And that, friends, is that.
In spite of a humiliating loss at home in Game 2 of the series, the Brewers end up winning the 1977 KCS fairly easily.
In game 5, rookie outfielder
Jon Williams, getting all the starts in right field due to the all left-handed rotation of Columbus, homered in the 1st inning off Jim Norris to set the tone for the game. And then Williams proceeded to 3 hits total in 5 at-bats while scoring twice and driving in 3 runs on his way to winning the 1977 KCS MVP honors. All he did was hit was hit .529, scored 5 runs, drive in 3, steal a base, and play very solid defense in right field, including making a spectacular catch on a screaming line drive headed into the corner off the bat of the Whalers lead off hitter to start game 3. Coming off the Brewers crushing defeat in game 2 and in Columbus, many players would point to this play later as one of those quiet turning points in a series that gave a boost to the team when they needed it most.
Sadahige Kawasaki also could easily have been named MVP as he pitched two wonderful starts to go 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA.
Another right-handed batting back-up outfielder also made strong contributions, as
John Flores, having returned to the team early this season in a trade, earned his second championship ring- the other also being as a member of the Brewers in 1974.
Flores was .385/.467/.538 in the series, hitting two doubles and driving in a pair of runs.
And at least one left-handed batter in the Denver lineup didn't seem terribly bothered facing all the super southpaws in the Columbus staff:
Joe McPhillips went .368/.429/.421, hitting one double, scoring 4 times, walking twice, swiping a base, and playing his usual terrific center field defense.
But mostly it was a total team effort. With the exception of the disastrous 7th inning of game 2, the Brewers got good pitching, terrific defense, timely hitting, and even the few lucky breaks that a team needs to take the crown.
Congratulations to our 1977 Denver Brewers, the Champions of the W.P. Kinsella League!