PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #121
1977 Baltimore Orioles (97-64) vs 1959 New York Yankees (79-75)
Earl Weaver and the 1977 Baltimore Orioles won 77 games but had nothing to show for it as the Yankees took the crown. Even still this club during the 1970's was a force of baseball excellence that typified the decade as a whole. Weaver went with a 4 man rotation and it was Baltimore pitching that was the cornerstone of these great teams. Jim Palmer may have had the smoothest delivery in history and he showed it going 20-11 with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.135 WHIP over 319 innings. Lefty Rudy May won 18 games with a 3.61 ERA but allowed 25 home runs and was lucky at times. Mike Flanagan was 15-10 with a 3.33 FIP and Ross Grimsley with a 3.96 ERA but average more walks then strikeouts per nine. Twenty three year old Dennis Martinez was a revelation and went 14-7 in 13 starts with 4 saves and a bushel of potential. In the pen Tippy Martinez was establishing himself as a good pen arm with 9 saves and a 2.70 ERA while another 23 year old, Scott McGregor was inconsistent but also pitched in with four seaves. Weaver had a small circle of arms that he really thrusted, and that was fine because they were effective and durable. Speaking of young talent, a 21 year old with a sweet switch hitting swing emerged in Eddie Murray. Murray was mostly the DH hitting 27 home runs with 88 RBI and an .803 OPS. Ken Singleton drove in 99 runs to tie for the team lead with Lee May as both combined for over 50 home runs but it was Singleton who hit .328 to stamp his great campaign. Al Bumbry played center and stole 19 bases with 31 doubles an a .317 average in 133 games. Pat Kelly was even better at stealing with 25 and had 10 home runs and 50 runs scored in 110 games. Doud Decinces tried to make Baltimore forget about Brooks Robinson and he wasnt all that bad hitting 19 home runs with a .772 OPS and some steady glove work. Billy Smith was the very light hitting second baseman hitting .215 while the veteran Mark Belanger could still show off some defensive magic at 33 but his bat wass all but gone hitting .206 with a .286 OBP. Rick Dempsey wasnt much of a hitter either but was a very good defensive catcher and the pitchers just loved the way he called games and went about his business. Andres Mora hit 13 home runs off the bench which Rich Dauer saw work as well as mostly a pinch hitter but overall did not merit many starts. The Orioles were a perfect team for their manager and their era but in some regards wasnt the best team in regards to a series format. No doubt Weaver will have them ready to play, and a clash with Casey Stengel should provide few if any dull moments.
A rare but significant pause in dominance for the 1959 Yankees who somehow finished 3rd only 4 games over .500 after winning the pennant in almost every season since 1936. Yankee pitching took a step back in the season showing a 3.60 ERA with some real uncertainty behind ace Whitey Ford. Ford was still the games best big game arm and should be a huge asset in this series. He went 16-10 with a 3.02 ERA striking out 114 and even saving 2 games when he was really needed. Art Ditmer was a meticulous worker on the mound going 13-9 with a 2.90 ERA and the only other pitcher to throw over 200 innings. Duke Mass won 14 games in 21 starts but like most of the Yankee arms spent some ugly innings out of the pen that saw his FIP reach 4.09. More was hoped from Bob Turley who went 8-11 with a with a 4.32 ERA and he did not miss many bats at all. Don Larsen at 29 years old just couldn't go from good to great making 18 starts with a 4.33 and no perfect games. Despite some shaky starts, the Yankees pen was very strong in general as Ryan Duren had 14 saves and Bobby Shanz had an ERA of 2.28. Jim Coates was 6-1 with a 2.87 ERA and was another piece Stengel could use as he really used everybody in any and all game situations. Yogi Berra was getting up in age but still was mostly the everyday catcher even as his MVP days were past him with a .284 average and 19 home runs. Bill Skowron at first was big and strong even if his 15 homers underwhelm in only 74 games. Marv Thorneberry actually played more games then Skow due to injuries. Bobby Richardson hit .301 from second and was one of Casey's smartest and favorite players while teaming up well with Tony Kubek as each man was 23 years old and seemed to have a 6th sense on the diamond. Hector Lopez seemed to be the man at third hitting .283 with 16 RBI but Gil McDougald was still the more famous man at third but his 85 OPS+ was a big reason why he usually played only in relief. Hank Bauer as 36 years old and well past his prime in right hitting .238 with only 9 home runs and a .682 OPS. In left was Norm Siebern and was nothing special hitting .271 with 53 RBI and not a long term answer; even 43 year old Enos Slaughter saw some at bats in the corner outfield spot. Finally there was the Mick, who had a great season by all accounts but not a Mantle season that many would have expected. Mick hit .285 with 31 home runs that seemed far from his best at 27 years old. He still stole 21 bases and walked 93 times but eh struck out 123 times and produced only 278 total bases. The performance by Mantle was a big reason why this New York team wasn't its usual self. Elston Howard was used alot and was a great help off the bench with his power and bat speed. Howard hit 18 home runs with 73 driven in and surely Stengel will find a role for him. Clete Boyer was another young name to keep an eye on. So who would really bet against these Yankees in this series even if the Orioles were at their 97 win best? It should be a great series to follow with a long list of legends and storybooks.
Game 1 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 55
1959 Yankees....................2
1977 Orioles......................7
WP: M. Flanagan (1-0) LP: A. Ditmar (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Mike Flanagan
1977 Orioles lead series 1-0
Earl Weaver went with Mike Flanagan to many people surprise as the game one starter and the move paid off nicely. Flanagan went the full 9 innings throwing 131 pitches and not running into trouble until the ninth for the win. Baltimore opened up a big lead scoring 5 times in the bottom of the first as Ken Singleton drove in two and Eddie Murray another. The mighty Yanks were held to six hits and now face the prospect of Jim Palmer in game 2, which is just the way Earl planned it.
Game 2 At Memorial Stadium
Partly cloudy 51
1959 Yankees.................3
1977 Orioles...................0
WP: W. Ford (1-0) LP: J. Palmer (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Whitey Ford
Series tied at 1
The chairman of the board, Whitey Ford, made sure that the Yankees returned to New York even. Ford threw a nine inning shutout proving his reputation of a big game pitcher striking out four and beating Jim Palmer. Marv Thornberry had the big hit of the night driving in two.
Game 3 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 53
1977 Orioles.................11
1959 Yankees................5
WP: R. Grimsley Jr (1-0) LP: D. Maas (0-1)
HR: K. Singleton (1), E. Murray (1)
POG: Eddie Murray
1977 Orioles lead series 2-1
Ken Singleton homered with a man on in the first inning and the Orioles scored 10 runs in the first four innings to bet the Yankees thoroughly. Eddie Murray was 2-5 with 4 RBI thanks to a three run home run he hit in the fourth and a bases clearing double in the second. The Oriole pen pitched well after Dennis Martinez allowed 5 runs in 2 innings.
Game 4 At Yankee Stadium
Partly cloudy 51
1977 Orioles..................9
1959 Yankees................4
WP: S. McGregor (1-0) LP: R. Duren (0-1)
HR: D. Decinces (1)
POG: Doug Decinces
1977 Orioles lead series 3-1
The Orioles came roaring back in game four and a three run home run by Doug Decinces in the top of the ninth broke the backs of the Yankees and put Baltimore in complete control. New York had a 4-2 lead in the 7th with Bob Turley vying for the win. The Orioles scratched runs back in the 7th and 8th as Pat Kelly scored twice and Ken Singleton went 4-5. It was Decinces however that will be giving Yankee fans nightmares for his homer to left.
Game 5 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 51
1977 Orioles...................0
1959 Yankees.................2
WP: A. Ditmar (1-1) LP: M. Flanagan (1-1)
HR: E. Howard (1)
POG: Art Ditmar
1977 Orioles lead series 3-2
Another masterfully pitched game by a Yankee starter to keep the Bronx club alive in this series. Art Ditmar refused to give up the baseball or have his team bow out of the series throwing a 2 hit shutout and receiving a standing ovation by the Yankee faithful. Ditmar only walked one while striking out six and was hitting Yogi Berra's glove wherever he put it. Elston Howard hit a home run as New York put up the only two runs of the game in the 6th inning, to spoil a very good effort from Mike Flanagan. The Orioles will now try to wrap it up at home as Jim Palmer will face Whitey Ford again.
Game 6 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 58
1959 Yankees...............0
1977 Orioles.................1 (13 inn)
WP: J. Palmer (1-1) LP: R. Duren (0-2)
HR: K. Singleton (2)
POG: Jim Palmer
In a matchup for the ages between two hall of famers, the Orioles found a way to end the series. Jim Palmer and Whitey Ford gave us a night we will not soon forget and one this competition wont forget. The two aces pitched a scoreless batting into extra innings refusing to relent. Finally in the 12th Ford was lifted and the move cost Stengel as Ken Singleton homered to right field off Ryan Duren to end the series. Palmer went 13 innings allowing no runs, striking out six, walking sox, and throwing 159 pitches.
1977 Baltimore Orioles Win Series 4 Games To 2
Series MVP:
Jim Palmer
(1-1, 22 IP, 2 ER, 0.82 ERA, 10 BB, 12 K, 13 inning shutout game 6)