| 1983 World Series | ||||||||||
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| Dates | October 11–16 | |||||||||
| Venue(s) | Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) Veterans Stadium (Philadelphia) | |||||||||
| MVP | Rick Dempsey (Baltimore) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Marty Springstead (AL),Ed Vargo (NL),Al Clark (AL),Frank Pulli (NL),Steve Palermo (AL),Dutch Rennert (NL) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Orioles: Eddie Murray Jim Palmer Cal Ripken Jr. Phillies: Steve Carlton Joe Morgan Tony Pérez Mike Schmidt | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | ABC | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Al Michaels,Howard Cosell, andEarl Weaver | |||||||||
| Radio | CBS WFBR (BAL) WCAU (PHI) | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Jack Buck andSparky Anderson (CBS) Jon Miller andTom Marr (WFBR) Harry Kalas,Richie Ashburn,Andy Musser, andChris Wheeler (WCAU) | |||||||||
| ALCS | Baltimore Orioles overChicago White Sox (3–1) | |||||||||
| NLCS | Philadelphia Phillies overLos Angeles Dodgers (3–1) | |||||||||
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The1983 World Series was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)1983 season. The 80th edition of the World Series, it was abest-of-seven playoff played between theAmerican League championBaltimore Orioles and theNational League championPhiladelphia Phillies. The Orioles won, four games to one to win their third title."The I-95 Series", likethe World Series two years later, also took its nickname from theinterstate that the teams and fans traveled on,Interstate 95 in this case. This was the last World Series thatBowie Kuhn presided over ascommissioner, as well asPete Rose’s final World Series appearance.
This isBaltimore's most recent World Series championship, and also their most recent appearance in a World Series.
This was the first World Series since1956 in which the teams did not use air travel, as Baltimore and Philadelphia are approximately 100 miles (160 km) apart.
It was thePhillies’ second World Series appearancein four years. It would be 10 years before they wouldappear in the Fall Classic again and25 years before they would win another.
This was the first World Series in which noumpire worked behind home plate using the outside chest protector, which had been mandatory in the American League from the 1920s through 1974. The AL required all new umpires to use the inside protector, near-universal in the National League sinceBill Klem invented it in the 1910s, starting in 1977, but umpires using the outside protector could continue to use it if they wished. World Series crew chiefMarty Springstead used the outside protector from the beginning of his career in 1965 until switching to the inside protector prior to the 1983 regular season.
The Orioles were led by first-year managerJoe Altobelli, who succeededEarl Weaver; Weaver retired to the broadcast booth after a 16-year managerial run from 1968 to 1982. Altobelli inherited a lineup led by first basemanEddie Murray (.306BA, 33HR, 111RBI), who finished second in the 1983MVP voting, and shortstopCal Ripken Jr. (.318BA, 27HR, 102RBI), who out-pointed Murray, 322–290, and won the 1983MVP. Veteran outfielderKen Singleton settled into theDH role, while the rest of the team was a corps ofplatoon players. The Orioles finished first in the AL in team home runs (168); first inOBP (.340); and second in runs, doubles, and walks.
After winning 15 games in 1982, 37-year-old pitcherJim Palmer started only 11 games in 1983, winning five and losing four. He won one game in this World Series and would be released by the O's at the beginning of 1984 after struggling early, retiring shortly afterwards. A younger staff headed by 18-game winnerScott McGregor (18–7, 3.18ERA) and 25-year-oldMike Boddicker (16–8, 2.77) were flanked by 21-year-oldStorm Davis (13–7, 3.59) and veteranMike Flanagan (12–4, 3.30). RelieverTippy Martinez posted a career high with 21 saves, whileSammy Stewart added nine wins out of the bullpen as the O's pitching led the AL inshutouts (15) and was second in wins (98) and ERA (3.63).
The Orioles won theAmerican League East by six games over theDetroit Tigers. They then defeated theChicago White Sox, three games to one, in theAmerican League Championship Series.
The average age of the players on the Phillies' roster was 32 years. They were aptly nicknamed the "Wheeze Kids," a contrast to the1950 Phillies team whose average age of 26 years earned them the moniker "Whiz Kids." Sports writers in Philadelphia joked at the time that this older team emphasized theveteran in their home ballpark,Veterans Stadium. The Phillies were trying to win Philadelphia its second World Title of the year as thePhiladelphia 76ers had won the NBA Title back in June, as well as their second championship in four seasons — having won the1980 World Series.
Joining 42-year-old first basemanPete Rose were hisCincinnati Reds teammates from the "Big Red Machine" era, first basemanTony Pérez (age 41) and second basemanJoe Morgan (age 39). The team was led offensively by 33-year-oldMike Schmidt, who would have another MVP-type year with 40 home runs and 109 RBIs. No other teammate would hit over 16 home runs (Morgan) or drive in over 64 runs (catcherBo Díaz).
Although veteran pitcherSteve Carlton won his 300th major league game during the regular season, he actually had a mediocre year at 15–16 — his first losing season since 1973 when his record was 13–20. In his first full season with Philadelphia,John Denny would win theCy Young Award with a league leading 19–6 record, and a 2.37 ERA, winning 13 of his last 14 decisions. CloserAl Holland would finish second in the league with 25 saves and win theNL Rolaids Relief Award. A pair of relief pitchers, 40-year-oldRon Reed and 38-year-oldTug McGraw, were on the active roster but McGraw would not see any World Series action.
The Phillies outpaced their intrastate rivals, thePittsburgh Pirates, by six games to win their fifthNational League East division title in eight years. This was followed by a three-games-to-one victory over theLos Angeles Dodgers in theNational League Championship Series. It was only the fourth league championship for the Phillies in franchise history.[1]
ALBaltimore Orioles (4) vs. NLPhiladelphia Phillies (1)
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 11 | Philadelphia Phillies – 2, Baltimore Orioles – 1 | Memorial Stadium | 2:22 | 52,204[2] |
| 2 | October 12 | Philadelphia Phillies – 1,Baltimore Orioles – 4 | Memorial Stadium | 2:27 | 52,132[3] |
| 3 | October 14 | Baltimore Orioles – 3, Philadelphia Phillies – 2 | Veterans Stadium | 2:35 | 65,792[4] |
| 4 | October 15 | Baltimore Orioles – 5, Philadelphia Phillies – 4 | Veterans Stadium | 2:50 | 66,947[5] |
| 5 | October 16 | Baltimore Orioles – 5, Philadelphia Phillies – 0 | Veterans Stadium | 2:21 | 67,064[6] |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Baltimore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:John Denny (1–0) LP:Scott McGregor (0–1) Sv:Al Holland (1) Home runs: PHI:Joe Morgan (1),Garry Maddox (1) BAL:Jim Dwyer (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Denver, whose "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" was played at theseventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sangthe National Anthem.
Phillies starterJohn Denny gave up a first-inning homer toJim Dwyer, but that would be it for the Orioles as 40-year-oldJoe Morgan tied it with a home run in the sixth offScott McGregor. Morgan became the second-oldest man to hit a home run in the World Series (Enos Slaughter was just a few months older than Morgan when he hit one for theNew York Yankees in the 1956 World Series).Garry Maddox led off the eighth with a home run off McGregor for the final margin. Denny got the win with relief help from aceAl Holland.[7]
The Orioles' loss in Game 1 marked the first time in six World Series that they had lost the first game.[7]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Mike Boddicker (1–0) LP:Charles Hudson (0–1) Home runs: PHI: None BAL:John Lowenstein (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Boddicker went the distance, striking out six and walking no one. He allowed only three hits and one run, a fourth-inning sacrifice fly byJoe Lefebvre. The O's got their runs in the fifth on aJohn Lowenstein homer, aRick Dempsey RBI double, and a sacrifice fly by Boddicker, helping his own cause.Cal Ripken added an RBI single in the seventh.[8]
When the Phillies benchedPete Rose in favor ofTony Pérez in Game 3, it ended a streak in which Rose played every inning of his 59 previous postseason games. This would be the final postseason game ever played at Memorial Stadium.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Jim Palmer (1–0) LP:Steve Carlton (0–1) Sv:Tippy Martinez (1) Home runs: BAL:Dan Ford (1) PHI:Gary Matthews (1),Joe Morgan (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Steve Carlton became the first 300-game winner to pitch in a World Series in 55 years (Grover Cleveland Alexander was the last). Carlton shut out the Orioles through five innings, buoyed by homers fromGary Matthews andJoe Morgan. The Orioles cut the lead to one in the sixth on a homer byDan Ford.[9]
In the bottom of the sixth, the Phillies had two on and two outs with Carlton coming up to bat. Phillie managerPaul Owens went to the on-deck circle to chat with Carlton about staying in the game. Carlton said he was fine, but struck out for the final out.[9]
Carlton looked to be cruising with two outs in the seventh, butRick Dempsey belted a double and went to third on a wild pitch.Benny Ayala pinch-hit and singled home Dempsey to tie it.Al Holland relieved Carlton to try to close out the inning, butJohn Shelby singled Ayala to put runners at first and second. Ayala scored the go-ahead run from second on an error by shortstopIván DeJesús on a ball hit by Ford.[9]
Long-time Oriole pitching heroJim Palmer got the win in relief as he,Sammy Stewart, andTippy Martinez pitched five shutout innings in relief ofMike Flanagan. This win by Palmer, along with his first World Series win in 1966, marks the longest span (17 years) over World Series wins for an individual pitcher in major league history. Jim Palmer's win in Game 3 made him the only pitcher to win a World Series game in three different decades. Palmer is also, the only man to have played with the Orioles in each of their World Series appearances (1966,1969,1970,1971,1979, and 1983). With Palmer and Carlton earning the decisions, this was the last World Series game in which both the winning and losing pitcher were later inducted into the Hall of Fame until1992.
It was the first World Series game in which threeCy Young Award winners, Carlton, Palmer and Orioles' starterMike Flanagan, pitched. This would not happen again untilGame 1 of the 2012 Series, whenBarry Zito,Tim Lincecum andJustin Verlander appeared.[10]
This also was the first career World Series game forPete Rose in which he wasn't in the starting lineup (after 31 career World Series games).[11] Rose did make a pinch-hit appearance, grounding out in the ninth inning.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Storm Davis (1–0) LP:John Denny (1–1) Sv:Tippy Martinez (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rich Dauer broke a scoreless tie by singling in two runs in the fourth offJohn Denny. The Phillies came back in the fourth offStorm Davis with an RBI double byJoe Lefebvre and took the lead in the fifth on an RBI single by Denny and an RBI double byPete Rose.[12]
In the top of the sixth with one out,John Lowenstein singled and Dauer doubled him to third. O's managerJoe Altobelli then sentJoe Nolan, the first of four consecutive pinch-hitters, to the plate. Denny intentionally walked Nolan to load the bases. The next pinch-hitter,Ken Singleton, walked as well to force in Lowenstein with the tying run. John Denny was removed in favor of Willie Hernandez.John Shelby, hitting forStorm Davis, hit a deep sacrifice fly to Gary Matthews who made a remarkable catch to keep the O's ahead 4–3.[12]
The Orioles added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single by Dauer, who would collect three hits and three RBIs. The Phillies would get no closer than a single run in the ninth, asTippy Martinez got his second save of the series.[12]
The crowd of 66,947 inVeterans Stadium was the biggest for the World Series since Game 3 in New York in1964.[12]
This is the last World Series game with a scheduled daytime start played under sunny skies. Game 4 of the1984 World Series was played under overcast skies atTiger Stadium, and game 6 of the 1987 World Series (last World Series game with a daytime start) was played indoors at theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Scott McGregor (1–1) LP:Charles Hudson (0–2) Home runs: BAL:Eddie Murray 2 (2),Rick Dempsey (1) PHI: None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Throughout this series, both teams' big gun hitters had been held in check.Mike Schmidt was 1 for 16, whileEddie Murray was 2 for 16. In this game, however, Murray snapped out of it by belting two home runs and driving in three runs.Rick Dempsey, who would be named MVP, also homered and doubled and scored two runs.Scott McGregor pitched a complete game, five-hit shutout to give the Orioles the championship.Cal Ripken Jr. made the final putout of the series, snaring a liner byGarry Maddox.[13]
The Phillies finished this Series with a team batting average of .195, with no one having a worse Series than Schmidt, going a paltry 1 for 20 (.050 batting average) and overall the lowest average for a World Series team since the1974 Oakland Athletics. The winning Orioles hit only .213 in the series.[13]
ThePhiladelphia Eagles were originally scheduled to play theDallas Cowboys on Sunday, October 16, atVeterans Stadium. Because of the scheduling conflict, the Eagles and the Cowboys, who were scheduled for two games against each other because they were in the same division, played on that day on the Cowboys' field,Texas Stadium. (Their other game had been scheduled for November 6 at Texas Stadium, and that game was played at Veterans Stadium.)
1983 World Series(4–1):Baltimore Orioles (A.L.) overPhiladelphia Phillies (N.L.)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 35 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia Phillies | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 31 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total attendance: 304,139 Average attendance: 60,828 Winning player's share: $65,488 Losing player's share: $44,473[14] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PitcherLarry Andersen was the only person to play for the Phillies in the 1983 World Series and the1993 World Series againstToronto. Also, this series proved to beCal Ripken's only World Series appearance even though the Orioles shortstop would become baseball's iron-man as he would surpassLou Gehrig by playing in his 2,131st consecutive game on September 6, 1995. Ripken would also make it back to the postseason in both the 1996 and 1997 seasons only reaching the ALCS each time. TeammateEddie Murray would reach theWorld Series again but the1995 Cleveland Indians would lose in six games.Storm Davis,John Shelby, and series MVPRick Dempsey would reach the1988 World Series, Davis with theOakland Athletics and Shelby and Dempsey with theLos Angeles Dodgers.
Baltimore became the first visiting team to win Games 3, 4 and 5 since1961, when theNew York Yankees did so vs. theCincinnati Reds atCrosley Field. This has occurred three times since 1983. The first was1996, when the Yankees again did it, this time against theAtlanta Braves in the final three games played atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium; the next was2019, when theHouston Astros did it against theWashington Nationals atNationals Park, although the Astros became the first team to lose a World Series after winning games 3, 4 and 5 on the road, dropping games 6 and 7 atMinute Maid Park (making it the first it the first time in the history ofany of theBig 4 leagues that the visiting team won every game of a 7-game series); and in2023, when theTexas Rangers did it against theArizona Diamondbacks atChase Field. By comparison, the home team has swept Games 3-5 12 times since1965.
This would be the final World Series with color commentator Howard Cosell.Two years later, Cosell was scheduled to be in the booth but he was removed at the last minute due to the controversy surrounding his bookI Never Played the Game and was replaced withTim McCarver.
A liner and the Orioles are the world champions!
— Al Michaels calling the final out on ABC Sports
