RetroSimba

Not even a word from Bob Gibson could prevent Rick Camp from surrendering the hit that propelled the Cardinals to their first National League pennant in 14 years.

The Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of the best-of-five 1982 National League Championship Series, beating Camp and the Braves, 6-2, in Game 3 at Atlanta. The victory vaulted them into the World Series for the first time since 1968, when Gibson was their ace.

Camp is remembered most for the home run he hit with two outs in the bottom of the 18th inning of a July 4, 1985, game against the Mets, tying the score 11-11. The Mets won, 16-13, in 19 innings and Camp was the losing pitcher. Boxscore

In Cardinals history, Camp is better recalled for his second-inning woes in the deciding game of the playoff series.

After Camp retired the Cardinals in order in the first, Keith Hernandez led off the second with a single and Darrell Porter walked. Camp thought he struck out Porter on a pitch instead ruled a checked swing.

George Hendrick singled, scoring Hernandez and advancing Porter to third, and St. Louis led, 1-0.

As Willie McGee approached the plate, Gibson, a Braves pitching coach for manager Joe Torre, went to the mound to talk with Camp. Torre split the pitching coach duties between Gibson and former catcher Rube Walker. “Rube teaches them how to pitch,” Torre told The Sporting News. “Gibby teaches them how to win.”

On Camp’s first pitch after Gibson’s visit, McGee tripled to right-center, scoring Porter and Hendrick.

“I made a bad pitch,” Camp told the Rome (Ga.) News-Tribune. “It was a fastball belt high, a fastball that was up, and that’s what broke it open.”

After the next batter, Ozzie Smith, singled to center, scoring McGee and giving the Cardinals a 4-0 lead, Torre lifted Camp for Pascual Perez. Boxscore

“From the beginning, in the bullpen, I didn’t have anything,” Camp said. “I thought maybe I would work it out in the first two or three innings.”

Instead, Camp faced eight batters, yielding four runs, four hits and a walk. Video

In a nine-year career with the Braves (1976-85), Camp made 28 appearances against the Cardinals, posting a 4-4 record and 4.25 ERA.