The 122nd MLB World Series is underway and, as you might have already heard, a first-time winner will be crowned once the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers settle things on the field.
The last time baseball featured a World Series matchup between two first-time winners was in 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals, 4-2. Like this year, no matter who won that year’s Fall Classic, they were going to join the championship club.
The Royals and Phillies featured a pair of future Baseball Hall of Fame third basemen leading their teams.
- George Brett was a then-27-year-old in his eighth MLB season. He’d just won his only American League MVP Award after batting a ridiculous .390 (he flirted with .400 well into September, not dropping below until September 20th), hammering 24 homers, driving in 118 runs, and leading all of baseball with a 1.118 On-Base + Slugging.
- Mike Schmidt was a then-30-year-old in his ninth MLB season. He’d just won the first of his two consecutive National League MVP Awards after batting .286, belting 48 home runs, driving in 121 runs, and featuring a NL-best 1.004 On-Base + Slugging. Schmidt, by the way, went on to win the World Series MVP as well, after batting .381 with a pair of homers and seven RBIs.
Interestingly, Brett (Glen Dale, WV) and Schmidt (Dayton, OH) were born about 200 miles apart. Brett’s family moved to southern California where he was an El Segundo High School product and the fifth pick of the second round of the 1971 MLB Draft. Schmidt, who attended Ohio University, was the sixth pick of that same 1971 MLB Draft’s second round. Both were drafted as shortstops.
This week’s #FanTeaser photo once again comes courtesy of famed Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss Jr., who had a bit of fun with two of the game’s best before the games got serious.
Quick, without looking, can anyone of you name the time previous to 1980 when two never winners played in the World Series?
If you remembered the 1920 Fall Classic between the Brooklyn Robins (now the Dodgers) and the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians) you’re better than I. For what it’s worth, Cleveland won 5-2. Yes, those were the days of the 9-game World Series.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning, with the reveal coming to you on Sunday.