PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #2
1916 Chicago Cubs (67-86) vs 1972 Milwaukee Brewers (65-91)
From two winning teams we go to two teams with wins in the 60's for series two. The 1916 Chicago Cubs are lead by Joe Tinker playing in their state of the art new ballfield, Weeghmam Park. Lefty Hippo Vaugh leads a good Chicago pitching staff that had a 2.65 ERA and kept games close. The Cubs hitting was where the muscle was lacking scoring only 520 runs and not a man over .300. It was a team in between eras for Chicago and Tinker will have his hands full in generating runs in this series.
The opponent is the 1972 Milwaukee Brewers who also in these early days lacked some offensive punch of their own. George Scott and John Briggs each hit over 20 home runs put this club scored a paltry 493 runs on the season, even less then the Cubbies. Jim Lonborg won 14 games and completed 11. Bill Parsons also started 30 games but allowed 27 home runs on the season. Look for this matchup to be a series with a lack of offense, strategy and situational baseball may be the key to victory for these clubs at close proximity but very different eras.
Game 1 At Weegham Park
1916 Cubs..............0
1972 Brewers.........2
Game one to the Brewers and Jim Lonborg who goes the distance and allowed no runs on seven hits and two strikeouts. Briggs and May drive in the only runs against the Cubs and Hippo Vaugh, but the shutout stands in the opening game.
Game 2 At Weegham Park
1916 Cubs............4
1972 Brewers.......0
The Cubs turn the tables of game one and throw a shutout of their own to even the series. This time the master on the hill was George McConnell who did allow 9 hits but struck out seven and didnt walk a man. Gary Reyson was good for the Brewers but Vic Saier had two doubles and were able to touch him up for four runs.
Game 3 At County Stadium
1972 Brewers..................3
1916 Cubs.......................4
Tempers flared at County Stadium and in the 2nd inning, Cubs second baseman Alex McCarthy started a bench clearing ball after he was hit by a pitch from Bill Parsons. The Cubs play outschool baseball, and the intensity of the series is high. Frank Schulte hit a two run home run off Parsons before he departed and the Cubs held off the home Brewers to take the advantage in the series. The Brewers hit into 4 double plays in this one.
Game 4 At County Stadium
1972 Brewers...............2
1916 Cubs...................1 (10 inn)
Replacement second baseman Rollie Zeider misplayed an easy double play ball in the 10th inning allowing the winning run to score in what was a tight contest. Hippo Vaughn and Jon Lonborg battled for the full 10 innings each allowing only one earned run. The series now is all even and becomes a best of three as the teams wrap up action at County Stadium.
Game 5 At County Stadium
1972 Brewers..............2
1916 Cubs...................8 (10 inn)
The Cubs score 6 runs in the 10th inning to pull away from the Brewers and head back home with a 3-2 series lead. Cy Williams and pinch hitter Les Man both had two run doubles in the extra frame as reliever Ken Brett was hit hard. Cubs starter George McConnell won his second game of the series and the Cubs now look to avoid a game seven by closing it out at home in game 6.
Game 6 At Weegham Park
1916 Cubs...................6
1972 Brewers..............4
Claude Hendrix battles through nine innings and watches his team fight back from a three run deficit to win the game and take the series. Frank Schulte hammered a two run double to tie the game at 4 in the third inning. Alex McCarthy, got ultimate revenge against Bill Parsons when his RBI single in the 5th gave the Cubs the lead for good. Old era ball celebrate as they have a point to prove that their style is better or as good as any.
1916 Chicago Cubs win series 4-2
Series MVP:
George McConnell (19 IP, 2-0, 0.95 ERA, 0 BB, 13 K)
Noteworthy - Jim Lonborg of the 1972 Brewers pitched 19 innings of shutout baseball in his two starts.