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Cards-Giants series stirs up memories of 1987

By Rick Hummel, St. Louis Post-Dispatch –

SAN FRANCISCO — Exactly 25 years ago on Oct. 14, the seventh game was played in a contentious National League championship series between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. The Cardinals won that final game, 6-0, en route to their third World Series appearance in a six-season span.

It was the series of Jeffrey Leonard’s “one flap down.” And of Cardinals pitcher Bob Forsch trying to close that flap.

It was the series played mostly without injured Cardinals slugger and former Giant Jack Clark, who made only one pinch-hitting effort, falling down while striking out because he couldn’t put any weight on his ankle.

So, who helped pick up the home-run slack? None other than spindly (he was then) Jose Oquendo, a utilityman who cracked a three-run homer in the seventh game. Oquendo is the club’s third-base coach now as the teams meet in Game 1 of this year’s league championship series Sunday night.

The teams already didn’t like each other in the 1987 tournament. In July of 1986, the Cardinals’ Vince Coleman stole second and third and tried to make it home on a wild pitch with the Cardinals ahead of the Giants 10-2. The Giants took umbrage and Frank Williams drilled Coleman, precipitating a brawl that even managers Whitey Herzog of the Cardinals and the Giants’ Roger Craig participated in.

In July 1988, the year after the league championship series between the two, the Giants’ Will Clark, who later would become a popular Cardinal in the 2000 stretch drive, slid out of his way into second baseman Oquendo to try to break up a double play. Oquendo and shortstop Ozzie Smith took exception (“I slapped him in the head,” said Oquendo) and another melee took place with current TBS and Chicago Cubs announcer Bob Brenly squaring off with Hall of Famer Smith.

Here’s the way it was in 1987 …

Game 1: Cardinals 5, San Francisco 3

Cardinals lefthander Greg Mathews allowed only two earned runs in 71/3 innings, one of them a fourth-inning homer by “Hac Man,” Leonard, who introduced his “one flap down” home run trot at Busch Stadium.

Willie McGee and Dan Driessen had two hits for the Cardinals. Lefthander Ken Dayley got the save by inducing pinch hitter Bob Melvin, now the Oakland manager, to ground into a double play.

Game 2: San Francisco 6, Cardinals 0

Lefthander Dave Dravecky two-hit the Cardinals. Future Cardinal Will Clark homered off John Tudor, as did Leonard, with one flap down. Fans booed. St. Louis is referred to by a Giants outfielder as a “cow town.” But it was Chili Davis, and not Leonard, who uttered the remark.

Game 3: Cardinals 6, San Francisco 5

Giants, playing at home, took a 4-0 lead after three innings, with Leonard homering for the third time and flapping for third time. Veteran Bob Forsch, relieving, had seen enough and hit Leonard with a pitch the next time he batted. All but applauding, the Cardinals rallied for six runs in the sixth and seventh, with Jim “Lucky Lindy” Lindeman homering for two runs and Coleman singling in two more. Todd Worrell posted a three-inning save.

Herzog remembers it well.

“’Wingy’ (as Herzog called Leonard) was bouncing around those bases,” said Herzog. “I had gone up to Forschie the day before and said, ‘You pitching tomorrow?’ Forschie didn’t say anything but the next day he hit Leonard right in the butt. That kind of put a kibosh on that stuff a little bit. It might have been a turning point.”

Oquendo said, “That’s the last time (Leonard) did that. He only had one flap left.”

Game 4: San Francisco 4, Cardinals 2

Veteran Mike Krukow, now a Giants announcer, pitched a complete game. Leonard, tamer, still homered for the fourth straight game.

Game 5: San Francisco 6, Cardinals 3

Leonard didn’t homer but Kevin Mitchell and the Giants moved one game away from the league title, with the final two games slated in St. Louis. Herzog said he had piled everything into winning Game 3, such as using Worrell for three innings. “I was just playing to get back to St. Louis,” said Herzog. “That Candlestick Park was a tough place.”

Game 6: Cardinals 1, San Francisco 0

Giants right fielder Candy Maldonado missed a sliding catch and Tony Pena tripled in the Cardinals’ second inning. One out later, Pena scored on Oquendo’s sacrifice fly. Tudor, Worrell and Dayley made it stand.

Game 7: Cardinals 6, Giants 0

Giants were blanked again, this time by Danny Cox, who allowed just five singles. Not known for his power, Oquendo, who had just one home run during the season, slugged a three-run homer off lefthander Atlee Hammaker in the second inning.

“That was a big thrill, but Danny Cox was the one who won the game,” Oquendo said Saturday. But, he added, “I always have had good success against the Giants. I hit my first home run against them when I was with the Mets.”

When the introductions are made on the foul line Sunday night before Game 1 of this championship series, and Oquendo’s name is called, a quarter of a century’s time won’t have erased Giants’ fans memories.

He will be jeered. Loudly.

“I always get booed here,” said Oquendo, “and I always have somebody in the stands yelling at me, still whining about the old days.”

Oquendo then rubs his eyes in mock tearfulness. Laughing, he said, “I’ll give them the old ‘crybaby’ look.”

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