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1977 American League Championship Series

1977 American League Championship Series
Teams
Team (Wins) Manager Season
New York Yankees (3) Billy Martin 100–62, .617, GA: 2½
Kansas City Royals (2) Whitey Herzog 102–60, .630, GA: 8
Dates October 5 – 9
Umpires Jerry Neudecker, Russ Goetz, Jim McKean, Marty Springstead, Nick Bremigan, Bill Deegan
Broadcast
Television NBC
TV announcers Jim Simpson and Maury Wills (Game 1)
Dick Enberg and Don Drysdale (Game 2)
Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek (Games 3–5)
Radio CBS
Radio announcers Ernie Harwell and Ned Martin
ALCS
1977 World Series
Team (Wins) Manager Season
New York Yankees (3) Billy Martin 100–62, .617, GA: 2½
Kansas City Royals (2) Whitey Herzog 102–60, .630, GA: 8

The 1977 American League Championship Series was a five-game series played between October 5 and 9, 1977, at Yankee Stadium (Games 1–2), and Royals Stadium (3–5). The Yankees took the series 3–2, and would later go on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1977 World Series to take the title. Kansas City was given home-field advantage as it rotated back to the West Division; the Royals held a 102–60 record to the Yankees' 100–62 record.

This was the second straight year in which the Royals and the Yankees squared off in the ALCS. The year before in the 1976 ALCS, the Yankees took the series in five games on a Chris Chambliss home run in the ninth inning of Game 5.

This series, they would again win it in their last at bat.

Each game of the series was dominated by, mostly, hitting. However, the pitchers of each team held their own and it made for some exciting games.

The first game's matchup was Paul Splittorff (16–6) versus Don Gullett (14–4). Although the matchup seemed to not exactly be the classic Game 1 pitcher's duel, these two pitchers were the best of their profession for that season, although Gullett's was plagued with some shoulder injuries.

New York won the series, 3–2.

Wednesday, October 5, 1977, at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

The visiting Royals jumped on the sore-shouldered Don Gullett early and never looked back. Hal McRae hit a two-run homer in the first, Freddie Patek had a two-run double in the second, and John Mayberry a two-run blast in the third. Thurman Munson provided the Yankee runs in the third with a two-run homer of his own, but that was the only blemish on a pitching gem by Paul Splittorff. Splittorff went eight strong innings and Doug Bird closed it in the ninth. Al Cowens added a solo homer for the Royals.


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