Wednesday, April 29, 2020

1985 Game 18 - 1985 Donruss Action All-Stars #56 Juan Samuel

Phillies 3Expos 2 (10 Innings)
Game 18 - Monday Night, April 29th in Philadelphia
Record - 7-11, Tied for 4th Place, 4 1/2 games behind the Cubs, Expos and Mets

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies mounted an impressive come from behind victory capped when Juan Samuel's 10th inning single scored Darren Daulton in this walk-off, 3-2 win.

What It Means:  I'm reminded here that "walk-off" is a relatively new baseball term.  Back in 1985, the sports editor for the Atlantic City Press captioned the boxscore with the mundane "Phils Win in 10th" instead of "Phils Walk-Off in 10th."  Also, I wasn't exactly focused on the straight placement of these boxscores within my scrapbook back in 1985.  This one is particularly crooked.

What Happened:  John Denny and three relievers kept the Phillies in this game, scattering 10 Expos hits and allowing only two runs.  Denny went six innings and earned a no decision, while Kent Tekulve pitched the final 2 2/3 scoreless innings for the Phillies and earned his first win with the club.

The Expos took a 2-1 lead in the second on a steal of home by Tim Wallach.  Mike Schmidt tied it up in the seventh with a solo home run off Expos starter Bryn Smith.  In the bottom of the 10th, with Bert Roberge on the mound, Daulton walked to start the inning and was sacrificed over to second by Luis Aguayo.  Tim Corcoran flew out to right with Daulton tagging up to third.  Samuel's single brought Daulton home for the walk-off win.

Featured Card:  I'm guessing the celebration in 1985 following this win doesn't compare to celebrations today following walk-off victories.  I remember game-ending hits being celebrated back then, but in no way to the extent they're celebrated today.  I'll celebrate Samuel's big hit in my own way with an oversized card from the 1985 Donruss Action All-Stars set.

I loved these oversized sets Donruss put out each year between 1983 and 1987.  This is probably the original card I found in a cellophane wrapper back in 1985 as there's a significant scuff mark on the side.

At the end of each month in my scrapbook, I'd look back at the team's roster and note any significant additions or departures.  35 years ago, I had to rely on TV Guide (!) to provide me with an updated numerical roster as we were years away from the internet and we hadn't yet attended a game at The Vet to pick up a program.  I'll take a look at the Phillies coaches from 1985 in tomorrow's game summary post.

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