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Nick Soulis · 05-31-2022, 12:22 PM

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #122
1961 Boston Red Sox (76-86) vs 2007 Cincinnati Reds (72-90)

One year removed from the retirement of Ted Williams, the 1961 Red Sox looked to groom some new superstars and compete but the season overall would be a subpar 76 win effort. The new young star in left field was 21 year old Carl Yastrzemski who had a sweet swing amd hit .266 with 80 RBI and 31 doubles, he seemed to be getting better with every game played. In center field was Gary Geiger who managed 18 home runs but hit only .232 but did have some speed stealing 16 bases, Jackie Jensen at 34 years old was filling in in right field with a .742 OPS and 66 driven in. Frank Malzone at the hot corner drove in 87 runs with 14 home runs but for the overall profile of Boston hitters, good but not great. Pete Runnels was a good line drive hitter at first hitting .317 but had no lift in the swing going deep only three times where as catcher Jim Pagliaroni want deep 16 times, great for a catcher, but hit only .242. Chuck Schilling was a n average at best player at second with 5 homers and 62 driven in and at short Dom Buddin had an OBP of .394 mostly by walking 74 times but he missed close to 40 games. Vic Wertz was a stronger pinch hitter driving in 60 runs and the most common extra outfielder was Carroll Hardy who hit .263 in limited duty with 20 doubles. The offense really should have produced more at Fenway Park, but the lineup was still one in rebuild and transition. Mike Fornieles did his best to establish himself as the team closer with 19 saves but his 4.68 ERA was not pretty. The best arm in the pen was 33 year old Dave Hillman who ended with a 2.77 ERA but his FIP was much higher. In the rotation, Bill Monbouquette wen 14-14 with a 3.39 and was the only arm to throw over 200 innings. Gene Conley lost 14 games and struggled with a 4.91 ERA and a big lack of confidence or control. Don Schall went 15-7 with a 3.22 ERA but had to work around 5.5 BB per nine however he did a great job keeping the ball in the yard. Ike Delock made 28 starts but was a similar profile to Conley allowing 24 home runs and a WHIP over 1.5. Names like Tracy Stallard Galen Cisco were extras that fillwed in on a very thin and unimpressive pitching staff. The Red Sox were fortunate with the draw against a 90 loss team, but the series should see its share of longballs and offense especially with the two hitters parks involved.

Some real power in the lineup for the Reds but much like the Red Sox, their pitching really was lost and ineffective as they struggled through the 2007 season. Aaron Harang was the only positive sign coming out of the entire staff as he lead the team in WAR and managed to go 16-6 with a 1.14 WHIP and 144 ERA+; he was legitimately good. The team as a whole had a 4.94 ERA which tells you what direction the rest of the staff went in. Bronson Arroyo was 9-15 with a 4.57 FIP but in truth had some really bad luck in batted ball rates pointing that he was better then his numbers. Matt Belisle was just plain bad anyway you look at him in 30 starts with a 5.32 ERA and 26 home runs allowed in just over 170 innings. Kyle Lohse played his role of journeyman well enough to get 21 starts but his 4.58 ERA makes you wonder if he earned it. Bobby Livingstone was the only other player with double digit starts but the 24 year old was not long for the big leagues. The Cincy pen was also hard to watch but big Davis Weathers did close out 33 games with only 4 home runs allowed. Mike Stanton and the rest of the pen however, were all over the place. Jared Burton was the closest thing to a setup man the club had by the end of the season. A lineup of Griffey, Hamilton, and Dunn would put the fear into any opposing pitcher. Griffey at 36 years old still hit 30 home runs and drove in 93 in what was really his last good season. Josh Hamilton was an incredible talent and at 26 years old played in 90 games at center slugging .554 with 19 home runs and a 131 OPS+. Adam Dunn had some of the rawest power and best on base skills of anyone in the game at the time hitting 40 homers with 106 driven in and a .386 OBP inducing 101 walks. Brando Phillips at 26 years old struck out over 100 times but brought a great glove to the defense at second and also stole 32 bases to ignite the offense. Edwin Encarnacion on the other hand was raw at third base and his bat tried to make up for it with a .289 average and 42 extra base hits, Alex Gonzalez was better then you may remember at the plate hitting .272 with 16 home runs and 27 doubles. David Ross was more of a defensive asset then his hitting skills, Rossy of course had a leader mentality but only hit .203 at the dish. Scott Hattenberg or Moneyball fame, had a .394 OBP with a 120 OPS+ making him a valuable piece to a power lineup. Ryan Freel and Jeff Conine were two known names helping the club off the bench, Conine was 41 years old but still hit .276 and played some key innings for the team. The Reds could really hit and pile up the numbers including 204 home runs which should scare Boston a bit. Still the Reds pitching and some old legs on defense should be of equal concern in what could be an exciting offensive series.

Game 1 At Fenway Park
63 Clear
2007 Reds.........................4
1961 Red Sox................... 5 (13 inn)
WP: T. Stallard (1-0) LP: B. Bray (0-1)
HR: A. Gonzalez (1)
POG: Bill Monbouquette
1961 Red Sox lead series 1-0
Carl Yastrzemski drilled a walk off double in the 13th inning to give the Red Sox first blood in this series. The Reds looked good behind Aaron Harang leading 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth. Yaz came up with the big hit again tying the game with a 2 run double and ending the game 4-6 with 3 RBI. David Weathers blew the save abd as was the worry before the series, the Reds pen just cant be trusted. Bob Monbouquette struck out 13 in his start.

Game 2 at Fenway Park
Clear 59
2007 Reds.....................4
1961 Red Sox...............10
WP: D.Schwall (1-0) LP: B. Arroyo (0-1)
HR: J. Pagliaroni (1)
POG: Jim Pagliaroni
1961 Red Sox lead series 2-0
Catcher Jim Pagliaroni hit a towering grand slam in the third inning over the green monster and the Red Sox plated 5 runs in the frame. The Red Sox would have 13 hits and Bronson Arroyo had a short evening as the home side took its second game. Frank Malzone had three hits of his own and 2 RBI while Don Schwall gets the win striking out six and walking six working into the 6th inning. The Reds need a change of fortune heading home.

Game 3 At Great American Ballpark
Clear 63
1961 Red Sox................4
2007 Reds.....................9
WP: M. Belisme (1-0) LP: G. Conley (0-1)
HR: A. Dunn (2), J. Valentin (1), P. Green (1)
POG: Adam Dunn
1961 Red Sox lead series 2-1
Adam Dunn slammed a three run home run in the 5th inning and ended with two tape measure shots and 4 RBI as the Reds jumped back in the series with a 5 run win. The Dunn homer came with Boston up a run but in the end the home side doubled up the visitors in hits and Matt Belisle pitched well enough to get the win.

Game 4 At Great American Ballpark
Clear 56
1961 Red Sox................2
2007 Reds.....................5
WP: B. Livingston (1-0) LP: I. Delock (0-1) S: D. Weathers (2)
HR: J. Pagliaroni (1), J. Hamilton (1), A. Dunn (3)
POG: Bobby Livingston
Series tied at 2
After falling behind 2-0, the Reds made a committed comeback and are able to the the series at home. Bobby Livingston goes 6 innings for the win striking out 5 and allowing two runs. Adam Dunn hit his third home run in two games and David Weathers closed his second game in a row recovering after his difficult start to the series.

Game 5 At Great American Ballpark
Partly cloudy 52
1961 Red Sox....................3
2007 Reds.........................4
WP: J. Burton (1-0) LP: B. Monbouquette (0-1) K. Lohse (1)
HR: G. Geiger (1), B. Phillips (1)
POG: Aaron Harang
2007 Reds lead series 3-2
Brandon Phillips may have hit the biggest home run of the series when he took Bill Monbouquette deep with a man on in the 8th inning to give the Reds the lead. With closer David Weathers unavailable, it was Kyle Lohse who closed out the ninth inning and gave the win to starter Aaron Harang. Harang went seven innings strong striking out 8 and walking only one. The Reds sweep all three games and home and in everyway have completely turned the series around.

Game 6 At Fenway Park
Partly cloudy 43
2007 Reds.......................3
1961 Red Sox..................0
WP: B. Arroyo (1-1) LP: D. Schwall (1-1) S: D. Weathers (2)
HR: K. Griffey Jr (1), A. Dunn (4)
POG: Bronson Arroyo
Bronson Arroyo put a bow on the series for the Reds completely shutting down the Red Sox and guiding his team two a 3-0 win, making it four wins in a row. Arroyo walked none and struck out 5 while limiting Boston to only 4 hits in what was a dominant effort. Adam Dunn hit his fourth home run of the series and Ken Griffey his first as the three runs scored were more then enough. A great turnaround for Cincinnati who looked a bit lost after two games, but now enjoy the celebration of success.

2007 Cincinnati Reds Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:
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Adam Dunn
(.280, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R, .760 SLG)

05-31-2022, 12:22 PM	#16
Nick Soulis Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 4,327	Series #122 PRELIMINARY ROUND Series #122 1961 Boston Red Sox (76-86) vs 2007 Cincinnati Reds (72-90) One year removed from the retirement of Ted Williams, the 1961 Red Sox looked to groom some new superstars and compete but the season overall would be a subpar 76 win effort. The new young star in left field was 21 year old Carl Yastrzemski who had a sweet swing amd hit .266 with 80 RBI and 31 doubles, he seemed to be getting better with every game played. In center field was Gary Geiger who managed 18 home runs but hit only .232 but did have some speed stealing 16 bases, Jackie Jensen at 34 years old was filling in in right field with a .742 OPS and 66 driven in. Frank Malzone at the hot corner drove in 87 runs with 14 home runs but for the overall profile of Boston hitters, good but not great. Pete Runnels was a good line drive hitter at first hitting .317 but had no lift in the swing going deep only three times where as catcher Jim Pagliaroni want deep 16 times, great for a catcher, but hit only .242. Chuck Schilling was a n average at best player at second with 5 homers and 62 driven in and at short Dom Buddin had an OBP of .394 mostly by walking 74 times but he missed close to 40 games. Vic Wertz was a stronger pinch hitter driving in 60 runs and the most common extra outfielder was Carroll Hardy who hit .263 in limited duty with 20 doubles. The offense really should have produced more at Fenway Park, but the lineup was still one in rebuild and transition. Mike Fornieles did his best to establish himself as the team closer with 19 saves but his 4.68 ERA was not pretty. The best arm in the pen was 33 year old Dave Hillman who ended with a 2.77 ERA but his FIP was much higher. In the rotation, Bill Monbouquette wen 14-14 with a 3.39 and was the only arm to throw over 200 innings. Gene Conley lost 14 games and struggled with a 4.91 ERA and a big lack of confidence or control. Don Schall went 15-7 with a 3.22 ERA but had to work around 5.5 BB per nine however he did a great job keeping the ball in the yard. Ike Delock made 28 starts but was a similar profile to Conley allowing 24 home runs and a WHIP over 1.5. Names like Tracy Stallard Galen Cisco were extras that fillwed in on a very thin and unimpressive pitching staff. The Red Sox were fortunate with the draw against a 90 loss team, but the series should see its share of longballs and offense especially with the two hitters parks involved. Some real power in the lineup for the Reds but much like the Red Sox, their pitching really was lost and ineffective as they struggled through the 2007 season. Aaron Harang was the only positive sign coming out of the entire staff as he lead the team in WAR and managed to go 16-6 with a 1.14 WHIP and 144 ERA+; he was legitimately good. The team as a whole had a 4.94 ERA which tells you what direction the rest of the staff went in. Bronson Arroyo was 9-15 with a 4.57 FIP but in truth had some really bad luck in batted ball rates pointing that he was better then his numbers. Matt Belisle was just plain bad anyway you look at him in 30 starts with a 5.32 ERA and 26 home runs allowed in just over 170 innings. Kyle Lohse played his role of journeyman well enough to get 21 starts but his 4.58 ERA makes you wonder if he earned it. Bobby Livingstone was the only other player with double digit starts but the 24 year old was not long for the big leagues. The Cincy pen was also hard to watch but big Davis Weathers did close out 33 games with only 4 home runs allowed. Mike Stanton and the rest of the pen however, were all over the place. Jared Burton was the closest thing to a setup man the club had by the end of the season. A lineup of Griffey, Hamilton, and Dunn would put the fear into any opposing pitcher. Griffey at 36 years old still hit 30 home runs and drove in 93 in what was really his last good season. Josh Hamilton was an incredible talent and at 26 years old played in 90 games at center slugging .554 with 19 home runs and a 131 OPS+. Adam Dunn had some of the rawest power and best on base skills of anyone in the game at the time hitting 40 homers with 106 driven in and a .386 OBP inducing 101 walks. Brando Phillips at 26 years old struck out over 100 times but brought a great glove to the defense at second and also stole 32 bases to ignite the offense. Edwin Encarnacion on the other hand was raw at third base and his bat tried to make up for it with a .289 average and 42 extra base hits, Alex Gonzalez was better then you may remember at the plate hitting .272 with 16 home runs and 27 doubles. David Ross was more of a defensive asset then his hitting skills, Rossy of course had a leader mentality but only hit .203 at the dish. Scott Hattenberg or Moneyball fame, had a .394 OBP with a 120 OPS+ making him a valuable piece to a power lineup. Ryan Freel and Jeff Conine were two known names helping the club off the bench, Conine was 41 years old but still hit .276 and played some key innings for the team. The Reds could really hit and pile up the numbers including 204 home runs which should scare Boston a bit. Still the Reds pitching and some old legs on defense should be of equal concern in what could be an exciting offensive series. Game 1 At Fenway Park 63 Clear 2007 Reds.........................4 1961 Red Sox................... 5 (13 inn) WP: T. Stallard (1-0) LP: B. Bray (0-1) HR: A. Gonzalez (1) POG: Bill Monbouquette 1961 Red Sox lead series 1-0 Carl Yastrzemski drilled a walk off double in the 13th inning to give the Red Sox first blood in this series. The Reds looked good behind Aaron Harang leading 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth. Yaz came up with the big hit again tying the game with a 2 run double and ending the game 4-6 with 3 RBI. David Weathers blew the save abd as was the worry before the series, the Reds pen just cant be trusted. Bob Monbouquette struck out 13 in his start. Game 2 at Fenway Park Clear 59 2007 Reds.....................4 1961 Red Sox...............10 WP: D.Schwall (1-0) LP: B. Arroyo (0-1) HR: J. Pagliaroni (1) POG: Jim Pagliaroni 1961 Red Sox lead series 2-0 Catcher Jim Pagliaroni hit a towering grand slam in the third inning over the green monster and the Red Sox plated 5 runs in the frame. The Red Sox would have 13 hits and Bronson Arroyo had a short evening as the home side took its second game. Frank Malzone had three hits of his own and 2 RBI while Don Schwall gets the win striking out six and walking six working into the 6th inning. The Reds need a change of fortune heading home. Game 3 At Great American Ballpark Clear 63 1961 Red Sox................4 2007 Reds.....................9 WP: M. Belisme (1-0) LP: G. Conley (0-1) HR: A. Dunn (2), J. Valentin (1), P. Green (1) POG: Adam Dunn 1961 Red Sox lead series 2-1 Adam Dunn slammed a three run home run in the 5th inning and ended with two tape measure shots and 4 RBI as the Reds jumped back in the series with a 5 run win. The Dunn homer came with Boston up a run but in the end the home side doubled up the visitors in hits and Matt Belisle pitched well enough to get the win. Game 4 At Great American Ballpark Clear 56 1961 Red Sox................2 2007 Reds.....................5 WP: B. Livingston (1-0) LP: I. Delock (0-1) S: D. Weathers (2) HR: J. Pagliaroni (1), J. Hamilton (1), A. Dunn (3) POG: Bobby Livingston Series tied at 2 After falling behind 2-0, the Reds made a committed comeback and are able to the the series at home. Bobby Livingston goes 6 innings for the win striking out 5 and allowing two runs. Adam Dunn hit his third home run in two games and David Weathers closed his second game in a row recovering after his difficult start to the series. Game 5 At Great American Ballpark Partly cloudy 52 1961 Red Sox....................3 2007 Reds.........................4 WP: J. Burton (1-0) LP: B. Monbouquette (0-1) K. Lohse (1) HR: G. Geiger (1), B. Phillips (1) POG: Aaron Harang 2007 Reds lead series 3-2 Brandon Phillips may have hit the biggest home run of the series when he took Bill Monbouquette deep with a man on in the 8th inning to give the Reds the lead. With closer David Weathers unavailable, it was Kyle Lohse who closed out the ninth inning and gave the win to starter Aaron Harang. Harang went seven innings strong striking out 8 and walking only one. The Reds sweep all three games and home and in everyway have completely turned the series around. Game 6 At Fenway Park Partly cloudy 43 2007 Reds.......................3 1961 Red Sox..................0 WP: B. Arroyo (1-1) LP: D. Schwall (1-1) S: D. Weathers (2) HR: K. Griffey Jr (1), A. Dunn (4) POG: Bronson Arroyo Bronson Arroyo put a bow on the series for the Reds completely shutting down the Red Sox and guiding his team two a 3-0 win, making it four wins in a row. Arroyo walked none and struck out 5 while limiting Boston to only 4 hits in what was a dominant effort. Adam Dunn hit his fourth home run of the series and Ken Griffey his first as the three runs scored were more then enough. A great turnaround for Cincinnati who looked a bit lost after two games, but now enjoy the celebration of success. 2007 Cincinnati Reds Win Series 4 Games To 2 Series MVP: Adam Dunn (.280, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R, .760 SLG) Last edited by Nick Soulis; 06-03-2022 at 07:17 PM.