Finally getting around to start watching the World Series sets I bought last year and starting with the bonus disk on the 1977 set which features Game 5 of the ALCS where the Yankees for the second straight year beat the Royals in the 9th inning of the deciding game.

1977 American League Championship Series Game 5 - Yankees 5, Royals 3 (boxscore and play account)

-The series was televised nationally by NBC but on this disk they have the Yankees local broadcast of the game and there no graphics with the original footage. Frank Messer, Phil Rizzuto, and Bill White are the announcers. The first pitch of the game is missing so it takes me a few minutes to figure out all of this.

-Yankees and Royals had a pretty fierce rivalry going at this time and we get a brawl in the bottom of the 1st. George Brett would hit an RBI triple and as he came up from his slide into 3rd he shoved Graig Nettles off the bag. Nettles takes exception to this and kicks Brett and then the brouhaha starts. Both benches clear but neither player is ejected.

-Amazingly enough Billy Martin actually benched Reggie Jackson for this game in favor of a washed up Paul Blair as Blair had better numbers against Royals starter Paul Splittorff. Rizzuto at one point in the game claims that Jackson took the benching in great stride. Yeah, right.

-The Yankee announcers constantly fawn over Thurman Munson's clutchiness and reminding everyone he is the Yankee Captain. If you closed your eyes you'd think you were hearing current announcers talk about Derek Jeter. For Jeter's sake I hope he doesn't take up flying...

-Ron Guidry pitched on only two days rest and it showed as he was knocked out in the 3rd. Mike Torrez was brilliant in relief as the Royals failed to score another run the rest of the game.

-With out in the top of the 4th the disk jumps to the bottom of the 4th with one out so I'm guessing the footage went bad that point. Nothing important is missed.

-Pete LaCock!!!

-Reggie finally makes his appearance in the game with pinch hit bloop single to knock in a run in the top of the 8th to pull the Yankees within one. Later in the inning Frank White makes a great diving play to prevent Chris Chambliss from tying the game up and forces Reggie at 2nd. Reggie argues that he was safe even though he was out by a good five feet and I can only think he for some reason didn't think the force play was possible. He also injures shortstop Freddie Patek on the play after sliding in although I couldn't tell how he got hurt.

-Few pitches in the bottom of the 8th are missing from the disk after Torrez was replaced by Sparky Lyle but again nothing major is missed.

-Whitey Herzog elected to go with his ace Dennis Leonard in the 9th to finish the game rather than a reliever. Leonard had just pitched a complete game win in Game 3 two days earlier and was not sharp as he allows both hitters he faced to reach base before Herzog hooks him. The damage was done as the Yankees would plate three runs in the 9th to send the Royals to another heartbreaking ALCS loss.

-During Roy White's at bat in the 9th for a few seconds there is audio from some movie looped over on the disk. The voice sounded like Brian Cox but no idea what movie it was. Really bizarre.

Bonus Clips

-Nothing too special here as like the other sets it's mostly just interviews from old players and most of the clips are about Reggie. Best clip is they have the postgame interviews from the clinching Game 6 in the Series as Reggie makes sure to get a plug for Puma in during his interview.

1. Inside the Moments: Reggie Jackson’s 3 HR Game

2. Yankees World Series Locker Room Celebration and Interviews

3. 1977 World Series Trophy Presentation

4. Reggie Jackson on his 3 HR Game

5. Piniella on Reggie’s 3 HR Performance

6. Steinbrenner talks about Reggie’s 3 HR Game

7. Steinbrenner on the day he signed Reggie

8. Dusty Baker on the Yankees/Dodgers Rivalry

9. Burt Hooton on giving up Reggie’s first HR in Game 6

10. Mickey Rivers on Reggie’s World Series performance

11. Guidry on the Yankees being called the “Bronx Zoo”

12. Guidry on the Steinbrenner/Martin/Jackson triangle of controversy

13. Guidry on his first postseason in 1977

14. Chris Chambliss tells of his most memorable World Series moment

15. Roy White on Billy Martin benching Reggie in ’77 ALCS Game 5

16. Piniella on Martin benching Reggie in the ACLS

17. Paul Blair on starting over Reggie in ALCS Game 5

18. The Billy Martin/Reggie Jackson confrontation in Boston (original footage spliced with interviews)

19. Brian Doyle on the Billy/Reggie confrontation

20. Randolph on the confrontation in Fenway Park

21. Piniella talks about the Billy/Reggie confrontation

22. Guidry gives a detailed account of the confrontation

23. Randolph on the term “Bronx Zoo” given to the ’77 Yanks