The Field Of Dreams Project

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #142
1983 Detroit Tigers (92-70) vs 2002 Detroit Tigers (55-106)

In 1983 in Detroit, Sparky Anderson was in the process of doing what he does best, building a juggernaut ready for a championship. The 83 Tigers won 90 games and had finally built the talent on the roster to make a bigger push. Catcher Lance Parrish hit 27 home runs and drove in 114 RBI as a start of a lineup that scored almost 800 runs and hit 156 home runs at small Tiger Stadium. The iconic double play combination of Allan Trammell and Lou Whitaker was coming into its own and a strength of the club. Whitaker had an .837 OPS and hit .320 with 40 doubles and 94 runs scored making him among the best second baseman in the game. Trammell hit .319 with only 64 strikeouts and stole 30 bases while crossing the plate 84 times. Enos Cabell had the most time at first as more a line drive hitter hitting .311 but with only 5 home runs and a slugging of .434. Tom Brookens took the role at third but really struggled hitting .214 with no power and a brutal 68 OPS+. Chet Lemon brought a lot to the table in center hitting 24 home runs with an .814 OPS and a quality glove. Larry Herndon hit 20 bombs and drove in 92 runs while tipping his average at a nice .302. Glenn Wilson was in right hitting .268 with 65 RBI and 25 doubles; his production was fairly average. At DH for the most part was hard nosed Kirk Gibson who was not the Gibson we all remember hitting only .227 with 15 home runs and 51 RBI. He did steal 14 bases and always gave everything between the lines. John Wockenfuss drove in 44 from a bench spot and Rick Leach was the most frequent replacement at first base hitting .248. A 22 year old Howard Johnson was also on the roster. Jack Morris was the ace and threw like you would expect one too. He won 20 games throwing 293 innings and striking out 232. He threw hard hard and didn’t mind intimidating while holding a 3.34 ERA. Dan Petry won 19 games and had a 3.92 ERA with two shutouts and was more of the soft contact finesse type who knew how to pitch. Milt Wilcox had a 3.97 ERA in 26 starts with a 4.26 FIP. Juan Berenguer had a nicer 3.14 ERA in 19 starts but was also run through the pen a bit in a role suitable to Sparky. Dave Rozema made 16 starts with a 3.43 capping a good set of arms for the Tigers and a number of options in a series like this. Aurelio Lopez saved 18 games with a 2.81 ERA and some nasty stuff while Doug Bair and Dave Gumbert were the adequate setup options. These were the days before Willie Hernandez. A hungry exciting club playing out of Detroit, and the type of competitors that should make them clutch in a short series.

At the beginning of the new century the Tigers were searching for a formula that would get them back to their traditional winning ways. In 2002 they were strictly a work still in progress losing 106 games and trailing close to last in league attendance. No one on the pitching staff won more then 8 games with Mark Redman the only pitcher to throw over 200 innings. Redman had a 4.21 ERA in 30 starts ending with a 1.29 ERA. Steve Sparks allowed 23 home runs which is a lot at Comerica Park with a 5.52 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP; at 36 years old he was ready to call it a day. Mike Maroth was 6-10 with a 4.48 ERA but only 58 K in 128 innings, still he showed some potential. Jeff Weaver had a more impressive 3.18 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and likely had the best arm on the team. Jose Lima was a train wreck in his 12 starts with an unlucky 7.77 ERA while Adam Bernero among others couldn’t help fill the gaps in the rotation. Juan Acevedo was good as the closer saving 28 games in his limited opportunities with a 2.65 ERA and higher 3.63 FIP. Jeff Farnsworth was hit hard in relief with a 5.79 ERA while Julio Santana and Jaimie Walker were much better but carried heavy workloads when the starters often struggled. A 4.92 ERA is indicative of the way things went for this club. Scoring runs was a big challenge for the team as might be expected. The club was a station to station offense with Bobby Higginson leading the team with 12 steals while hitting .282. Higgy hit 10 home runs and drove in 63 but was depended upon more then expected. Wendell Magee played in 97 games in center hitting .271 with 19 doubles but shared time with George Lombard who hit .241 with 13 steals. Robert Fick hit 17 home runs out of right and hit .270 with 36 doubles and some real power while striking out a decent 90 times with a .331 OBP. Randall Simon was the DH hitting 19 home runs with a team high 82 RBI and a .779 overall OPS. Brandon Inge was the very light hitting catcher at .202 with 101 strikeouts but his leadership on defense did bring value. Damion Easley was at second hitting .224 in 85 games but Damian Jackson was the more steady player at the position with an 87 OPS plus and some speed with 12 steals and 20 doubles. Shane Halter did his best as the everyday shortstop hitting .239 with 10 home runs but only 39 driven in. He grounded into a team lead 12 double plays. Chris Truby played 3rd in 89 games hitting .199 with a .496 OPS which says it all. Craif Pauquetter was the backup third baseman but he did even worse at .194. Carlos Pena was the 24 year old first baseman hitting 12 home runs with 36 RBI and a .253 average. Pena had the most potential on the team at the plate but rarely had men on base. Dimitri Young was a decent name on the bench but the pickings were thin anywhere you looked. In this battle of Tiger teams, there really should be only one team standing, but after what we saw in Series 141, anything is truly possible in this game.

Game 1 At Tiger Stadium
56 clear
2002 Tigers.......................7
1983 Tigers.......................8 (18 inn)
WP: B. James (1-0) LP: A. Van Hekken (0-1)
HR: D. Easley (1), E. Cabell (1)
POG: Bob James
1983 Tigers lead series 1-0
Sixteen runs in the first nine innings and none after up until the 18th, an epic battle to open this series that eventually goes to the home side. Howard Johnson hit a sacrifice fly scoring Glenn Wilson after he had tripled. The drama was highest in the bottom of the ninth when the visiting Tigers were up by two but with two down, Allen Trammell doubled in two runs to tie the score. Bob James threw 5 shutout innings in relief for the win.

Game 2 At Tiger Stadium
Rain 50
2002 Tigers.......................5
1983 Tigers.......................3
WP: M. Redman (1-0) LP: J. Morris (0-1) S: M. Anderson (1)
HR: D. Easley (2)
POG: Damion Easley
Series tied at 1
Mark Redman had better stuff then Jack Morris and helped carry the 02 Tigers to a win to even the series. Damian Easley drove in three runs including a go ahead double in the 7th inning; Easley also homered for the second straight game. The home team did rally in the ninth, but Matt Anderson closed the door to preserve the win. Good baseball in the opening two games and its all square.

Game 3 At Comerica Park
Cloudy 52
1983 Tigers.........................2
2002 Tigers.........................6
WP: S. Sparks (1-0) LP: D. Rozema (0-1) S: J. Acevedo (1)
HR: J. Cruz (1)
POG: Steve Sparks
2002 Tigers lead series 2-1
Four runs in the second inning knocked starter Dave Rozema out of the game and gave Steve Sparks and the 02 Tigers the lead they needed to take game three. Sparks went one out away from completing the game after walking four and striking out five. Juan Acevedo got out of a ninth inning jam and the 10 hit effort was enough as the 02 Tigers continue to impress.

Game 4 At Comerica Park
Cloudy 54
1983 Tigers......................10
2002 Tigers......................11 (11 inn)
WP: A. Van Hekken (1-1) LP: D. Gumpert (0-1)
HR: B. Higginson (1)
POG: Larry Herndon
2002 Tigers lead series 3-1
The 2002 Tigers did it again and refused to quit in what has become an outstanding series. Down 7-1 in the 8th inning, the improbable rally came with a six run inning to tie the score and ruin the night of Dan Petry. The visitors seemed to have gotten it all back when in the 11th they scored twice off a Enos Cabell two run single. In the bottom of the same frame however, with Dave Gumpert on in relief and two outs and the bases loaded pinch hitter Jose Macias hit a bases clearing walk off double in the gap to end the game. An incredible fight back and now one win away for the massively overlooked 2002 Tigers. Larry Herndon went 5-5 with 3 RBI in the loss.

Game 5 At Comerica Park
Partly cloudy 47
1983 Tigers........................6
2002 Tigers........................2
WP: M. Wilcox (1-0) LP: J. Weaver (0-1)
HR: L. Herndon (1), L. Whitaker (1), B. Higginson (2)
POG: Milt Wilcox
2002 Tigers lead series 3-2
Sparky Anderson and his team wasnt about to quit despite the very hard loss in game four. Milt Wilcox threw a calming game and the visitors put three runs on the board in the first inning as Larry Herndon smacked a two run home run off Jeff Weaver. Wilcox went 8 striking out five and the Tigers turned four double plays as their dynamite infield finally made a difference and even Lou Whitaker went deep with the bat. Now the series goes back to Tiger Stadium where Jack Morris takes the hill to force a game seven.

Game 6 At Tiger Stadium
Clear 46
2002 Tigers....................4
1983 Tigers....................17
WP: J. Berenguer (1-0) LP: M. Redman (1-1)
HR: R. Fick (1), K. Gibson (1), G. Wilson 2 (2)
POG: Glenn Wilson
Series tied at 3
The 1983 Tigers scored in every inning and sent a clear message in scoring 17 runs and winning game six easily. Glenn Wilson hit two home runs and 5 RBI while Lance Parrish drove in three and Enos Cabell went 4 for 6. Jack Morris did not have his best stuff not making it out of the 4th, but the result was never in doubt and Juan Berenguer pitched the rest of the way. Now this fun and exciting series comes down to one single game, expect it to be a dogfight.

Game 7 At Tiger Stadium
Clear 55
2002 Tigers.....................3
1983 Tigers.....................4 (10 inn)
WP: D. Gumpert (1-1) LP: J. Acevedo (0-1)
HR: K. Gibson (2)
POG: Dave Rozema
Few classic moment players in the history of the game can match that of Kirk Gibson. And after his team lost a two run lead in the ninth, and things looking gloomy in the 10th with the game tied, Gibson provided the final moment of magic with a walk off series ending home run over the right field wall, it was almost like it was Roy Hobbs. Dave Rozema had pitched a heck of a game and held a 2-0 lead into the 8th striking out six and allowing only one run. Dave Gumpert came to close the series out in the 9th but once again couldnt get the job done as the 02 Tigers scored twice to send the game to extras. Juan Acevedo should have known better then to pitch to Gibson. The series was one of the better ones and the 1983 team fought all the way back from a 3-1 deficit in the series to believe it and do it for Sparky Anderson and themselves.

1983 Detroit Tigers Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Glenn Wilson
(.452, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, .500 OBP, 1.210 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #143
1926 Cincinnati Reds (87-67) vs 1962 New York Mets (40-120)

In 1926 the Reds finished second to the Cardinals for the NL pennant and despite winning it all in 1920, they never again could get over the hump in the decade. The talent was there for manager Jack Hendricks and the club did win 87 games. A good pitching staff that was the norm in the NL at the time lead the way. Pete Donohue won 20 games but somehow lost 14 with a 3.37 ERA and 5 shutouts in 285 innings. He walked only 39 batters all season and had excellent command. Carl Mays at 34 years of age went 19-12 with a 3.36 FIP and three shutouts of his own. Right hander Dolf Luque was even older at 35 and made 31 starts with a 2.43 mark while lefty Eppa Rixey went 14-8 with a 3.40 ERA and was still effective in what was many years of real quality. Jackie May was the main arm in relief but also made 15 starts with 167 innings of work striking out an impressive 103 batters. Red Lucas rounds off the staff of six players that were really the only ones used all year; Lucas had a 3.68 ERA. Art Nehf and Roy Meeker were emergency fill ins but combined for only about 50 innings with no one else behind them. A nice 3.42 ERA and 1.25 WHIP makes the pitching a strength of this team. The offense did not have much of any speed or power but had some real consistent hitters who rarely missed the baseball. Wally Pipp at 33 and post his Yankee days hot .291 with 15 triples and 99 driven in proving that he wasn’t as bad as legend has it. Chuck Dressen was a smart third baseman driving in 48 runs with a .733 OPS and 76 times scored; his glove was above average. Frank Emmer hit only .196 in 80 games at short leaving the position as a black hole as Horace Ford tried to win the job with a much better .279 in 57 games. Hughie Critz manned second hitting .270 with a very good 96 runs scored off 164 hits and 14 triples. Curt Walker hit a nice .306 in left leading the triple heavy team with 20 while driving in 78 over 257 total bases. Walter Christensen hit .350 in 114 games with an .864 OPS making him quite the weapon. He had a .426 OBP but was mostly a singles hitter. In center, Ed Roush at 33 years old still hit .323 with 37 doubles and 95 runs scored while remaining the most respected and influential player on the roster. Bubbles Hargraves was a rare talent at catcher hitting an incredible .353 for the position with 62 RBI and 22 doubles, he may be the most valuable player on this team. He brought home the batting title that season. Reserve Rube Bressler hit .357 as a important tool in regards to the depth of the club while Billy Zitzman was another .300 hitter waiting in the wings. This Is if not a great team, then a very good one who really should just be able to roll over and topple the 1962 Mets in this series.

It all begins in the 1962 season for the Mets and they could not have started any worse then they did thanks greatly to a rigged expansion draft and some poor decisions to go veteran rather then young. Casey Stengel faced it all with a grain of salt, but this may very well be the worst team in all the modern era of the game. A makeshift roster had numerous issues but the best hitter was likely Frank Thomas who scored 69 runs hitting .266 with 34 home runs and 94 RBI. Thomas truly was an undervalued talent. Jim Hickman in center hit .245 with 13 home runs holding his won while Joe Christopher had the most work in right stealing 11 bases with only 32 RBI in 119 games with a similarly poor 36 runs scored. Felix Mantilla hit .275 at third hitting 11 out and driving in 59, but like most of the team, the defense was subpar. Elio Chacon played short most days with a .664 OPS with 12 steals and a .236 average leaving him as mostly forgotten. Charlie Neal hit .260 at second with 11 home runs and 58 RBI and 9 triples. Marv Thorneberry was a t first with 16 home runs and 49 RBI with a .732 OPS. Thorneberry was backed up by 38 year old Gil Hodges who hit .252 in limited duty and made the fans happy with his memory of old championship teams. Three different players tried to fill the catchers role to no avail. Choo Choo Coleman was likely the best with a .744 OPS while Sammy Taylor and Chris Cannizzaro brought little to nothing. At 35 years old Riche Ashburn hit .306 in 135 games and still showed glimpses of what he once was, it would be no surprise if Stengel leans on Richie for this series. Gene Woodling hit .274 in limited duty at 39 years old while others like Don Zimmer and Gus Bell wont see much of any action. The Mets did their best for a while to stay in games, but the mountain was often too big to climb. Roger Craig started in 33 games losing 24 of them. He had a 4.52 ERA and allowed 35 home runs which made him a sort of ticking time bomb. Al Jackson went 8-20 with a 4.40 ERA and obviously deserved better as he had the remarkable mark of throwing 4 shutouts on this team. Jay Hook was 8-19 with a 4.84 in 34 starts with a 1.40 WHIP and also letting go a whopping 31 home runs. Bob Miller made 21 starts and Craig Anderson another 14 and neither were very good at all. Anderson would come back with work in the pen saving four games and striking out 62 in 131 innings; he was 3-17. Bob Moorhead threw over 100 innings with a 4.53 ERA making him serviceable while Ken Mackenzie did his best to get out leftys at a modest pace. The team ERA was 5.04 and most obviously Stengel had very few options going into a game. The Mets are indeed a historic team and to see them at least battle against the competent Reds should be interesting to see. Can anything really happen in baseball?

Game 1 At Crosley Field
Rain 62
1962 Mets......................3
1926 Reds.....................5
WP: R. Lucas (1-0) LP: B. Miller (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Frank Thomas
1926 Reds lead series 1-0
Chuck Dressen delivered a two run single in the bottom of the 8th inning to break a 3-3 tie and send the Reds on to their first win of the series. Frank Thomas had tied the game in the 7th for New York with an RBI single and ended this game a perfect 4 for 4. Jackie May allowed 12 hits but the Mets stranded 13 batters and lost it late when the game mattered most. Red Lucas gets the win in relief.

Game 2 At Crosley Field
Clear 63
1962 Mets...................5
1926 Reds..................3
WP: J. Hook (1-0) LP: D. Luque (0-1)
HR: F. Mantilla (1)
POG: Jay Hook
Series tied at 1
Felix Mantilla hit a two run home run in the first inning and the Mets added a third to open the game and set the tone for their starter. Jay Hook took the lead and almost gave it away in the bottom of the first allowing two runs but righted the ship and pitch excellent baseball for a complete game. Jim Hickman went 2-4 with an RBI and Elio Chacon scored two runs. Ed Roush was 2-4 with 2 RBI in the loss.

Game 3 At Shea Stadium
Rain 66
1926 Reds.....................0
1962 Mets......................6
WP: R. Craig (1-0) LP: P. Donohue (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Roger Craig
1962 Mets lead series 2-1
Roger Craig threw a seven hit shutout walking only one on 123 pitches to send the upstart Mets up two games to one. Elio Chacon drove in two with a single in the while Richie Ashburn and Choo Choo Coleman each drove in runs. Pete Donohue allowed 13 hits to take the loss and the unexpected Mets have the lead in the series.

Game 4 At Shea Stadium
Partly cloudy 60
1926 Reds..........................2
1962 Mets...........................1
WP: C. Mays (1-0) LP: B. Miller (0-2)
HR: W. Pipp (1)
POG: Carl Mays
Series tied at 2
Wally Pipp hit a solo home run in the 8th inning to break the shutout by Bob Miller who was holding on to a slim 1-0 lead. Carl Mays allowed a first inning run but shut the Mets out the rest of the way striking out four on 8 hits. In the 9th Babe Pinelli hit a sacrifice fly scoring Ed Roush for the deciding run. The series is all even now and has been very competitive.

Game 5 At Shea Stadium
Clear 63
1926 Reds...........................3
1962 Mets............................4
WP: J. Hook (2-0) LP: R. Meeker (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Jay Hook
1962 Mets lead series 3 to 2
Frank Thomas came through with a walk off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to send Mets fans home happy and take the series back to Ohio with the Reds now needing to win the next two. Richie Ashburn had a 2 run hit in the 4th to give the Mets a 3-1 lead but the Reds responded in the 8th with two of their own runs spurred by a two out rally. The Mets just wouldnt sit back however, as Joe Christopher scored three runs and Jay Hook won his second game of the series.

Game 6 At Crosley Field
Clear 62
1962 Mets.....................3
1926 Reds....................11
WP: D. Luque (1-1) LP: B. Miller (0-3)
HR: None
POG: Curt Walker
Series tied at 3
The Mets looked like their old selves at made 4 errors to help the Reds force a game seven with a comfortable win. Cincy jumped all over New York scoring 6 times in the first three innings with three hits and two RBI. Starter Dolph Luque went the distance allowing three earned runs and even coming through with the bat getting 2 hits and an RBI. Bob Miller lost his third game of the series lasting only three innings. Now this best of seven series comes down to one final game.

Game 7 At Crosley Field
Rain 56 (Delay 19 min)
1962 Mets..........................0
1926 Reds..........................7
WP: P. Donohue (1-1) LP: R. Craig (1-1)
HR: B. Hargrave (1)
POG: Pete Donohue
And just like that reality hit the 1962 Mets upon returning to Crosley Field, Casey Stengel's team was outscored 18-3 in the last two games to drop the series. Pete Donohue threw a five hit shutout striking out two and controlling the game after being given the big lead. The Reds scored 5 runs in the second as Donohue came through with the stick and a 3 RBI single. The Reds had 16 hits as they cruised to victory and one of the most famous bad teams in baseball history is out, despite a surprising series run.

1926 Cincinnati Reds Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Hughie Critz
(.400, 3 RBI, 2 2B, .444 OBP, .924 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #144
2010 San Diego Padres (90-72) vs 1990 Kansas City Royals (75-86)

Making a good run at it under Bud Black and winning 90 games, the 2010 Padres had a number of pieces and reasons for optimism. There was a Tony Gwynn on the team, but his father was a bit more famous as Junior played in right field and hit only .204with 17 steals and very little else. The outfield in general was very light hitting with Will Veneble striking out 128 times and hitting .245 with a .732 OPS while in left Scott Hairston hit only .210 with 10 home runs and 34 runs scored in 104 games. Chase Headley struck out 139 times but also swiped 17 bases and scored 77 times with 229 bases playing in 161 games. Miguel Tejada tried to keep his job at third but at 36 years old had lost a step plying in only 59 games with 8 home runs before the wheels fell off, Jerry Hairston played most of the replacement innings hitting .244. David Eckstein was also playing against time at second base at 35 yards old. Eckstein was a good veteran presence hitting .267 with 23 doubles and only 35 strikeouts. Yorvit Torrealba played in 95 games at catcher hitting .271 with a 103 OPS+ and was backed by Nick Hundley who drove in 43. The star of the lineups was Adrian Gonzalez who hit .298 with 31 home runs and 101 driven in sporting a .904 OPS. Gonzo was a true star of the time with little or no support around him. Ryan Ludwick, and Matt Stairs were two of the most notable names off the bench. Padre pitching was solid with a 3.39 ERA and three different 14 games winners. Clayton Richard a lefty threw the most innings at 201 and Jon Garland was right there with him at 200. Both had decent ERA’s around 3.5 but Garland was hit much harder with a 4.41 FIP and also tended to be more wild. Mat Latos was only 22 years old and went 14-10 with a nice 2.92 ERA showing a bulldog mentality on the mound. Latos struck out 189 batters for a 9.2 K per nine to lead the team. Wade LeBlanc started in 25 games with a 4.25 ERA and a worrysome 1.42 WHIP and Kevin Correa was even worse going 10-10 with a 5.40 ERA and over 4 men walked per nine. Black rode these five arms almost exclusively and no doubled played the wide dimensions of Petco Park. The pen was headed by Heath Bell who had a fine season closing out 47 games with a 1.93 ERA making leads stand up with an 11.1 K/9. Almost as dominant with K’s was Luke Gregerson who who took down 10.2 per nine and held a 3.22 ERA as the main set up arm. Mike Adams and Edward Muija added to a unit that was a strength of this team. This overall was a good Padres team headed by their pitching and being able to make the most of their environment.

A lack of depth but no lack of excitement was the story of the 1990 Royals who lost 86 games and was a source of frustration at season’s end. Few players in the history of the game brought more attention for his feats then Bo Jackson. Jackson was in his prime on this team and everything he did seemed Herculean. He hit .272 with 28 home runs and 78 driven in to lead the club in the power department. The leader in RBI and still a legend of his own standing was George Brett. Brett at 37 years old drove in 84 runs and hit .329 making it look easy. Brett had 45 doubles, seven triples and a 153 OPS plus. Frank White struck out only 32 times but hit only .216 at 39 years old and Bill Pecota is the more obvious choice for the position. Kurt Stillwell was the 25 year old short stop who hit .249 with 35 doubles but only a .656 OPS. Kevin Seitzer moved in at third with Brett having taken over at first. Seitzer hit .275 but drove in only 38 runs with 6 homers in what was a power outage at the position. Jim Eisenreich had a smooth swing hitting .280 and also stealing 12 bases. Danny Tartabull was in right field with a very good arm. He slugged .473 and an overall OPS of .814 but only played in 88 games. Gerald Perry was the most used DH hitting .254 with 22 doubles and 57 RBI. Old Willie Wilson was still hanging around hitting .290 with 24 steals and 42 RBI but only walking 30 times. Brian McRae was a good looking 22 year old prospect with the right genes and Pat Tabler hit .272 off the bench filling in well when needed. Mike Macfarlane was a competent catcher with a great mentor behind him in 42 year old Bob Boone. The pitching for the club was young and erratic. Two 22 year olds topped the rotation as Tom Gordon earned the name Flash and went 12-11 with a 3.73 ERA; his future would come in the pen but for now was hit or miss as a starter. Kevin Appier also had a big arm going 12-8 with a nice 2.76 ERA and a 139 ERA+ proving he had the command and confidence of his team. Bret Saberhagen needed no introduction but only made 20 starts due to arm issues. When he did throw, he was great showing off a 3.27 ERA and a 3.03 FIP. If there was a big game to be started, Saberhagen was the right man. Storm Davis struggled as a fourth option with a 4.74 ERA in 112 innings while Mike Gubicza went 4-7 with a 4.50 ERA but also was used sporadically in only 94 innings. Steve Farr was used as an emergency starter going 13-7 but his best work was done out of the pen. Jeff Montgomery was the closer finishing 24 games with a 2.39 ERA and a 9 K per nine rate. Steve Crawford and Mark Davis were a bit risky as the pen was rounded off. If the starters could not get the game to the closer, the Royals tended to be in trouble. It will be fun to see Bo play in his prime, but a Royals team overall may very well have their hands full with a more deep and successful Padres team.

Game 1 At Petco Park
Cloudy 62
1990 Royals...................0
2010 Padres..................12
WP: M. Latos (1-0) LP: B. Saberhagen (0-1)
HR: J. Hairston (1), A. Gonzalez (1)
POG: Adrian Gonzalez
2010 Padres lead series 1-0
Adrian Gonzalez went 3-3 with a home run and three RBI as the 2010 Padres ran away from the Royals in the opener. Jerry Hairston really put the game out of reach with a 4th inning grand slam off Storm Davis as the home team ended with 16 hits. Mat Latos went seven innings striking out nine for the win while losing pitcher Brett Saberhagen didnt make it out of the second.

Game 2 At Petco Park
Clear 75
1990 Royals....................0
2010 Padres....................1
WP: C. Richard (1-0) LP: M. Gubicza (0-1) S: H. Bell (1)
HR: None
POG: Clayton Richard
2010 Padres lead series 2-0
The Royals have been shutout for 18 innings to start this series and now head home down two games to none. Clayton Richard battled Mike Gubicza in a scoreless duel in what was more customary to a game at Petco Park. The duel turned in the 8th when Will Venable tripled and was driven home when Aaron Cunningham doubled him home; Cunningham finished the game with three hits. Richard struck out 8 but it was Heath Bell who came on in the ninth to complete the shutout. Four hits total for the Royals in this one, a frustrating slump to say the least.

Game 3 At Royals Stadium
Partly cloudy 58
2010 Padres....................8
1990 Royals....................3
WP: J. Garland (1-0) LP: K. Appier (0-1)
HR: G. Brett (1), A. Gonzalez (2), C. Denorfia (1)
POG: Chris Denorfia
2010 Padres lead series 3-0
The Royals finally got on the board thanks to a George Brett home run but the script was more of the same as the visiting Padres score 8 times and win their third straight. Chris Denorfia had three hits and drove in three runs while Jon Garland labored through 5 innings but had the help he needed to get the win. Adrian Gonzalez hit his second home run of the series and is hitting .400 for the series.

Game 4 At Royals Stadium
Partly Cloudy 52
2010 Padres........................6
1990 Royals........................5
WP: R. Webb (1-0) LP: J. Montgomery (0-1) S: H. Bell (2)
HR: A. Gonzalez (3), G. Brett (2)
POG: Adrian Gonzalez
A last hope for the Royals came down to the ninth inning where once again, the floor fell through and the series come to a quick end. The game was tied at two as both Tom Gordon and Wade LeBlanc pitched well but were pulled in the stalemate. In the 7th the home team broke through as the Royals scored three times, twice getting bases loaded walks for runs. Up three in the ninth, Jeff Montgomery came on to preserve the first Royals win of the series. The closer however didn't gave it hitting the first batter and allowing two singles to load the bases for Adrian Gonzalez. On a 1-2 pitch, Gonzo hit a 438 foot grand slam to right center to turn the game on its head and give the Padres the lead. Heath Bell showed what a confident closer can do taking the Royals down in order in the 9th for the Padre sweep. A series that seemed to have more promise turned out to be totally one sided. Bo Jackson hit .154 in the losing effort.

2010 San Diego Padres Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Adrian Gonzalez
(.400, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 3 R, .667 OBP, Grand slam 9th inning game 4)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #145
1911 Pittsburgh Pirates (85-69) vs 1963 Mew York Mets (51-111)

Coming two years after their championship, Fred Clarke and the 1911 Pirates were starting to show their age and slowing down a tad, but still had the aura of a winner. Clarke was now 38 years old but still played most of the game in the outfield while managing. He hit .324 with a .900 OPS and 13 triples proving he had a lot left to offer. The great Honus Wagner was 37 and his body had taken a toll over the years. He still hit an amazing .334 with 20 steals, 16 triples, and 89 RBI. On the other side of the spectrum was 21 year old Max Carey who played center field. The kid hit .258 with 27 steals and a respectable 96 OPS+. Owen Wilson was the third outfielder from the left side and he drove in a team leading 107 runs while hitting an even .300 with 12 home runs making him by the numbers the best hitter on the team. Newt Hunter was the man at first for 65 games and was average but Bill McKechnie was the back up but did not have the talent with a .227 average in 104 games, he did have a great mind for the game however. Dots Miller hit .268 at second with 78 RBI and 82 runs scored making quite valuable for the position and its expectations at the time. Bobby Byrne drove in 52 runs from the hot corner with 155 hits and 17 triples and leading with 96 runs scored. The catcher was George Gibson who hit only .209 but did his job with a fine pitching staff and competent defense. Tommy Leach was the most frequent reserve scoring 60 runs and providing good relief in the outfield with his glove. The remainder of the bench was quite thin and barely used other then backup catcher Mike Simon. The pitching rotation was still in its prime and still quite excellent. Babe Adams won 22 games and had a 2.33 ERA over 293 innings. He spun six shutouts and really was a stopper on the mound that no one wanted to face. Lefty Leifield threw 318 innings going an even 16-16 with 82 walks and a 1.20 WHIP. Leifield tended to wear down a bit with the game on the line. Howie Camnitz knew what winning was all about and won 20 games in 1911. He had a 3.13 ERA with 139 strikeouts although his best stuff may have been fading. Elmer Steeler started in 16 games with 1 2.60 ERA and may be seen in this series while Claude Hendrix at only 22 years old started in 12 games but was also used in relief contributing well where needed. Jack Ferry saved three games and was the reliever when the rare time called. Ferry ahd a 3.15 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP. Harry Gardner was hit hard but Judge Nagle and Hank Robinson were decent options in a pinch. The Bucs should be no match for the Mets and especially the team pitching should handcuff Casey Stengel’s club. Wagner and Clarke will be fin to watch play as their careers kept flourishing.

Going from 120 losses to 111 losses may not be a significant improvement to some, but the 1963 Mets had to take hold of something as they struggled through their second season. We just saw the 1962 team fight the full seven games proving that there is hope for everyone even when the odds seem impossible. Roger Craig had one of the worst lines you will ever see from a starting pitcher going 5-22 with still a somewhat respectable ERA of 3.78. Craig allowed 28 home runs with a 1.4 WHIP and was even changed to the pen for a while to add 2 saves, mostly done for the hurlers sanity. Al Jackson lost 17 games with a 3.96 and FIP of 3.93. He threw 11 complete games and lead the team with 142 strikeouts. With any support whatsoever these two starters wouldn’t be all bad. Carl Willey had a bice 3.10 ERA winning 9 games and providing some quality innings although he pitched into luck with a FIP at 4.28. Tracy Stallard lost 17 times and deserved to with an ERA of 4.71 and 23 home runs allowed with an ERA+ a meager 73. The pen struggled with any consistency. Galen Cisco lost 15 times and became a late season closer option but wasn’t cut out for it. Jay Hook also lost 14 games with a morbid 5.48 ERA. Larry Bearnearth and Ken MacKenzie rounded out a unit that seemed to get from decent to very bad. The Mets offense looked everywhere for improvement, but the talent was quite slim. Frank Thomas was still there doing his best hitting .260 with 15 home runs and 60 RBI but even for him it was a down season. Jim Hickman patrolled center field striking out 120 times and hitting only .229. Hickman did power for 17 home runs but overall he wasn’t suited for the position. Legend Duke Snider at 36 years old hit 14 home runs in 129 games but hit only .243 and couldn’t move very much in right field; he did still has an an OBP of .345 Charlie Neal hit only .225 and an OPS+ of 79 and seemed to be getting worse at the age of 32. Al Moran was at short hitting a miserable .193 with a .230 slugging percentage making him one of the worst baseball players literally of alltime. Ron Hunt hit a nice .272 with 10 home runs and 42 driven in. Hunt was only 22 years old and did show rare promise for the club. Choo choo Coleman was losing all his skill at the dish hitting .178 in 106 games with only 9 RBI; pathetic numbers no matter how fun his name is to say. Tim Harkness hit an expected .211 at first with 10 home runs and was just another bat that remained invisible for the entire season. Ed Kranepool hit .209 off the bench and the most frequent pinch bat while Rod Kanehl and Joe Hicks played modest roles in the outfield especially when the likes of Snider couldn’t go. The Mets scored 501 runs all season and were really no match and a virtual offday for any pitcher who faced them. As expected, Stengel and this Mets team are expected to do nothing against the Pirates in this series.

Game 1 At Forbes Field
61 partly cloudy
1963 Mets.............................1
1911 Pirates..........................5
WP: B. Adams (1-0) LP: T. Stallard (0-1)
HR: J. Wilson (1)
POG: Babe Adams
1911 Pirates lead series 1-0
Pirates ace Babe Adams was in complete control against the Mets in the opener allowing one run over nine innings and striking out an impressive 10. The Bucs scored 4 times in the second inning when manager Fred Clarke hit a two run single and Adams came through with the bat with a 2 RBI hit of his own. Later John Wilson would add a home run to make the game a breeze for the favorites. Surprise starter Tracy Stallard takes the loss for the Mets.

Game 2 At Forbes Field
Partly cloudy 60
1963 Mets...........................3
1911 Pirates........................5
WP: H. Camnitz (1-0) LP: J. Hook (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Howie Camnitz
1911 Pirates lead series 2-0
The Pirates jumped on the Mets again early in game two as they plated three runs off Jay Hook in the bottom of the first and never looked back behind Howie Camnitz. Camnitz struck out six over nine allowing three earned runs but was able to hold on to the lead and give the Pirates their second win of the series. Honus Wagner played excellent defense up the middle and went 2-2 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base showing he still is the best player on the field. Duke Snider limped off the field with an injury and was hitting .125 in the two games. Now the series moves the spacious Polo Grounds.

Game 3 At Polo Grounds
Clear 67
1911 Pirates.........................2
1963 Mets............................6
WP: C. Willey (1-0) LP: Leifield (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Carl Willey
1911 Pirates lead series 2-1
The Mets come back home and get themselves right at the Polo Grounds behind starter Carl Willey who allows 10 hits but still goes the distance allowing two runs and striking out three on 145 pitches. The Pirates made two errors and left a whopping 13 runners on base to make it a night to forget. Honus Wagner had three more hits and is hitting .500 in the three games and Fred Clarke stayed just as hot also scratching for three.

Game 4 At Polo Grounds
Clear 72
1911 Pirates..........................6
1963 Mets.............................0
WP: B. Adams (2-0) LP: T. Stallard (0-2)
HR: M. Carey (1)
POG: Babe Adams
1911 Pirates lead series 3-1
Babe Adams took the mound and picked up right where he left off in game one and then some. Adams put the Pirates right back in control of the series allowing only three hits and striking out six in the shutout. Fred Clarke continues his excellent series with a 2 run triple while Max Carey scores two runs and hits a home run down the short porch in right field. Mets starter Tracy Stallard walked 8 men and the four runs allowed in the first two innings were more then enough for the loss.

Game 5 At Polo Grounds
Clear 64
1911 Pirates.....................9
1963 Mets........................0
WP: H. Camnitz (2-0) LP: J. Hook (0-2)
HR: B. Byrne (1)
POG: Howie Camnitz
Ending the series in perfect style, Howie Camnitz followed up the shutout by Babe Adams with a shutout of his own against the Mets that was even more impressive. Camnitz allowed two measly hits in this one striking out 8 and walking only one. Bobby Byrne hammered a three run home run in the 3rd inning and Dots Miller had 4 RBI in the win. The series as expected, was all Pittsburgh.

1911 Pittsburgh Pirates Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Babe Adams
(2-0, 18 IP, 0.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 16 K, 2 BB, 1 Shutout)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #146
2017 Pittsburgh Pirates (75-87) vs 1983 New York Mets (68-94)

The Pirates were hoping for much better in 2017 but Clint Hurdle and the team could only manage 75 wins despite some real talent still on the roster. The point of criticism of the team had to be their starting pitching that just did not come through as expected with a mediocre 4.22 ERA. Gerrit Cole was supposed to be better than 12-12 with a 4.26 ERA and 31 home runs allowed. Still Cole was a strikeout artist who could hit triple digits on the gun and whiffed 8.7 per nine. Ivan Nova lost 14 times with an even better ERA of 4.14 but had a 4.46 FIP and also saw 29 home runs leave the yard. Chad Kuhl struck out 8.1 better per nine and held a 4.35 ERA in 31 starts. At 24 years old he was still learning the craft and did show some good command. Trevor Williams and Jameson Tailon were both 25 years old and threw about 150 innings. Tailon was the more power pitcher but arm trouble and a 1.49 WHIP were of concern while Williams worked with what he had for a 4.07 ERA and was more consistent. Tyler Glasnow really struggled with a 7.69 ERA and likely wont be seen in this series. Felipe Vazquez saved 21 games with a 1.67 ERA to win the closers job while Tony Watson from the left side saved 10 games but had a 1.52 WHIP and fell out of favor. Wade LeBlanc and Daniel Hudson made up the bulk of the pen with Juan Nicasio maybe the most impressive showing a 2.85 ERA in 65 games. The promising Pittsburgh outfield was a but of a letdown as many thought it was among the best in the league. Starling Marte hit .275 with 21 steals but did not have the power profile yet although his glove made up for a lot. Gregory Polando hit just .251 with a .695 OPS and only 35 RBI in 108 games; he simple seemed overmatched at times. Former MVP Andrew MCCutchen with .279 with 28 home runs and 88 drive in proving that he was still a legitimate star even if not in his prime. David Freese at third bat was average with 10 home runs and a .739 WHIP while at first 24 year old Josh Bell hit an impressive 26 home runs with 90 RBI providing much need support in the lineup. Jordy Mercer hit .255 with 14 home runs and some clutch hitting out of short stop. Mercer 204 total bases and 5 triples. Francisco Cervelli hit .249 at catcher with 5 home runs and was backed up by Elias Diaz; netiehr man was anything special. The leader in WAR was Josh Harrison who hit .272 but scored 66 runs, hit 16 home runs, and stole 12 bases. Harrison was also a fine defensive asset and was even HBP 23 times. Adam Frazier was the main man off the bench hitting .276 with 53 RBI and John Jaso hit 10 home runs with a .730 OPS and not a bad bench option. Jose Osuna played in over 100 games but most of the talent the Pirates had was already in the starting lineup. Pittsburgh does have some talent and if tis young pitching can come through, should be able to take care of a interesting Mets team.

From aging Tom Seaver to young phenom Darryl Strawberry, the 1983 Mets had it all but one thing they didn’t have was a winning record. Saver started in 34 games at 38 years old and had a good 3.55 ERA with 135 K and 2 shutouts. He still had that old Mets magic at times when he needed it. Mike Torrez was also up there in age at 36 and he lost 17 games and had a 4.37 ERA. Torrez walked 113 batters and at times seemed to be his own worst enemy. Ed Lynch went 10-10 with a 4.28 ERA and gave the team quality innings when needed. Walt Terrell and Craig Swan were the 4th and 5th options with Terrell the much better option holding a 3.57 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. Young Ron Darling also made 5 starts with a 2.80 ERA but it would be a bit of a stretch to see him in this series. Jesse Orosco was proving himself as a good closer and he took over the job with 17 saves and a 1.47 ERA. Doug Sisk had 11 saves with a 2.24 ERA making him a very good second option when the Mets had the lead. Carlos Diaz and Scott Holman rounded off a very promising season for Mets relievers. New man Keith Hernandez had a great first season in New York also making himself a team leader. Hernandez had the best glove in the league and hit .306 in the process with an .858 OPS. Hubie Brooks hit .251 at third but never showed power with only 5 home runs and 58 RBI in 150 games. Jose Oquendo was only 19 but played in 120 games at short hitting .213 with only 8 extra base hits, his glove was nice but the bat was at a low minors level. Brian Giles had 17 steals and 15 doubles but alos no power. Giles had only a 70 OPS+ in 400 atbats. Ron Hodges was the catcher hitting .260 with 12 doubles and 21 RBI, the Mets really needed an upgrade at this position. The focus however was on the Mets outfield, 34 year old George Foster hit 28 home runs with 90 RBI making him the most feared bat in the order. Foster didn’t hit for average anymore but had 252 total basses. In center Mookie Wilson stole 54 bases and hit .276 making him a fine leadoff bat. Wilson scored 91 runs and was one of the smartest players on the field. He walked only 18 times but came around with 176 hits. Finally in right was Strawberry, one of the best young talents at 21 that anyone could hope for. He hit 26 home runs and drove in 74 while stealing 19 bases, there was really nothing that Straw could not do. Dave Kingman had 13 home runs off the bench but hit only .198 while Danny Heep was the best left handed pinch hitter on the roster. Bob Blair played in 118 games and hit .250 backing up a very light Mets infield. Even 39 year old Rusty Staub managed to get into 104 games solely as a pinch hitter, he could still swing it hitting .296. One has to say that the Mets were not as bad as their 68 win season, and betters may love their underdog status against Pittsburgh, but in order to win, they would have to have it all come together, both young and old.

Game 1 At PNC Park
Partly cloudy 51
1983 Mets...........................2
2017 Pirates.......................10
WP: J. Taillon (1-0) LP: T. Seaver (0-1)
HR: A. McCutchen (1), J. Harrison (1)
POG: Josh Harrison
2017 Pirates lead series 1-0
Andrew McCutchen and Josh Harrison each have three hits, 2 RBI, and a home run as the middle of the lineup punished Tom Seaver in an easy Pirate win. Seaver lasted only two innings allowing 5 runs while Jameson Taillon allowed only 2 earned runs and 5 hits over 7 innings. A Ron Hodges doubles was the only extra base hit for the Mets.

Game 2 At PNC Park
Clear skies 57
1983 Mets......................5
2017 Pirates...................2 (10 inn)
WP: J. Orosco (1-0) LP: F. Rivero (0-1)
HR: D. Heep 2 (2)
POG: Danny Heep
Series tied at 1
A three run home run by Danny Heep, his second of the game, put the Mets up 3 three runs in the 10th and carried them to the win, Gerrit Cole and Walt Terrell went back and forth as Cole struck out seven and Terrell worked into the 8th inning. Heep had homered in the 6th, but in the 10th Felipe Rivero fell behind in the count and left a breaking ball up for the dramatic finish.

Game 3 At Shea Stadium
Partly cloudy 57
2017 Pirates.......................2
1983 Mets..........................3 (10 inn)
WP: J. Orosco (2-0) LP: I Nova (0-1)
HR: S. Marte (1), B. Bailor (1)
POG: Neil Allen
1983 Mets lead series 2-1
A wild pitch in the 10th inning gave the Pirates the lead and appeared to give them the edge they needed with Ivan Nova on the mound to close things out. The Mets had a rally in them and when Gary Rajsich drew a walk, Bob Bailor came up representing the winning run. Bailor nailed a 397 foot shot over the left field wall for a Mets walk off and the lead in the series. Trevor Williams was excellent for the Pirates over 8 innings allowing only one run but Neill Allen was right there with him for the duration. Danny Heep went 3-4 to continue is hot hitting.

Game 4 At Shea Stadium
Partly Cloudy 55
2017 Pirates.......................0
1983 Mets..........................1
WP: M. Torrez (1-0) LP: I. Nova (0-2) S: C. Diaz (1)
HR: None
POG: Ron Darling
1983 Mets lead series 3-1
Ron Darling had his game face on all evening and frustrated the Pirates striking out seven but his opponent Chad Kuhl was just as sharp in what became a scoreless pitchers duel in game four. The Mets again came through with the game on the line, this time it was veteran George Forster who doubled off the wall to score the only run of the game. Carlos Diaz closed out the ninth and Ivan Nova took his second loss in as many days. The Mets now look to Tom Seaver to close out the series in five.

Game 5 At Shea Stadium
Partly cloudy 48
2017 Pirates.........................1
1983 Mets............................2
WP: T. Seaver (1-1) LP: J. Taillon (1-1)
HR: F. Cervelli (1)
POG: Tom Seaver
The magnificent Mets pitching continued and Tom Seaver went 6 strong innings allowing only one run and striking out six before the New York pen closed the door. Game 3 hero Bob Bailor drove in a run as did Darryl Strawberry as Jameson Taillon was good but not good enough. The Mets take four games in a row including all three at Shea for an impressive series win.

1983 New York Mets Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Danny Heep
(.467, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, .600 OBP)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #147
1993 Toronto Blue Jays (95-67) vs 1953 New York Giants (70-84)

Most baseball fans can remember where they were when Joe Carter hit the walk off home run off Mitch Williams to end the 1993 Series. The Jays of those days were repeat champions and had talent that manager Cito Gaston coordinated with expertise. Carter was the appropriate hero as he drove in runs all season long for a total of 121 with 31 home runs and 33 doubles with a .802 OPS. New to him in center was Devon White who had one of the best centerfield gloves you will ever see and he stole 34 bases with 15 home runs although he struck out 127 times to lead the club. In left field was the great Rickey Henderson who was the missing piece to a championship. Henderson stole 22 bases in his 44 games scoring 37 runs and often times being the catalyst to big innings. Ed Sprague manned third base hitting .260 with 73 RBI and 31 doubles while his arm was strong for the position even if his range was not. Ton Fernandez hit .306 with a .361 OBP and 15 steals. Everyone loved playing with Fernandez who was one of the fans very favorite. John Olerud hit an eye opening .363 at first base with a .473 OBP. Olerud was from another works in 1993 with 200 hits, 107 RBI,a and 54 doubles; yes he was better than you remember. Roberto Alomar remained a star at second with 55 steals and a .326 average. He also drove in 93 runs and 192 hits and 109 runs. Of course Alomar added to a club that played excellent defense. Pat Borders was adequate at catcher hitting .254 with 30 doubles and 55 RBI. At DH was the ever dependable Paul Molitor at 36 years old. Molitor hit .332 with a .402 OBP and 111 RBI remaining one of the toughest outs in the league. Darnell Coles was the main backup in the infield hitting .253 and Turner Ward along with Darrin Jackson were less then dependable outfield help. Kids Shawn Green and Carlos Delgado will be too young to see action. To go along with the great hitting, the Jays loaded their staff with veterans as well as an excellent bullpen. Juan Guzman went 14-3 in 33 starts with 194 strikeouts but did have some control concerns with 26 wild pitches and 110 walks. Pat Hentgen went 19-9 with a 3.87 mark but a 4.61 FIP and a high number of dingers allowed. Todd Stottlemyre went 11-12 with a 4.84 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP and a very high line drives rate. Beyond that were two veterans that struggled in Jack Morris and Dave Stewart. Morris was barely hanging on with a 6.19 ERA in 27 starts while Stewart had a better 4.44 but a FIP of 5.06. Either one of them in their late thirties could provide little more than experience and reputation. Duane Ward was a fine closer getting a strong 45 saves with a 2.13 ERA and a 1.033 WHIP. Veteran Danny Cox turned into a solid setup man and Mark Eichhorn had a 2.72 ERA in 54 games making him very valuable. Al Leiter was also an option for Gaston making 12 starts but also working long relief with a 4.11 ERA. The Jays, especially their lineup, was at a real championship level with a number of Hall of Famers in what really was the glory days Toronto baseball.

Hard to believe that a 70 win team one year would go on to be world champions the next. Such thinking can be justified however for the 1953 Giants, as they would suffer through an entire season without the great Willie Mays who wouldn’t be back until 1954 because of his service in the Korean War. Mays could never be replaced, however Don Mueller would try as the 26 year old played center field. Mueller did his .333 but with only 6 home runs and 60 RBI his overall play was about average. Montel Irwin still had a lot to give at 34 years old hitting .329 with 97 RBI and a .947 OPS. Irwin was one of the most overlooked players in the game while Bobby Thompson was more of a folk legend. Thompson did come through with 26 home runs and 106 driven in scoring 80 runs and a .810 OPS. The other Thompson was Hank who played at third. Hank went yard 24 times with 74 RBI hitting .302 and adding to a powerful lineup. Al Dark drove in 88 runs at short hitting .300 on the nose with 126 runs scored and becoming one of Leo Durochers favorites. Davey Williams was at second hitting .297 in 112 games but lugged only .382 with only 15 extra base hits total. Whitey Lockman scored 85 runs with a .295 average and a .739 OPS, he was decent but not the regular power hitting first baseman. Wes Westrum hit only .224 but was a good defensive catcher who even managed 12 home runs. Daryl Spencer had 20 home runs in part time duty with 56 RBI and 18 doubles. Bobby Hoffman hit .266 as a pinch batter and Dusty Rhodes was the most common replacement in the outfield with 11 home runs. The Giants pitching wasn’t great and let some close games slip. Ruben Gomez had a 3.40 ERA in 204 innings but walked 101 batters while also throwing three shutouts. Jim Hearn had a 4.53 with a 1.47 WHIP with only 77 strikeouts as he depended on location and weak contact that can be risky business. Larr Jansen lost 16 times with a 4.14 ERA and a 105 ERA+. Jansen did as well as 36 year old Sal Maglie who had something left in 145 innings with 80 K. Al Worthington made 17 starts with a 3.44 ERA making among the better surprises of the staff at 24 years old. Lefty Dave Koslo started in 12 games but settled in as a relief arm and a 4.76 ERA joining Al Corwin and Marv Grissom adding depth to the staff. Hoyt Wilhelm was the best option and a very valuable piece saving 15 games with a 3.04 ERA and going multiple innings in most of his work. The Giants pythagorium record was actually 79-75 and was much better then their actual record which tells you they lost a lot of games that they should not have. It also means that the Blue Jays may have more to deal with in this series then may first meet the eye. Be sure that Leo the Lip will have his team ready to play.

Game 1 At SkyDome
Indoors
1953 Giants......................3
1993 Blue Jays.................5
WP: J. Guzman (1-0) LP: S. Maglie (0-1) S: D. Ward (1)
HR: J. Olerud (1), B. Hofman (1)
POG: John Olerud
1993 Blue Jays lead series 1-0
The sweet swing of John Olerud came through at the perfect time in the 8th inning with the home team down two the first baseman hit a 390 foot three run home run over the right field wall off a tired Sal Maglie. The Giants had taken the lead in the 4th when DH Bobby Hofman hit a two run home run and the lead which they held to late. It was a typical Giants game where they really should have one, but one mistake does them in.

Game 2 At Skydome
Indoors
1953 Giants.....................2
1993 Blue Jays................4
WP: T. Stottlemyre (1-0) LP: D. Koslo (0-1) S: D. Ward (2)
HR: M. Irvin (1), J. Olerud (2)
POG: Todd Stottlemyre
1993 Blue Jays lead series 2-0
A four run third inning capped by that man again, John Olerud was enough for Todd Stottlemyre to send Toronto up two games in the series. Olerud now has 7 RBI in two games and slammed a 3 run home run off Dave Koslo. Stott went 8 strong innings striking out five and walking only one while Duane Ward was spot on again closing out his second save in as many days. Monte Irwin hit a home run for the Giants but they have their work cut out for them as the series head to the Polo Grounds with the Jays looking good.

Game 3 At Polo Grounds
56 Partly cloudy
1993 Blue Jays....................4
1953 Giants.........................6
WP: R. Gomez (1-0) LP: J. Morris (0-1) S: A. Worthington (1)
HR: D. Spencer (1), E. Sprague (1)
POG: Ruben Gomez
1993 Blue Jays lead series 2-1
Ed Sprague hit a two run home run in the first inning but the Giants this time would respond. Two Blue Jay errors and a pinch hit Daryl Spencer home run put six tallies on the board and allowed Ruben Gomez to settle in after the rough first. Gomez did walk five but struck out nine over 7 innings and even though his bullpen teetered, the Giants hung on for the win. Jack Morris went five innings to take the loss and labored, a gutsy call but Cito Gaston to start him.

Game 4 At Polo Grounds
Partly cloudy 56
1993 Blue Jays....................4
1953 Giants.........................3
WP: P. Hentgen (1-0) LP: J. Hearn (0-1)
HR: J. Olerud (3), D. Williams (1)
POG: Pat Hentgen
1993 Blue Jays lead series 3-1
Pat Hentgen pitched a quality game going 8 innings and striking out seven allowing only one earned run. On the other side Jim Hearn was not so fortunate for the Giants as he allowed 11 hits including another home run for John Olerud. The Giants were down four in the ninth and were being shutout before Davey Williams hit a three run home run but it wasnt enough when Monte Irwin struck out with the tying run on base. Toronto now in control of the series.

Game 5 At Polo Grounds
Partly cloudy 55
1993 Blue Jays.....................1
1953 Giants..........................4
WP: S. Maglie (1-1) LP: J. Guzman (1-1) S: A. Worthington (2)
HR: None
POG: Sal Maglie
1993 Blue Jays lead series 3-2
Sal Maglie calms nerves at the Polo Grounds and makes sure the series goes back to Toronto. The 36 year old goes 8 strong innings striking out seven and walking none and was in complete command of a good Jays lineup. Davey Williams continued his good series with 2 RBI on two hits and Hank Thompson pitched in with a run scoring triple. Pitching has been top of the line for both teams in these five games, now we see if the Giants can force a game seven.

Game 6 At Skydome
Indoors
1953 Giants.....................4
1993 Blue Jays................3
WP: D. Koslo (1-1) LP: T. Stottlemyre (1-1) S: A. Worthington (3)
HR: None
POG: Dave Koslo
Series tied at 3
A two run rally in the 8th inning staved off elimination for the Giants and now forces a dramatic game seven. Al Dark delivered the go ahead RBI single off Todd Stottlemyre who deserved better allowing only seven hits, but could get the win. Dave Koslo kept New York in the game with 7 quality innings while Larry Jansen and Al Wlorthington preserved the one run lead for the win. A good showing for Leo Durocher and his Giants, who now know anything can happen in a game seven.

Game 7 At Sky Dome
Indoors
1953 Giants.................14
1993 Blue Jays.............9
WP: L. Jansen (1-0) LP: J. Morris (0-2)
HR: R. Alomar (1), D. White (1), W. Westrum (1), B. Thompson (1)
POG: Hank Thompson
Over four hours of baseball in game seven and the 1953 Giants jumped all over Jack Morris and the Blue Jays ended the game with 20 hits and 14 runs and in turn ending the series and eliminating the champion Jays. New York knocked Morris out the game in the third as Bobby Hofman drove in three runs and Bobby Thompson as well as Wes Westrum went deep. The Jays made a game of it behind a three run home run by Devon White, but New York just wouldnt be caught on this night and can be proud of coming all the way back from 3-1 down and winning the last two on the road.

1953 New York Giants Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Davey Williams
(.344, 6 RBI, 1 HR, 5 R, .851 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #148
1903 Pittsburgh Pirates (91-49) vs 2015 Detroit Tigers (74-87)

The first ever World Series was played in 1903 and the National league Champions were the Pittsburgh Pirates. Fred Clarke was the 30 year old manager who lead by example and was an excellent player hitting .351 with 32 doubles and 70 RBI from the outfield. Ginger Beaumont hit .341 to add to a team that had a .286 team batting average. Beaumont drove in 68 with 30 doubles and a .833 OPS. Jimmy Sebring was less effective with a .277 average with a .708 OPS but did leg out 13 triples. Cluade Ritchey was the second baseman who hit .287 with 59 RBI and 66 runs scored similar to third baseman Tommy Leach who had a 122 OPS+ with 17 triples and 97 runs scored establishing himself as one of the best third baseman in the NL. Kitty Barnsfiled was the right handed first baseman who had only an 87 OPS+ with 57 RBI and only a .314 OBP. Ed Phelps was the catcher hitting .282 and playing good defense but was also helped by Harry Smith who had 212 at bats but did little with them. The ultimate star in the lineup of course was 29 year old Honus Wagner. Wagner stole 46 bases, hit .355, drove in 101 runs, scored 97, and sold pop corn in the aisles. He was an intimidating force in the infield and was widely considered the very best player in the game. Otto Kruger hit .246 as the most used pinch hitter while the rest of the bench was sparingly used. The Bucs of the era as expected stole 172 bases with six different players swiping over 20. Deacon Phillipe was the ace of the staff going 25-9 over 289 innings with 4 shutouts and almost perfect control issuing only 29 walks. Sam Leever also won 25 games with a 2.06 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP making him an excellent number two. Leever threw an impressive seven shutouts proving that when he was on, the opposition had little chance. Ed Doheny went 16-8 over 222 innings with a 3.19 ERA and a 3.59 FIP. Doheny allowed the most runs and hit 19 batters. Brickyard Kennedy made 15 starts with less success and a 3.45 ERA with a 94 ERA+ to go along with Kaiser Wilhelm who made 9 and likely wont take part in this series. Bucky Veil at 21 year of age threw in 70 innings mostly in relief when a pitcher really couldn't finish but for the most part of course pitchers on this club were expected to go the distance. Jack Pfester and Cy Falkenberg are two more notable names technically on the roster. The Pirates should be able to handle the 2015 Tigers, but opposition from over 100 years apart is never an easy proposition to predict.

Looking at the 2015 Tigers it became clear that they were a club in decline and were offloading some of their best talent in hopes of a rebuild. The club under Brad Ausmus lost 87 games and finished bottom in the AL Central. The Tigers could still swing the bats and had some real thumpers even in a pitchers park like Comerica. Miguel Cabrera played in 199 games and hit .338 with a .974 OPS proving he was still close to his best. Ian Kinsler was a veteran at second who stole 10 bases and drove In 73 runs while scoring 94 times. A 23 year old Nick Castellanos struck out 152 times but had some ability hitting .255 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI with 33 doubles. Jose Iglesias was more of a defensive talent but he did hit .300 in 120 games but had no slugging power to speak of; he did steal 11 bases. At 36 years old Victor Martinez was the SH but was slowing down, hitting only .245 with 11 home runs and 64 RBI leaving a lot to be desired. Yoenis Cespedes hit .294 with a .829 OPS and was still a factor in the lineup as well as his rifle arm in the outfield. Anthony Gose hit .254 in center and struck out 145 times but stole 23 bases and scored 73 runs while playing well in spacious center field at Comerica. James McCann hit .265 and was a good ear for the pitchers he worked with and a decent framer. Finally JD Martinez was the hammer of the lineup with 38 home runs and 102 RBI with a 139 OPS+. Martinez could hit to all fields and was a great partner with Miggy and Cespedes. Raja Davis was the reserve in the outfield with 18 steals and occasional pop. Andrew Romine and Tyler Collins added to the depth while Alex Avila was the light hitting back up catcher. Joakim Soria was the consistent closer on the team with 23 saves and a 2.85 ERA. He was helped greatly by Alex Wilson who threw in 59 games with a 2.19 ERA. Al Alburquerque and Blaine Hardy added in their setup roles with mild success; Hardy got into the most games at 70. The starting rotation was in some flux because the Tigers were unloading some of their best talent. Alfredo Simon went 13-12 and made the most starts for Detroit but his 5.05 ERA was alarming to say the least and was not someone who could be trusted. Anibal Sanchez wasn’t much better with a 4.99 ERA and 29 home runs allowed. He did strikeout about 8 men per nine which is something that David Price did regularly. Price was 9-4 in his 21 starts with a 2.53 ERA and 138 strikeouts. The great Justin Verlander was soon to be on his way to Houston but made 20 starts with a 3.38 ERA in 133 innings in what was far from his best. Shane Greene was a total disaster with an ERA around 7 while a mix of Kyel Lobstein, Bruce Rondon, and Neftali Feliz each played a small role but are rather insignificant. Still in a series with the 1903 settings, this Tiger rotation could be quite dangerous if Price and Verlander are good to go. The bats can be dangerous and Detroit will look for lighting in a bottle against the favorite Buckos.

Game 1 At Exposition Park
Partly cloudy 53
2015 Tigers......................0
1903 Pirates....................1
WP: D. Phillipe (1-0) LP: D. Price
HR: None
POG: Deacon Phillipe
1903 Pirates lead series 1-0
A wonderful pitchers duel opened up the series at Exposition Park with the game remaining scoreless all the way to the bottom of the ninth. David Price and Deacon Phillipe went the distance and Phillipe walked no one, striking out five on only 81 pitches. In the home ninth, Fred Clarke singled and then Tommy Leach doubled in the gap as the player manager raced home and gave the opener to Pittsburgh.

Game 2 At Exposition Park
Clear 68
2015 Tigers...................4
1903 Pirates..................5
WP: S. Leever (1-0) LP: J. Verlander (0-1)
HR: T. Collins (1)
POG: Sam Leever
1903 Pirates lead series 2-0
For the second straight game, the home Pirates walk off the win in the bottom of the ninth and head to MoTown in complete control. Manager Fred Clarke was again the hero with a blooping single to center with 2 outs in the ninth that scored pitcher Sam Leever on the bases. Leever and Justin Verlander were matched up in a back and forth battle and Honus Wagner played his part with 3 RBI on two hits while Tyler Collins had hit a two run pinch hit home run for the Tigers. Verlander was pulled in the 9th for releiver Joakim Soria but the move did not pay off.

Game 3 At Comerica Park
Rain 58
1903 Pirates.....................8
2015 Tigers......................1
WP: G. Thompson (1-0) LP: A. Sanchez (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Gus Thompson
1903 Pirates lead series 3-0
A tight game turned in the 7th inning when the Pirates plated five runs and added two more in the 8th to run away with game three and possibly the series. After a crucial error by Josh Wilson, one of five errors on the game for the Tigers, Tommy Leach cleared the bases with a double and Honus Wagner added another two RBI to push Pittsburgh over the top. Gus Thomspon went 9 innings allowing only one run on five hits as the Pirates pitching has been strong. Now Deacon Phillipe looks to close out a series sweep.

Game 4 At Comerica Park
Clear 60
1903 Pirates...................4
2015 Tigers....................2
WP: D. Phillipe (2-0) LP: D. Price (0-2)
HR: None
POG: Deacon Phillipe
The Pirates jumped on David Price scoring three times in the first two innings and setting up their ace, Deacon Phillipe, with the job to complete the series sweep. Fred Clarke tripled in a run in the first and Kitty Bansfield doubled in a run in the second. Phillipe worked around 4 Pirate errors to once again walk none and strike out three with only one earned run allowed after the full nine. Pittsburgh played out the series exactly the way that they wanted to playing small ball and pitching to contact and it was all good enough for a dominant four game sweep.

1903 Pittsburgh Pirates Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Deacon Phillipe
(2-0, 2 CG, 0.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 0 BB, 8 K, .222 OBA, 1 SH)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #149
1913 Philadelphia Athletics (96-57) vs 1988 St. Louis Cardinals (76-86)

In a five year stretch of the best baseball of the era, Connie Mack and his 1913 Athletics won their third championship in 1913. The club just knew how to win and had some legendary competitors like Eddie Collins and Home Run baker. Collins never let anyone get the best of him and hit .345 with a .441 OBP, 55 steals, and 125 runs scored. Baker hit a league leading 12 home runs and drove in 117 batters with his sparkling .337 average and .906 OPS making him one of the most feared hitters of the era. Jack Barry was the starter at short hitting .275 with an impressive 85 RBI and 20 doubles. Stuffy McGinnis was at first hitting .324 with 90 RBI and 309 doubles showing that there really was no let up in this lineup. In the outfield Rube Oldring hit .283 with a 113 OPS+ and 40 steals while Eddie Murphy stole 21 bases and scored 105 runs working very well at the top of the order. Jimmy Walsh played in 97 games with modest results and a .681 OPS splitting some time with Amos Strunk who hit .305 with 12 triples and 46 RBI, making him the more dependable option. At catcher Jack Lapp did not have much of a bat at all and a young Wally Schang was coming into his own at 23 years old hitting .266 with an .807 OPS. Tom Daley was the other most used bat on the bench but most these Athletics hated to leave a game unless they were forced to. At 37 years old some may have expected Eddie Plank to slow down, but his famous spitter pitch was working better than ever. Plank won 18 games with a 2.60 ERA striking out 151 batters which was a huge number for the era. Plank had seven shutouts and even added 4 saves. Carroll Brown had a 2.94 ERA in 35 starts and allowed 200 hits with a 94 ERA+ proving that he was hittable. Bob Shawkey at 22 years old was 6-5 with a 2.34 ERA but walked as many batters as he struck out. Chief Bender was still one of Mack's favorites going 21-10 with a 2.21 ERA and 1.12 WHIP which is why we will likely see a lot of him in this series. Bullett Joe Buch was only 20 but won 15 games in 16 starts although he could hardly be depended upon. Byron Houck and Herb Pennock were two more names on the roster but in a series likes this, expect 5 or more total arms to be used. Mack can indeed by confident in his team, but playing against the Cardinals of the 80's could be interesting as they are a particular team that can play the A's well at their own game.

Whitey Herzog is the exact type of manager that should have been working in the dead ball era, and he brought the style back to life in his 1980's Cardinals. Nineteen eighty eight however was for sure a down season as the Cards lost 86 games and finished last in the NC East. St. Louis still swiped 234 bases and the main culprit was the speedy Vince Coleman who had 81 steals. Coleman hit .260 and struck out 111 times making his legs less of a weapon with a .313 OBP. Willie McGee was still among the most overlooked stars in the game hitting .292 with 41 steals and 50 RBI. In right field Tom Brunansky had a big year hitting 29 home runs with 79 RBI and even he stole 16 bases for a 121 OPS+ to lead the team. Terry Pendleton hit .253 and was not near his best for the 110 games he played in hitting 6 home runs and scoring 44 times. Luis Alicea was the very light hitting second baseman at .212 in 93 games making him a sure out every time he came up. Bob Horner played in 60 games at first hitting .257 with 3 home runs as Pedro Guerrero platooned with him but the former Dodger hit .268 and was not the factor he used to be. Tony Pena was a good catcher that still had great skill with the glove and was a natural leader adding 188 total bases. The Cardinals would not be complete without taking about their star at short stop who redefined the position defensively. Ozzie Smith hit .270 with 57 steals and 80 runs scored showing more patience at the plate and a tendency to get the clutch knock. Jose Oquendo hit .277 as the main pinch hitter adding 10 home runs while Tom Herr and Tom Pagnozzi were very much in the background of the roster. The only pitcher to win more than 10 games was Jose DeLeon who won 13 of them. Deleon had a pedestrian 3.67 ERA but struck out 208 batters and had a FIP of 2.84. Joe Magrane was still just 23 but showed great poise with a 2.18 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 165 innings and three shutouts. John Tudor faced some arm issues but made 21 starts with a good 2.29 ERA walking only 31 batters and a master of location. Danyn Cox came out of the pen when his team needed him to start but was hit hard in 13 efforts and a 3.98 ERA. Greg Mathews was 4-6 with a 4.24 ERA also trying his best in 13 starts. Bob Forsch started in 12 games with modest results as Herzog looked for the right mix that never seemed to come. Todd Worrell was the closer with 32 saves and a 3.00 ERA blowing a number of chances but keeping his job. Scott Terry filled in nicely as a set up arm and a 2.92 ERA while Larry McWilliams and Ken Dayley provided some long relief with some success. A 23 year old Cris Carpenter who made 8 starts should also be mentioned. It should be a fun series with a lot of movement and low scoring games, but the legend of Connie Mack and his men one would think will shine through in this one.

Game 1 At Shibe Park
Nice 74
1988 Cardinals...................0
1913 Athletics.....................5
WP: E. Plank (1-0) LP: J. De Leon (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Eddie Plank
1913 Athletics lead series 1-0
The opening game went exactly the way the A's wanted it to with their ace Eddie Plank in complete control in shutting out the Cardinals. Plank allowed 9 hits but no runs and struck out seven in the process. Philly catcher Wally Schang did a great job in controlling the Cardinal running game throwing out three runners on the afternoon and preventing a single St. Louis runner from reaching third base. Jose DeLeon takes the loss and got into trouble early when Home Run Baker hit a two run double in the 1st.

Game 2 At Shibe Park
Sunny 73
1988 Cardinals..................5
1913 Athletics....................3
WP: D. Cox (1-0) LP: C. Bender (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Danny Cox
Series tied at 1
Danny Cox had a day to remember earning a complete game victory and delivering a bases clearing triple off Chief Bender in a four run second. Cox struck out three and allowed three earned runs over nine and 116 pitches. Vince Coleman had two triples on the night and made a fine catch in the outfield as St. Louis got back on their feet after an opening game loss and head to St. Louis with some confidence.

Game 3 At Busch Stadium
Clear 72
1913 Athletics.....................4
1988 Cardinals...................2
WP: W. Wyckoff (1-0) LP: J. Magrane (0-1)
Home Runs: None
POG: Weldon Wyckoff
1913 Athletics lead series 2-1
A rare day at the office indeed for St. Louis and Ozzie Smith as the Cardinals made 4 errors and two of them were committed by the Wizard. Smith made a crucial throwing error in the 9th inning to allow the A's to score twice and spoil a good effort by Joe Magrane. The Cards did steal 5 bases and Vince Coleman also had a 2 RBI single but Weldon Wyckoff did enough to keep his team in it until the deciding 9th inning.

Game 4 at Busch Stadium
Partly Cloudy 65
1913 Athletics.....................8
1988 Cardinals...................0
WP: E. Plank (2-0) LP: J. De Leon (0-2)
HR: E. Collins (1)
POG: Eddie Plank
1913 Athletics lead series 3-1
Home Run Baker had 2 doubles and three RBI before leaving the game early with an injury and Eddie Collins hit a a home run as Philadelphia gets one step closer to ending the series. Eddie Plank for the second game in a row shut out St. Louis and now has 18 innings of scoreless baseball striking 15 and walking only 4. He has been everything and more that Connie Mack has expected. Now St. Louis looks to avoid losing the series on their home turf.

Game 5 At Busch Stadium
Clear 58
1913 Athletics.......................11
1988 Cardinals.......................4
WP: C. Bender (1-1) LP: D. Cox (1-1)
HR: W. Schang (1), T. Pena (1)
POG: Rube Oldring
A three run game fell apart late as the Athletics scored 9 times in the final three innings at Busch Stadium to end this series in five. Rube Oldring went 5-6 and Wally Schang drove in four runs in what turned out to be a dominant game and a dominant series for Philly. Danny Cox and St. Louis pitching allowed 17 hits but somehow was left in ther until the 8th. Chief Bender went the distance allowing three earned runs on 134 pitches. This was an impressive performance by the champion Athletics proving that in the spoken era are a power to be reckoned with.

1913 Philadelphia Athletics Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Eddie Plank
(2-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 15 K, 4 BB, 2 CG, 18 scoreless innings)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #150
2020 Milwaukee Brewers (29-31) vs 1991 Montreal Expos (71-90)

The Covid shortened season obviously had a lot of anomalies including a club like the Brewers making the post season with a losing record. Still Milwaukee had the talent, especially on the pitching staff to be taken seriously. Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes really began to come into their own and make a formidable 1-2 combination. Woodruff struck out 11.1 per nine with a 0.991 WHIP and only 18 walks in 73 innings. Burnes struck out batters at an even higher rate with an amazing 13.3K per nine. He had a 2.11 ERA while avoiding hard contact and allowing only 2 home runs. Adrian Houser was the third starter but he was hit very hard with a 1.5 WHIP and 4.82 FIP. Houser likely won't be given a chance in this series. Brett Anderson had a 4.21 ERA in 10 starts and a 108 ERA+ making him decent for the third starter role. Josh Lindblom went 2-4 with a 5.16 ERA although his FIP was much better at 3.87. Eric Lauer and Freddy Peralta are too more options that Craig Counsell can go to but Lauer especially was hit hard. Josh Hader still had electric stuff as the closer and a 14.7 K/9 but he was not unhittable. Hader had a 3.79 ERA and walked 10 batters with 3 home runs in 19 innings of work. Brent Suter was very good in relief and Devin Williams was even better as Milwaukee sported one of the best pens in all of baseball in 2020. The club hit only .223 at the plate making them a frustrating lineup. Christian Yelich had a dud season after his MVP campaign hitting .205 but he did manage to slug .430 with 12 home runs and 22 driven in. Avisail Garcia hit .238 with 15 RBI and 10 doubles providing some support in the middle of the order. Ben Gamel was right there with him hitting .237 but he drove in only 10 runs in 40 games with just 13 runs scored. Ryan Braun at 36 drilled 8 home runs but also hit just .333 as the everyday DH. Braun was nothing more then an average player at this stage in his career. Eric Sogard was terrible at third with a 51 OPS+ and a .278 SLG. He would not be long for big league baseball. Orlando Arcia at 25 years old hit .260 to lead the entire batting order hitting 5 home runs and driving in 20 to be in most estimations the best hitter on the team. Keston Hiura hit just .212 but had 32 RBI and provided some very good work in the field. Justin Smoak struck out 40 times and hit .186 while muscling 5 home runs in 113 atbats. Omar Navarez hit .176 with 8 runs and 10 RBI but worked very well with the big arms that were on the roster. Luis Arias was a promising up and coming talent on the bench as was Daniel Vogelbach who hit .328 in limited duty and could see some action in key spots. Jedd Gyorko could get the call at first and Jace Peterson was the man for the utility role showing a .393 OBP. If this Brewers team can hit just a little and lean on their strong pen, they could really impress.

A manager change in 1991 and a transition period for a Expos before they would really take off in the middle of the decade. On this roster the old mixed with the new to form an interesting roster. Veterans like Tim Wallach at thir4d base were slowing down as the mainstay hit only .225 while striking out 100 times and hitting only 13 home runs. Spike Owen had his time at short also hitting .255 with a .686 OPS and scoring only 39 times as his speed now had completely left. Ivan Calderon in left hit 19 home runs and hit an even .300 but rumors were around that he would be traded soon. The rest of the outfield was talent laden as Marquis Grisson stole an impressive 76 bases and hit .257 with 9 triples. Grissom was a speed demon in the outfield and he teamed very well with right fielder Larry Walker who had a cannon for an arm. Walker was an up and coming star at the dish hitting 16 home runs and batting .290 with a .349 OBP. Walker had 30 doubles and 223 total bases to fuel the offense. Andres Galarraga was a fan favorite but had a rough go of it playing in only 107 games and hitting .219. The normally dependable first baseman lost his swing a bit in 1991 as injuries likely played a role. Delino Desheilds stole 56 bases making the Expos one of the most feared team on the bases in the league. Deshields hit .238 with 95 strikeouts but was getting better at only 22 years of age. Gil Reyes played catcher hitting a weak .217 in 83 games and was backed up by Mike Fitzgerald who hit .202 and had his own troubles. Dave Martinez was a solid utility outfielder hitting .295 with 18 doubles and 16 steals while Tom Foley was a defensive replacement on the infield. This Expos offense was more of a throwback but also played some excellent defense. The good gloves helped the pitching side and the veteran presence in the rotation and in the clubhouse was headed up by El Presidente Dennis Martinez. Martinez went 14-11 with a good 3.35 ERA pitching five shutouts and 9 complete games and allowing only nine home runs, he is a worthy ace. Mark Gardner went 9-11 with a 3.85 ERA in 27 starts but from top to bottom was nothing more then an average starter likely not suited for a number 2. Brain Barnes at 24 years old went 5-8 with a 4.22 ERA and Chris Nabholz went a similar 8-7 with a 3.52 ERA in 153 innings. Oil Can Boyed made 19 starts and was crafty enough to have a 3.46 FIP and 1.288 WHIP. Chris Haney made 16 starts with a 4.04 ERA so it will be interesting in who Buck Rodgers decides to go with in this series after Martinez gets the number one call. Barry Jones had 13 saves on a team without a clear closer as Jeff Fassero was the most dependable arm having a 2.44 ERA in 51 games. Mel Rojas showed some great potential at 24 years old and 6 saves of his won while Scott Ruskin made the most appearances at 64. It could easily develop into a good series between these two teams and the matchup is a bit difficult to gauge.


Game 1 At Miller Park
Indoors
1991 Expos.....................4
2020 Brewers..................2
WP: C. Nabholz (1-0) LP: C. Burnes (0-1) S: J. Fassero (1)
HR: M. Pina (1), L. Walker (1)
POG: Chris Nabholz
1991 Expos lead series 1-0
Buck Rodgers surprised with his choice of game one starters in Chris Nabholz and the move paid off as 24 year old left hander pitched well for the win allowing 2 runs in six innings. The biggest blow of the game came in the first inning when Larry Walker hit a 409 foot grand slam off Corbib Burnes that would be all the runs the Canadians would need in this one. Jeff Fassero and the Expos pen closes the door and Burnes takes the loss mainly on making one mistake.

Game 2 At Miller Park
Indoors
1991 Expos....................6
2020 Brewers.................2
WP: D. Martinez (1-0) LP: F. Peralta (0-1)
HR: A. Galarraga (1), C. Yelich (1)
POG: Dennis Martinez
1991 Expos lead series 2-0
Brandon Woodruff and the Brewers appeared to have everything in order as they held a 1-0 lead over Dennis Martinez and the Expos going into the 8th inning, Thats where it all fell apart as Woodruff was knocked from the game and the Expos plated 6 runs. For the second straight game it was a grand slam that as the big blow. Andres Galarraga took Erik Yardley for a ride and the Expos hold control of the series as it heads to Olympic Stadium. Christian Yelich had two hits and homered for the losing side.

Game 3 At Olympic Stadium
Indoors
2020 Brewers.......................6
1991 Expos..........................3
WP: D. Phelps (1-0) LP: J. Fassero (0-1) S: D. Williams (1)
HR: J. Gyorko (1), J. Nottingham (1), R. Braun (1)
POG: Josh Lindblom
1991 Expos lead series 2-1
Behind a Brett Barbarie two run double in the 7th, the Expos took a one run lead to the ninth and looked as if they would go up 3-0 in the series. Jeff Fassero did not get the job done however and the Brewers finally came to life in this series. Ryan Braun hit a clutch three run home run in what turned into a 4 run ninth and set up the win. Each team made two errors in the sloppy effort but the late game dramatics have made a series of it.

Game 4 At Olympic Stadium
Indoors
2020 Brewers.........................4
1991 Expos............................7
WP: S. Ruskin (1-0) LP: F. Peralta (0-2) S: M. Rojas (1)
HR: A. Galarraga (2), M. Pina (2), K. Hiura (1), R. Braun (2)
POG: Oil Can Boyd
1991 Expos lead series 3-1
Andres Galarraga had another big blow, this time hitting a 3 run home run as the Expos overcame two errors and three home runs allowed to get their third win of the series. Oil Can Boyd took the game into the 7th inning allowing only 2 earned runs and Buck Rodgers turned to Mel Rojas in this one to close things out. The Brewers planned a bullpen game without a dependable starter but ran into trouble late as Josh Hader had yet to even pitch in inning.

Game 5 At Olympic Stadium
Indoors
2020 Brewers...........................1
1991 Expos..............................5
WP: C. Nabholz (2-0) LP: C. Burnes (0-2) J. Fassero (2)
HR: I. Calderon (1)
POG: Chris Nabholz
Chris Nabholz pitched his second excellent game of the series striking out 12 Brewers as the Expos cruised to a comfortable five game series win. Ivan Calderon hit a two run home run and had three driven in for the game while Brewers loser Corbin Burnes deserved better taking a scoreless game into the 6th where a bad Keston Hiura error and bad luck did him in. Frustration boiled over as Larry Walker was ejected from the game along with manager Buck Rodgers, but the set back did not change the outcomes as Montreal makes it look easy.

1991 Montreal Expos Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Chris Nabholz
(2-0, 1.42 ERA, 18 K, 2 BB, 1.03 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 283 ERA+)

[Nick Soulis]

Tournament Progress Report 150 Series Played

Every 10 series I will give a progress report on the competition including stats.

Leaders (single series)
Hits...................George Stone (1907 Browns) 17
Home Runs.......Andrew McCutchen (2014 Pirates) 6
RBI...................Dave Parker (1977 Pirates) 17
Strikeouts.........Smoky Joe Wood (1912 Red Sox) 36
Longest HR.......Billy Herman (1941 Cubs) 504 FT

Cumulative WAR leaders (ALL Players)
1. Kenny Lofton - 3.2
2. Al Lopez - 3.1
3. Mark Belanger - 3.1
4. Eddie Collins - 3.0
5. Mike Piazza - 2.9


Managerial Leaders
Most Wins...........Tony LaRussa - 26
Winning %...........Bill Virdon - 100%

Hall of Famers
Culminative leaders for all Hall of Famers for every series they play (includes Pujols, Rose, Bonds, Joe Jackson, Clemens, Trout, Verlander, Cabrera)
Avg..................Harry Heilmann (1.00)
HR...................Jim Thome (10)
RBI..................Jim Thome (35)
Runs...............Jim Thome (28)
Hits.................Rickey Henderson (40)
SB..................Rickey Henderson (11)
2B...................Alex Rodriguez (8)
3B...................Pie Traynor (5)
AB...................Rickey Henderson (132)
SLG................Gaby Hartnett (1.083)
Wins...............Jim Palmer (6)
IP....................Jim Palmer (88)
K.....................Gaylord Perry (55)
ERA................Whitey Ford (0.00)
K/9..................Juan Marichal (10.52)
BB/9................Dennis Eckersley (0.00)
Saves..............Mariano Rivera (4)

Championship Clubs
1. 1959 Dodgers (defeated 1989 Dodgers 4-2 in prelim) Still Alive
2. 1908 Chicago Cubs (Lost to 1919 Giants 2-4 in prelim) ELIMINATED
3. 1985 Kansas City Royals (Lost to 1995 Padres 1-4 in Prelim) ELIMINATED
4. 1973 Oakland Athletics (defeated 1920 Braves in Prelim) Still Alive
5. 1919 Cincinnati Reds (Lost to 1973 Reds 3-4 in Prelim) ELIMINATED
6. 1998 New York Yankees (Defeated 1926 Cubs 4-2 in Prelim) Still Alive
7. 1991 Minnesota Twins (Defeated 1909 Highlanders 4-2 in Prelim) Still Alive
8. 1951 New York Yankees (Defeated 1923 Athletics 4-1 in Prelim) Still Alive
9. 1947 New York Yankees (Lost to 1914 Yankees 3-4 in Prelim) - ELIMINATED
10. 1912 Boston Red Sox (Defeated 2020 Rockies 4-3 in Prelim) Still Alive
11. 1993 Toronto Blue Jays (lost to 1953 Giants 3-4 in Prelim) - ELIMINATED
12. 1913 Philadelphia Athletics (Defeated 1988 Cardinals 4-0) - Still Alive

Incredible Comebacks (Teams down 0-3 to come back and win series)
1. 1912 Boston Red Sox (Defeated 2020 Rockies)


Franchise Records
Arizona Dbacks....................0-2
Atlanta/Mil Braves................4-4
Baltimore Orioles..................5-6
Boston Braves/Beans...........2-4
Boston Red Sox...................10-5
Brooklyn/LA Dodgers...........8-9
Chicago Cubs......................3-6
Chicago White Sox..............7-6
Cincinnati Reds...................10-10
Cleveland Indians/Naps......2-10
Colorado Rockies................0-1
Detroit Tigers......................6-9
Florida/Miami Marlins......... 1-0
Houston Astros....................3-2
KC Royals...........................3-2
Los Angeles Angels.............2-5
Milwaukee Brewers.............6-4
Minnesota Twins..................3-5
Montreal Expos...................5-0
New York Mets....................4-5
New York Yankees...............9-9
New York/SF Giants.............7-3
Philadelphia Phillies.............5-6
Philadelphia/Oak A's............10-10
Pittsburgh Pirates.................9-7
San Diego Padres................6-4
Seattle Mariners...................2-3
St. Louis Browns..................2-1
St. Louis Cardinals...............4-5
Tampa Bay Rays..................1-0
Texas Rangers.....................3-2
Toronto Blue Jays.................2-1
Washingtion Nationals..........0-0
Washington Senators...........6-4

Best Winning Percentage by Franchise:
Montreal Expos 100% (5-0)

Records By Decade
1900's.............................4-9
1910's.............................20-7
1920's.............................4-6
1930's.............................5-13
1940's.............................9-6
1950's.............................13-6
1960's.............................10-15
1970's.............................21-14
1980's.............................10-12
1990's.............................20-26
2000's.............................21-13
2010's.............................11-23

Most successful Season:
1977 is 4-0 (100%)


Achievements
Series 2 - Jim Longborg 19 scoreless innings pitched
Series 5 - Gil Hodges 5-5, 2 HR, 7 RBI in game 2 of series
Series 15 - Mark McGwire hits 3 HR in one game at Braves Field.
Series 48 - Ron Fairly goes 5-6 with 3 doubles and a home run in 13-10 win.
Series 62 - Joe Adcock hits three home runs in the deciding game seven with 5 RBI including the walk off series clinching winner.
Series 73 - Joey Medwick goes 4-5 with 3 HR and 7 RBI in game 4 of series. He hit 2 three run home runs.
Series 85 - Alex Rodriguez goes 6-6 with 3 2B and 4 runs in game six clinching win.
Series 91 - Noodles Hahn pitches to complete game shutouts in series sweep, one in game one and one in game 4.
Series 96 - Darryl Strawberry of the 1984 Mets goes 6-6 with 6 RBI in a 24 hit effort by the team in a win over the 1994 Expos.
Series 99 - Three home runs by Walker Cooper in a crucial 7-5 win in game 6 to keep the 1948 Giants alive and eventual winners.
Series 102 - Dave Parker hits 5 home runs in 4 games and drives in 17 runs.
Series 117 - Ed Konetcy goes 3-5 with 7 RBI for the 1909 Cardinals in a 16 run win.
Series 121 - Jim Palmer pitches a 13 inning shutout to beat Whitey Ford and the Yankees 1-0.
Series 133 - Roger Repoz hits a walk off grand slam to win the series for the 1967 Athletics.
Series 149 - Eddie Plank pitches two shutouts with 15 K and only 4 walks for 18 scoreless innings against the 1988 Cardinals.

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #151
2018 Colorado Rockies (91-72) vs 1922 Cleveland Indians (78-76)

Baseball in Colorado has been like nothing the history of the game has seen before and the Rockies in their close to 30myear history have had to adapt to their playing environments. The club has not had many successful seasons, but in 2018 lead by Bud Black they won 91 games and made it to the NLDS. Starter Kyle Freeland likely had the best season ever by a Colorado starter. Freeland went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA with 7.7 K per nine. He allowed only 17 home runs in what was an excellent campaign. German Marquez won 14 games with a more appropriate 3.77 ERA striking out 230 batters with a 1.2 WHIP and 125 ERA+. Tyler Anderson went 7-9 from the left side allowing 30 home runs and a 4.57 FIP while Jon Gray was even worse with a 5.12 ERA and 1.35 WHIP making him avoidable in such a series. Chad Betts went 5-2 in 20 starts with a 5.01 while Antonio Senzatela wasn’t bad at 23 years old in 13 starts with an even 6-6 record and a 4.38 ERS. Wade Davis had the experience as a closer but was past his best with a 4.13 ERA but still 43 saves and a 1.05 WHIP. Adam Ottavino was excellent with a 2.43 ERA and some fine work as the main setup arm. Scott Oberg and Brayn Shaw were two more pen arms as the relief unit became thin very quickly. The unit as a whole had a 4.33 ERA which want bad at all for a Rockies team. As one might expect the offense was a strong one. Nolan Arenado hit 38 home runs with 110 RBI and a .374 OBP making him the anchor in the middle of the order. Arenado of course was also the best fielding third baseman in the game. Next to him in the order and on the infield was Trevor Story who hit 37 home runs and 108 RBI with a .914 OPS. Story just killed the baseball for 42 doubles and added 27 steals. DK Lemahieu hit .276 out of second base with 15 home runs and 32 doubles. He is an excellent contact hitter, something Ian Desmond was not. Desmond struck out 146 times hitting .236 at first base but hit 22 home runs and still drove in 88. Chris Ianneta had better days as the team catcher at 35 years old hitting .224, not a good number at wall when playing at Coors Field. Charlie Blackmon worked in center field hitting .291 with an impressive .860 OPS with 12 steals and 119 runs scored neat the top of the order. Gerardo Parra hit .284 with limited power most of his hits were singles and wasn’t the best fit to play in this lineup. Carlos Gonzalez at 32 years old hit .276 with 16 home runs and 32 doubles in what was likely his last productive season. Davi Dahl hit 16 home runs in a rush of playing time at the end of the season and should see a number of atbats in this series. Ryan McMahon and Noel Cuevas made up the rest of the regular bench mob and Tony Wolters was the left handed catcher but hit only .170. Colorado will look to take full advantage of their home field advantage but Tris Speaker and his team wont be an easy out.


Tris Speaker was 34 years old in 1922 but still played the game with the bat and the glove better then just about anyone. He hit 48 doubles and ended with a .378 average and 1.08 OPS. Speaker also found the time to manage the team that mirrored his brand of baseball that included good defense and contact hitting. Charlie Jamiesson hit a nice .323 from left field with 15 steals and 57 RBI. He scored 87 runs and partnered very well with his manager in the outfield. Smoky Joe Wood, the great pitcher turned hitter, hit .297 and drove in a team leading 92 runs. He had 33 doubles and finsihed with an .809 OPS; reminds some of Ohtani. Larry Gardner hit .285 at third and struck out only 21 times all season. Gardner had 68 RBI and 74 runs scored. Bill Wambsganss may have had a hard name to pronounce but stole 17 bases with 89 runs and played a good second base. Stuffy McInnis hit .305 with 78 RBI even as he turned 31, he was a good veteran presence that Speaker liked to lean on. Steve O;Neill was a great catcher hitting .311 with 27 doubles and a .423 OBP. He was also a wonderful game caller and really was one of the most underrated players of the era. Finally at short was Joe Sewell who at 23 had a world of talent. He drove in 83 runs with a .771 OPS 215 total bases. Sewell was the future of the organization and a fan favorite. Riggs Stephenson was an excellent hitter off the bench going for .329 with .511 slugging. Joe Evans backed up in the outfield with 11 steals to his name while Luke Sewell was the backup catcher. The Cleveland pitching could have been better and likely held the club back. George Uhle won 22 games at 23 years old with a 4.07 ERA while allowing over 10 hits per nine. Uhle was a bit too inconsistent to be an ace. Stan Coveleski had a much stronger 3.32 ERA in 33 starts with a 1.28 WHIP but 14 home runs allowed. He showed the most promise of all the hurlers. Guy Morton went 14-9 with an even 4.00 ERA but a worrisome 1.49 WHIP. Dan Boone had an even 100 ERA+ with a 4.06 ERA in 75 innings as he rounded out the Indians group of starters. Duster Mails started 13 times and could be used in a variety of roles in over 100 innings. Jim Bagby had a save and was used often in relief but was hit very very hard with an ERA over 6. James Edwards and Jim Lindsey struggled as the team ERA of 4.59 for the era was rather ugly. The series really is a hard one to call but one would think that the Cleveland pitching could really have a difficult time throwing at Coors.

Game 1 At Coors Field
Clear 49
1922 Indians.................5
2018 Rockies................7
WP: S. Oberg (1-0) LP: J. Lindsey (0-1) S; W. Davis (1)
HR: T. Speaker (1)
POG: DJ Lemehieu
2018 Rockies lead series 1-0
The Rockies broke a 5-5 tie in the 8th inning plating three runs off the Indians bullpen with DJ Lemahieu delivering a 2 run single in the 3 run inning. Lemahieu had 4 RBI on the night in what was the expected high scoring game at Coors. Adam Ottavino did leave this game with an injury and it could be a significant loss for the Colorado bullpen.

Game 2 At Coors Field
Cloudy 46
1922 Indians...................10
2018 Rockies...................6
WP: G. Morton (1-0) LP: S. Oberg (1-1)
HR: T. Story (1)
POG: Smoky Joe Wood
Series tied at 1
The Rockies took a 4-0 lead behind a two run home run by Trevor Story but it soon evaporated when the visitors scored 10 runs in the 5th and 6th inning to put the game away and tie the series. Smoky Joe Wood had 6 RBI when he cleared the bases twice, once on a double and then on a triple as the Indians were actually outhit in this game 14-11 but made the most of their chances. The Rockies walked nine men in this game, not a good formula to win at Coors. The series now moves to a more conventional setting at League Park in Cleveland.

Game 3 At League Park
Rain 47
2018 Rockies...............4
1922 Indians................6
WP: S. Coveleski (1-0) LP: J. Gray (0-1) S: D. Mails (1)
HR: T. Speaker (2)
POG: Tris Speaker
1922 Indians lead series 2-1
Cleveland comes home and does the damage early against John Gray who would not make it past the second inning. Tris Speaker hit a two run home run in the second and Stuffy McGinnis added two more RBI to support Stan Coveleski who looked good in his six winning innings. Cleveland takes control of the series.

Game 4 At League Park
Clear 60
2018 Rockies..............................4
1922 Indians...............................1
WP: A. Senzatela (1-0) LP: G. Uhle (0-1) S: W. Davis (2)
HR: None
POG: Antonio Senzatela
Series tied at 2
Antonio Senzatela pitched six innings of shutout ball and the Rockies bullpen hung on as Wade Davis earned his second save in the three run win. RBI hits by Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon eased the stress of the game and some solid defense carried the remainder of the way as Colorado ties the series. George Uhle takes the loss and the Indians lineup managed only four hits total on the day.

Game 5 At League Park
Partly cloudy 50
2018 Rockies..................4
1922 Indians...................6 (10 inn)
WP: D. Mails (1-0) LP: W. Davis (0-1)
HR: T. Speaker 2 (4)
POG: Tris Speaker
1922 Indians lead series 3-2
Tris Speaker continues to build on his legend as in the bottom of the 10th he walked off the game with a 2 run home run off of Wade Davis. The Rockies had staged a comeback and tied the game in the 9th when DJ Lemahieu doubled in a run with 2 out. Speaker had 2 home runs and 4 RBI but Indians starter James Edwards made two crucial errors to get the Rockies back in the game. Speaker walks the series back to Colorado.

Game 6 At Coors Field
Drizzle 45
1922 Indians.....................6
2018 Rockies...................13
WP: K. Feeland (1-0) LP: G. Morton (1-1)
HR: R. Stephenson (1), S. McGinnis (1), I. Desmond (1)
POG: Stuffy McGinnis
Series tied at 3
In typical Coors Field fashion, with their backs against the wall, the Rockies scored 13 runs in the first three innings including 8 in the 3rd inning to overwhelm the Indians. Nolan Arenado had 4 RBI and the Indians made three errors and didn't play the type of game to close out a series. Kyle Freeland goes 5 innings for the win.

Game 7 At Coors Field
Partly cloudy 44
1922 Indians......................9
2018 Rockies.....................3
WP: S. Coveleski (2-0) LP: J. Gray (0-2)
HR: T. Story (2), R. Stephenson (2)
POG: Riggs Stephenson
The 1922 Indians cracked out 14 hits and broke out to an early 4-0 lead and would never look back in the deciding game of this good series. Riggs Stephenson goes 4-5 and with three runs scored and Smoky Joe Wood along with Joe Sewell each drove in two runs. Stan Coveleski wins his second game of the series going six innings and allowing 2 earned runs off five strikeouts. Jon Gray takes the loss on a night they needed him to be better.

1922 Cleveland Indians Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Tris Speaker
(.375, 4 HR, 8 RBI, .542 OBP, 1.72 OPS, 7 R, 1 SB)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #152
1968 Detroit Tigers (103-59) vs 1901 Chicago Orphans (53-86)

The story of every championship team is glittered with outstanding performances and moments. The 1968 Tigers overcame a 1-3 deficit and defeated Bob Gibson and the Cardinals showing you what they are made of. Denny McLain had a dream season winning 31 games with a 1.96 ERA and 280 strikeouts. It can be considered one of the best seasons in league history. Earl Wilson went 13-12 with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP making him a solid number two man. Mickey Lolich was 17-9 with a higher 3.19 ERA with 197 K and four shutouts. Joe Sparma was on the on or off fourth starter who finished 10-10 with a high 3.70 ERA for the era. John Hiller also made 12 starts with a 2.39 ERA but was eventually transitioned to the set up role. Pat Dobson also was used in a variety of roles but had 7 saves and is the most likely candidate to be used in the most high leverage situations. Dayl Patterson and Fred Lasher added to a very good pen for a team that was anchored in pitching with a 2.71 ERA, indicative of the times. Bill Freehan was a gamer all the way around at catcher and one of the leaders of the team. He hit 25 home runs with 84 RBI and a .819 OPS not to mention his outstanding play on the defensive side. Norm Cash smacked 25 homers from first base hitting .263 but in many ways his age was starting to show at 34. Dick McAuliffe hit .249 with 16 home runs and a .755 OPS which wasn’t bad at all out of a second baseman. Ray Oyler hit only .135 in 111 games at short giving him 40 total bases for the season and had some of the worst metrics ever in a season, good thing he could field a bit. Don Wert wasn’t much better at third hitting an even .200 with only 37 RBI and 44 runs scored in 150 games played. Willie Horton hit an impressive 36 home runs with a .285 average from left field. Horton did whiff 110 times but was a major power source for this team. Mickey Stanley played center and hit .259 with 88 runs scored and 60 RBI. He was an average center fielder all the way around. Jim Northrup drove in 90 runs to lead the team with a 129 OPS= and 29 doubles making him a vital cog in the Tiger lineup. The great Al Kaline played in 102 games hitting .287 with an .820 OPS and 52 RBI. Kaline was still as smooth and effective for the reputation he carried. Tommy Matchick played 80 games at short but hit only .203 while Gates Brown and ancient Eddie Matthews filled out the roster. The Tigers did lean on their pitching but also had a super resolve and a number of players that played the game the right way and found a way to come through when it mattered defensively or at the plate.

The National League came into a new century as the dominant league in the land, but the Chicago club had still not found its footing as contenders. The club had a total of seven pitchers, which should make things interesting, and among them was a 24 years old fire baller named Rube Waddell. Wadell went 14-14 with a 2.81 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 243 innings. Wadell was known for chasing fire trucks but was becoming one of the most feared lefties in the game. Also feared was Tom Hughes who struck out 225 men which was an unheard of number at the time. Hughes lost 23 games however because he also walked 115 batters and had a WHIP of 1.375. Jack Talor lost 19 games with a 3.36 ERA and pitched in some bad luck with an ERA+ of 96. Mel Eason at 22 years old went 8-17 in 25 starts with a 3/59 ERA and a 3.83 FIP. Eason also battled with control and was in and out of the rotation as John Menefee also started in 20 games but with a worse 3.80 ERA as he was the elder of the group at 33 years old. Bert Cunningham and Charlie Ferguson were on the roster but combined for 11 innings all season long. The team average of .258 was average at best for the era and the hope of the lineup seemed to be 24 year old outfielder Frank Chance. Chance hit .278 with 27 steals in only 69 games with a .737 OPS. Danny Green was in center and hit .313 with 12 triples, six home runs, and a .364 OBP. Topsy Hartsel may have been the best hitter on the team with a .335 average and 111 runs scored with 54 stolen bases. Hartsel could do it all and finished with a 161 OPS+. Barry McCormick was the man at short hitting .234 with a .592 OPS and 32 runs driven in. Cupid Childs was at second hitting .258 at 3 years old and was truly a player from another eral he ended with a .656 OPS in only 63 games. Fred Raymer was at third hitting .233 with 14 doubles and 18 stolen bases. Jack Doyle had the most games at first base but had a 59 OPS+ with 9 doubles and 21 runs scored in 75 games. Mike Kahoe was the light hitting catcher hitting .224 in 67 games and unspectacular in the field. Charlie Dexter had a lot of play as a backup in the infield hitting .267 with 66 RBI and likely will start somewhere while Cupid's brother, Pete hit .229 and 14 RBI in another backup infield spot. Johnny Kling was the 25 year old catcher who showed potential hitting .273 with 8 steals and 26 RBI in 74 games. Young Jim Delahanty from the famous ballplaying family was also on the bench as was Cozy Dolan who was the outfield replacement if needed hitting a .588 OPS.


Game 1 At Tiger Stadium
Clear 67
1901 Orphans.......................1
1968 Tigers...........................0
WP: T. Hughes (1-0) LP: D. McLain (0-1)
HR: D. Green (1)
POG: Tom Hughes
1901 Orphans Lead Series 1-0
A three hit complete game three hit shutouts by Tom Hughes who was brilliant in this one striking out 11, walking none, and sending a clear message to the favorite Tigers. Denny McLain was almost just as good over 9 innings striking out a high 15 batters and only making one mistake. Danny Green hit a solo home run to right field in the 7th inning in what would be the only run of the night.

Game 2 At Tiger Stadium
Partly cloudy 59
1901 Orphans.........................0
1968 Tigers.............................2
WP: E. Wilson (1-0) LP: J. Menefee (0-1)
POG: Earl Wilson
Series tied at 1
The Tigers come right back in game two and return the favor on Chicago by shutting them out behind Earl Wilson. Wilson struck out nine and made everyone forget about the game one loss getting the better of loser Jock Menefee. Norm Cash and Bill Freehan drove in the only two runs of the game and the Tigers also played some impressive defense as they send the series back to the very early days of West Side Park in Chicago for game 3.

Game 3 At West Side Grounds
Partly cloudy 61
1968 Tigers.....................6
1901 Orphans.................3
WP: M. Lolich (1-0) LP: J. Taylor (0-1)
HR: A. Kaline (1), T. Hartsel (1), M. Stanley (1)
POG: Mickey Lolich
1968 Tigers Lead Series 2-1
Al Kaline and Mike Stanley both hit two run home runs off of Jack Taylor to build a 5-0 lead in Chicago. The lead was preserved by Mickey Lolich who did allow a Chicago comeback through a Topsy Hartsel two run home run but would seven innings striking out seven. The Tigers had no problem adapting to West Side Grounds.

Game 4 At West Side Grounds
Partly cloudy 40
1968 Tigers.......................4
1901 Orphans...................1
WP: J. Hiller (1), M. Eason (0-1) S: D. Patterson (2)
HR: N. Cash (1), M. Stanley (2)
POG: John Hiller
1968 Tigers Lead Series 3 Games To 1
Norm Cash hit a 398 foot home run in the very first inning to set the stage for another convincing win for the Tigers who this time leaned on John Hiller who looked good for 8 innings. Hiller struck out three, allowed 6 hits and no earned runs before Daryl Patterson closed out the game unscathed. The Orphans now face elimination and will do their best to avoid being sweped away at home.

Game 5 At West Side Grounds
Rain 56
1968 Tigers........................5
1901 Orphans....................0
WP: D. McLain (1-1) LP: T. Hughes (1-1)
HR: W. Horton (1)
POG: Denny McLain
An excellent way to close out the series by the Tigers and their all world ace Denny McLain. McLain threw a 2 hit shutout striking out 5 and walking none in what truly was an almost flawless performance. Willie Horton gave the visitors the only runs that they would need with a towering two run home run in the 4th and a red hot Mike Stanley added to the lead with his sixth RBI of the series. This was all Tigers and their pitching against the old Chicago club was just superb for the entire series. The Tigers played like champions indeed.

1968 Tigers Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Mickey Stanley
(10/20, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, .800 SLG, .545 OBP)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #153
1974 Los Angeles Dodgers (102-60) vs 1984 Cleveland Indians (75-87)

In what would become Walter Alston's last season of a very distinguished run, the 1974 Dodgers won yet another pennant but fell short to the A's for the title. The core infield that would dominate the decade was already in place with Steve Garvey hitting .312 at first with 111 RBI and a 130 OPS+ to go along with his graceful defense. Davey Lopes stole 59 bases at the top of the order with a .350 OBP and 95 runs scored. Lopes was the hardnosed type of player any team would love to have, as was short stop Bill Russell. Russell hit .266 but also stole 14 bases and had a .336 OBP. Russel and Lopes also made a nice and fluid double play combo. The Penguin Ron Cey was at third and he drove in 97 with a .746 OPS and 88 runs. Bill Buckner was in left and was a great contact hitter ending with a .314 average and 30 doubles to his name. Jim Wynn was in center having struck out 104 times but still stealing 18 bases with a team leading 108 RBI with 32 home runs. Willie Crawford was in right hitting .295 with 202 total bases and an .808 OPS. To cap off the impressive Dodgers lineup was catcher Steve Yeager who hit .266 with a .334 OBP and 41 RBI in 94 games. Joe Ferguson played 111 games and hit .252 with an .815 OPS hitting 16 home runs and becoming a valuable utility piece. Tom Paciorek and Lee Lacy were to more key pieces off the bench as the Dodgers always seem to be deep in talent. With the defense strong and throwing in a pitchers park, the Dodgers staff did well with a 2.97 team ERA. Andy Messersmith won 20 games with a 2.59 ERA including 221 strikeouts. Messersmith was excellent in giving quality innings and Don Sutton was not far behind him winning 19 times with a 3.23 ERA and five shutouts. Sutton was a great big game pitcher who's confidence resonating in his teammates. Doug Rau started 35 times with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Tommy John made 22 starts with a 13-3 record and a 2.59 ERA showing great command including three shutouts. AL Downing threw 98 innings in 16 starts and was a decent place holder with a 3.66 ERA but likely wont get a start in this series. Mike Marshall appeared in 106 games out of the pen with a 2.42 ERA in what was a trajectory we may never see again. He had 21 saves but was used in almost every situation because of his effectiveness. Charlie Hough went 9-4 as his knuckle ball danced at hitter. Hough had a 1.09 WHIP and could be used often as well. Geoff Zahn and Jim Brewer were the other pen arms that were used often and both had ERA's under three adding to the talent of the overall Dodgers roster. A great club to say the least that won 102 games and could really beat you in so many ways.

There was a world of parity in the AL East in the 1980's but the Indians just couldn’t break through. Their 75 wins in 1984 were good for 6th in the division and a long run of futility seemed to have no end. At 33 years old there was nothing slowing down about Bert Blyleven as the teams ace. Blyleven went 19-7 with a 2.87 ERA and 170 strikeouts In 245 innings. He had 4 shutouts and is sure to be leaned on and a big factor in this series. The remainder of the Tribe pitching goes downhill fast. Neal Heaton had a 5.21 ERA and lost 15 games walking as many as he struck out. His FIP was a bit lower making him have the potential to pitch better. Steve Comer had a 5.68 ERA in 117 innings and had a hard time being trusted. Steve Farr had a 4.58 ERA and an even better FIP at 4.22 but his record showed none of that finishing at 3-11. Rick Sutcliffe went 4-5 with a 5.15 ERA but was on his way to Chicago for his Cy Young before the season was very old. Roy Smith also made 14 starts at 22 years olf with a pedestrian 4.59 ERA. Ernie Camacho closed out 23 games and was impressive as the club closer when he had his chances. Tom Waddell and Mike Jeffcoat as the best options out of a pen that was actually quite good for a starting unit that struggled. Jeffcoat appeared in 63 games and Waddell in 58. Andre Thornton was most of the muscle in the lineup and spent most of his time at DH. Big Andre hit 33 home runs and 99 RBI and only 79 strikeouts. Thornton was the most feared in the lineup but also 25 year old Julio Franco was a big bat at short stop. Franco hit .286 with 79 RBI and 19 steals proving how good he was all around. Tony Bernazard was his infield mate who stole 20 bases but hit only .221 and I was a good thing that he had very sure hands. Mike Hargrove was the first baseman at 34 years old. He hit .267 with a .361 OBP and 53 walk that translated to 44 runs scored/. Hargrove was nowhere near the prototypical first baseman. Brook Jacoby was at third and he hit 7 home runs with 40 RBI in 126 games for a paltry .683 OPS. Brett Butler was a nice piece in center. He was one of the best bunters you would ever see and stole 52 bases while scoring 108 runs with a .269 average. George Vukovich was in right and he hit .304 but had only 9 home runs and 38 total runs scored. Mel Hall came from Chicago and played in just 83 games hitting .257 with 7 long ones. Pat Tabler was the main man off the bench playing in 144 games and hitting .290 with 21 doubles, look for him to probably start in this series. Young Joe Carter is another name to watch for as he hit .275 with 13 home runs while catcher Chris Bando hit 13. The everyday catcher was platooned worth Jerry Willard, who hit .224 with 10 home runs but had an adequate arm and called a good game. Otis Nixon was another speed burner on the bench and Carmelo Castillo hit .261 in pinch hit duty. The Indians should be no match for the Dodgers, but if Blyleven gives them a chance in a couple of games, they may be able to stay competitive.


Game 1 At Dodger Stadium
Partly cloudy 57
1984 Indians....................4
1974 Dodgers..................5 (11 inn)
WP: G. Zahn (1-0) LP: E. Camacho (0-1)
HR: J. Carter (1), C. Bando (1), B. Blyleven (1), S. Garvey (1)
POG: Joe Ferguson
1974 Dodgers lead series 1-0
Joe Ferguson hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning scoring Bill Buckner and giving a hard fought game one to the Dodgers. The Indians hit three home runs including one by pitcher Bert Blyleven but the Dodgers managed 17 hits and should have won easily if it were not for 13 runners stranded on base. Geoff Zahn gets the win but it was Andy Messersmith who navigated through the game and for the Indians their ace just didnt have his best stuff allowing 15 hits.

Game 2 At Dodger Stadium
Clear 61
1984 Indians.......................4
1974 Dodgers.....................3
WP: S. Farr (1-0) LP: T. John (0-1) S: E. Camacho (1)
HR: D. Lopes (1), J. Fergusen (1) C. Bando (2)
POG: Chris Bando
Series tied at 1
Chris Bando went 4-5 with 4 RBI including a three run home run off losing Dodger Tommy John. John went 8 innings walking six as Cleveland scored three times in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie. Steve Farr was quite good striking out 8 and allowing only one run as the Indians steal one in Dodger land.

At Cleveland Stadium
Clear 55
1974 Dodgers..................4
1984 Indians....................5 (10 inn)
WP: J. Easterley (1-0) LP: M. Marshall (0-1)
HR: J. Ferguson (2), D. Lopes (2), C. Bando (3)
POG: Don Schulze
1984 Indians Lead Series 2-1
Mel Hall ripped a walk off single in the 10th off of Mike Marshall and the Indians have all of a sudden become believers in this series. Chris Bando hit his third home run of the series to tie the game in the 8th after a Bill Buckner two run single had put the visitors up. Don Sutton and Don Schulte both went 8 strong but nothing could be decided until the dramatics of the 10th inning.

Game 4 At Cleveland Stadium
Clear 50
1974 Dodgers..........................7
1984 Indians............................3
WP: D. Rau (1-0) LP: R. Smith (0-1)
HR: D. Lopes (3), S. Yeager (1), J. Carter (2)
POG: Doug Rau
Series tied at 2
Davey Lopes and and Ron Cey each drove in two runs as the visiting Dodgers put down the hammer in game four to even the series. Lopes hit his third home run of the series in the first and Cey hit a two run double in the 3rd while Steve Yeager also went deep as Roy Smith of the Indians had a short day. Doug Rau went seven and a third allowing two runs even with five walks to get the win. Joe Carter went 3-4 with a home run in the losing effort.

Game 5At Cleveland Stadium
Clear 55
1974 Dodgers...................1
1984 Indians.....................4
WP: B. Blyleven (1-0) LP: A. Messersmith (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Bert Blyleven
1984 Indians Lead Series 3-2
Bert Blyleven went the distance allowing only three hits and striking out four in what was a crucial pitching gem against lost Andy Messersmith and the Dodgers. George Vukovich drove in a run and scored two as Cleveland scored three in the first two innings and race away with the series lead. The series now heads West for the dramatic finish.

Game 6 At Dodger Stadium
64 Partly cloudy
1984 Indians..................0
1974 Dodgers................7
WP: T. John (1-1) LP: S. Farr (1-1)
HR: B. Buckner (1), R. Cey (1)
POG: Tommy John
Series Tied at 3
The Dodgers were not in the mood to end this series on their home diamond and Tommy John put all his pitches together to throw a shutout. John walked only one and struck out seven and the biggest moment in the game came when Ron Cey launched a seventh inning grand slam into the LA night off of loser Steve Farr, The final game now awaits as the Indians still in the fight to pull the upset.

Game 7 At Dodger Stadium
Clear 64
1984 Indians........................1
1974 Dodgers......................2
WP: D. Sutton (1-0) LP: D. Schulze (0-1) S: M. Marshall (1)
HR: J. Wynn (1)
POG: Don Sutton
Don Sutton got the early lead in the 2nd inning when Jim Wynn hit a solo home run, and the righthander had what he needed in game seven and never looked back. Sutton struck out seven and allowed only one run through 8 strong innings. To wrap up the series Mike Marshall came on in the ninth and struck out the side as the Dodgers took care of business at home with two straight wins when all was in doubt; that is what great teams do. Schulze did very well in his two starts with a 1.93 ERA but was ultimately unlucky, as were the Indians after the final out.

1974 Los Angeles Dodgers Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Ron Cey
(.417, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 1.083 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #154
2008 Philadelphia Phillies (92-70) vs 1983 New York Yankees (91-71)

Only the third World Championship in franchise history, the 2008 Phillies will always be remembered for their intense competitiveness and grit that made them so good. Players in the middle of the infield like Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins were at the core of the success manager Charlie Manuel and his club had. Utley had a 9.0 WAR hitting 33 home runs and driving in 104 runs while scoring 113. He had a .915 OPS to lead the team and played literally like there was no tomorrow. Rollins stole 47 bases and had 38 doubles with 9 triples, 11 homers, and 243 total bases. He was an excellent baserunner and worked well with Utley on the DP. Ryan Howard was the hammer at first base hitting 48 home runs with 146 RBI with 105 runs, all while striking out 199 times. Howard was the best slugger of his era and his left handed power wing was as pretty as it gets. Pedro Feliz filled in at third and stayed most invisible with an 82 OPS+ and 14 home runs. His glove did bring good range for the position. Pat Burrell swung a big bat with 33 home runs and 86 RBI with 33 doubles and a .875 OPS. Shane Victorino made many highlight reel catches in center but also hit .293 with 36 steals and 102 runs making his a vital part of the team. Jayson Werth had 24 mostly clutch home runs with 20 steals of his own and an .861 OPS. Geof Jenkins had 16 doubles off the bench while Greg Dobbs hit .301 in limited backup third base duty. Carlos Ruiz was the everyday catcher hitting only .219 with 70 hits but his defense made up for his lack of hitting. Chris Cote was his marginal backup hitting .263, The Phils could really run you off the field and had the bats of Werth, Howard, and Burrell to make the extra baserunners count. Cole Hamels found himself starting In a lot of big games at 24 years old and came out as one of the fans favorites. The lefty had a 3.09 ERA and very good command winning 14 games with 227 innings. Hamels struck out 7.8 per nine and was a fierce competitor. On the other end of the spectrum was 45 year old Jamie Moyer who went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA and a worse FIP. As the season wore on, Moyer became less and less trusted but obviously had the experience to win. Brett Myers was 10-13 with a 4.55 mark and also threw some important innings. Myers was also a strikeout pitcher but with less control and command. Kyle Jendrick and Adam Eaton were poor as possible fourth starters each with ERA's north of 5. Both of them also had WHIPS over 6 and likely can be counted on in this series. Joe Blanton did decent work in 13 starts with a 4.20 ERA not losing a single game and allowing only 10 home runs. It is a testament that the Phillies were able to win so much with a lack of real strong starting pitching. A big part of that was that the pen was so strong. Brad Lidge was at his best saving 41 games with a 1.95 ERA and striking out 11.9 per nine innings; he was lights out. Chad Durbin and Ryan Madson were great setup options with JC Romero and Clay Condrey adding to the depth for no weak links on the back end. Bottom line is these Phillies found a way to be champions and win back to back pennants, however their battle with the Billy Martin lead Yankees should be fascinating.

George Steinbrenner wasn’t going to give the Yankees a single season off of the intense expectations that came with the pinstripes and the 1983 team was lead by Billy Martin to 91 wins, still well short of the top. The Yanks had a number of veterans in the lineup but the shadow of one Reggie Jackson was gone. Into the shadow was the multiskilled Dave Winfield. Winfield drove in 116 runs and scored 99 as he slugged .513 with a 138 OPS+ making him a feared hitter across the league. Don Baylor was the regular DH and he nailed 21 home runs with 85 RBI pairing nicely with Winfield and even hitting a robust .303 with only 53 strikeouts. Steve Kemp hit .241 in right field with 49 RBI but wasn’t the typical right fielder a contender needed. Jerry Mumphrey split time in center with Oscar Gamble. Gamble hit .261 and Mumphrey was right there at .262 as neither player could really step up to win the job. Ken Griffey played at third with a .792 OPS and a .355 OBP. Griffey still played the game the right way but was battling some injuries and was being pushed by a 22 year old rookie named Don Mattingly. Roy Smalley played third and hit .275 with 24 doubles and 62 RBI. Smalley was a good compliment to Willie Randolph who was a .279 hitter with a .708 OPS and 12 steals. Willie only played in 104 games due to his own injury concerns. Butch Wynegar hit .296 at catcher with 42 RBI but shared duty with Rick Cerone. Wynegar in the long run proved the much better hitter and regular starter. At third base remained 38 year old Graig Nettles who still had the instincts of a cat at the hot corner. Nettles hit 20 home runs hitting .266 with 75 RBI and a 119 OPS+. Andre Robertsone was the utility infielder hitting .248 off the bench while Lou Piniella and Omar Moreno saw limited action but were part of a very good Yankee bench. At 32 years old, Ron Guidry lead the rotation with 21 wins and a 3.42 ERA. Guidry had 3 shutouts and 21 complete games but scouts could see he was still good, but maybe not great. Shane Rawley threw 238 innings with a 3.78 ERA in 33 starts. He proved quite reliable for Martin and the team that primarily used three starters and a mix for the 4th. Dave Righetti was the third man with 217 innings and a 3.44 mark with a 1.20 WHIP. Righetti had that extra something and also lead the team in strikeouts with 164; when he was on he was very good. Bob Shirley was hit hard in 17 starts but Ray Fontenot was 8-2 in 97 innings with a 3.33 ERA. Jay Howell won only one of his 12 starts to become an after thought. Rich Gossage was still a force as the team closer in his last season in pinstripes. The Goose saved 22 games and won 13 others striking out 90 in 87 innings of work. George Frazier was a decent setup man who got 8 saves of his own, but after that the Yankee pen had very little. Dale Murray and 38 year old Rudy May struggled while Dolyle Alexander was another name Martin had little use for. We will see if New York can do anything against the champion Phils, but looking at the team records, there actually isnt very much to separate these two teams.


Citizens Bank Park
Partly cloudy 57
1983 Yankees.....................10
2008 Phillies........................5
WP: D. Righetti (1-0) LP: C. Hamels (0-1)
HR: K. Griffey (1), R. Smalley (1)
POG: Roy Smalley
1983 Yankees Lead Series 1-0
The 1983 Yankees scored seven in the second inning knocking Cole Hamel out of the game and setting themselves up for a 13 hit , 10 run win in game one. Ryan Howard went 3-4 with 2 RBI for the home team but home runs by Ken Griffey and Roy Smalley were enough to get Dave Righetti the win. Smalley drove in three and Righetti himself had a two run double to add to the barrage. A tough way to start for the champion Phillies.

Game 2 At Citizens Bank Park
Clear 57
1983 Yankees...................3
2008 Phillies.....................4
WP: S. Eyre (1-0) LP: G. Frazier (0-1) S: B. Lidge (1)
HR: D. Mattingly (1), K. Griffey (3), J. Werth (1)
POG: Chase Utley
Series Tied At 1
Chase Utley hit a big two run double off of George Frazier in the bottom of the 8th to bring the Phillies into the lead and Brad Lidge did his part to close the door. Utley was 3-4 and Jason Werth drove in another two runs with a home run. Young Don Mattingly hit a two run home run to put the Yankees up in the 7th but the Phillies responded.

Game 3 At Yankee Stadium
61 Clear
2008 Phillies................1
1983 Yankees..............4
WP: J. Howell (1-0) LP: J. Moyer (0-1) S : R. Gossage (1)
HR: D. Baylor (1)
POG: Jay Howell
1983 Yankees Lead Series 2-1
The Phillies had 11 hits but left 10 men on base and could not break through against New York pitching. Jay Howell went 8 innings striking out 8 before Goose Gossage closed the ninth. Don Baylor hit a long two run home run in the very first inning off a Jamie Moyer breaking ball and that is all the home team would need. The champion Phillies are in for quite a fight in this series.

Game 4 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 58
2008 Phillies...............2
1983 Yankees.............6
WP: J. Montefusco (1-0) LP: J. Blanton (0-1)
HR: J. Werth (2), P. Burrell (1), B. Wynegar (1)
POG: John Montefusco
1983 Yankees Lead Series 3-1
The Yankees did it again coming from behind late and breaking the game open with four runs in the seventh inning capped by a bases clearing double by Graig Nettles. John Montefusco went the full nine for the win striking out six and allowing six hits and two runs as the Bronx is burning and Billy Martin has his team on the cusp of the upset.

Game 5 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 51
2008 Phillies...................0
1983 Yankees.................4
WP: D. Righetti (2-0) LP: C. Hamels (0-2)
HR: L. Piniella (1), K. Griffey (3), R. Smalley (2)
POG: Dave Righetti
And just like that the door slams shut at Yankee Stadium and the Phillies are finished. Dave Righetti pitched seven scoreless inning striking out an impressive 10 before leaving with a 4 run lead. The long ball came through for New York against Cole Hamels as the bombers hit three, all solo shots, but two of them came in the 8th. Billy Martin and his team were just flat better in the end.

1983 New Yankees Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Ken Griffey
(.381, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 1 2B, 5 R, .857 SLG)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #155
1953 Brooklyn Dodgers (105-49) vs 2016 Detroit Tigers (86-75)

The Boys of Summer were just about at the height of their glory in 1953 winning 105 games and the NL Pennant. Chuck Dressen had a lineup that any manager would dream of with Duke Snider leading the way and finishing with a WAR over 9. Snider had an OPS of 1.046 with 42 home runs and 126 RBI on 198 hits and a .336 average. Carl Furrillo hit .344 in right field with 92 RBI and a .393 OBP striking out only 32 times on the season. Furillo and Snider both stroked 3 doubles each. In left was the great Jackie Robinson hitting .329 with 17 steals and 95 RBI along with his expert baserunning and 109 runs scored. Robinson adapted to a new position in the outfield and was the heart of the team. Pee Wee Reese was also an emotional leader and an excellent defensive short stop. Reese stole 22 bases with 25 doubles and 108 runs scored while holding an OBP of .374. Reese had a winner written all over him. Gil Hodges was the gold standard at first base and one of the best fielders at the position ever. Hodges hit .302 with 31 home runs and 122 driven in. He had a .943 OPS and every fan in Flatbush had his adoration. Billy Cos played third in 100 games and hit .291 but was mostly a place holder at the bottom of the lineup. Jim Gilliam swiped 14 bases and walked 100 times for an OBP of .383 which allowed him to score an impressive 125 runs. The Dodgers as a team scored 955 runs with a team OBP of .366. Roy Campanella was a new breed of catcher who had it all. He had the best arm in the game that no one could run on, was a natural leader, and a great hitter. Campy drove in 142 runs with 41 home runs and an OPS of 1.00. No one can understate just how good of a player Campy was for this generation as a whole. On the bench Bobby Morgon hit .260 with 33 RBI and George Shuba hit 12 doubles and hit .3254. Wayne Belardi and Don Thompson were also lefthanded bats that was used only when no other options remained. The defense of this club was as good as it gets and obviously that helped the pitching staff that at times could let the team down. Carl Erksine won 20 games with a 3.54 ERA and an 121 ERA plus and could be considered the ace of the staff. He had 4 shutouts and 187 strikeouts to his name. Russ Meyer went 15-5 with a higher 4.56 ERA although his FIP was 4.19. Billy Loes was 14-8 with an almost identical season as Meyer as both the number 2 and number 3 arms really didn’t put the fear in opposing lineups. Preacher Roe was 37 years of age but still had a lot left going 11-3 with a 4.36 ERA and 85 K in 150 innings. Roe was the veteran that Dressen used in a pinch and on the other side of the spectrum was the 20 year old kid, Johnny Podres, who made 18 starts and impressed. Podres went 9-4 with a 4.23 ERA and seemed to show good poise even when under duress. Jim Hughes had 9 saves and entered 48 games as an important part of the staff. Bob Miliken started in 10 games but eventually landed in the pen with a 3.37 ERA while Clem Labine was even better in relief with a 2.77 mark. Ralph Branca was all but washed up at this point appearing in only seven games. The club did win 105 games with a team ERA of 4.10 telling you just how great their offense was. It will be baseball at its finest to see this group play.

The Tigers came up a little short in the AL Central to the Indians in 2016 but the club had some chiseled talent and some real stars. Justin Verlander remained the headliner and was mostly on an island when it came to the success of the Tigers pitching. At 33 Verlander went 16-9 with 227 innings thrown and 254 strikeouts or 10 per nine. His WHIP was an excellent .100 and anticipating seeing him throw against Brooklyn will be a treat. After him the lines become thin with Michael Fulmer the next best arm at 23 years old and 159 innings pitched. Fulmer had a nice 3.06 ERA as he came on stronger as the season went on and much will be expected of him in this series. Anibal Sanchez fizzled out with a 5.87 ERA in 26 starts as he allowed 30 home runs and kept the ball up. Mike Pelfrey lost 10 games with a 5.07 mark completing none with a nearing his WHIP to 1.5. Jordan Zimmerman went 9-7 but had some arm issues with his 4.42 FIP and only 5.6 K's per nine. Matthew Boyd started 18 games as a sixth option but he was average with a 4.95 FIP in 97 innings. It will be interesting to see who manager Brad Ausmus trusts in this series behind Verlander. Francisco Rodriguez had 44 saves and a 3.24 ERA as the closer. He was great for the most part but when he was hit on occasion, he was hit hard. Alex Wilson and Justin Wilson, no relation did most of the relief work with good result. Kyle Ryan was the left handed specialist who had good effect with a 3.07 ERA. The success of this Tigers team was with the bats and much like Verlander headlined the pitching, Miguel Cabrera was the glue of the offense. Miggy hit .316 with 38 home runs and 1and 83 RBI 108 RBI and was really in his last dominant season. Ian Kinsler was a great match at second with 28 home runs including 14 steals. Nick Castellanos was only 24 years old but showed promise hitting 18 home runs and hitting .285 with a line drive swing that played well at Comerica. Justin Upton was trying to get his career going but hit .246 with 179 strikeouts but still had pop with 31 home runs. Cameron Maybin had an OPS of .801 and an OBP of .373 in 94 games making quite useful, he also played a fine centerfield. JD Martinez was slow legged in right but he could hit. He finished with a .307 average and 22 home runs lashing 35 doubles. Victor Martinez at 37 was mostly the DH hitting 27 home runs with 86 RBI and striking out only 90 times to aide his .289 average. James McCann caught 105 games hitting .221 with 12 home runs but was platooned with Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Salty hit 12 home runs and seemed to come up big despite a .630 OPS. Jose Iglesias hit .255 at short stop with 26 doubles but his bat was mainly buried in this lineup. Andrew Romine hit .236 in pinch hitting duties as Mike Aviles and Tyler Collins also contributed on a thin bench. Defensively this team had issues all around the diamond, which likely had a lot to do with the poor pitching numbers.

Game 1 At Ebbets Field
Clear 64
2016 Tigers.................3
1953 Dodgers.............2
WP: J. Verlander (1-0) LP: C. Erskine (0-1)
HR: D. Snider (1)
POG: Justin Verlander
2016 Tigers Lead Series 1-0
The Tigers leaned on their ace and he carried them for 9 innings to an opening win. Verlander struck out five and allowed only two earned runs on seven hits while preserving a one run lead for 5 innings. Ian Kinsler delivered a 2 run double in the 5th inning off loser Carl Erskine to give the Tigers the lead and the cleam played game ended that way as both sides had seven hits and neither team made an error.

Game 2 At Ebbets Field
Cloudy 61
2016 Tigers................0
1953 Dodgers............12
WP: J. Podres (1-0) LP: M. Fulmer (0-1)
HR: D. Snider (2)
POG: Johnny Podres
Series Tied At 1
The Dodgers had an emphatic reply to their loss in game one blowing out the Tigers behind surprise 20 year old starter Johnny Podres and a 15 hit attack. Duke Snider hit his second home runs in as many days and Jackie Robinson peppered 3 doubles as each star drove in three runs. Podres walked 5 but struck out six and went into the 9th inning before Preacher Roe tallied the final outs. Michael Fulmer lasted only 3 frames.

Game 3 At Comerica Park
Partly cloudy 62
1953 Dodgers.................6
2016 Tigers.....................3
WP: R. Branca (1-0) LP: D. Norris (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Ralph Branca
1953 Dodgers Lead Series 2-1
Ralph Branca went the distance allowing three earned runs and doing enough to give the Dodgers a lead in the series. Roy Campanella drove in two runs and from the DH position Billy Cox drove in two more before Branca had to hold off a ninth inning rally to secure the win. Branca was a surprise starter in this one but Charlie Dressen must have liked the matchup as he had the Tigers on their back heel in this one until he fatigued in the 9th.

Game 4 At Comerica Park
Partly Cloudy 60
1953 Dodgers................6
2016 Tigers....................5
WP: R. Meyer (1-0) LP: J. Wilson (0-1) S: C. Labine (1)
HR: G. Hodges (1), R. Campanella 2 (2)
POG: Roy Campanella
1953 Dodgers Lead Series 3-1
Legends earn their titles for a reason, and Roy Campanella proved the myth once again. Batting in the 9th inning with his team down 2 runs and a man on, Campy hit his second home run of the game, a 428 foot monsterous shot deep out to left. Justin Wilson just couldnt hold the lead for Detroit, and one has to wonder why he didnt pitch around the Dodger catcher. Bob Milliken was hit hard and didnt last two innings for Brooklyn, but in relief Russ Meyer goes seven scoreless innings striking out five and getting the win.

Game 5 At Comerica Park
Clear 60
1953 Dodgers..................3
2016 Tigers......................1
WP: C. Erskine (1-1) LP: J. Verlander (1-1)
HR: None
POG: Carl Erskine
After their opening day loss, the Dodgers righted the ship and never looked back winning four games in a row and in the clincher getting the better of even Justin Verlander. Carl Erskine went the full nine striking out nine and allowing only one run. Brooklyn took the lead in the 5th when Gil Hodges doubled in the gap to score a run while the Tigers made two big errors to set up the chance. Brooklyn has indeed proven that they are of another class in most any baseball generation.

1953 Brooklyn Dodgers Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Johnny Podres
(8.1 IP, 0 ER, 6 K, 1.08 WHIP, 4 HA, 5 BB)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #156
1919 Detroit Tigers (80-60) vs 1972 San Francisco Giants (69-86)

Twenty games over .500 and still fishing fourth in the standings, such was life for the 1919 Tigers in the American League. Ty Cobb at 32 years old as still in his prime and driving pitchers and catchers crazy. Cobb hit a robust .384 with 191 hits in 124 games including 92 runs, 36 doubles, 13 triples, and 28 steals. Bobb Veach actually lead the team in WAR with a .355 average with 45 doubles and 17 triples for a .916 OPS. Veach could also run stealing 19 bases and made a great duo with the George Peach. Ira Flagstead was the man in center hitting .331 in 97 games with an .897 OPS but despite his numbers split time with Chick Shorten who hit .315 in 95 games. Harry Heilmann was under the tutelage of Cobb and hit .320 with 92 RBI at 24 years old. Harry had 30 doubles and was becoming an outstanding first base talent. Donie Bush was at short stop stealing 22 bases but hitting only .244. Still Bush was a smart player that most teams would love to have on their team. Bob Jones played at third and hit .260 with 52 RBI and a weak .684 OPS. Ralph Young was at second hitting only .211 and hurting the team more than he helped. Babe Ellison eventually took over those duties but he also hit only .216. Eddie Ainsmith was the catcher who hit a good .272 with 12 triples and a 115 OPS+. Ben Dyer and Oscar Stenage were two more options on the Tigers bench. An offense lead by Cobb should be scoring more than 618 runs. The pitching staff was strong with a team ERA of 3.30. The four man rotation was led by Hooks Dauss who won 21 times with a 3.66 ERA in 256 innings. Dauss had a good control and pitched to contact as did Howard Ehmke who went 17-10 with a 3.18 ERA but a 1.45 WHIP. Ehmke walked 107 batters, a very high number for the day. Bernie Boland lost 16 games in 20 starts but had a 3.04 ERA in 242 innings. Boland walked more than he struck out and was an easy target to steal on. Dutch Leonard threw four shutouts and had a nice 2.77 ERA with 65 walks in 217 innings pitched. Doc Avers and Slim Love were the other two pitchers on the roster that also had decent numbers but were primarily used in mop up duties for the top four. Hughie Jennings is definitely leading a capable side and the pitching especially will keep game close and allow their game changers in the lineup to win games.

The post Willie Mays are for the Giants was not treating them kindly as the Charlie Fox club only won 69 games in 1972. As far as legends go, Willie McCovey played in just 81 games at first base and Stretch had 14 home runs and a just a .213 average as his better days were long behind him. A young outfield had a world of untapped potential lead by Bobby Bonds who hit .259 but stole 44 bases and launched 26 home runs. His 80 RBI also lead the team as did his impressive 118 runs, must be the genes. Garry Maddox was in center at only 22 years old and hit .266 with 12 home runs and a .725 OPS. Maddox was quite raw but with Bonds carried a lot of ground in the outfield. Ken Henderson has a 111 OPS+ adding 18 home runs and 14 steals but the run production just wasn’t there. Al Gallagher played in 82 games at third with only a .588 OPS as Jim Ray Hart may have been a better option at the hot corner. Titi Fuentes was at second hitting .264 with 16 steals and 33 doubles, Fuentes also brought a quick glove to the position. Dave Rader was the left handed hitting catcher who had an 81 OPS+ with just a .333 SLG but a better .306 OBP. Rounding things off at short stop was Chris Speier who at 22 years old was quite an asset adding a .761 OPS with 15 home runs and 71 RBI endearing him to mates and fans alike. Dave Kingman was the power on the team and we will likely see him play quite a bit. At 23 years old he hit 29 home runs with 83 RBI looking past his 140 strikeouts. Gary Matthews was a 21 year old talent on the bench and Ed Goodson played an important backup role at first. Jim Howarth also made 150 atbats hitting just .235. A number of pitchers tried their luck to make a difference and Ron Bryant threw the most innings at 214. The lefty went 14-7 with a 2.90 ERA and 4 shutouts showing he had what it takes and will be an important man in this series. Juan Marichal at 34 years old lost 16 games with a 3.71 ERA. He wasn’t the same pitcher he used to be but having him on the staff available for a big start is important. Sam McDowell won 10 games but had a 4.33 mark and lead the team in strikeouts with 122. He actually pitched better than his numbers would show. At 24 years old. Steve Stone did quite well with a 2.98 ERA in 16 starts and became one of the more dependable arm as they season went on. Frank Reberger made 11 starts with a 3.99 ERA but appeared in only 20 games all season while Dan Carrithers was hit hard in 90 innings with a 5.80 mark. Jerry Johnson had 8 saves but his 4.42 ERA in relief was scary. Randy Moffitt and Don McMahon were decent alternatives in relief but neither are good enough to close. Jim Barr was the wild card on the staff starting 11 games, saving 2, and throwing 179 innings in numerous roles. Barr had a great 2.87 ERA even with a FIP of 3.34. He struck out 86 and threw 2 shutouts, his use in this series could be anywhere, all the way from ace to closer. The Giants will do their best to bring 70's era baseball to a Tigers team that will likely have nothing of it.


Game 1 At Navin Field
Rain 58
1972 Giants...................2
1919 Tigers....................7
WP: J. Willoughby (1-0) LP: E. Erickson (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Eric Erickson
1919 Tigers Lead Series 1-0
A bright start to the series for the Tigers as Ty Cobb drove in the first run with an RBI double and three Giants errors helped the home teams score more then enough. Eric Erickson allowed three hits in the game striking out five and going the distance after surprise starter Jim Willoughby fooled no one and the end and first blood is drawn in the series.

Game 2 At Navin Field
Clear 66
1972 Giants....................3
1919 Tigers....................10
WP: S. Love (1-0) LP: S. Stone (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Eddie Ainsmith
1919 Tigers Lead Series 2-0
Ty Cobb had three more hits but it was Eddie Ainsmith who went 4-5 and had two RBI doubles for a 4 RBI day and another easy Tiger win. Steve Stone went 6 hard innings for the loss and the Giants made three more errors, six in two days. On the other side, Slim Love struck out nine for a complete game win.

Game 3 At Candlestick Park
Rain 54
1919 Tigers....................1
1972 Giants....................0
WP: H. Dauss (1-0) LP: J. Barr (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Hooks Dauss
1919 Tigers Lead Series 3-0
Dominant pitching continued for the Tigers in California as Hooks Dauss was magnificent throwing a shutout striking out three on seven hits. Matching Dauss was the Giants starter Jim Barr who did his best to give his club that chance to get back into the series. It was scoreless through six when the Tigers became patient and Barr lost his control walking two, including Dave Rader who forced in the only run of the game. Ty Cobb goes hitless, but is still hitting .357 in the series.

Game 4 At Candlestick Park
Rain 60
1919 Tigers....................0
1972 Giants...................7
WP: S. McDowell (1-0) LP: H. Ehmke (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Sam McDowell
1919 Tigers Lead Series 3-1
The Giants finally had the game they were looking for and staved off elimination as a 14 hit effort by the lineup and a shutout performance by Sam McDowell allowed San Francisco to live another day. McDowell allowed just six hits and struck out four while on offense Chris Speier went 4-4 and Ed Goodsion scored a run and drove in another with a three bagger. Every batter in the Giants lineup ended with at least one hit.

Game 5 At Candlestick Park
Partly Cloudy 56
1919 Tigers..................4
1972 Giants.................0
WP: E. Erickson (2-0) LP: J. Willoughby (0-2)
HR: None
POG: Eric Erickson
Spinning another gem, the 1919 Tigers won this series with their pitching as they threw their second shutout of the Giants and Eric Erickson gets his second win to end the series. The Giants again butchered their defense making four errors to cap a horrible defensive series and Ty Cobb made them pay with a 2 run triple in the 4th that would put the game away. Erickson walks none and strikes out four in his shutdown gem.

1919 Detroit Tigers Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Eric Erickson
(2-0, 1.00 ERA, 18 IP, 1 SH, 5 K, 0.61 WHIP)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #157
1964 St. Louis Cardinals (93-69) vs 1995 Houston Astros (76-68)

After 18 years the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals climbed the mountain again and this time did defeating and ending the dynasty of the mighty New York Yankees. The Cards were a young talented team that would continue to win big for the rest of the decade. Ray Sadecki won 20 games for the club with a 3.68 ERA and 2 shutouts in 220 innings but the best arm on the team belonged to Bob Gibson. Gibson went 19-12 with a 3.01 ERA in 287 innings striking out 245 batters and intimidating countless more. Gibson was only getting better as the season went on. Curt Simmons went 18-9 with a 3.43 in a good season with 3 shutouts and a 1.156 WHIP proving that he made the most of his chances. Ernie Broglio rounded out the four man rotation but started only 11 times for a 3.50 ERA as Roger Craig was also in the mix starting 19 times with a nice 3.25 ERA as he was happy to be out of New York. Barney Schultz had 14 saves and a dominant 1.64 ERA proving how valuable he was as a multi inning closer. Bob Humphreys was also a good asset in middle relief while Ron Taylor and Mike Cuellar had a hard time defining a role on the team. The offense was paced by third baseman Ken Boyer who had quite a season. Boyer hit .295 with a .854 OPS with 24 home runs and 119 runs driven in. Right next to Boyer was shortstop Dick Groat who played every day and hit .292 with a .706 OPS. Groat scored 70 runs and drove in 70 runs and also handled the infield very well. Julian Javier was at second hitting just .241 with 65 RBI and not much pop in his bat. Javier was primarily on the field for his glovework. Bill White was at first and the 30 year old left hander drove in 102 runs with a 123 OPS+ and 92 runs scored. White was an underrated star for this team. In the outfield was the fast dynamic duo of Curt Flood and Lou Brock. Brock stole 33 bases and hit .348 taking everyone by surprise. He had 9 triples and 81 runs scored in just 103 games. Brock was a world-beater all the way around. Flood was maybe the best centerfielder not named Willie Mays and hit a nice .311 with 97 runs scored. He had not mastered the art of the steal and had an OBP of only .356 making him of less value then Brock. Mike Shannon played in just 88 games and hit .261 with 43 RBI as Charlie James had 52 hits when the regular was out. Young talented catcher Tim McCarver was a star behind the plate and hit a good .288 with a .743 OPS. McCarver struck out just 44 times and was one of the smartest players for his age in the league. Carl Warwick and Bob Skinner were also outfield options but both had OPS marks under .700. Bob Uecker was on the team and played in 40 games hitting his expected .198. The Cardinals infield played just about every inning of every game and no real utility man was needed on the roster. A good Astros team awaits these Champions but the quality is there to make them clear favorites.

Houston was beginning to build a winner in the National League even as the 1995 season was a down one for them. The biggest issue with the club was still their pitching abilities and their team numbers should have been a lot better playing in the spacious Astrodome. No one on the roster won more than 10 games as Shane Reynolds was likely the best of the bunch ending with a 3.47 ERA and only allowing 15 home runs in 189 innings. Reynolds struck out 8.3 per nine and overall put together a nice season without the support. Doug Drabek did not bring back his best days and went 10-9 with a high 4.77 ERA in 31 starts. Drabek had a 1.40 WHIP and an ERA plus of just 81. Greg Swindell was another veteran in the rotation also going 10-9 with a 4.47 ERA and a 4.44 FIP. Swindell allowed 21 home runs and had to be careful with his command as his velocity was down from his prime. Mike Hampton at only 22 years old made 24 starts with a nice 3.35 ERA and 115 strikeouts showing some real promise for his age. Darryl Kile went 4-12 with a 4/96 ERA in 21 starts and was still trying to find his way in a lot of ways. Overall the rotation had the experience but did underachieve. Todd Jones was the closer with 40 saves and a 3.07 ERA and was helped along by Dave Veres who went 5-1 in relief with a spotless 2.26 ERA. Dean Hartgraves and Jim Dougherty rounded out the pen and Doug Brocail did everything including starting seven games and ended with a pedestrian 4.19 ERA. Mo one on the roster drove in 100 runs but Craig Biggio scored 123. Biggio was the heart of the team in many ways and hit .302 with 33 steals and a .406 OBP. He even managed 22 home runs with 77 RBI and a 142 OPS+. Jeff Bagwell was the other Killer B who hit 21 bombs with 87 RBI but ended with a .290 average. He struck out 102 times but held his OBP at a good .399. Luis Gonzalez was in left but was not where near the power hitter he would become. Gonzo hit six home runs in 56 games and ended with a .258 average making him an afterthought. Brian Hunter was in center for 78 games and hit .302. Hunter was a great overall athlete of course and stole 24 bases but hit just two home runs. Drek Bell drove in 86 runs and hit an impressive .334, the best of his career. Bell was another good all-around player with limited power but a 126 OPS+ and 200 total bases. Dave Magadan at 32 got most the work at third base hitting .313 with a .428 OBP making him valuable. Orlando Miller fit in at short but hit .262 with 36 RBI in 92 games. Tony Eusebio was the everyday catcher and he hit .299 with a 109 OPS+ proving he was one of the better hitting catchers in the game. James Mouton and John Cangelosi played a lot in the outfield and Cangelosi had a .850 OPS and was excellent with 21 steals. Mouton stole 21 with 18 doubles and a good contributor. Derrick May hit .301 as the good hitting bench went a long way with the likes of Ricky Gutierrez and Milt Thompson playing limited but effective roles. Many think the Astros can give the Cards a good series, especially if their pitching can come through.

Game 1 At Sportsmans Park
Rain 59
1995 Astros...................2
1964 Cardinals..............1
WP: S. Reynolds (1-0) LP: B. Schultz (0-1) S: M. Henneman (1)
HR: None
POG: Shane Reynolds
1995 Astros Lead Series 1-0
The 1995 Astros played small ball and drove in a run in the 9th inning that would break a 1-1 tie when Tony Eusebio broke for home on a ground ball to short. Shane Reynolds and Bob Gibson delt for 8 innings with Gibson allowing no earned run but Reynolds struck out 5 and walked only one. Gibson was pulled after 8 and the Astros took advantage then allowing Mike Henneman to close the game and give them the lead in the series.

Game 2 At Sportsmans Park
Clear 74
1995 Astros..................7
1964 Cardinals.............5 (11 inn)
WP: T. Jones (1-0) LP: C. Simmons (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Dave Magaden
1995 Astros Lead Series 2-0
Tony Eusebio hit a clutch two run home run off Curt Simmons in the 11th inning to lift the Astros to a second victory and the catbirds seat in the series. St. Louis was down two in the bottom of the 8th but had rallied after Ray Sadecki had a tough start and put his team in a hole early as Houston scored three in the first. Todd Jones get the win for the Astros and Dave Magadan had three hits, an RBI, and 2 runs scored.

Game 3 At the Astrodome
Indoors
1964 Cardinals....................3
1995 Astros........................12
WP: D. Drabek (1-0) LP: R. Craig (0-1)
HR: C. Biggio (1), D. Drabek (1), K. Boyer (1)
POG: Doug Drabek
1995 Astros Lead Series 3-0
It was a party atmosphere at the Astrodome as the home team scored 12 runs in the first four innings after Roger Craig and the Cardinals were ambushed. Craig Biggio hit a three run home run in the second while Doug Drabek almost took the roof off the dome with a grand slam home run in the 4th. Drabek otherwise had an easy night of it going nine innings while walking none and whiffing 9. The Astros have stunned the favorite Cardinals and game four will show if this St. Louis team can muster any sort of heart, or be swept.

Game 4 At Astrodome
Indoors
1964 Cardinals......................13
1995 Astros.............................0
WP: R. Taylor (1-0) LP: M. Hampton (0-1)
HR: None
MVP: Mike Shannon
1995 Astros Lead Series 3-1
Mike Shannon and Tim McCarver each went 4-5 and the Cardinals belted out 19 hits and took advantage of four Astros errors to cruise to their first win of the series and avoid the sweep. Seven runs in the second inning including a pair of RBI triples. one by Ken Boyer and one by Julian Javier set Mike Hampton to the showers early and in an embarrassing display, Jeff Bagwell made three errors. Houston is still in a good spot but for sure will want to close the series at home, but to do so will have to get past Bob Gibson.

Game 5 At Astrodome
Indoors
1964 Cardinals....................3
1995 Astros.........................6
WP: S. Reynolds (2-0) LP: B. Gibson (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Shane Reynolds
It all came down for the champion Cardinals as Bob Gibson failed to win again, and the Astros behind Shane Reynolds end this series. The biggest moment of the game came in the 5th when Jeff Bagwell ripped a double to score two runs and break a deadlock for good. Reynolds won his second game and struck out six going the distance allowing three but shutting out the Cardinals for the final 5 innings. Craig Biggio went 3-4 and ended the series with a ,350 average.

1995 Houston Astros Defeat 1964 St. Louis Cardinals 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Dave Magadan
(.474. 5 R, 3 RBI, .565 OBP, 1 2B, 1.092 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #158
1922 St. Louis Browns (93-61) vs 1968 Minnesota Twins (79-83)

Before the Cardinals took over the city, St. Louis had two teams and in the early years it was the Browns who had the city's attention. The 1922 team won 93 games and were led by one of the biggest stars in all the game, first baseman George Sisler Sisler hit an amazing .420 with 246 hits, 51 steals, 18 triples, and a 1.06 OPS. It was one of the most special batting seasons any player has had. Sisler struck out 14 times all season. The offense had a few other stars especially in the outfield where Jack Tobin hit .331 with 13 home runs and 207 hits while scoring 122 runs and Baby Doll Jacobson hit .317 with 102 RBI and 16 triples. Ken Williams stole 37 bases but was caught 20 times still managing to score 128 runs and hit .317 with 39 home runs and 155 RBI. Hank Severeid was the catcher who also swung a great bat hitting .321 with 78 RBI and 32 doubles to his name. At 22 Marty McManus was the second baseman hitting .312 with 109 RBI and an .817 OPS. Wally Gerber was the short stop scoring 81 runs while hitting a pedestrian .267. At third base was Frank Ellerbe who hit just .246 in 91 games, I guess someone in the lineup eventually had to make an out. Eddie Foster at 35 years old hit .306 off the bench while Chick Shorten and Pat Collins were the other reserve names that had over 100 plate appearances. This offense was a legendary one, and numbers wise could compete with just about anyone in history. Urban Shocker was the ace for the pitching staff and at 31 years old he won 24 games with a strong 2.97 ERA. Shocker threw 348 innings and was even used in relief when his team needed him. Elam Vanglider went 19-13 with a 3.42 ERA with 3 shutouts and only 48 walks in 245 innings. The remainder of the starts were split up evenly between three arms. Dixie Davis went 11-6 with a 4.08 ERA but a 4.78 FIP and Ray Kolp had a nice 14-4 record with a 3.93 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Rasty Wright started in 16 games with a 2.92 ERA but a 4.30 WHIP proving that he had quite a bit of luck in 1922. At 21 years old Hub Pruett had 7 saves and threw for 119 innings while striking out a healthy 70 batters. Bill Bayne and Dave Danforth were the other most used options if the need ever did arise. With Shocker leading the rotation and the lineup as good as it is, the Browns will be fascinating to watch going forward in this competition.

Pitching dominated the game of baseball in 1968 and the Twins seemed to feel this pain more than most as generating runs became a real problem. Just three years removed from a pennant, the Twinkies lost 83 games and seemed to be heading in the wrong direction. At 32 years old, big slugger Harmon Killebrew should bot have slowed down as much as he did, hitting .210 in 100 games with just 17 home runs and 13 double plays hit into. Star Tony Oliva who surely was the best hitter on the team hit just .289 with 68 RBI and 18 home runs. The .289 mark did lead the team that hit .237 as a team. Ted Ugleander played centerfield hitting a decent .283 with 21 doubles and adding 16 steals. Bob Allison at 33 years old was past his best hitting .247 with 22 home runs and 52 RBI, he showed flashes but struck out 98 times and had lost speed in his swing. Cesar Tovar played 157 games at third hitting .272 with 35 steals and 31 doubles. Tovar also had a good glove and was a vital piece to any success to team had. John Roseboro was the catcher who hit just .216 but was one of the best defensive game callers around and more than made up for his weak bat. Jackie Hernandez was the short stop who hit just .218 with an OPS+ of 30 and was completely overmatched in the field of play. Finally, at 22 years old, second baseman Rod Carew who showed some real promise and drilled line drives at will. Carew hit .273 with 27 doubles, a .312 OBP, and added 12 steals. Rich Reese played in 126 games at first hitting .259 with 15 doubles and Frank Quillici hit .245 with 229 atbats and a 91 OPS+. Ron Clark and Rich Rollins struggled to fine room to play as their skills justified bench spots. Twenty three year old Graig Nettles was also on the roster. As was the case with most teams, the rotation had a good year. Dean Chance went 16-16 with a 2.53 ERA and 234 strikeouts with a very impressive 0.98 WHIP. Chance will be fun to watch against the talented St. Louis hitters. Jim Merritt won only 12 games in 34 starts but had a 2.75 FIP with a 1.08 WHIP and just 52 walks. Jim Kaat also had excellent control and spun a 2.94 ERA with only 16 home runs allowed. Dave Boswell threw in 190 innings with a 3.32 ERA and 142 strikeouts. Jim Perry was very good as a spot 5th starter sporting a 2.27 ERA and a 139 ERA+ with a WHIP of exactly 1.00 In 18 starts. Al Worthington was the main option in a tight game saving 18 games with a 2,71 ERA in 54 appearances. Ron Parranoski was the most often used relief man with a 3,10 ERA and six saves of his own. Bob Miller and Jim Roland were the other options out of the pen, the club 2.89 team ERA was indicative of the game in 1968. In the end it is a fascinating matchup between these two teams, the Browns are the favorites but the clash of very different eras on the field make the results very unpredictable.


Game 1 At Sportsmans Park
Clear 71
1968 Twins.................1
1922 Browns..............4 (11 inn)
WP: U. Shocker (1-0) LP: D. Chance
HR: K. Williams (1)
POG: Urban Shocker
1922 Browns Lead Series 1-0
Ken Williams hit a three run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to end a very good pitchers duel and put the Browns up in the series. Dean Chance and Urban Shocker both went the distance and were locked in a 1-1 tie before the home side broke through. Shocker struck out five and walked none while Chance did a great job with the St. Louis lineup also striking out five on 156 pitches. An 11 inning game lasted under 3 hours.

Game 2 At Sportsmans Park
Partly cloudy 66
1968 Twins.....................2
1922 Browns..................3
WP: D. Danforth (1-0) LP: J. Merritt (0-1)
HR: M. McManus (1), C. Tovar (1)
POG: Dave Danforth
1922 Browns Lead Series 2-0
Marty McManus hit a two run home run to tie the game in the 4th and pinch hitter Pat Collins doubled off the wall in the 8th to drive in the winning run and lead the Browns to a 2 game lead. Dave Danforth allowed two early runs but settled in striking out six and allowing six hits to defeat Jim Merritt who pitched well but could not hold the lead late. For the second game, the Browns were better when it mattered most and head to Minneapolis in control.

Game 3 At Metropolitan Stadium
Cloudy 60
1922 Browns....................7
1968 Twins.......................1
WP: R. Kolp (1-0) LP: J. Kaat (0-1)
HR: G. Sisler (1), K. Williams (2)
POG: Ray Kolp
1922 Browns Lead Series 3-0
The St. Louis pitching continued to dominate as the series moved to Minnesota. Ray Kolp threw another complete game allowing one run on 8 hits. George Sisler and Baby Doll Jacobson both had three hits and Ken Williams went deep again. The Browns look to sweep the Twins in what has been a frustrating series for Twins hitters.

Game 4 At Metropolitan Stadium
Rain 57 Delay 41 minutes
1922 Browns...................5
1968 Twins......................3
WP: H. Pruett (1-0) LP: A. Worthington (0-1) S: B. Bayne (1)
HR: K. Williams (3)
POG: Elam Vanglider
A 1-1 tie was broken up in the bottom of the 8th when the Twins plated two runs John Roseboro and Rich Rollins looked like they had given the Twins their first win. Al Worthington came on to close the 9th but the nightmare followed as Ken Williams lead the inning off with a home run and the Browns would score 4 with George Sisler driving in the go ahead run with an RBI single. Clean sweep for St. Louis.

1922 St. Louis Browns Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Ken Williams
(.294, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 1 SB, 1 3B. 1.000 SLG)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #159
1980 Boston Red Sox (83-77) vs 1929 Chicago White Sox (59-93)

Still reeling from the Bucky Dent home run from a few years ago, the 1980 Red Sox were starting to lose some ground in the AL East and Don Zimmer, on the hot seat, would not survive the season after 83 wins. Pitching was the hiccup for the team as the 4.38 ERA wasn’t good enough. Mike Torrez threw the most innings but was also hit the hardest losing 16 games with a 5.08 ERA. Dennis Eckersley won 12 games with a 4.28 ERA in just under 200 innings but he allowed 25 home runs and was not consistent to really be a factor. Stan Renko started 23 games with a 4.19 mark and a 1.42 WHIP making adequate but also not a difference maker. John Tudor was quite good with a strong 3.02 ERA in 13 starts alowing only 4 home runs and throwing 5 complete games. Tudor could be a big part of this series with the White Sox. Chuck Rainey also started 13 games but struggled with a WHIP over 1.5 and 4.2 walks per nine. Bob Stanley took the hill for 17 starts and had a good 3.39 ERA but he became an important piece in the pen and was used primarily in set up. Tom Burgmeier had 24 saves with a 2.00 ERA and was a great option along with Stanley in close games. Dick Drago and Skip Lockwood made up some of the rest of the pen but the depth in pitching for the roster was not good. Twenty two year old leftys Bruce Hurst and Bob Ojeda also filled out the roster. The lineup could do damage on any given night and the big names were all still there Jim Rice hit 24 home runs and hit .294 with 86 RBI but the big slugger should have been better. Fred Lynn lead the team in WAR and hit .301 with an .862 OPS along with 32 doubles and 12 steals in 110 games. Dwight Evans rounded out a great outfield hitting .266 with 60 RBI and 37 doubles and his usual fine defensive play. At 38 years old Tony Perez was hanging on at first base. Perez had a fine year hitting 25 home runs and the only hitter with over 100 RBI. Dave Stepleton was at second for 106 games hitting .321 with 45 RBI and 33 doubles, he was a great contact hitter that fit into the order well. Glen Hoffman was only 21 years old with a .724 OPS at third. Hoffman hit 4 home runs and had 42 RBI while scoring only 37 runs. Rick Burlson was a good all-around player at short, he hit .278 with 12 steals and 51 RBI. The middle infield defense for the club wasn’t one of its strong points. At catcher, Carlton Fisk was disgruntled and looking for a new contract but he still hit .289 with a great .819 OPS for a catcher. He slammed 18 home runs and 25 doubles and Fisk was a true leader and gold glove player bringing Hall of Fame intangibles to the team. Speking of legends, the 40 year old Carl Yastrzemski was the primary DH and still brought his great swing with him. He finished with 100 hits and 15 home runs while holding a .275 average and a .350 OBP; some great die hard. A decent bench followed suit for the club as Butch Hobson, Jim Dwyer, and the well known Jerry Remy were used as needed; Remy hit .313. The Red Sox are a good team, but maybe just didn’t have the chemistry of a winner and that go get them ace that the great teams seem to always have.

In 1929, the north side of town was having another pennant winning season while on the southside, the 1929 White Sox lost 93 games and really have a tough task up against the 1980 Red Sox. The Sox had a number of issues, and hitting was at the forefront, especially slugging with any authority. The team hit 37 home runs and were lead by Carl Reynolds who managed 11 of them. Reynolds also hit an impressive .317 with an .821 OPS making him just about the most feared batter in the lineup. Alex Metzler was in center and hit .275 with 13 triples and 80 runs scored. Clarence Hoffman rounded out the group hitting .258 in 107 games with only 27 runs and a .669 OPS. Willie Kamm was at third hitting .268 with a 91 OPS+. Kamm had 33 doubles and managed to be second on the team in RBI with 63. Bill Cissell drove in 62 from short, he hit .280 with 25 steals and 83 runs. John Kerr was at second with a .258 mark and 108 hits. He had a low 67 OPS+ and is the definition of a light hitting infielder. Art Shires hit .312 and slugged .433 at first adding 7 triples and 20 doubles in 100 games. Moe Berg was the catcher hitting .287 but almost no extra base hits or ability behind slapping the ball. Bud Clancy hit .282 in 290 at bats and Johnny Watwood hit .302 in reserve duty making both pinch hitters of value. Doug Taitt and Bill Hnnefield rounded out the reserves both had issues hitting over .200. The pitching for the Sox was also of great concern with the glory days of Sox pitching long gone. Tommy Thomas lost 18 games in 31 starts and held a 3.19 ERA even as his FIP was 3.86. Ted Lyons also started in 31 games with a 4.10 ERA only striking out 57 men and in the end losing 20 games. Red Faber was 40 years old but went 234 innings going 13-13 with a 3.88 ERA. Faber still had some decent stuff holding a WHIP of 1.29. Ed Walsh went 6-11 with a high 5.65 ERA getting 20 starts but wasn’t the player you would want on the mound frequently. Grady Adkins started in 15 games but also had a 5.33 ERA and one could soon see a 4th starter in this series could be very tough to find. Hal McKain was the main reliever with a 3.65 ERA but like most everyone on the roster, he could play multiple roles including starting. Dan Dugan and Bob Welland were both lefty's but were hit hard in just over 60 innings each. It surely will be a difficult series for the Sox, but they will no doubt hope for lighting in a bottle in hopes of making a series of this.

Game 1 At Fenway Park
Clear 52
1929 White Sox..................3
1980 Red Sox.....................4
WP: D. Eckersley (1-0) LP: R. Faber (0-1) S: T. Burgmeier (1)
HR: J. Watwood (1)
POG: Dennis Eckersley
1980 Red Sox Lead Series 1-0
Dennis Eckersley allowed three hits over 8 innings striking out seven and holding a one run lead for most of it as Boston nips Chicago in game one. A three run 3rd inning speared by a Carl Yastzremski RBI double tied the game Rick Burlsen drove in the winning run in the fourth with hard hit double of his own.

Game 2 At Fenway Park
Partly Cloudy 55
1929 White Sox..............0
1980 Red Sox.................1
WP: J. Tudor (1-0) LP: T. Thomas (0-1)
HR: None
POG: John Tudor
1980 Red Sox Lead Series 2-0
Another classic pitching duel as both John Tudor and Tommy Thomas dealed at Fenway Park in game two. The game was scoreless all the way to the 6th when Fred Lynn came through with a 2 out RBI single to score Dave Staepleton, a throwing error by Johnny Watwood helped the Boston cause. Tudor took the lead and slammed the door allowing four hits and striking out five and he threw them right where Carlton Fisk wanted them. Two tight games but the Red Sox have complete control as the series switches to Chicago.

Game 3 At Comiskey Park
Partly cloudy 51
1980 Red Sox...................5
1929 White Sox................3
WP: S. Renko (1-0) LP: T. Lyons (0-1) S: T. Burgmeier (2)
HR: None
POG: Steve Renko
1980 Red Sox Lead Series 3-0
A late rally with three runs in the seventh inning carried the visiting Red Sox to their third win of the series. Rick Burleson and Dave Stapelton delivered back to back RBI hits with the latter finishing with three hits. Steve Renko threw six innings for the win allowing three earned runs and the Boston pen came through with Tom Burgmeier earning his second save with a perfect ninth. Survival mode now for the White Sox.

Game 4 At Comiskey Park
Clear 57
1980 Red Sox................6
1929 White Sox..............2
WP: M. Torrez (1-0) LP: E. Walsh (0-1)
HR: T. Perez 2 (2)
POG: Tony Perez
Mike Torrez threw a shutout through 7 innings and the moment the White Sox got back into the game, Tony Perez hit his second home run of the day reasserting the Boston lead and leading them to the series clinching sweep. Dave Stapelton had three more hits and hit .529 in the four games while Glenn Hoffman was even better going 4-4 in this one and 9 for 13 in the series. The series was much too easy for Boston who hit on all cylinders.

1980 Boston Red Sox Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

John Tudor
(1 W, 9 IP, 1 Shutout, 5 K, 2 BB)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #160
1944 New York Yankees (83-71) vs 1959 Pittsburgh Pirates (78-76)

The war years were hitting baseball hard and obviously changing the landscape for all big league teams. The Yankees still managed to build a winner even with all of their stars gone in 1944, credit to their managed Joe McCarthy and their depth of talent. Still, the Yanks did not win the pennant but finished in third in the AL. Patrolling centerfield was not Joe DiMaggio but rather Johnny Lindell who did hit .300 with 16 triples, 18 home runs, and 103 RBI as his almost 297 total bases made forgetting the Yankee Clipper a little easier. Harsh Martin was in right for 85 games at 34 years old and hit .302 with 47 RBI an also some good efficiency but just couldn’t hold up for the season. Bud Metheny rounded out the outfield hitting a subpar .239 with 14 home runs and an 89 OPS+. Oscar Grimes was the third baseman for 116 games hitting .279 with a .780 OPS and a .377 OBP. Mike Milosevich was in 94 games hitting .247 with no power and 12 double plays grounded into. He was an evident hole in the lineup, something that Stuffy Stirnweis definitely was not. Stirnweis hit .319 with 205 hits, 35 doubles, 16 triples and an impressive 55 steals making him of huge value to any club. Nick Etten was at first and he also had a very nice year with a 144 OPS+ with 91 RBI and a .399 OBP. Mike Garbark was the catcher hitting .261 in 89 games but fitting in well at the position with 37 year old Rollie Hemsley his backup who hit .268. Don Savage and Frankie Crossetti each had over 200 atbats with Crosetti being the obvious fan favorite from back to the Gehrig days. The pitching staff was patched together to some good effect with six men making over a dozen starts. Hank Borowy won 17 games and threw 252 innings with a very good 2.64 ERA. He held a 1.23 WHIP with three shutouts and even 2 saves to his name. Monk Dubiel went 13-13 with a 3.38 ERA and 3.79 FIP. He also had three shutouts and was a dependable innings eater. Tiny Bonham was 12-9 with a 2.99 ERA but a 3.60 FIP making him less reliable then the top two. Atley Donald and Bill Zuber were less effective but Donald threw 159 innings with a 3.34 mark. Joe Page started in 16 games with a 4.56 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP, but better days were to come for him. Jim Turner was fine in relief saving 7 games with a 3.46 ERA while Steve Roser threw in 84 innings with a decent 3.86 ERA as the most frequently used pen arm. Al Lyons and Johnny Johnson were other less used arms that could make the long relief role possible. The war years plain and simple gave some great opportunities to players who normally wouldn’t get them, and this Yankee team did do the club name and the pinstripes proud with their winning efforts.

Just one year away from magic and climbing the mountain to a championship, the 1959 Pirates still had most of their pieces in 1959 finishing two games over .500. The consistency on the mound just wasn’t there yet but the ace of the team definitely was. Vern Law lead in WAR and went 18-9 with a 2.98 ERA in 266 innings. He threw 20 complete games and held a WHIP of 1.12. Bob Friend on the other hand lost 19 games with a 4.03 ERA but did throw into tough luck. He allowed less home runs then Law and had a higher K/9 but was hit harder overall. Harvey Haddix went 12-12 with a 3.13 ERA proving his worth and leading the team in strikeouts at 149 that works out at 6 per 9 innings. Ron Kline went 186 innings with a 4.26 but allowed 23 home runs that came back to bite him, still he was solid for a fourth starter. Red Wit went 0-7 with a 6.93 ERA and will be nowhere on this roster for the series. Roy Face was strong in relief at 2.70 with 10 saves and 93 innings. Bennie Daniels made 12 stars but settled in his relief role but better pen options were Ron Blackburn with a 3.65 ERA and Bob Porterfield with a 4.35. Law should be a difference maker in this series but the rest of the group and its 3.90 ERA could be suspect. Smoky Burgess was one of the best catchers of his time with a .297 ERA in 1959 along with 11 home runs and 59 RBI. Burgess was the whole package including great plate coverage, Dick Stuart hit .297 at first with 27 big flies and 78 RBI with a team leading 141 OPS+. Dick Groat hit .275 with no power but 74 runs and steady work at short. His combo with Bill Mzeroski was just about as good as it gets but that was more to what Maz could do at second base. Maz hit just .241 with 59 home runs but was improving and his glove work more then made up for his lack of hitting. Don Hoak was at the hot corner hitting .294 with 65 RBI and a .773 OPS; he had 29 doubles to lead the team. Bob Skinner was in left field hitting .280 with a .756 OPS and tens steals while in center Bill Virdon had a bit of a rough year with an 84 OPS+ with 8 homer runs and only 41 RBI. In right was flamboyant 24 year old Roberto Clemente who batted .296 with 50 RBI 7 triples and a 92 OPS+. Clemente was still not all there at the plate but his work in right field was surely something special. Roman Mejias hit .236 in over 300 atbats and Rocky Nelson was better at .291 as a parttime player mainly at first. Dick Schofield backed up in the infield and 34 year old Ted Kluszewski played in 60 games but hit only 2 home runs and was well past his powerful prime. It really will be something interesting to see a flawed yet good Pirate team play against a team from the war years and see where the talents balance out at.

Game 1 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 68
1959 Pirates...................0
1944 Yankees.................3
WP: J. Page (1-0) LP: H. Haddix (0-1) S: S. Roser (1)
HR: None
POG: Joe Page
1944 Yankees Lead Series 1-0
Joe Page was lights out in game one striking out 11 batters and taking a shutout into the 8th inning. Stuffy Stirnweiss had the biggest hit of the game driving in two with a double in the 5th and Page overcame six walked allowing only three hits. Harvey Haddix takes the tough luck loss allowing three hits in a complete game.

Game 2 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 67
1959 Pirates...................10
1944 Yankees..................5
WP: V. Law (1-0) LP: B. Zuber (0-1)
HR: N. Etten (1)
POG: Vern Law
Series Tied At 1
The Pirates responded to being shutouts with 15 hits and 10 runs at Yankee Stadium to even the series. Nick Etten scored three runs and hit a home run and Hersh Martin drove in two and Bill Zuber had a tough day on the mound. Vern Law threw 137 pitches and went the distance with a comfortable win and a much different feeling to the series heading to Forbes Field.

Game 3 At Forbes Field
Partly cloudy 55
1944 Yankees..................1
1959 Pirates....................11
WP: B. Daniels (1-0) LP: H. Borowy (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Bennie Daniels
1959 Pirates Lead Series 2-1
Six runs in the bottom of the first inning and 18 hits in the game as the Pirates made a statement back at home and take the edge in the series. Bill Virdon went 4-5 driving in 3 runs and Don Hoak finished the game with three doubles after Yankee starter Hank Borowy was murdered in this one. Bennie Daniels gets the win allowing only one run over nine striking out six and walking only one.

Game 4 At Forbes Field
Partly cloudy 56
1944 Yankees....................13
1959 Pirates........................0
WP: T. Bonham (1-0) LP: R. Witt (0-1)
HR: J. Lindell (1)
POG: Nick Etten
Series Tied At 2
The back and forth nature of this series continues was this time the Yankees bombard the Bucs with 13 runs and 16 hits while the home side made four errors. Nick Etten cored five runs while pitcher Tiny Bonham drove in two runs with the bat and pitched a complete game shutout on only 112 pitches allowing only four hits and not for extras. This series is anyone's guess now as the Yanks will turn to Joe Page in game five who pitched a shutout in game one.

Game 5 At Forbes Field
Clear 55
1944 Yankees..................6
1959 Pirates....................2
WP: J. Page (2-0) LP: H. Haddix (0-2)
HR: D. Stuart (1), J. Lindell (2)
POG: Joe Page
1944 Yankees Lead Series 3-2
A three run top of the first inning as Johnny Lindell hit a two run home run while Oscar Grimes had a nice day going 4-5. Joe Page took the early lead and made it blossom into another good performance winning his second game of the series and striking out six while walking only one. New York will now look to close things out back in the Bronx.

Game 6 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 63
1959 Pirates................1
1944 Yankees..............5
WP: B. Zuber (1-1) LP: V. Law (1-1)
HR: N. Etten 2 (4)
POG: Nick Etten
Nick Etten launched not one but two two run home runs off Vern Law as the 1944 Yankees win their second game in a row and close out the series in six. Bill Zuber goes the full nine for the win allowing only one run on six hits and the New York pitching was great when it had to be.

1944 New York Yankees Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Nick Etten
(.522, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 4 2B, 12 R, 1.21 SLG)