THE GRINDER: THE DRAWING OF THE EIGHT
Already drawn: 1965 Dodgers (Bracket A champion); 1967 Cardinals (Bracket B champion)
BRACKET C
Old-timers
(4) 1934 Cardinals (95-58) vs. (1) 1927 Yankees (110-44)
(3) 1954 Giants (97-57) vs. (2) 1968 Tigers (103-59)
Modern timers
(4) 1985 Royals (91-71) vs. (1) 1978 Yankees (100-63)
(3) 90 Athletics (103-59) vs. (2) 2004 Red Sox (98-64)
OLD-TIMER BRACKET
(4) 1934 Cardinals vs. (1) 1927 Yankees (Best of 5)
The 1927 Yankees won this series, 3 games to 2
Game 1 (at NYC): Cardinals 4, Yankees 2 — STL C Bill Delancey’s 2-run homer in 8th snaps 2-2 tie; Dizzy Dean 14 Ks
Game 2 (at NYC): Yankees 3, Cardinals 1 — Yankees SP George Pipgras 2-hitter over 8 innings; Yanks score 3 in 2nd inning
Game 3 (at STL): Cardinals 9, Yankees 1 — Cardinals get 13 hits, including a grand slam HR by Delancey; Paul Dean 14 Ks
Game 4 (at STL): Yankees 4, Cardinals 1 — Lou Gehrig goes 3-for-4 with a 2-run HR; SP Waite Hoyt 4-hitter
Game 5 (at NYC): Yankees 5, Cardinals 3 — Bob Meusel 3-run double in Bot. 9th saves Yanks from elimination
NOTES: If Murderers’ Row was a world famous rock and roll band, this series would have been one lame concert. Iconic Hall of Famers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig EACH struck out 9 times in the five games and rarely came through in the clutch. Somehow, Gehrig (6-for-20, 2 HR, 4 RBIs) earned Series MVP honors, but he didn’t deserve it near as much as LF Bob Meusel did. Meusel hit .368 (7-for-19) and drove in 5 runs, including 3 with a bases-clearing double with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 5 to rescue the top-seeded Yanks. Then again, the 1934 Cardinals weren’t an easy draw. They’re pretty intimidating in their own right. Pitchers Dizzy and Paul Dean were spectacular, each with 14 Ks in his first start of the series. Dizzy Dean struck out 9 in 7.1 innings of Game 5 and should have won if only RP Flint Rhem held it. STL C Bill Delancey had 2 homers and 6 RBIs in the series … LF Joe Medwick went 6-for-18 with 4 RBIs and 1B Ripper Collins had a HR and drove in 5 more runs for the Gashouse Gang … Babe Ruth hit .176 (3-for-17) with 1 HR and 1 RBI. He hit a solo bomb in the 7th inning of Game 3 with the Yanks already losing 9-0. “There ya go, kids, now scram, will ya?”
(3) 1954 Giants vs. (2) 1968 Tigers (Best of 5)
The 1954 Giants swept this series, 3 games to 0
Game 1 (at DET): Giants 5, Tigers 4 — NYG C Ray Katt’s 2-run HR in 4th snaps 2-2 tie; RP Hoyt Wilhelm holds off late Tigers rally
Game 2 (at DET): Giants 6, Tigers 3 — SS Alvin Dark hits 2nd HR in as many games as Giants build 6-0 lead
Game 3 (at NYG): Giants 13, Tigers 2 — Party at the Polo Grounds as Giants leave Tigers in the dust.
NOTES: The 1968 Tigers put up a real fight in Game 1 and spent the other two games going down like a doomed torture victim. Game 3 was a total romp. Willie Mays blasted 2 HRs. Ray Katt, the catcher, had two triples. All told, it was an impressive display of prowess for a team that did similar work to the 1954 Indians in that real-life World Series. Mays got the Series MVP award: 6-for-11, 2 HR, 4 RBIs. The Giants out-homered the Tigers 7 to 1 in the three games. Giants pitchers Johnny Antonelli, Sal Maglie and Ruben Gomez all notched wins.
Murderers’ Row awaits Willie Mays and the 1954 Giants in the Bracket B semifinals.
MODERN TIMER BRACKET
(4) 1985 Royals vs. (1) 1978 Yankees (Best of 5)
The 1978 Yankees swept this series, 3 games to 0
Game 1 (at NYC): Yankees 4, Royals 2 — SP Ron Guidry 7.2 IP, 2 BB, 14 K; Royals 1B Steve Balboni solo HR
Game 2 (at NYC): Yankees 7, Royals 3 — RF Reggie Jackson 3-for-4 with 2 HRs, a double, 2 runs and 3 RBIs
Game 3 (at KC): Yankees 4, Royals 0 — SP Jim Beattie and RP Sparky Lyle combine on 3-hit shutout
NOTES: The 1978 Yankees demonstrated how a No. 1 seed is supposed to handle its first-round foe. Then again, the 1985 Royals (much as I love ‘em) are not the 1934 Cardinals. Steinbrenner’s gang swept KC aside with ease. In fact, the Royals held just one lead (1-0 in Gm. 2) and only for an inning at that. OF Reggie Jackson gets Series MVP honors for going 4-for-12 with 2 HR and 4 RBIs in the short series. SS Bucky Dent went 7-for-10 but didn’t drive in any runs. LF Lou Piniella went 5-for-12 with 4 RBIs.
(3) 1990 Athletics vs. (2) 2004 Red Sox (Best of 5)
The 2004 Red Sox won this series, 3 games to 1
Game 1 (at BOS): Athletics 5, Red Sox 3 (10) — Stan Javier’s 2-run triple in 10th inning lifts Athletics; Eck gets win.
Game 2 (at BOS): Red Sox 14, Athletics 4 — Red Sox explode for 7 runs in 1st after going down 3-0 and cruise on.
Game 3 (at OAK): Red Sox 19, Athletics 2 — Another total rout. David Ortiz 3-for-5, 2 HR, 4 runs, 8 RBIs!
Game 4 (at OAK): Red Sox 15, Athletics 4 — Oh for crying out loud!
NOTES: The Tony LaRussa Athletics had made the BoSox their whipping boys in 4-game ALCS sweeps in 1988 and 1990 — which might account for the mojo the Curse Killers displayed in this series, outscoring the A’s 48-10 over the last three games. The 2004 Red Sox were the real “murderers’ row” of this round. It was like something snapped. The A’s won a tense Game 1 in extra innings, then took a quick 3-0 lead in Game 2. Then the Sox snapped, erupting for 7 runs in the bottom of the 1st and never letting up until the A’s were eliminated. Series MVP was SS Orlando Cabrera (8-for-17, 3 HR, 6 RBIs) but his selection was arbitrary. The Sox crushed 10 HRs in the series and seven different players had at least 5 RBIs — led by Big Papi (Ortiz) with 9.
The 1990 Athletics met the REAL “Bash Brothers” in Bracket C.
Ok, Curse Killers. Whatcha gonna do about this? 10.02.78
