Bring In the Right-Hander!

by Jerry Reuss

  The Yankees scored in the third on a two-out solo home run by Willie Randolph. They threatened for more, as Mumphrey singled and Winfield walked, but Jackson flied to left to end the inning.

  The Dodgers tied the score in the top of the fourth with a one-out single by Baker, a two-out single by Monday, and a run-scoring single by Yeager, which was just out of the reach of a diving Nettles, for his fourth RBI of the series. This proved to be a good omen, as it was the same Graig Nettles who made so many great plays in the first two games of this series as well as the World Series between these two clubs in 1977 and 1978.

  In the bottom of the fourth Lemon decided to pinch-hit for starting pitcher Tommy John with two men on base and two out. The strategy backfired, as Bobby Murcer flied to right. “I wanted to get some runs. I didn’t think it was a gamble,” Lemon said. “How did John look to you?” Lemon was asked. “I’ve seen him better and I’ve seen him worse. He’d given up six hits in four innings. I just thought I’d make a move and get some runs.”61

  George Frazier relieved John, and we got to him again. The fifth inning started with a single by Lopes who was sacrificed to second by Russell. After a flyout by Garvey, Cey singled in Lopes. Baker singled Cey to third, and Guerrero tripled both runners home. Frazier was on his way to losing his third game of the series.

  Ron Davis relieved Frazier in the sixth and with one out walked both Hooton and Lopes. Russell singled in Hooton for a run. Rick Reuschel relieved Davis, and Lopes and Russell executed a double steal. Garvey was intentionally walked to load the bases. Derrel Thomas batted for Cey, who was feeling woozy, and drove in a run on a force play to third. Baker was safe on an error by Nettles that loaded the bases. Guerrero looped a single to left-center that drove in a pair, as the Dodgers led 8–1.

  The Yankees threatened in the sixth, as Nettles singled with one out. Walks to both Cerrone and Milbourne loaded the bases, and Lasorda brought in Steve Howe. Piniella hit a run-scoring single, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, and it appeared the Yankees were on their way. But both Randolph and Mumphrey lined to right to end the threat.

  Guerrero’s solo home run in the eighth finished the scoring for the Dodgers, as Howe began the ninth entering his fourth inning of work. Howe, who worked three innings on Saturday, was again pitching in uncharted territory. After a leadoff walk to Randolph, Howe struck out Mumphrey and Winfield flied to right.

  It seemed appropriate that Reggie Jackson stood in the box, as we were one out away from winning the world championship. It was Jackson, with three home runs in Game Six in 1978, who led the Yankees to the championship the last time these two clubs met. Jackson grounded to Lopes, who booted the ball for an error. So much for a storybook ending! Bob Watson lifted a routine fly to center that was caught by Landreaux, and that was the ballgame, and the World Series. While the Dodgers celebrated on the field, more than half the crowd in attendance was gone. We took the Yankees four in a row, just as they did to the Dodgers of 1978.

  I never made it to the field, as I watched most of the game from the bullpen. After the game the guys from our bullpen walked with the Yankees relievers to our respective clubhouses. With class and dignity, they quietly congratulated us and continued on their way as we entered the door to our clubhouse, where all hell was about to break loose.

  The crew from the bullpen was met with shouts and sprays of champagne. I grabbed a bottle, went to my locker that was covered with plastic sheeting, and slipped in my jacket, hat, and glove, cradling the bottle through a small opening at the bottom, and began to party. For the most part, players took a swig from the bottle and sprayed the rest on whoever was within distance.

  World Champions!

  In no time men who had fulfilled childhood dreams made their way from teammate, coach, manager, trainer, and everyone else associated with club to share this moment of pure joy with hugs, pats on the back, and tear-filled eyes. While cases of beer and champagne were poured and sprayed over unsuspecting heads, quotes were flowing just as freely as the alcohol.

  “We’re the champs!” shouted Lasorda. “Nobody in this room can take that away from us.” “They can do anything they want with us now,” stated Davey Lopes. “I’ve got the ring. They can’t take that away from me.” Ron Cey, who came out of the game because of dizziness, said, “If I pass out, there are lots of doctors nearby.” Steve Yeager noted, “You can’t put this feeling into words. I never thought this could happen to me this year. It’s a great feeling. It feels great to be a part of what we’ve done.” Steve Garvey mentioned, “We beat the Yankees mentally and physically. The best team won. The Yankees didn’t give us anything.”62

  While some of the players were throwing out quotes, others continued the celebration. When there was no more liquid to spray (some players took a full bottle from the ice and hid it in their lockers, a veteran move, as they later shared it with wives and loved ones on the plane), a food fight broke out. Why not? Who thinks of eating after winning the World Series? Instead of eating the cold cuts (no clubhouse manager in his right mind would serve anything else on a day like this), we were wearing them! I only remember giving as much as I got. When I saw a picture of myself years later, I was covered with mustard and ketchup. If I’d been wearing a green T-shirt, I could have auditioned as a stoplight!

  Eventually, the party wound down, and guys got dressed and met their families. It was time to board the buses and make our way back to Los Angeles. It was a subdued group on the players’ bus and then the Dodger plane, as the excitement of the past few weeks caught up with us. After all, our lives had been pressure packed for the past three weeks.

  Pause and Reflect

  Like most everyone else on the late-night flight, I took some time to reflect beyond the current events, remembering all of the people over the years who played a part in this journey: my brothers, who played endless games with me in the backyard; my parents, who saw as many games as they could while making sure we had all the necessary equipment and, most important, family support; the friends I still have today, who were teammates and classmates who cheered from a distance; the coaches from Little League, high school, and the American Legion teams, who gave up time with their own families to teach me and other players the lessons that we used both on and off the field; and the professional coaches, managers, and players, who helped me make the transition from amateur play to the professional life.

  I also thought about the years of never coming close and the years of near misses with St. Louis, Houston, and Pittsburgh. I also remembered the struggles during the past few years with Pittsburgh and wondered then where it would lead. I would have never guessed then that in a few short years I would go from that valley to the top of the mountain with the Dodgers.

  I took a few minutes about an hour into the flight to walk the aisle of the plane and see the faces who shared the mountaintop. Most everyone was asleep at this time. To those still awake, I could still see the joy mixed with weariness on their faces. The dream of being a world champion that we all had as a kid was now a reality. That reality was the last thought on my mind as I returned to my seat and fell asleep.

  For the first time in World Series history, three players shared the Most Valuable Player award. A panel of nine media members selected Pete Guerrero (7–21, 2 HR, and 7 RBI, including 5 in Game Six), Steve Yeager (4–14, 2 HR—including the game winner in Game Five—and 4 RBI), and Ron Cey (7–20, 1 HR, 6 RBI, and immeasurable courage for returning to the lineup) as co-MVPs.

  Cey’s comments put the whole season in perspective. “That’s perfect for this team,” said Cey. “It’s most appropriate. We could have had 25 guys sharing this award. The most important thing was that this team won. It was a team victory.”63

  Looking at the 1981 postseason numbers for the Dodgers, there were other players who had a great postseason. Garvey hit .359 with two home runs among his twenty-three hits; Hooton was 4–1, allowing just three earned runs in thirty-three innings pitched; Howe had a win and a save in seven game
s with a 2.45 ERA; and Fernando was 3–1 in five games featuring a 2.21 ERA.

  Other shining moments included Monday’s dramatic blast in Montreal against Steve Rogers and Johnstone’s pinch homer in Game Four of the World Series. I’ll never forget my Game Five wins against Houston and the Yankees.64

  Over a season of 110 games, everyone connected with the club played a part. There were key performances by players, behind-the-scenes help from the coaches, trainers, and scouts, as well as the confidence showed in us by Tom Lasorda. All of it made a difference.

  Dodger Fans Share the Love

  Everyone was groggy from the overnight flight but woke up in a hurry Thursday morning, as there were thousands waiting to greet the club at the airport. As we exited the plane and walked up the ramp, we could hear the faint roar of a cheering crowd. Once we arrived at the boarding area, it was a sea of fans, dressed in blue, cheering from the top of their lungs. Some of the players joined in the cheering, but most smiled, waved, and made it through the police lines to their waiting cars as quickly as possible. I was among the latter group.

  The Los Angeles City Council wanted a downtown parade for us “win, lose, or draw.” Initially, the Dodgers were cool to the idea, citing security reasons, according to a Los Angeles Times report. Some thought that the real reason was that the club wouldn’t commit until they were certain of a world championship.

  According to Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ vice president of public relations and promotions, the club was on board with the idea of a parade whether we won or lost. With all that was happening around the World Series, there just wasn’t the time to plan a parade or coordinate with those who could do the job from city hall.

  Whatever the concerns, the Dodgers and the city put their heads together and agreed to the parade after our win on Wednesday night. It began at 11:30 Friday morning at Broadway and Seventh Street, with a ceremony on the steps of city hall at 12:30. What amazed me, more than anything, was how quickly plans for the parade could be set in motion. There were marching bands from all over Los Angeles and floats that were manufactured and pulled by classic cars that were organized by a police force that made the whole operation as smooth as glass. All of this was for a crowd of seventy-five thousand, with tens of thousands watching from the windows of the downtown buildings and millions more on local television.65

  Once the three floats arrived at city hall, each player and coach was introduced to the crowd and made his way up the steps to a platform behind a podium . . . except for one player, the one that everybody wanted to see . . . Fernando!

  As city officials made their speeches, there were a number of interruptions with chants of “We Want Fernando!” Lasorda attempted to placate the crowd, explaining, “Unfortunately Fernando was not feeling too well today and was unable to attend. But he wishes to extend his sincere thanks to all of you for what you’ve done this year.”

  Although the fans wished for Fernando, they heard a number of players speak from the heart. “I think we captured something the city of Los Angeles waited a long time to have and so richly deserved,” said Burt Hooton. Rick Monday told the crowd, “Today is a celebration of bringing the championship to the city it really needed to be in—that is Los Angeles.” “I’ve been waiting nine years to see this happen,” Ron Cey told the multitudes. “I think our season closes this afternoon.” “We can’t stop here. We’ll have to do it again next year,” Derrel Thomas said excitedly. Those were highlights of some excellent speeches by my teammates. I mentioned that to the crowd during my turn at the podium and finished by saying, “If we had known it would be this much fun, we would have done it sooner!”66

  After the parade, we boarded buses back to Dodger Stadium for a luncheon sponsored by the club. It was the perfect moment for members of the organization to celebrate the moment with one another. The World Series trophy, in glorious splendor, was front and center in the Stadium Club. I silently chuckled as I remembered the trophy in the visitors’ clubhouse at Yankee Stadium . . . splattered with champagne, beer, and remnants of a full-scale food fight. I was seeing it for the first time as it truly appeared and knowing that, for all time, it would represent the efforts of everyone in the room.

  Just because we were celebrating the moment didn’t mean that business stopped. The Public Relations and Media Services Departments had their phones ringing off their respective hooks.

  While hoisting yet another glass of something expensive, I was asked if I would like to appear on a late-night comedy show called Fridays over at the ABC studios. “Sure,” I said, “When is it?” “Tonight,” I was told. There was a limo on its way to pick us up. “Who is ‘us’?” I asked. “You, Johnstone, Yeager, and Mo. They tape the show in a few hours” was the response from the Dodgers’ public relations representative whose name I can’t recall. This was the start of the craziest week and offseason of my life!

  Living Like a Rock Star

  When we arrived at ABC, we were taken to wardrobe and fitted in costumes from medieval times for a skit that opened the show. We each had a line to deliver after we were introduced in the skit as visitors from a far-off land bearing gifts and seeking an audience with the king, played by Michael Richards. After the show, while waiting in the parking lot of the ABC studios for our limo ride back to Dodger Stadium, Jay called the three of us to a pay phone, and the voice on the other end of the line had each of us singing a part of a song so that the voice could determine a key for his charts. It was time for our next stop in postseason 1981!

  Bob Emmer, an executive at Warner Music and later Rhino Records, attended Game Five of the Series with his wife. While walking to their car after watching us take a three-games-to-two lead, he mentioned how much fun it would be to do a project with the Dodgers if the team went on to win the World Series. “I’ll work on it,” Bob said as they made their way home.

  After watching us win on Wednesday night, he put a plan into motion on Thursday. Bob called Jay Johnstone, with whom he had some business dealings, and asked if he knew of three other players who would like to make a record. Jay recommended Rick, Steve, and me and asked us about it sometime Friday. “Why not?” we answered. We rode the crest of the postseason wave, not knowing where it would lead.

  Bob enlisted the services of business partner Shep Gordon, president of Alive Enterprises, who managed Alice Cooper, Blondie, and Kenny Loggins among other prominent acts, to find musicians, a studio, and a producer who could put together a record on short notice.

  A call to Christopher Bond, who produced and played guitar and keyboards for Hall & Oates’s Bigger than Both of Us album67 and was our mystery voice on the other end of the line on Friday night, yielded the producer, a studio, session players, and lead sheets. “Bob called me around 5:00 PM on Thursday and told me about the project. I knew it would be insanity, but it was going to be a lot of fun. I spent 18 hours on the phone on Friday getting players, lead sheets and a studio. We recorded the backing tracks on Saturday, the ballplayers on Sunday, and had the record on a plane to the pressing plant on Monday,” explained Bond.68

  On Sunday morning Mo and I shared a limo that took us to the iconic Capitol Records building in Hollywood. This was where Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole recorded a number of great albums in the 1950s and 1960s. And now I would have the chance to walk the hallowed halls and sing in the same studios where artists with real talent had sung!

  Chris Bond walked us through the process of laying down some tracks. He broke down the first four lines of “We Are the Champions,” a song by Queen that reached number four on the Billboard chart in 1978, so that each of us had a minisolo. Eventually, Chris had a keeper, so it was on to the flip side, “New York, New York.”

  We sang for hours, loving every minute of it, until there were two usable takes that could be mixed to the outstanding instrumental tracks laid down by some of the world’s best musicians, which included bassist Leland Sklar and Toto’s drummer, Jeff Porcaro. Mo told the Los Angeles Times’s “Morning Briefing,”
“We’ll need bodyguards to protect us from the musicians. We really messed up a good soundtrack.”69

  After the session and interviews for the networks and Entertainment Tonight, we headed to the rooftop of the Capitol Records building, where famed rock-and-roll photographer Neal Preston took full advantage of the golden hour of daylight for the record sleeve.

  There still had to be a source of financing, even though the project wasn’t going to turn a profit. “I knew from the start that the record wasn’t going to make any real money,” Bob said. “So, I asked the players for the name of their favorite charity and we drew the name of Children’s Hospital of Orange County out of a hat. Any profits from record sales would be donated to CHOC.”

  Bob also had to ask for favors from different contacts in the record business to make the deal happen. “I approached the presidents of all the major record companies around Los Angeles. The best, and most interesting response, was from Steve Wax, the president of Elektra Records.” Wax told him, “I’ll give you the ten thousand dollars you want, if you can get these guys to make some appearances for me.” “What kind of appearances?” Bob asked. “I have a sales meeting coming up, and I’d like them there. Also, there’s a pressing plant in town, and I’d like to have them stop by” was Wax’s response. Bob told him, “I’ll work on it.”

  Meanwhile, Shep told Bob some good news. “I booked them on the Carson show for Monday night,” Shep said proudly. “That’s great news,” Bob said, “except they don’t have an act.”

  It was a call to Marty Krofft, who was the producer of Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters TV show, that landed choreographer Joe Layton, an Emmy Award winner for his work on the 1965 TV special featuring Barbra Streisand, My Name Is Barbra. Krofft let Barbara Mandrell make the decision about letting Joe work for Bob. “They can have him for a day,” she told Bob. “It didn’t hurt that she was a baseball fan,” Bob told us later.