This was a crazy game, and might have been the best game of the season, as described below. Most importantly, this game marked the first - Steve Garvey - of the four Dodgers to reach 30 home runs in 1977. That a team would have four guys hitting 30 was almost appalling despite what the most recent generation might have experienced. As of September 14, it was the ultimate unknown that this would be part of a Dodger collecting theme that endures even today. This was an uncommon style of ticket - but awesomely Dodger Blue - for the top deck in 1977 at Dodger Stadium.
Here is an account of the game from excellent columnist Mike Davis:
"It's a good thing for the Dodgers that this game didn't mean anything.
It was enough to ruin someone's season.
The Reds salvaged a riveting 9-8 victory and a little pride out of a season otherwise beyond salvation Wednesday night.
The Dodgers can take solace in their 12 1/2-game NL West lead and their magic number (four) for clinching the pennant.
Their fans - 50,203 came by Wednesday night - can take solace in this simple fact: They saw unequivocably the best spectator attraction of the year.
The Dodgers overcame a pair of early two-run deficits, built an 8-3 lead, then watched it disintigrate in the last two innings. Cesar Geronimo's three-run homer got the Reds close in the eighth, and Ken Griffey's two-run shot into the right field pavilion won it in the ninth.
It was, on balance, an unbelievable show. Included were 28 hits (16 by the Dodgers) and six home runs. L.A. hit three of them to break a 19-year-old club record.
Their spirit, too, might have been broken under different circumstances. But with the pennant already in hand, the Dodgers don't have to worry right now about losses like this, no matter how galling they may be.
If this defeat did anything, perhaps it reminded Los Angeles just how good the Reds can be...and how good they could be next year.
Tommy John (18-6) doesn't need to be reminded. He was the victim of Cincinnati's comeback, absorbing his first loss of the season against the Reds after four straight victories.
"I said last week that they wouldn't clinch it here," said Sparky Anderson, the Reds' manager. "At least we salvaged that much."
The way they went about it was remarkable. George Foster's two-run homer (No. 48) in the first and an unearned run in the third got them out to a quick 3-1 lead.
But the Dodgers erased that - along with starter Fred Norman - in short order. Dave Lopes homered in the first (No. 11, a career high). Steve Garvey singled in a run in the third. Ron Cey singled in two and Garvey another in the fourth.
Garvey homered in the sixth (his 30th, giving him the club lead), and Steve Yeager hit a two-run homer (No. 15) in the seventh. It was 8-3, and the faithful were streaming for the exits en masse.
They missed all the fun.
The Reds scored four times in the eighth. Singles by Griffey and Foster put men on first and third with one out. Johnny Bench beat out an infield hit off John's glove to score Griffey. And after Dan Driessen grounded out, Geronimo powered his ninth home run into the center-field seats.
"The play on Bench was the key," said John. "The inning started innocently enough, and if we'd have gotten Bench, we only would have given up one run."
Still, there was hope in the ninth, even after pinch-hitter Joe Morgan led off with a walk. Manager Tom Lasorda visited the mound, spoke with John briefly, then left his staggering starter in the game to determine his own fate.
On the first pitch to Pete Rose, Morgan was thrown out stealing. The crowd exhaled an audible sigh of relief. But then Rose got the count his way, 3-and-l, and singled. Griffey took . a pitch, then ripped a high drive over the 385 sign in right-center.
Lights out.
"I thought he (John) had enough stuff left," a dazed Lasorda said. "Griffey is a high-ball hitter, and Tommy is a low-ball pitcher. He's been getting Griffey out all year, and I thought he had a better chance of doing it tn this situation than the guy I had in the bullpen (Elias Sosa).
"I guess I was wrong. I made a bad decision."
John just made a bad pitch.
"It was belt-high," he said. "A great pitch to hit. Right now my ERA (which escalated from 2.48 to 2.73) is the least of my worries. I just wanted to win the game. I've got two or three starts left, so I've still got a chance to win 20."
Griffey's account: "It was nice to hit it off of Tommy John. I was just trying to make contact, not to hit a home run.
"We didn't feel we had anything to prove," he added. "The Dodgers know we can beat them."
L.A. didn't roll over in the ninth. One-out singles by Lopes and Bill Russell (who, like Garvey, had four hits) moved the tying run to second with one out.
But pinch-hitter Manny Mota flied out and Cey grounded into a force, and all that was left for the Dodgers were a few consolation prizes.
Yeager's seventh-inning homer was L.A.'s 173rd of the year, breaking by one the Los Angeles Dodger record set in 1958.
Garvey's three RBIs and Cey's two left them tied for the club lead at 109.
And the club's season attendance swelled to 2,629,496. The Dodgers need to average a little more than 34,600 over their remaining 11 home dates to reach 3,000,000."
Please take a look at the scans for condition. I have been a long time ticket collector and will be posting many additional tickets in the coming weeks. The item you see pictured is the actual item you will receive. Feel free to email me with any questions. I will ship for free anywhere in the United States.