleton). Following their six run outburst in the eighth inning of Game 4, the Birds scored only two runs on 17 hits over the series final 28 innings. Pirates reliever Grant Jackson got the win after 22⁄3 innings after relieving Don Robinson, who had relieved Jim Bibby who lasted four innings and allowed the lone Oriole run.

U.S. President Jimmy Carter made an appearance in Game 7—he threw out the first pitch—and after the game made a visit to the victorious Pittsburgh clubhouse. Prior to the ceremonial first pitch, Bill Schustik played the National Anthem. Pirates closer Kent Tekulve earned a save.[13]

This was the last postseason series won by the Pirates until winning the 2013 National League Wild Card Game. This would also be, as of 2024, the last time the Pirates appeared in a World Series in their history. All five of the Pirates' World Series victories went the maximum seven games.

## Composite box

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1979 World Series (4–3): Pittsburgh Pirates (N.L.) over Baltimore Orioles (A.L.)

Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E

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Pittsburgh Pirates | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 32 | 81 | 9
Baltimore Orioles | 5 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 26 | 54 | 9
Total attendance: 367,597   Average attendance: 52,514
Winning player's share: $28,264   Losing player's share: $22,114[14]

## Records

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* Five Pirates had ten or more hits in this series, a World Series record. Willie Stargell and Phil Garner had 12 hits each, Omar Moreno 11, and Tim Foli and Dave Parker 10 each. Bill Madlock came close to a sixth with nine hits. The Baltimore Orioles set a record by manager Earl Weaver for most pitchers used in a single inning (five).

## Uniforms

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The Pirates wore four different uniform combinations during the series:

* gold cap, black jersey and gold pants for Games 1 and 5
* black cap, gold jersey and black pants for Games 2, 6 and 7
* black cap and solid white pinstriped uniform for Game 3
* black cap and solid gold uniform for Game 4.

The Orioles wore three different uniform combinations of their own:

* white cap, orange jersey and white pants for Games 1 and 7
* white cap, white jersey and white pants for Games 2 and 6
* white cap, grey jersey and grey pants for Games 3, 4 and 5

## Broadcasting

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The series was televised by ABC Sports, with play-by-play announcers Keith Jackson (in Baltimore) and Al Michaels (in Pittsburgh), and color commentators Howard Cosell and Don Drysdale. ABC's broadcast was also simulcast over the Orioles' and Pirates' respective local television outlets, CBS affiliates WMAR-TV in Baltimore and KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, in addition to ABC's own affiliates WJZ-TV and WTAE-TV.

* In 2006 a "collector's edition" DVD box set, featuring the complete ABC telecasts of all seven games, was issued by Major League Baseball and A&E Home Video.

CBS Radio also broadcast the series with Vin Scully calling all the play-by-play and Sparky Anderson doing the color commentary. This was the first World Series for which the regular announcers of the participating teams were not involved in the play-calling for any national broadcast on either television or radio, the television networks having already ended the practice two years earlier.

## See also

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* 1979 Japan Series

## References

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1. ^ Eagle, Ed (June 14, 2009). "Bucs honor Stanley Cup champ Pens". MLB. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
2. ^ "1979 World Series Game 1 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
3. ^ "1979 World Series Game 2 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
4. ^ "1979 World Series Game 3 – Baltimore Orioles vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
5. ^ "1979 World Series Game 4 – Baltimore Orioles vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
6. ^ "1979 World Series Game 5 – Baltimore Orioles vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
7. ^ "1979 World Series Game 6 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
8. ^ "1979 World Series Game 7 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
9. ^ Speciale, Christina. "First Measurable Snow," WeatherWorks, Sunday, October 10, 2013.
10. ^ "Looking Back at the Coldest World Series of All Time". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
11. ^ "1979 World Series by Baseball Almanac".
12. ^ "The Prescott Courier - Google News Archive Search".
13. ^ "Schustik performs anthem | 10/17/1979". MLB.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
14. ^ "World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares". Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2009.

* Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990). The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 377–382\. ISBN 0-312-03960-3.
* Reichler, Joseph (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5th ed.). Macmillan Publishing. p. 2209\. ISBN 0-02-579010-2.
* Forman, Sean L. "1979 World Series". Baseball-Reference.com – Major League Statistics and Information. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
* "Penguins win game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals". ABC 15. Associated Press. June 12, 2009. Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009.

## External links

[edit]

* 1979 World Series at WorldSeries.com via MLB.com
* 1979 World Series at Baseball Almanac
* 1979 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com
* The 1979 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) at Retrosheet
* History of the World Series - 1979 at The Sporting News. Archived from the original in May 2006.
* Fimrite, Ron. "A Series Of Ups And Downs," Sports Illustrated, October 22, 1979.
* Fimrite, Ron. "Rising From The Ashes," Sports Illustrated, October 29, 1979.
* 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates at baseballlibrary.com
* 1979 Baltimore Orioles at baseballlibrary.com

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Related
programs|

* Major League Baseball Game of the Week (1953–1954; 1960; 1965)
* Monday Night Baseball (1976–1988)
* Sunday Afternoon Baseball (1977–1987)
* Thursday Night Baseball (1989)
* Baseball Night in America (1994–1995)
* ESPN Major League Baseball (broadcasters)

| Non-MLB
programs|

* Little League World Series
* Wide World of Sports

|

Related
articles|

* History
* The Baseball Network
* World Series television ratings
* Television contracts
* 1950s
* 1960s
* 1970s
* 1980s
* 1990s
* List of events on Wide World of Sports

| 1953 season|

* Chicago White Sox
* Cleveland Indians
* Philadelphia Athletics

|

ABC's owned and
operated TV stations|

* WABC 7 (Brooklyn Dodgers, August 17, 1953 – October 1, 1953)
* WLS 7 (Chicago Cubs, 2015–2019)
* KTRK 13 (Houston Astros, 1962–1972)
* WFIL 6 (later WPVI) (Philadelphia Athletics, 1949–1954; Philadelphia Phillies, 1959–1970)

Sponsors|

* Falstaff Brewing Corporation
* L&M

Commentators|

* The Baseball Network
* Game of the Week
* Prime time
* All-Star Game
* Wild Card Round
* ALCS
* ALDS
* NLCS
* NLDS
* World Series

Lore|

* Roger Maris' 61 home run season (1961)
* "The Bird" (1976)
* "The Double" (1995)
* Sunday Night Baseball on ABC (2021)

| Tiebreaker games|

* 1959 National League playoff series
* 1978 AL East Playoff
* 1980 NL West Playoff

|

LCS games|

* "Chris Chambliss' Walk-Off Home Run" (1976)
* "Garvey Home Run" (1984)
* "Gatorade Glove Play" (1984)
* "You're Looking at One for the Ages Here" (1986)

World Series games|

* "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning" (1977)
* "Mr. October" (1977)
* "The Call" (1985)
* 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

World Series|

* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1977
* 1979
* 1981
* 1983
* 1985
* 1987
* 1989
* ~~1994~~
* 1995 (Games 1, 4-5)

AL Championship Series|

* 1976
* 1978
* 1980
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1988
* 1995 (Games 1–2)

NL Championship Series|

* 1976
* 1978
* 1980
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1988
* 1995 (Games 1–2)

AL Division Series|

* 1981
* 1995

NL Division Series|

* 1995

AL Wild Card Round|

* 2020
* 2023
* 2024

NL Wild Card Round|

* 2020
* 2022

All-Star Game|

* 1976
* 1978
* 1980
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1988
* 1995

Music|

* "Hello Old Friend"
* "Lights"

Seasons|

| Saturday Game of the Week|

* 1953
* 1954
* 1959 (NL tie-breaker series)
* 1960
* 1961 (prime time games)
* 1965

|

Monday Night Baseball|

* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989 (now on Thursday nights)

The Baseball Network|

* 1994
* 1995

The 1994 World Series was cancelled due to a strike.

* v
* t
* e

Major League Baseball on CBS Radio

Related programs|

* Major League Baseball on CBS (1955–1965; 1990–1993)
* Major League Baseball Game of the Week (1985–1997)
* Sunday Night Baseball (1990–1997)

Related articles|

* Major League Baseball on the radio
* 1950 Brooklyn Dodgers season (simulcasts)

Commentators|

* All-Star Game
* ALCS
* ALDS
* NLCS
* NLDS
* World Series
* Game of the Week

Key figures|

* Marty Brennaman
* Steve Busby
* Jack Buck
* Gary Cohen
* Jerry Coleman
* Win Elliot
* Gene Elston
* Curt Gowdy
* Hank Greenwald
* Ernie Harwell
* Jim Hunter
* Harry Kalas
* Ralph Kiner
* Denny Matthews
* Frank Messer
* Bob Murphy
* Brent Musburger
* Ned Martin
* Lindsey Nelson
* Ross Porter
* Ted Robinson
* John Rooney
* Herb Score
* Vin Scully
* Dick Stockton
* Bill White

| Color commentators|

* Sparky Anderson
* Johnny Bench
* Rick Cerone
* Al Downing
* Steve Garvey
* Brooks Robinson
* Duke Snider
* Jeff Torborg
* Joe Torre

|

Pre-1976 commentators|

* Mel Allen
* Red Barber
* Boake Carter
* Bob Elson
* Jack Graney
* Fred Hoey
* Ted Husing
* France Laux

Lore|

* 1978 American League East tie-breaker game
* 1980 National League West tie-breaker game
* 1995 American League West tie-breaker game
* The Double (Seattle Mariners)

| World Series games|

* Babe Ruth's called shot (1932)
* Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning (1977)
* The Call (1985)
* Michael Sergio (1986)
* Bill Buckner's 1986 World Series error
* Kirk Gibson's 1988 World Series home run
* 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
* Kirby Puckett's 1991 World Series home run
* Joe Carter's 1993 World Series home run

|

LCS games|

* Francisco Cabrera game (1992)
* Jeffrey Maier (1996)

AL Championship Series|

* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997

NL Championship Series|

* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997

AL Division Series|

* 1981
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997

NL Division Series|

* 1981
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997

All-Star Game|

* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997

World Series|

* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* ~~1994~~
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997

The 1994 World Series was cancelled due to a strike.

* v
* t
* e

1979 MLB season by team

| AL East|

* Baltimore
* Boston
* Cleveland
* Detroit
* Milwaukee
* New York
* Toronto

|

AL West|

* California
* Chicago
* Kansas City
* Minnesota
* Oakland
* Seattle
* Texas

| NL East|

* Chicago
* Montréal
* New York
* Philadelphia
* Pittsburgh
* St. Louis

|

NL West|

* Atlanta
* Cincinnati
* Houston
* Los Angeles
* San Diego
* San Francisco

* 1979 MLB draft
* 1979 All-Star Game
* 1979 World Series

* v
* t
* e

Pittsburgh Pirates 1979 World Series champions

3 Phil Garner
5 Bill Madlock
6 Rennie Stennett
8 Willie Stargell (NL, NLCS, and World Series MVP)
10 Tim Foli
14 Ed Ott
15 Enrique Romo
16 Steve Nicosia
17 Lee Lacy
18 Omar Moreno
19 Jim Rooker
22 Bert Blyleven
23 Grant Jackson
24 Mike Easler
25 Bruce Kison
26 Jim Bibby
27 Kent Tekulve
28 Bill Robinson
34 John Milner
35 Manny Sanguillén
36 Matt Alexander
39 Dave Parker
43 Don Robinson
45 John Candelaria
49 Dave Roberts

Manager
7 Chuck Tanner

Coaches
31 Harvey Haddix
32 Joe Lonnett
42 Alex Monchak
48 Bob Skinner

Regular season
National League Championship Series

* v
* t
* e

Pittsburgh Pirates

* Established in 1882
* Formerly the Pittsburgh Alleghenys
* Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Franchise|

* History
* Seasons
* Records
* No-hitters
* Awards
* Players
* Managers
* Owners and executives
* Broadcasters
* Opening Day starting pitchers
* First-round draft picks
* All articles

Ballparks|

* Exposition Park
* Recreation Park
* Exposition Park
* Forbes Field
* Three Rivers Stadium
* PNC Park

Spring training
Whittington Park
Riverside Park
Fogel Field
Barrs Field
Rickwood Field
Perris Hill Park
Tech Field
McCulloch Park
Flamingo Field
Gilmore Field
Gran Stadium
Jaycee Park
Terry Park
Pirate City/LECOM Park

Culture|

* Pirate Parrot
* Great Pierogy Race
* Green Weenie
* "Black and Yellow"
* Zoltan
* Bob Prince
* Bob Gessner
* Vince Lascheid
* T206 Honus Wagner
* J. P. "Honus" Wagner (Vittor)
* In the Name of the Law
* Angels in the Outfield
* The Odd Couple
* "We Are Family"
* The Natural
* The Winning Season
* Chasing 3000
* Dude, Where's My Car?
* Million Dollar Arm
* Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories
* No No: A Dockumentary

Lore|

* Pittsburgh Allegheny
* Pirates' lore
* Lou Bierbauer
* Temple Cup
* Chronicle-Telegraph Cup
* Pittsburgh Stars
* Homer in the Gloamin'
* Harvey Haddix's near-perfect game
* Bill Mazeroski's 1960 World Series home run
* 1985 drug trials
* Sid Bream's slide
* NL Wild Card Games
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* MLB Little League Classics
* 2017
* 2019

Rivalries|

* Cincinnati Reds
* Philadelphia Phillies

Minors|

Triple-A
Indianapolis Indians
Double-A
Altoona Curve
High-A
Greensboro Grasshoppers
Single-A
Bradenton Marauders
Rookie
FCL Pirates
DSL Pirates Black
DSL Pirates Gold
All-time
Minor league affiliate history

World Series
Championships (5)|

* 1909
* 1925
* 1960
* 1971
* 1979

League pennants (9)|

American Association
none
National League
1901
1902
1903
1909
1925
1927
1960
1971
1979

Division titles (9)|

East
1970
1971
1972
1974
1975
1979
1990
1991
1992
Central
none

Wild Card berths (3)|

* 2013
* 2014
* 2015

Media|

* AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
* KDKA
* KDKA-FM
* Pirates Radio Network
* Steve Blass
* Joe Block
* Greg Brown
* Bob Walk
* John Wehner

Seasons (144)

1880s|

* 1880 · 1881 ·  1882
* 1883
* 1884
* 1885
* 1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889

1890s|

* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899

1900s|

* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909

1910s|

* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919

1920s|

* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929

1930s|

* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939

1940s|

* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949

1950s|

* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959

1960s|

* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969

1970s|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979

1980s|

* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989

1990s|

* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

2000s|

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009

2010s|

* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019

2020s|

* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

* v
* t
* e

Baltimore Orioles

* Established in 1901
* Formerly the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Browns
* Based in Baltimore, Maryland

Franchise|

* History
* in Milwaukee
* in St. Louis
* Seasons
* No-hitters
* Records
* Players
* Managers
* Owners and executives
* Broadcasters
* Opening Day starting pitchers
* First-round draft picks

Ballparks|

* Borchert Field
* Lloyd Street Grounds
* Sportsman's Park
* Memorial Stadium
* Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Spring training
Majestic Park
West End Park
Coffee Pot Park
Wright Field
Tech Field
Perris Hill Park
Yuma Municipal Stadium
City Island Ball Park
Scottsdale Stadium
Miami Stadium
Ed Smith Stadium
Al Lang Stadium
Fort Lauderdale Stadium

Culture|

* Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
* Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards
* Hall of Fame
* "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"
* Baltimore Chop
* Going My Way
* A Winner Never Quits
* "The Letter" (Seinfeld episode)
* Seven Nation Army
* Mo Gaba

Lore|

* Grandstand Managers Night
* Jeffrey Maier
* Miracle Mets
* 1910 Chalmers Award
* Wild Bill Hagy
* "Why Not?!"
* The Streak
* 1999 Cuba national baseball team exhibition
* 2015 crowdless game
* 2020 MLB Little League Classic

Rivalries|

* Washington Nationals

Key personnel|

* Owner: David Rubenstein
* Executive Vice President/General Manager: Mike Elias
* Manager: Tony Mansolino (interim)

World Series
championships (3)|

* 1966
* 1970
* 1983

American League
pennants (7)|

* 1944
* 1966
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1979
* 1983

AL East
division titles (10)|

* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1973
* 1974
* 1979
* 1983
* 1997
* 2014
* 2023

AL Wild Card
(4)|

* 1996
* 2012
* 2016
* 2024

Minor league
affiliates|

* Triple-A: Norfolk Tides
* Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox
* High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds
* Single-A: Delmarva Shorebirds
* Rookie:
* FCL Orioles
* DSL Orioles Black
* DSL Orioles Orange

Broadcasting|

Mid-Atlantic Sports Network
Radio
Orioles Radio Network
Announcers
Kevin Brown
Geoff Arnold
Scott Garceau
Melanie Newman
Jim Palmer
Ben McDonald

Seasons (121)

1900s|

* 1900 ·  1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909

1910s|

* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919

1920s|

* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929

1930s|

* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939

1940s|

* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949

1950s|

* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959

1960s|

* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969

1970s|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979

1980s|

* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989

1990s|

* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

2000s|

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009

2010s|

* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019

2020s|

* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

* Category
* Commons

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