Do You Remember Phillies’ Reliever Lerrin LaGrow?

He was one of several relievers — or “closers” — who joined the Phillies after making a name elsewhere but never regained their former status in Philadelphia. In the late 1970s, 1980s and beyond, the Phils had a handful of short-tenure closers who arrived with promise but left quietly.

Fittingly, the Phillies are once again searching for a closer, whether from their current roster or via trade. Designated closer Jordan Romano hasn’t been the answer — a situation reminiscent of past experiments.

In this week’s Yesterday column — a look back at sports and pop culture from the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s and sometimes before or beyond — we revisit some of the Phils’ former closers, both memorable and forgettable.

And for your trivia thoughts:

• What promising former Phillies left-handed closer won a Cy Young?

• What was the show that followed the daughter of a famous TV witch?

• What Saturday sports staple debuted this week in 1961?

• What country comedy featured Lulu?

• Who was wrestling’s “American Dream”?

• And besides Doug Bird, what ’90s Phillies reliever had a last name that’s also a kind of bird?

Read on for the answers…

Slowly Closing the Door ... LaGrow joined the Phillies as a free agent in 1980. He wasn’t expected to replace Tug McGraw, but was considered a possible right-handed complement, as Ron Reed was being used more as a spot starter and long reliever.

LaGrow appeared in 25 games, going 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA and three saves. He didn’t match the intensity of his White Sox days and was released at season’s end.

Rawly Eastwick, a standout closer with the “Big Red Machine” and 1974 NL Fireman of the Year, joined the Phillies via trade from the Yankees in 1978. But he wasn’t the same pitcher. In two seasons, he went 5-7 with a 4.61 ERA and just six saves in 33 games. Eastwick was released before the 1980 season, essentially replaced by LaGrow.

Doug Bird, who saved 58 games over six seasons with the Royals, was acquired before the 1979 season in a trade for infielder Todd Cruz. Bird went 2-0 with a 5.16 ERA in 32 games (one start, one save), then was also released before 1980.

Tom “Flash” Gordon joined the Phillies at age 38 in 2006. He posted a 3-4 record, 3.34 ERA, and 34 saves in 59 games. However, age caught up with him, and he managed only eight saves and a combined ERA near 5.00 over the next two seasons. He became a free agent and finished his career in 2009 with Arizona (not 2008 as sometimes reported).

José Mesa, second on the Phillies’ all-time saves list (112), signed as a free agent in 2001 (not 2002). After standout seasons with 42 and 45 saves in 2001 and 2002 (ERAs of 2.34 and 2.97), he dropped to 24 saves and a 6.52 ERA in 2003 and was released. He returned to Philly in 2007 and posted a 5.54 ERA with one save.

A Fallen Ex-Phillie ... Left-handed reliever Mark Davis, the Phillies’ top pick in 1979, was dealt to the Giants in 1982 with Mike Krukow for Al Holland and Joe Morgan.

Davis won the 1989 NL Cy Young Award with the Padres after going 4-3 with a 1.85 ERA and 44 saves. It proved to be his peak. Over his next six seasons, he recorded only 15 saves. He returned to the Phillies in 1993, going 1-2 with a 5.17 ERA in 33 games before being released in July.

A New Wide World ... On April 29, 1961, ABC debuted Wide World of Sports, a pioneering program that featured non-traditional sports like cliff diving, barrel jumping, demolition derbies, and track and field.

Jim McKay served as the beloved longtime host, with Bill Flemming a frequent contributor. The show nearly ended after its first season, but was saved by high ratings from a 1962 USA-Russia track meet. It later broadcast the first televised Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500, becoming a Saturday afternoon staple until 1998.

Another TV Witch ... Remember Tabitha? The show was a spinoff of Bewitched, focusing on the grown-up daughter of Samantha Stephens. The short-lived 1977 series starred Lisa Hartman (not Hartman Black until after her marriage), not the daughter of David Hartman.

Tabitha worked at a Los Angeles TV station and was joined by her brother Adam from the original series. Characters like Dr. Bombay and Mrs. Kravitz made cameo appearances. The show aired 11 episodes before being canceled.

Another Classic Game ... In 1970, Hasbro released the Charlie Brown All-Stars Baseball Board Game. The dice-based game let players build lineups and simulate classic baseball actions. Special thanks to fellow writer Rod Heckman, who still has the game — and many other classics — in his collection.

LuLu, BR-549 ... How many remember Hee Haw, the long-running country comedy that aired from 1969 to 1992, set in fictional “Kornfield Kounty”?

One of its standout stars was LuLu Roman, who often appeared alongside Junior Samples, known for his comic used-car ads with the number BR-549. Roman passed away recently at age 78.

Wrestling’s “American Dream” ... Do you remember “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes?

Born Virgil Runnels in 1945, Rhodes played football and baseball at West Texas A&M before a brief pro football career in the Continental Football League. He began wrestling in 1967, later becoming a star in the NWA, WWWF, WCW, and ECW.

He teamed with stars like Andre the Giant and Dick Murdoch, and famously battled Bob Backlund and Superstar Billy Graham for the WWWF heavyweight title. Rhodes finished with a 2,779-1,002 record (332 draws) in 4,113 matches.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 by his sons, Dustin and Cody Rhodes, both current wrestlers. Dusty Rhodes died in 2015 at age 69 due to kidney failure.

Memory Lane ... Do you remember Jeff Parrett? The reliever pitched for the Phillies from 1989-90 and again in 1996. Acquired from Montreal with Floyd Youmans for Kevin Gross in 1988, Parrett went 12-6 with a 2.98 ERA in 72 games in 1989. He dipped to 5-10 in 1990 and was traded to Atlanta for Dale Murphy and Tommy Greene.

Parrett returned in 1996 and went 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 24 games. He played for six teams over 10 seasons, finishing 56-43 with a 3.80 ERA and 72 saves in 491 appearances.

Have a memory or thought? Email your responses and memories to: tnsports@tnonline.com — your comments may appear in a future column.