Former Phillie of the Day - Jerry Martin

The thing I remember most about Jerry Martin, today's Former Phillie of the Day, is a game in which he didn't play when he should have.

I'm talking about Game 3 of the 1977 League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, known to Phillies fans as Black Friday. That season, Martin was frequently used as a late-inning defensive replacement for lumbering leftfielder and BBQ empresario Greg Luzinski.

Anyway, the series was tied 1-1 and the Phils were leading the Dodgers, 5-3 entering the ninth inning. This was a prime spot for manager Danny Ozark to send Martin out to replace Luzinski. He didn't. And of course everything went to hell.

Phils reliever Gene Garber got the first two outs of the inning. He got Dusty Baker to ground out to third, and then Rick Monday grounded to second. Vic Davalillo came on to pinch hit for catcher Steve Yeager and stunned everyone at Veterans Stadium by reaching base on a drag-bunt single with 2 strikes. They were 1 strike away from taking the series lead, and still needed just 1 more out.

Up next came 753-year-old outfielder Manny Mota, who hit a ball to deep left field, where Luzinski, not Martin, went back toward the wall. It looked like Luzinski made the catch–but he didn't. The ball bonked off Luzinski's glove, hit the wall, and bounced back to him. Luzinski finally picked it up and heaved the ball toward second base, but the throw was wild, and Davalillo scored, with Mota moving to third. The score was now 5-4.

The insanity continued. Davey Lopes smashed a ground ball that hit third baseman Mike Schmidt in the leg. The ball caromed to shortstop Larry Bowa who gunned it to first to get Lopes in time. But for some inexplicable reason, umpire Bruce Froemming said Lopes beat the throw. Mota scored, Bowa went insane, and the game was tied at 5.

Garber then tried to pick Lopes off first base, but the throw got past first baseman Richie Hebner and Lopes moved to second. Bill Russell drove Lopes home with a single to center, and the Dodgers led 6-5. Garber retired Reggie Smith for the third out but the damage had been done.

In the bottom of the inning, Bowa popped out to short and Schmidt was retired on a fly ball to right. Up stepped Luzinski, with a chance to redeem himself. He got hit by a pitch and was THEN replaced by Martin, who pinch ran for him. Hebner ended the game with a grounder to first baseman Steve Garvey.

The Phillies won 101 games in 1977. Had they won Game 3, they would have had the momentum to win the LCS in 4 games. But Vic Freaking Davalillo, Manny Freaking Mota, and Greg Freaking Luzinski, with an assist from Gene Freaking Garber, made things turn out differently.

The Dodgers won Game 4 and the series, but lost to the Yankees in the World Series, 4 games to 2.

I don't blame Luzinski for what happened. He's a great guy. His BBQ stand at Citizens Bank Park is top-notch. Manager Danny Ozark gets all the blame for this one.