The World Series by Stephanie Peters Read Free Book Online

began to fade. The team that had won nineteen
     World Series since 1923 wouldn't return to the big game until the next decade. During their absence, other teams rose to greatness.
     The most notable being the Oakland Athletics. The A's were “three-peat” champs in 1972, 1973, and 1974, making them the second
     team in Major League history to win more than two in a row.
    In 1975, however, two other teams took the field to battle for the championship. And by all accounts, that Series was one
     of the most memorable in baseball history.
    That year, the Cincinnati Reds were the dominant team in the National League. The “Big Red Machine,” as they were known, was
     powered by PeteRose, Ken Griffey Sr., Johnny Bench, and Dave Concepcion, among others. They crushed the opposition, winning 108 times while
     losing only 54. In the postseason, they swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in three straight games and entered the World Series
     hungry for victory.
    But their competition was equally hungry — and almost as strong as the Reds. The Boston Red Sox had ended with a 95–65 record
     thanks to the might of rookie sluggers Jim Rice and Fred Lynn as well as veterans Dwight Evans, Carl “Yaz” Yastrzemski, Luis
     Tiant, and Carlton Fisk. They, too, swept their opponents in the playoffs. If they won this World Series, it would be their
     first since Babe Ruth pitched for them in 1918.
    Game one took place on October 11 at Fenway Park. Inning after inning passed without a run. The score was still zero to zero
     when the Sox came up to bat at the bottom of the seventh.
    First up was pitcher Luis Tiant. He hadn't come up to bat in the last three regular seasons. But World Series rules state
     that all pitchers must hit and surprisingly, Tiant connected for a single into left field.
    That brought up Dwight Evans, who laid down abunt toward the pitcher's mound. The pitcher fielded the ball cleanly, turned to throw out Tiant at second, and slipped! By
     the time he'd recovered, Tiant and Evans were safe on base.
    The next batter bounced the ball between third and short for a single. Bases loaded, no outs — and power hitter Yaz was on
     his way to the plate. Things did not look good for the Reds.
    A minute later, they looked even worse. Yaz stroked a single to right. Tiant took a trip home, missed the plate, but returned
     to tag it to give the Sox the first run of the game.
    Two pitchers and two innings later, the 0-0 deadlock had turned into a 6-0 blowout for the Sox. Tiant walked off the field
     with a complete-game, five-hit shutout under his belt.
    The Reds tied the Series the next day, vaulting over the Red Sox with two runs late in the game.
    Game three looked good for the Reds, who led 5–2 after six innings. But one run at a time, the Sox whittled away the Reds'
     lead until they'd tied things up and forced the game into extra innings. They came close to going up in the top of the tenth,
     whenYaz clocked the ball to deep center field. But River-front Stadium has plenty of room for fielders to chase down balls, and
     that's just what center fielder Cesar Geronimo did. Yaz was out, and when Fisk hit into a double play, the inning ended with
     the score still tied.
    Geronimo helped the Reds again by leading off with a single to right. Pinch hitter Ed Armbrister came up next with instructions
     to bunt.
    What followed was a confusing and controversial baseball moment. Armbrister bunted the ball into the dirt right in front of
     home plate. A split second later, the umpire called it fair.
    Catcher Carlton Fisk darted forward to nab the ball. As he did, he collided with Armbrister. After they separated, Armbrister
     headed for first and Fisk threw to second, hoping to get Geronimo out.
    But his throw was wild — so wild, in fact, that Armbrister made it all the way to second and Geronimo stood safe at third!
    Sox manager Darrell Johnson raced out of the dugout to protest. According to baseball rules, any runner who interferes with
     a