Crap! Had the power go out during the writing of the post on the NLCS and completely lost it. The power situation has been kind of sketchy around here ever since the hydro company put in a new transformer down the end of my building in an effort to "fix" blackout issues. Now it's worse.
Yeah, I'm old school with a desktop, but I prefer the more powerful hardware that comes with it. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I'm pretty sure desktops still have more juice than other available (and more mobile) devices.
Anyway, that's neither here nor there except that I'm thinking of cutting this post back to avoid more hydro garbage. So without further ado...
1902 Season/Postseason Recap:
II) NLCS:
The 1902 NLCS would feature the two teams with the best records in all of MLB: The Brooklyn Superbas (101-61) and the Cincinnati Reds (97-65). They featured two formidable pitching staffs with deep rotations and solid closers, as noted below with ages and records for the 1902 season:
Cincinnati Reds:
1) Denny Driscoll (L), 26 (16-10, 2.19)
2) Nolan Ryan (R), 23 (19-9, 3.05, 300 K)
3) Bill McGee (R), 28 (16-8, 2.88)
4) John Snyder (R), 24 (15-10, 4.22)
5) Tomo Ohka (R), 24 (10-8, 2.91)
CL) Lance McCullers Sr (R), 25 (3-7, 37 SV, 2.84)
John Snyder was sent to the 'pen for the postseason, and the Reds rolled with the other four against the Superbas.
Brooklyn Superbas:
1) Madison Bumgarner (L), 23 (15-10, 2.25)
2) Jaime Garcia (L), 25 (17-9, 2.54)
3) Mickey Lolich (L), 21 (19-6, 2.86)
4) Irv Young (L), 32 (16-13, 3.28)
5) Eddie Cicotte (R), 22 (14-7, 1 SV, 2.63)
CL) Ed Keas (R), 26 (6-3, 33 SV, 2.27)
The Superbas also had Hyun-Jin Ryu (another lefty) who unfortunately required elbow ligament reconstruction surgery due to a May 14th injury. Eddie Cicotte fractured his elbow on September 15th. His return will be a welcome sight to break up the Buzzsaw of Southpaws (TM). The incredible thing (for Brooklyn - not for the rest of the league) is that this crew of six starters should be together for a minimum of two more seasons. Wow!
If you like pitching and defense, this was your series. Both offenses were pretty much neutralized.
Game 1: Brooklyn 1, Cincinnati 0, W: Jaime Garcia (1-0), L: Denny Driscoll (0-1), HR: None
The Reds outhit the Superbas 7 to 4, but on the scoresheet that matters, they lost 1-0 on a 6th inning RBI single by SS Jamey Carroll.
Game 2: Brooklyn 6, Cincinnati 0, W: Irv Young (1-0), L: Tomo Ohka (0-1), HR: BRO: Casey Blake (1)
Once again the Reds outhit the Superbas (9 to 7), and once again they could not score. C Juan Centeno got the scoring started for Brooklyn with an RBI single in the bottom of the second, which was immediately followed by a 1st pitch 3-run bomb by 3B Casey Blake. RF Whitey Herzog finished off the Reds with a two out 2-run single in the eighth. Cincinnati limped home, not only having not won a game, but not scoring a run.
Game 3: Brooklyn 7, Cincinnati 2, W: Madison Bumgarner (1-0), L: Nolan Ryan (0-1), HR: BRO: Dick Sisler (1), CIN: Brett Phillips (1)
The Reds jumped the Superbas with a two-run shot from CF Brett Phillips in the 3rd inning...And that would be it as Bumgarner, with a little help from Abe Bowman and Ed Keas shut it down the rest of the way. 1B Dick Sisler had a huge game for the Superbas as he doubled home LF Mike Donlin in the 4th, and followed an RBI double from CF Kiddo Davis with a 3-run shot to put the Superbas up 5-2 in the fifth. SS Jamey Carroll piled on with a 2-run single in the eighth to absolutely ice the game. Hey Cincinnati: If you can't score, you can't win, at least that's what Joe Morgan told me.
Game 4: Cincinnati 2, Brooklyn 0, W: Bill McGee (1-0), L: Mickey Lolich (0-1), HR: None
It was Brooklyn's turn to get completely shut down, this time on three hits in a CG shutout by Bill McGee. Cincinnati continued to stumble offensively. The Reds loaded the bases with nobody out in the second, and could only come up with one run on a sac fly by C Heinie Peitz. LF Mike Hargrove brought home an insurance run by singling in 2B Joe Gantenbein in the fifth. Lolich deserved a better fate, as he went the distance giving up five hits and one unearned run. I guess you can't win them all.
Game 5: Brooklyn 4, Cincinnati 1, W: Jaime Garcia (2-0), L: Denny Driscoll (0-2), HR: CIN: Brett Phillips (2)
Cincinnati got the start they were looking for as CF Brett Phillips led the game off with a solo shot. And that was all she wrote for Cincy. Brooklyn broke out of their temporary doldrums with a 3-run fourth. 1B Dick Sisler singled home CF Kiddo Davis to tie the game at one. RF Whitey Herzog singled home Sisler (who had moved to second on the throw home to attempt to get Davis), and 2B Bobby Knoop followed with an RBI triple. Knoop would double home Sisler in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Garcia went seven strong, and Chad Kimsey (not Ed Keas, as he strained his forearm in Game 3 and was out for the season) finished up with the six out save for the Superbas, and the celebration was on in Brooklyn.
Jaime Garcia was given the MVP honours, as he went 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in two starts. It was fitting that the MVP of the series would go to a pitcher as pitching and defense dominated. In the end, the Superbas outscored the Reds 18-5. The Reds and the Orioles (or the Highlanders as they are now called) would have to look to the future for a shot at a title as they squandered postseason opportunities in 1901 and 1902. The only two 100-win teams in my dynasty so far (Beaneaters and Superbas) would also have to wait for another opportunity to win the big one. So much for trimming this post huh?