The 1979 World Series pitted the Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a match-up that featured a lock-down pitching staff (Orioles) against a dynamic offense (Pirates).
Question was, which one was stronger — the irresistible force or the immovable object?
As it turned out, both strengths came to the fore that October, but some surprises popped up, too, just like they always do in baseball’s second season.
In the end, what looked like it might be a laugher of a Fall Classic turned into a thriller for the ages.
Let’s step back now and take another look at that 1979 World Series, game by game, through the lens of the baseball cards of the players who made the moments.
1979 World Series Game 1 – Orioles 5, Pirates 4
1979 Topps Mike Flanagan (#160)
Check prices on eBay (affiliate link)
Check prices on Amazon (affiliate link)
When a guy who is the favorite to win the Cy Young Award in a month takes the hill in Game 1 of the World Series, you generally expect big things to happen.
Or … not to happen, from an opposing-offense standpoint
Mike Flanagan pretty much lived up to those expectations against the Pirates in 1979, at least for much of the game.
With his teammates staking him to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first, courtesy of a Doug DeCinces home run and sundry Bucs miscues, Flanagan settled into a run of breezy innings to start the game.
The Pirates started chipping away in the middle frames, though, and with Bruce Kison chased in the first, their bullpen put the cuffs on the O’s.
With a single here and a sacrifice fly there and an error or two thrown in for bad measure, Pittsburgh scratched out three runs heading to the top of the eighth inning.
That’s when leadoff man Willie Stargell took Flanagan deep to make the score 5-4, O’s.
Baltimore manager Earl Weaver left his ace in the game, though, and Flanagan repaid him by retiring the next two batters before giving up two more hits — a rally?
Nah … Omar Moreno struck out looking to end the inning.
And Flanagan came back out for the ninth, too. A one-out single by Dave Parker turned into a stolen base attempt that was scored as a putout and an E6, leaving the Cobra safe at second.
Bill Robinson advanced him to third with a groundout, but Stargell flied out to short to end the game.
Flanagan bent about as far as a man could without breaking, and it must have been a gut-wrenching couple of innings … which sort of shows up on his expression on that 1979 Topps card of his.
But, you know, it was a win.
1979 World Series Game 2 – Pirates 3, Orioles 2
1979 Topps Manny Sanguillen (#447)
Check prices on eBay (affiliate link)
Check prices on Amazon (affiliate link)
While Game 1 was all about building a winter reserve (of runs) and then trying not to eat through it all before spring, Game 2 was a little more even.
After the Pirates touched Jim Palmer for two runs in the top of the second, Eddie Murray smacked a leadoff home run against Bert Blyleven in the bottom of the frame.
That was all she wrote in terms of scoring until the bottom of the sixth, when Murray got to Be Home By again, this time an RBI double after the inning started with a Ken Singleton Single.
Blyleven would finish the inning, and Palmer would pitch the top of the seventh, but then the bullpens took over.
The next two innings featured a flurry of activity on the bases from both teams, but home plate remained untouched.
Then, with two out in the top of the ninth, Bucs manager Chuck Tanner sent in Manny Sanguillen to hit for pitcher Don Robinson with two out and runners on first and second.
Manny delivered with a single to right off Don Sanhouse, driving in Ed Ott and moving Phil Garner to third.
Moreno ended the inning with a lineout to second, but the Pirates had their first lead of of the series.
Submariner/sidearmer Kent Tekulve made it stick in the bottom of the ninth, setting down Rick Dempsey, Kiko Garcia, and Al Bumbry in order.
Manny was the hero, though, and he looks characteristically giddy about the whole deal on his 1979 Topps card.
1979 World Series Game 3 – Orioles 8, Pirates 4
1979 Topps Kiko Garcia (#543)
Check prices on eBay (affiliate link)
Check prices on Amazon (affiliate link)
When Orioles shortstop Kiko Garcia came to bat against the Pirates’ John Candelaria in the top of the fourth inning in Game 3, Baltimore was down 3-2.
But, even facing a deficit against as imposing a figure as the Candy Man, and even though he was a light-hitting middle infielder, Garcia must have been feeling pretty good about his chances.
After all, he