Philadelphia’s Follies: A Watershed of Failure

Thursday will be the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the end for the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies, who wasted a 6 1/2-game lead in the National League with 12 to play.

It began with a steal of home by Cincinnati’s Chico Ruiz in a 1-0 loss to the Reds. “I try to eliminate the surprise for my players,” Phillie Manager Gene Mauch said. “But I can’t prepare for a two-strike steal of home.” One.

--The Reds beat Chris Short, a 17-game winner, 9-2. Two.

--Dennis Bennett lasted six innings in a 6-4 loss to Cincinnati. Three.

--Jim Bunning worked six innings in a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Braves. Four.

--The Braves won, 7-5, in 12 innings. Five.

--Reliever Bobby Shantz gave up a three-run triple to Rico Carty in the eighth and the Braves won, 6-4. Six.

--Bunning worked three innings as Milwaukee won, 14-8. The Phillies wasted Johnny Callison’s three home runs. Seven.

--Short went 5 1/3 innings in a 5-1 loss to St. Louis. Eight.

--Bennett lasted 1 1/3 innings in a 4-2 loss to the Cardinals. St. Louis and Cincinnati were tied for first. Nine.

--Against the Cardinals, Bunning lasted three innings, giving up eight hits and six runs. The Phillies were 2 1/2 behind St. Louis with two to play. 10.

Short and Bunning beat Cincinnati in the last two games, but the Cardinals held on to win the pennant by a game.

Fitchburg State update: The Falcons lost their 33rd in a row, 41-0, to Plymouth State Saturday.

Trivia time: What National Basketball Assn. team used its bench the least last season?

No fall madness: Perhaps major league hitters felt they had earned a Sunday off, or were entranced by Week 2 of the National Football League. Some scores from Sunday: Seattle Mariners 3, New York Yankees 0; Kansas City Royals 7, Baltimore Orioles 0; Montreal Expos 1, New York Mets 0; Houston Astros 1, Cincinnati 0; Pittsburgh Pirates 2, Chicago Cubs 0, and St. Louis Cardinals 2, Philadelphia Phillies 0.

Trivia answer: The Dallas Mavericks, whose reserves averaged a total of 69.4 playing minutes. Next were the Cleveland Cavaliers (77.5) and the Lakers (81.0).

Quotebook: Former heavyweight champion turned singer Joe Frazier on the music business: “I think it’s a lot of work. Fighting’s a little different.”