[sharknut]

In game 1 of the 5 game ALCS, William Sheets only gave up 1 run through 7 and we took a 2-1 lead into the 8th, but Jerry Tabb hit a 3-run HR pinch-hitting for Thurmon Munson (who hit .340 with 20 HR's in the regular season...I mean...really?), so we dropped game 1 4-2.

We jumped all over Fritz Peterson in game 2 evening up the series with a 12-6 win. Sal Bando and Joe Torre hit home runs and Torre and Dave Cash knocked in 3 each as we flew west and had our top 2 pitchers going.

Game 3 saw Rudy May give up 5 runs in the first. Lee May, who should win his 2nd straight AL MVP this year, hit a 2-run HR and we had a steep hill to climb. In the 2nd, we put together 6 hits to cut it to 5-4. We tied it in the 4th and in the 5th, rookie CF Gregory Foreman hit a 2-run home run and we went up 6-5. The Yankees worked a few singles to tie it in the 7th and we were tied going into the bottom of the 9th.

In late September as we struggled to make the post-season, we couldn't find someone to take CF and make it their own. Al Bumbry, Dan Briggs and Gregory Foreman all had at least 60 AB's and only Foreman was hitting over .200 in September at .215, so we went with him. Foreman is 22 and has been a 2 and 2 1/2 star guy after being drafted in the 2nd round 4 years ago.

In his 2nd year, he won the MVP in A-ball going .289/.380/.485 with 21 HR's and 29 SB's. In his 3rd year, he won the MVP in AA, going .275/.375/.471 with 24 HR's, 102 RBI's and 19 steals. This year in AAA, he was named the MVP AGAIN this week after he went .343/.443/.637(!!!) with 31 HR's 108 RBI's in just 105 games. Yet he is not a top 100 prospect and just a 2 1/2 star player.

With 2 outs in game 3, he ripped a 2-out, 3 run HR off Alan Tetrault to give us a 9-6 walkoff win and a 2-1 advantage and a chance to go to the WS with 1 more win. Foreman ended up 3 for 5 with 2 HR's, 5 RBI's and 3 runs scored.

Our ace Tom Bradley, who was ripped in the play in game, was ripped for 3 runs in the top of the 1st, but Jim Wynn homered in the bottom of the 1st and we scratched a run across in the 5th to make it 3-3. However, the Yankees scored twice in the 6th to go up 5-3 and after we pushed a run across in the 7th, we trailed 5-4 going into the 9th. Our bullpen messed the bed and gave up 5 in the 9th and despite Foreman's 3rd HR's in the series in the 9th, we fell 10-5 and there would be a game 5.

We started William Sheets who we acquired FROM the Yankees in the off-season. He was a 25-year old swing man last year for New York going 13-9 with 2 saves and a 3.62 ERA. We dealt a superfluous prospect for him and he went 13-10 with a 3.22 ERA/1.35 WHIP and 183 strikeouts in 212 innings. We faced off against Robert Elliott, the 1973 Cy Young and pitched through injuries this year, but still went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA/1.05 WHIP and a 3 WAR in just 19 starts.

Elliott and Sheets threw zeros through 6 1/2, but that man Foreman again led off the 7th with a double and scored on a Dave Cash single and we went up 1-0. Mickey Rivers then broke it open with a bases loaded triple in the 8th and Sheets went 8 2/3 scoreless innings before giving up a meaningless run in the bottom of the 9th and we going to the World Series as we won 6-1.

Foreman was named the series MVP going .389/.500/1.000 with 3 HR's, 6 RBI's, 8 runs scored.

So on we go to face the Astros who swept the Cardinals and look absolutely unstoppable. Frankly, I expected to lose to the Yankees and the World Series is gravy. Just noticed Joe Morgan will miss the first 4 games with a thumb injury. Need to take advantage.