This Date in Philly Sports History

When I am called on to remember the birthday of a niece or nephew, I usually have to think hard to some mnemonic device I contrived to recall the date. Lexi was born on 9/2/99, and I remember that because 9/2 is considered the birthday of the internet. Mark and Christopher are 1/11 and 1/21, so I can remember the one by remembering the other. Julie is 10/15, and my only clue is to think of the Ides of October - that's a hard one for me to remember. I have to do this exercise for my own kids too, with Gabe's birthdate remembered by reference to the radio station that carried the Phillies' games in my youth, the old WCAU-AM 1210 (12/10/01). Luca is my Opening Day baby, and the digits for month and day (4/5) add up to 9, his birth year (99). Dom and Emmy being twins and the first are easiest to remember (6/13/92).

The one kid whose birthday is easily remembered, though, is Greg: October 19, a/k/a the Greatest Day in Philadelphia Sports History. It was a Sunday in 1980, and Mark, Daria, and I watched the Eagles defeat the Cowboys at The Vet 17-10 (Cowboys' fans still want Roynell Young flagged for pass interference in the end zone). We got into the car and hurried home for Game 5 of the World Series, listening to the early innings on the radio. We watched the memorable Phils' rally to tie and then win the game in the 9th: Del Unser ripped a double past the immobile Willie Mays Aikens at first, with Mike Schmidt, who had singled, sliding, it seemed, from the start of the dirt cut-out to about 5 feet past home plate, to tie it. Manny Trillo later lined a shot off the late Dan Quisenberry's leg to get Unser home with the go-ahead run. Tugger loaded 'em up in the bottom of the ninth, but he struck out former Phil Jose Cardenal, and the Phils had a 3 games to 2 lead. Meanwhile, down at the Spectrum, the Flyers were busy defeating the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2, as I recall (I checked a fan site that has the score 2-1; maybe Mark can remember the proper score). At the time, the Canadiens were the recent 4-time winners of the Cup, and the Flyers had been the first victims in their reign of championships, so there was more than a whiff of this being just an ordinary early-season win.

So how do today's Philly teams celebrate the anniversary? Well, for the Phils, there is no post-season for them to worry about. They set about hiring three 60-something bench coaches because the organization can't teach fundamentals. Don't get me wrong: I applaud the move. However, it is telling that after two poor Aprils to start seasons that ended within a single victory of the post-season, this kind of move was necessitated by the failings of the current regime. A couple years too late, but better late than never, I suppose.

The Flyers just cleaned house. Bobby Clarke, who did more to build the Nordiques/Avalanche with the Lindros trade, and the Stars as GM there, couldn't push the right buttons here. As I took in a bit of the horror of what was the 9-1 loss in Buffalo last week, I was simultaneously amazed at the beauty of the HD picture on my new TV and stunned by the ineptitude of the Orange and Black. They looked like a college team against a Cup-worthy team. Simply embarrassing.

And then the Eagles finished off the weekend with a loss that I was fortunate not to have seen. Again, they outplay, outgain, and overmatch an opponent, yet find a way to lose. I still hold out some hope for them, but it's getting harder to be too hopeful.

I took in a Vandy loss with Luca on 10/21 (the date of the Phils' clinching victory in the 1980 Series) - not one where they had much of a chance against a team that was clearly better, only the second time that this has happened this year (Michigan plain beat Vandy, but Vandy lost winnable games against Alabama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss). I then went to the Preds' game that night and had to leave early to take in Dom & Emmy at a band competition. Would it surprise you to know that the Preds blew a 3-2 third period lead to lose in OT?

And Father Ryan finished third in the competition. Oh, and I got lost in East Nashville leaving the GEC and missed the FRHS performance, so I missed Dom & Emmy as well as missing the Predators game.

Some anniversary! Good thing 10/19/80 lives on, if only as a memory...