TWICE VICTORIOUS
Another best-of-seven faceoff was in store for the Jays, but this time against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies had taken a dramatic turn since their 1992 performance, which saw them finish last in the National League’s East Division. This year, however, they had risen to the top with a record of 97-65 and had beat out the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series, who at that time boasted the best record in baseball.
A baseball autographed by several members of the 1993 World Series winning team, including Mike Timlin, Juan Guzmán, John Olerud, Roberto Alomar, Rickey Henderson, Pat Hentgen, Joe Carter, Galen Cisco and Dan Cox, as well as manager Cito Gaston.
The first two games were held at the SkyDome. In Game 1, Guzman squared off against the Phillies’ Curt Schilling. The Phillies took two points in the top of the first inning, which were tied up in the bottom of the second when a single from Molitor and a groundout from Fernández each scored a run. Both teams scored a point in the fourth and fifth innings, maintaining the tie. Olerud hit a home run in the sixth and Alomar made a two run double in the seventh, putting Toronto in the lead at 8-4. The Phillies only scored one run in the ninth, making the Jays victorious at 8-5.
Dave Stewart and the Phillies’ Terry Mulholland were on the mound for Game 2. Philadelphia scored an early and lasting lead in the top of the third with five points. Carter made a two-run home run in the fourth and Alomar singled with two outs in the sixth inning, bringing the score up to 5-3. The Phillies made a home run in the seventh, and Molitor hit a leadoff double in the eighth. With no further points in the ninth, the Jays lost 4-6.
Game 3 moved to Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, with Hentgen up against Danny Jackson. Henderson and White both made home runs in the first inning thanks to a triple from Molitor, and Carter further bumped the score with his sacrifice fly. The Jays scored again in the third. In the sixth, Fernandez stole second and third, and then scored on a sacrifice fly. The Phillies responded with their first score, but things were looking dire for the team. Indeed, Toronto put away five more points by the ninth inning, while Philadelphia managed only two, allowing the Jays to win with an astonishing score of 10-3.
A ticket to Game 6 of the 1993 World Series at the SkyDome in Toronto.
Game 4 proved to be a much closer affair. Todd Stottlemyre was on the pitcher’s mound against Philadelphia’s Tommy Greene. Molitor walked to force in a run, then the Jays scored two more points via Fernandez’s single. The Phillies responded with three runs in the bottom half, then another in the second inning, bringing the score up to 6-3 in their favour. Successive RBI singles by Fernádez and Borders as well as a two-run single from White hiked the score to 7-6 in the third, but was quickly tied up by the Phillies in the fourth. Philadelphia earned another five points in the next inning. Toronto retaliated with Fernández’s RBI groundout in the sixth, and the Phillies added a run in the bottom half, making the score 13-9. One more home run went to Philadelphia in the seventh, only for Toronto to rally in the eighth and score six points. With no further home runs in the ninth, Toronto beat out Philadelphia by a slim 15-14. The game was the longest in World Series history, clocking in at four hours and fourteen minutes.
Game 5 was a grueling shutout courtesy of the Phillies. Guzman and Curt Schilling were the night’s pitchers. Schilling limited the Jays to only five hits, no extra-base hits and no runs. Guzman pitched well but to no effect, permitting two runs and five hits across seven innings. The Phillies scored their two runs in the first and second innings and held on to the end, winning 2-0.
Joe Carter’s autographed batting helmet from his 1993 World Series home run hit.
The Jays entered Game 6 of the World Series on October 23rd back at the SkyDome, and were leading 3-2. Stewart and Mulholland were once again on the mound. Toronto started on a good foot when they scored three in the bottom of the first inning. The Phillies scored a run in the top of the fourth, but then the Jays paid them back when Alomar scored in turn. Another home run came in the fifth courtesy of Molitor. Philadelphia returned with a vengeance in the seventh inning with five runs, giving them a 6-5 lead as they stared down the ninth inning.
Henderson walked on Philadelphia closer Mitch Williams, who then tried to counter Henderson’s speed with a slide-step style of pitching he had not previously performed in his career, decreasing the velocity of his pitching. This allowed a flyout by White and a single by Molitor, which advanced Henderson to second. The Jays now had two players on base, and Carter was up to bat. Though he appeared trepidatious, Carter blasted a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence. The crowd exploded with cheers as he rounded the bases all the way home. The Jays had won the World Series for the second time in a row, a feat which had not been witnessed since the New York Yankees had pulled it off in 1977-1978. As Carter sprinted into the arms of his teammates, the fans at home heard radio announcer Tom Cheek famously declare: “Touch ‘em all, Joe! You’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life!”
The Tiffany & Co. commemorative ring awarded to City Gaston for leading the Jays to their 1993 World Series win.
The home plate from Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, autographed by Joe Carter.
To commemorate their win, the Jays were presented with the Commissioner’s Trophy and manager Cito Gaston was awarded a fourteen karat gold ring with white crystal gemstones. The festivities were capped with a parade through Toronto that ended at the SkyDome.
