1979: Del Unser’s Three Straight Pinch-Hit Home Runs

Most long-time Phillies fans remember Del Unser for his heroic contributions to the 1980 World Series Champions. Playing in the only post season series of his 15-year career, Unser batted .400 in the incredible five-game National League Championship Series, including two crucial hits in the Game 5 comeback. He then hit .500 going 3 for 6 in the World Series against Kansas City. including the double that started the Phillies four-run winning rally in Game 2. In Game 4, Unser doubled off Dan Quisenberry to drive in Mike Schmidt with the tying run and then scored the winning run on Manny Trillo's' single. In 1979, however, when his career appeared about over, Unser wrote his name permanently into the record books when he smashed home runs in three consecutive pinch-hit at bats, a record that still stands today.

When the Phillies signed Unser as a free agent before the 1979 season he was not even assured of making the team. Del had been released by the Montreal Expos after hitting just .196 as a first baseman/pinch-hitter. When the Phillies traded away first baseman Richie Hebner, however, a spot opened up for Del as a bench piece. This was Unser's second go-around with the Phillies. He was the team's everyday centerfielder for two years, 1973 and 1974, as the Phillies began to build a winning team under Paul Owens and Danny Ozark. Unser played well for the Phillies, hitting .276 and providing solid defense, but with the acquisition of Garry Maddox from the San Francisco Giants, Unser became expendable. In the winter of 1974, Unser was traded, along with catcher John Stearns, to the New York Mets for another player who would be crucial to future Phillies fortunes, Tug McGraw.

When Unser came to bat in the eighth inning of a June 30, 1979, game against the St. Louis Cardinals, he had one home run for the season. The score was 4-2 in favor of the Cardinals. Garry Maddox was on first with a single. Righty George Frazier came on to relieve Cardinal starter, John Fulghum. Unser batted for Larry Bowa. He smacked the first pitch from Frazier 400 feet into the sixth row in right center for a game tying home run. It was the Phillies first pinch homer of the year. The Phillies eventually won the game 6-4 in 10 innings. After the game, Unser said he was just trying to hit the ball hard. "When I try to hit home runs, I mess up my whole stroke. And my stroke has been messed up enough lately as it is."

Unser's next opportunity to swing the bat in anger came five days later on July 5. This game at Veterans Stadium against the Mets, featured the Major League debut of 22-year-old, Dickie Noles. After the Mets Joel Youngblood led off the game with a home run, Noles settled down and pitched well, but the Phillies trailed 3-0 to the Mets' Craig Swan when Unser batted for Larry Bowa in the bottom of the seventh with two out and Bob Boone on second. Unser launched another two-run home run. That was all Swan allowed, however, as the Phillies went down, 3-2.

Unser saved the best for his third straight. On July 10 at Veterans Stadium, the Phillies trailed the San Diego Padres 5-1 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. The Phillies rallied. With one out, Jose Cardenal singled, and Manny Trillo doubled, sending Padres starter Randy Jones to the showers. Rollie Fingers came on and was greeted by a Bob Boone single that drove both Cardenal and Trillo home. The score was 5-3. Tim McCarver batted for pitcher Doug Bird and scratched out a single to second base. Bud Harrelson ran for McCarver. Bake McBride forced Harrelson at second on a groundball behind second that shortstop Ozzie Smith flagged down. McBride just barely beat the relay throw to first to avoid the double play and keep the game alive. 

Ozark now sent Unser up to bat for Bowa. Unser swung at Fingers' first pitch to him and drilled it on a high arc to centerfield. Padres centerfielder Gene Richards turned his back and ran to the wall, but he ran out of room. Del Unser's third consecutive pinch hit home run was a walk-off three-run blast off one of the legendary relief pitchers in the game. After the game, Unser explained his pinch-hitting philosophy to the press. "My father, Al, caught in the majors (1942-45) and he told me, invariably, the good pinch- hitters just come up swinging at the first thing that looks good. I had no idea it was going out, I just knew the centerfielder was going to have a long run."

Unser's next opportunity to pinch-hit came two night later on July 12. He again faced the Padres and Rollie Fingers. Fingers intentionally walked him. The next time Unser pinch hit was on July 23. Again, he faced the Padres. Again, the pitcher was Fingers. This time the game was tied 5-5. Unser struck out.

Unser had another good year in 1980, pinch-hitting at a .316 clip, which led to his post-season heroics discussed earlier. His production trailed off in the strike-shortened season of 1981 and he was released by the Phillies in June of 1982. After his retirement, Unser remained with the Phillies as a hitting instructor, major league coach and eventually farm director. Fired from that job in a general house cleaning in 1998, he remained with the Phillies as a scout. 

Reflecting on his favorite games as a player, Unser mentioned the fifth game of the 1980 playoffs with the Astros, but his number one memory was that pinch -hitting appearance on July 10, 1979. "I knew when I hit the ball...that was terrific. But to hit a walk-off home run off Rollie Fingers, that made the whole thing incredible." It was also one for the record books.