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There's no forgetting that 1980 feeling

1980: The image lives on, as indelible as the man who created it. Tug McGraw, standing on the stage at old JFK Stadium, holding up that newspaper - the one that proved his team, the Phillies, had actually won a World Series, in real life - pointing it toward the heavens, and telling his 100,000 euphoric witnesses: "All through baseball history, Philadelphia has had to take a back seat to New York City. Well, New York can take this world championship and stick it, 'cause we're No. 1."

1980:

The image lives on, as indelible as the man who created it. Tug McGraw, standing on the stage at old JFK Stadium, holding up that newspaper - the one that proved his team, the Phillies, had actually won a World Series, in real life - pointing it toward the heavens, and telling his 100,000 euphoric witnesses: "All through baseball history, Philadelphia has had to take a back seat to New York City. Well, New York can take this world championship and stick it, 'cause we're No. 1."

There is another image that never fades, too. How could it? Tug McGraw, blowing one by Willie Wilson for the franchise's only World Series championship, then dancing in the night until Mike Schmidt arrived to leap into his arms. That pitch came two weeks after he completed one of the most spectacular second-half streaks by any Phillies pitcher in modern times - 521/3 innings pitched, just three earned runs allowed, after the Tugger came off the disabled list in July. Without that streak, there would have been no pitch to Willie Wilson. There would have been no moment in JFK Stadium.

So all these years later, we remember the images. But we should never forget the three months of brilliance that made them possible. And we should never forget the man himself.

2008: It's impossible to envision these Phillies in this position without the trade for Brad Lidge. The team has had a history of finding better-than-average closers - McGraw, Al Holland, Steve Bedrosian, Mitch Williams, Ricky Bottalico, Jose Mesa, Billy Wagner - but Lidge's perfect save season was beyond anyone's expectations. Lidge got in a few jams, particularly at season's end when teams were laying off his slider, but invariably worked out of them.

Remembering 1980

Average price of a gallon of gas:

$1.27.

Phillies' record: 91-71, World Series champions.

Phillies' attendance: 2,651,650.

Phillies' first-round pick: Lebo Powell, C.

Remember this? Post-It Notes are introduced by 3M. (Would've been on the market sooner, but designer forgot where he left the prototype.)