1983 World Series Game 6 vs Phillies

Lore & Background

The series was nicknamed 'The I-95 Series' after Interstate 95, which connects Baltimore and Philadelphia. This was the last World Series that Bowie Kuhn presided over as commissioner, as well as Pete Rose’s final World Series appearance. It was the first World Series since 1956 in which the teams did not use air travel, as Baltimore and Philadelphia are approximately 100 mi apart. This was the first World Series in which no umpire worked behind home plate using the outside chest protector. World Series crew chief Marty 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.

Reader's Guide

The Orioles were led by first-year manager Joe Altobelli. Key players included first baseman Eddie Murray (.306 BA, 33 HR, 111 RBI), shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. (.318 BA, 27 HR, 102 RBI), and pitchers Scott McGregor (18–7, 3.18 ERA), Mike Boddicker (16–8, 2.77), and reliever Tippy Martinez (21 saves). The Phillies, nicknamed the 'Wheeze Kids,' featured 42-year-old Pete Rose, 41-year-old Tony Pérez, 39-year-old Joe Morgan, and 33-year-old Mike Schmidt (40 HR, 109 RBI). John Denny won the Cy Young Award with a 19–6 record and 2.37 ERA.

Did You Know?

• The Orioles' loss in Game 1 marked the first time in six World Series that they had lost the first game.
• Game 5 of the 1983 World Series was the final postseason baseball game ever played at Memorial Stadium.
• Jim Palmer's win in Game 3 made him one of several pitchers to win a World Series game in three different decades, including Whitey Ford and Bob Gibson.
• Although rare, Game 3 was not the first time Pete Rose was not in the starting lineup of a postseason game; he had previously not started, such as in Game 1 of the 1975 World Series.