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| Chico Fernandez steals home, May 25, 1957. |
The Tampa Bay Rays Manuel Margot's unsuccessful attempt to steal home against Clayton Kershaw, Austin Barnes and the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth game of the 2020 World Series was sure to get fans thinking back to the Dodger Jackie Robinson's successful steal against the Yankees in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the 1955 World Series. For this life-time Phillies fan though, I couldn't help but think back to the audacious steal of home executed by the Phils' new shortstop Chico Fernandez on May 25, 1957 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. To be sure, this was not the World Series, and these were not two great teams facing off, but the newly acquired (from the Dodgers no less) Fernandez was making a name for himself as a spirited, slick -fielding, and dynamic presence on a team of aging Whiz Kids and never-would-be-kids that badly needed an infusion of excitement.
Let me set the scene. The game was played on a Saturday afternoon at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. The crowd of 22,414 was one of the largest of the season in the old park and the result of this being both a Ladies Day and Knothole Kids game (ladies and kids get in free). In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the Pittsburgh Pirates leading 4-3, the Phils rallied. Right-fielder Bob Bowman led off with a single and Fernandez, batting eighth, also singled, with Bowman, going to third. That brought up Phils' pitcher Harvey Haddix and also brought out Buccos manager Bobby Bragan to make a pitching change. Left-hander Bob Smith was brought in to face the lefty swinging Haddix. Haddix struck out, but Richie Ashburn then singled on a hit and run to score Bowman, tie the game, and send Fernandez flying around to third.
With the feisty Fernandez dancing off third, Granny Hamner took a called third strike. Fernandez, however, saw that the lefty Smith was paying close attention to the speedy Ashburn on first, but not checking at third. Phils' slugger Stan Lopata strode to the plate and as Smith came set, Chico took off. The flustered Smith hesitated and threw late to catcher Dick Rand, who could only trap the low pitch and watch as Fernandez slid safely across the plate with the go ahead run. The home plate ump, Bill Baker flashed the safe sign and Fernandez rose, dusted himself off, and ran smiling to the home dugout to the waiting congratulations of his teammates and the delighted cheers of the crowd.
The play seemed to unnerve pitcher Smith, who threw ball two to Lopata, and then tossed up a cookie that Lopata deposited on the roof in left field. The Phils went on to win the game 8-6 and Chico Fernandez would go on to win a place in the hearts of Phillies fans everywhere. Headlines the next day, featured Lopata's blast, but also Chico's daring dash.
This was actually the second time Fernandez had tried to steal home in a Phillies uniform. Only a week earlier in St. Louis, Fernandez also beat the throw, but was tagged out when he failed to touch home plate on the way past. The steal of home became symbolic of the joy and abandon with which Fernandez played the game. That abandon often got him in hot water with the manager. Earlier in the season he was guilty of a number of baserunning gaffes, but when you are successful all is forgiven.
Through the years, Fernandez maintained his enthusiasm, but not his batting average. By 1959 , he was benched for newcomer Joe Koppe and in December he was traded to the Detroit Tigers.
Fernandez managed to resuscitate his career with the Tigers and enjoyed three fairly productive seasons as the starting shortstop there. In Detroit he is also best remembered for a steal of home. On July 4, 1961 in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium with the bases loaded, the game tied, and none other than slugger Rocky Colavito at the plate, Chico took off again. Yankees pitcher Rollie Sheldon threw home, a startled Colavito fell down trying to get out of the way, catcher John Blanchard lurched toward the plate and Chico executed a diving head-first slide, hitting the plate a split second before Blanchard's tag. It was ruled a triple steal with the other runners moving up as well.
The advisability of attempting to steal home with two out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a tie game with the team's most feared hitter at the plate might be questioned, but the Tigers won the game, vaulted past the Yankees into first place, and had a play to talk about for all-time, so why question Chico's strategy? It was pure Chico and pure entertainment.
Over his 6+ year major league career, Fernandez attempted to steal home six times and was successful three times. But successful or unsuccessful, Chico Fernandez proved that sometimes doing something a little crazy is just what the doctor ordered for a professional baseball team.
