Rollins' Rousing Triple: September 30, 2007

I have had the good fortune to see many great games and many great plays in person over my 70+ years of being a baseball fan. I have seen games to clinch the World Series and games to clinch pennants. I have seen Dick Allen hit a home run over the roof at Connie Mack Stadium and Roy Halladay throw a playoff no-hitter. But one play, more than any other, stands out as the most exciting play I have ever witnessed in person. That play was Jimmy Rollins' thrilling triple on the final day of the 2007 season.

First some context. The Phillies of 2007 were a fast improving team with stars Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Rollins, and a blossoming ace pitcher in Cole Hamels, but they had  yet to come together as a pennant contender. The previous year, the New York Mets had run away with the division, finishing 12 games ahead of the second place Phils. Nonetheless, in February of 2007, Rollins boldly, many would say foolishly, declared the Phillies the favorite in the National League East. "Bottom line, we're the team to beat," said Rollins, "I can't put it any other way."

Despite Rollins best efforts, and they were indeed great efforts in this Rollins' MVP year, the Phillies found themselves 7 full games behind the Mets on September 12.  The Phillies then went on a furious run, winning nine of ten to find themselves in a dead heat with New York on the final day of the season. If both teams won or both teams lost a playoff loomed. If the Phils lost and the Mets won the  Phillies season was over. If the Phils won and the Mets lost, the Phillies were in the playoffs for the first time in 14 long and mostly lean years.

As my friend and fellow Phillies fanatic, Don, and I worked our way to our usual Sunday afternoon seats down the first base line in Citizens Bank Park, excitement was building. The Mets game in New York started about twenty minutes before the Phillies game. As we sat down, the right field scoreboard flashed the score in New York. The lowly Marlins had put up 7 runs against Tom Glavine and the Mets in the first inning. This was the best possible scenario imaginable. The Mets looked headed for defeat even before Jamie Moyer took the mound for the Phils against the Washington Nationals. 

From there the day played out like one long celebration. The Phillies took the lead in the bottom of the first when Rollins singled, stole second and third, and scored on an Utley sacrifice fly. In the third a Carlos Ruiz double, a Rollins walk, and a Ryan Howard single plated two more runs. In the fourth inning a Gregg Dobbs error at third lead to an unearned run and the game stood at 3-1 Phils. Meanwhile the Mets were getting no closer to the Marlins in New York, where the score stood at 8-1 moving to the seventh.

In the bottom of the sixth, Pat Burrell walked to lead off the inning and the speedy Michael Bourne ran for him. Chris Coste, who had replaced Ruiz as catcher after Carlos was hit by a pitch earlier, was then also hit by a pitch. With runners at first and second, Abraham Nunez (in as a defensive replacement for Dobbs at third base) put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Tadahito Iguchi then batted for reliever Tom Gordon and launched a sacrifice fly to deep right center that scored Bourne from third and moved Coste up to third. With a man on third and two outs, Jimmy Rollins strode to the plate. 

Rollins, the prognosticator of Phillie success from February, was having a career year. His offensive numbers were off the charts. As he climbed into the batters box he had amassed 38 doubles, 30 home runs, 41 stolen bases, and 19 triples. One more triple would make Rollins a member of one of baseball's most exclusive clubs: the 20-20-20-20 club. Only Frank Schulte (1911) Willie Mays (1957) and Curtis Granderson (also 2007) were members. Statistically aware fans were hoping against hope that Rollins would get a triple on this day to round out a near perfect year for the little shortstop. More important was getting some kind of hit to get the fifth run across the plate.

Rollins, batting left handed against Nationals righty, Luis Ayala, worked the count to 3-2, fouling away a couple of pitches. He then laced a ringing line drive down the right field line for a hit, Coste scored easily, and Jimmy was off and running in his familiar arms-pumping, legs churning style. The hit was a sure double, but everyone could see that Rollins was thinking triple out of the box. As he rounded second and took off for third, I pounded Don on the back and shouted, "He's going to go for it."  The outcome was far from a foregone conclusion. The ball clattered against the fence and hopped over the head of Nationals right-fielder. Austin Kearns who chased it down and threw to the cut off man, second baseman Ronnie Belliard who wheeled and launched a strong throw to third. As Rollins dived for the bag, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman caught the ball on one hop and slapped down the tag a whisper too late. Umpire Bruce Dreckman emphatically signaled safe and the crowd went bonkers. Don and I slapped high fives with everyone within our reach.

A few innings later, the Mets had lost, Brett Myers had struck out Willie Mo Pena for the final out of a 6-1 victory and the Phillies were on the way to the playoffs.

Knowledgeable baseball people have long said that the triple is the most exciting play in baseball. On this day, for this fan, watching this marvelous player, this triple was indeed the most exciting play I ever saw. It was the perfect exclamation point on an extraordinary season for a team and its inspirational leader.

Curt Simmons Spectacular Debut: September 28, 1947

The death of pitcher Bob Miller last week, means that only one member of the 1950 Whiz Kids survives, lefty hurler, Curt Simmons. Simmons was a key member of the 1950 pitching staff, going 17-8 during that pennant winning season. Unfortunately late in the year, he was called up to active duty in the army and was not available to pitch in the World Series. Simmons was a hometown boy, of sorts, having grown up in Egypt, PA, near Allentown, about 70 miles from Philadelphia's Shibe Park. Although he was only 21 years-old in 1950, Simmons was already a veteran of the Phils staff, having been a regular part of the rotation since 1948. Simmons made his debut with the Phillies on a memorable September Sunday in 1947 at the age of 18, only months out of high school, in a game that kept Phillies fans talking about Simmons potential throughout the long winter.

Simmons debut was eagerly anticipated. He had been the most sought after pitcher in the country after showing off his blazing fastball in high school and American Legion competition. In 1945 he had been named "All-American Boy" in Philadelphia after pitching in a Legion All-Star game there. Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, who managed those teams, called him the greatest young ball player they had ever seen. After signing with the Phillies, he was assigned to their affiliate in Wilmington, DE where he took a seventh place team and pitched them into the playoffs with a 13-5 record, and then won two games in leading them to the league championship. The next day, Simmons was called up to the big club.

A crowd of more than 14,000 showed up on Sunday, September 28, 1947 to see a meaningless double-header on the last day of the season between the seventh placed Phillies and the fourth placed New York Giants. The fans were there to see Simmons, who was scheduled to pitch the second game. Thrust on to the big stage at a very tender age, Curt did not disappoint, dominating the Giants from start to finish, pitching a complete game, and leading the Phils to a 3-1 victory.

Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, Stan Baumgartner enthused that Simmons used "a fastball that was so alive it occasionally squirted out of catcher Andy Seminick's glove and a curve that broke like a jug handle" to keep the slugging Giants at bay. The Giants featured the major league leading home run hitter Johnny Mize, who clubbed 51 that year, as well as Bobby Thompson (28) and Willard Marshall (36). None could manage more than a weak single off Simmons, who gave up just five hits (4 singles and a double) and struck out nine. The only blemish on the pitching record for the day came in the ninth inning, when with two outs,  two walks and a Buddy Blattner pinch-hit single ruined the shut out. Simmons then finished up in style by retiring the heavy-hitting Mize on a routine ground ball to second base. 

When it was all over thousands of youngsters streamed out of the stands like it was the seventh game of the World Series surrounding Simmons and. according to Baumgartner, "practically pushed him along the grandstand to the clubhouse." For his part, young Simmons was modest and composed in speaking about the victory. "I was a bit nervous, always am, before a game. After it started I just told myself it was just like Wilmington - just another game. And that is really all it was. Andy Seminick did a great job behind the bat for me. He seemed to know just what to call and three times when I broke the curve ball in front of the plate with men on he made great pick ups. The boys fielded well behind me, too. Just tell all my friends in Egypt and all the Phil fans that I am very happy I got such a fine start." 

Great talent, great poise, and the ability to talk to the media. Eighteen year-old Curt Simmons was a rising star indeed.

If Simmons did not quite fulfill all of the promise he demonstrated on that distant Sunday afternoon, he certainly became a very fine major league pitcher for a very long time. Over a twenty year career, often interrupted by military service and injury, Simmons compiled 193 wins. and eventually did get to pitch in the World Series at the age of 35 with the 1964 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.