San Francisco Giants Ron Pruitt (left) is congratulated by manager Frank Robinson (right) in this circa 1982 photo (San Francisco Examiner file photo)
By Tony the Tiger Hayes
Ron Pruitt – Pinch-Hitter, Catcher – 1982-83 – # 25
Ron Pruitt was never fawned over by MTV “vee-jays” or soloed on a Flying V Gibson guitar while decked in out bright yellow parachute pants – but the former Giant was definitely a San Francisco “One-Hit Wonder” of 1982.
Pruitt lone moment in the spot light didn’t quite resonate on a national stage like, say, Flock of Seagulls’ lone chart topper, “I Ran (So Far Away)” or Vangelis’ one-off movie theme smash “Chariots of Fire.”
But the well-traveled utility man’s stunning Candlestick Park produced “Lil’ Looper” – which came in his first official Giants at-bat (9/30/82) – was a solid gold smash for Orange & Black fans of early 1980s vintage.
“Before tonight, I’d just been backing up,” said Pruitt after his thrilling game winner. “Backing up to get my paycheck and that’s about all.”
(Which actually could have been a lyric in a pretty good country music song.)
Pruitt dumped a walk-off pinch hit single into center field, just over the outstretched glove of Houston baseman Bill Doran, to beat the Astros, 7-6, and keep the Giants within spitting distance of the top spot in the National League West on the dawn of the final weekend of scheduled play.
Pruitt’s unexpected two-run, two-out winner – which came with a fabulous curtain call from the crowd of 14,160 – kept the Giants in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers for second place in the National League West and a single game back of the first place Atlanta Braves with three games remaining on the official docket.
The climactic victory was the Giants’ 44th by one run, their 44th in comeback fashion and the 27th in their final at bat.
Beginning the next night, the Giants – winners of nine of their previous dozen games – would host the Dodgers at the ‘Stick for three games. The Braves meanwhile would play three on the road at San Diego.
After posting a 20-7 record in September, the wildly streaking Giants had not been this close to winning a divisional title since 1971 – the year San Francisco had last captured the coveted flag.
With crowds anticipated to exceed 125,000 for the up coming three game set with the hated rivals from the Southland, San Francisco’s fanbase was loving the rare pennant chase.
The local newspapers were eating up the enticing sporting drama as well.
“A Classic Comeback and a New Giants Hero” – echoed the A1 front page headline in the San Francisco Examiner.
“Giants Climb Back Into the Pennant Race” chimed the Napa Valley Register.
“Pruitt’s Super Blooper Lifts San Francisco” barked the Sacramento Bee.
“Unreal” Giants Trail by One Game” tooted the Salinas Californian.
Giants – Dodgers Go for Broke” – trumpeted Oakland Tribune
While no one was quite ready to seriously compare Pruitt’s modest looking blooper to Bobby Thomson’s majestic ‘Shot Heard ‘Round the World” of 31 years previous – some just couldn’t quite resist the urge.
“Shades of ‘51, S.F. Fights Back!” crowed the Berkeley Gazette.
But heck, after winning 20 of 27 games in September- maybe the comparison to 1951 wasn’t so far fetched.
Why Was He a Giant?
Ron Pruitt was a versatile player, capable of playing infield, outfield and catcher.
But it wasn’t necessarily his defense that kept Pruitt employed in professional baseball for 11 years. More likely , it was his consistency at putting bat on ball that kept the former Michigan State star in the game.
From the Texas Rangers to the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago White Sox and finally, the Giants, Pruitt was a steady .269 hitter in parts of nine MLB seasons.
Pruitt received his first extended opportunity to play in the major leagues from manager Frank Robinson in Cleveland in 1976.
In 47 games that season, Pruitt batted .267 and played all over the diamond – receiving starts at catcher, outfield and both first and third base. In 1977 Robinson rewarded Pruitt with a spot on the Indians opening day roster.
But after the taciturn F. Robby was relieved of his Tribe duties in mid-‘77 and replaced with the more player friendly Jeff Torborg, Pruitt didn’t exactly shed a tear.
“With Frank, I never knew what I was gonna do,” Pruitt said at the time. “I feel a lot more relaxed now – even in the field. It’s different when you know you’re going to play.”
Still, after the the Indians released Pruitt after the 1981 season, Robinson, now the Giants manager, welcomed his former Cleveland charge to San Francisco’s big league 1982 training camp as a minor league free agent.
But with an entrenched backstop tandem of Milt May and Bob Brenly in place and a well-vetted crew of bench reserves including, Champ Summers, Dave Bergman, Jim Wohlford and Pruitt’s former Cleveland teammate, Duane Kuiper, assured of backup roles – Pruitt was forced to accept a minor league assignment to Triple-A Phoenix after spring training.
At age 31, Pruitt was the oldest member of the Giants top minor leagues affiliate, but that didn’t stop the Flint, Michigan native from feasting on Pacific League pitching.
In 73 games, Pruitt produced the top batting average of of his professional career – .321 -while swatting 10 homers and driving 37 runs.
Meanwhile back at the home office in San Francisco, the parent club was enjoying a renaissance season.
After playing substandard ball the first half of the campaign – the club had a 42-46 record, 11 games back of the Braves at the All-Star Game break – the San Francisco suddenly blossomed in August.
As the Fog billowed into the City by the Bay in August, the Giants began piling up victories, many of them, come-from-behind thrillers.
The Giants began the month winning 12 of 13 games. By the end of play on August 11, San Francisco had improved to 55-50 and had closed within 4 games of first place Atlanta.
But the red hot Orange & Black was just getting started.
After dropping their first game of September, the Giants ripped off an astounding 19 wins in their next 22 contests.
Pruitt, who joined San Francisco when rosters expanded for the final month, had a fantastic view of the down-the-stretch scintillating action… from the Giants bench.
Save being a defensive replacement in one game and drawing an uneventful intentional walk as a pinch hitter in another – Pruitt rode the pine until the final day of September.
Then he sprung into action when Robinson pulled Pruitt like a secret derringer from an ankle holster.
He Never Had a Bobblehead Day. But…
Despite winning 19 of their previous 25 games, the Giants were running out of games when RHP Jim Barr led the Orange & Black on to field to take on the visiting Astros on 9/30/82.
With just four games left on the schedule, the Giants and Dodgers were tied for second place at 86-73, with the Joe Torre led Braves holding on to dear life to the West’s top spot with a one game edge.
Every pitch was crucial and initially it didn’t look good for the Giants on this fog shrouded Thursday night.
For most of evening it appeared future ForeverGiant and then Houston backup first baseman Harry Spilman, would be a giant joy kill in a rainbow accented uniform.
The Astros were already up 1-0 in the 3rd when Spilman drilled a two-run home run off Barr. Houston tacked on two more runs in the 4th, making it 5-0.
But the Giants – who had racked up 43 comeback wins at that point – refused to go silently into the night.
The Orange & Black got their offense going in the seventh with RBI hits by Joe Morgan and Jack Clark, cutting the deficit to 5-3. San Francisco knotted the score in the 8th with a four hit, two-run rally.
But the left-handed swinging Spilman went yard again in the top of the ninth with a two-out, solo clout off Giants reliever Rich Gale to put Houston up again 6-5. (Spilman who would specialize in pinch hitting for the Giants in 1986-88, had four hits and four RBI on the night.)
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the Dodgers were trouncing the Braves, 10-3. A Giants loss would dramatically decrease the chance of a division flag.
But the Giants’ – who’s ‘82 motto could easily have been “Fight, Fight, Fight!” – got off the canvas with yet another late comeback.
With a slim 6-5 lead, diminutive Astros reliever Danny Boone retired Clark on a fly ball to start the 9th. Boone lost Darrell Evans on a walk, but the southpaw managed to retire the dangerous Reggie Smith on an infield pop up.
Jeffrey Leonard kept the game alive with a single to left, advancing Evans to second, before Houston manager Bob Lillis pulled Boone in favor of RHP Dave Smith, who then promptly walked pinch-hitter Jim Wohlford.
With the Johnnie LeMaster next, Robinson curiously turned to the stone-cold Pruitt instead.
Perhaps, because he had not seen live pitching in eons, Pruitt patiently ran the count to 3-1, before he officially became a Giants folk hero.
Giants radio broadcaster Hank Greenwald, succinctly described the victorious play in his indomitable style.
“Bases Loaded, 6-5 Astros Lead, Two- Out Bottom of the Ninth…3-1 Pitch by Smith… A Little Looping Fly Ball Back of Second Base! It’s Gonna Drop for a Base Hit! Evans Scores, Leonard Scores! The Giants Have Won the Ball Game! We’re Back in the Race! Holy Cow!!
The Giants mobbed Pruitt at first base. Even the typically stone -faced Robinson, showed a rare sign of emotion flashing a broad grin, and hugging and shaking hands with the winning player while escorting him back to the dugout.
Pandemonium erupted in the stands and the frenzied throng vociferously beckoned Pruitt out of the dugout for a bow – the new hero twirled his Giants jacket which had seemingly previously melded to his body – before ducking back into the dugout.
With the focus on Pruitt, a delirious fan slipped on to the field and sprinted around the bases as the scoreboard flashed “BRING ON THE DODGERS!” in bold faced caps.
After the hubbub died down, the beat reporters found Robinson behind his clubhouse office desk with a Cheshire Grin.
After suffering through two and a half losing seasons in Cleveland and with his first year a dud in San Francisco in 1981, the Hall of Fame ballplayer was enjoying his first success as a big league manager.
“I don’t want to think about the Dodgers- I want to savor this,” Robinson said. “(Pruitt) is a pretty good hitter. He gets the bat on the ball. It really wasn’t fair of me to put him up in that situation, but I have a lot of confidence in him and he came through.”
The media mob then moved on to the man of the hour. They found Pruitt in a jammed dressing room at his makeshift locker, halved by a clubhouse support pillar.
“I was a little more comfortable than I thought I’d be. He walked the guy before me, so I was going to wait until he threw me strikes,” Pruitt said. “I wouldn’t have swung at the last pitch unless it was a fastball. He gave me one and I didn’t have a good swing, but I got good results.”
Giant Footprint
The next two games vs. the Dodgers turned out to be anticlimactic as Los Angeles completed convincing back-to-back victories over San Francisco to eliminate the Orange & Black.
But the Giants payed the Dodgers back with a nice dish of revenge when then came back late in a Sunday afternoon thriller to stamp out the Dodgers chances of advancing to the playoffs with a 5-3 victory when Joe Morgan bashed a game winning homer.
Unlike, John Cougar Mellencamp who had the no. 1 hit in the country with “Jack and Diane” the night Pruitt came up with his big Giants hit, and continued to score chart toppers, Pruitt days in the big leagues were numbered.
He would appear in only two more MLB games the rest of his career.
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