The Field Of Dreams Project

[Nick Soulis]

[Nick Soulis]

FIELD OF DREAMS PROJECT

I am sure if every baseball player who ever played the game, alive or gone, could get another chance at an atbat, a defensive play, or a season, they would jump at the chance. The game gives us a special feeling of youth and hope, and that’s a great part of the joy of OOTP, bringing the names and the teams back to try again.

Every baseball team is unique in its own way. There have been almost 2556 major league baseball teams between 1903 and 2020. My objective is to help relive each and every one even for a moment. This is completely separate from my Excellence project, that's where the elite play, this is for the forgotten team, as well as every era played of this grand game.

So in my mind I see the baseball Gods picking two teams out of many and giving them the chance to play again. Kind of a field of dreams that I am sure every player would jump at the chance at.

The winner moves on the loser is eliminated. One champion. Every team. Obviously this is a multiple years long project and honestly something I want to complete before Im long gone and forgotten. It is a major project of love.

We will pick things up with 110 series already being played and a number of upsets and storylines. The preliminary round has 314 more series to go. Every series is best of seven and the team with the better record will play by its era's setting and will have home field advantage.

[Nick Soulis]

Tournament Progress Report 110 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

Managerial Leaders
Most Wins...........Davey Johnson 18
Winning %...........Harry Walker (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 (7)
RBI..................Joe Medwick (25)
Runs...............Tris Speaker (21)
Hits.................Dave Winfield (33)
SB..................Rickey Henderson (11)
2B...................Alex Rodriguez (8)
3B...................Tris Speaker (4)
AB..................Dave Winfield (118)
SLG................Gaby Hartnett (1.083)
Wins...............Jim Bunning (4)
IP....................Jim Palmer (50)
K.....................Jim Bunning (43)
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

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

Best Winning Percentage by Franchise Montreal Expos 100%

Records By Decade
1900's.............................2-5
1910's.............................15-4
1920's.............................1-6
1930's.............................5-11
1940's.............................7-6
1950's.............................11-5
1960's.............................9-4
1970's.............................15-11
1980's.............................7-11
1990's.............................16-18
2000's.............................15-9
2010's.............................7-20

Most successful Season: 1964,1977,1912and 1951 are all 3-0


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 31 - Glendon Rusch throws a Maddux. A two hit shutout on only 95 pitches without a walk.
Series 48 - Ron Fairly goes 5-6 with 3 doubles and a home run in 13-10 win.
Series 58 - Joe Lake throws a shutout on 93 pitches allowing five hit and no walks.
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.

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #111
1923 Brooklyn Robins (76-78) vs 1967 Baltimore Orioles (76-85)

A tough year for the Dodgers in 1923 as they failed to stay competitive in the National League and finished in the second division despite only being 2 games under .500. Wilbert Robinson just did not have enough quality in the lineup with legend outfielder Zack Wheat turning 35 and only playing in 98 games due to wear and tear. When Wheat did play, he was all quality hitting .375 with 65 RBI and a .927 OPS. The everyday star in the order was first baseman Jack Fouirnier who drove in 102 runs with 22 home runs and an outstanding .351 average while slugging .426, he really was a an underrated star. Jimmy Johnson had a steady .325 from second base with 11 triples and catcher Zack Taylor at 24 years old was improving daily batting .312 with 46 RBI in 98 games. That unfortunately is where the quality ends, as players like thrid baseman Andy High were less then average as he hit .270 but drove in only 37 runs in 123 games. Bernie Nels also hit .270 with the same RBI total in three more games while Gene Baily was a .265 hitter but overall had only a 81 OPS+. Tommy Griffith at 33 years old had 66 RBI and showed signs of life but like Wheat, he best was behind him. Twenty-one year old Moe Berg was way over his head at short and there was little behind him for relief. Burleigh Grimes went 21-18 giving everything in 327 innings with a 3.69 FIP. Dazzy Vance was a solid second man winning 18 games with a 3.50 ERA and 197 strikeouts, very good for the time. Lefty Dutch Ruether wasnt as dependable with a 4.22 ERA and Leo Dickerman was hit even harder with an ERA over 1.5 but a modest ERA of 3.72. Art Decatur was a great weapon in relief for Robinson with his 2.58 ERA while kids Dutch Henry and Paul Schreiber under 21 years old wide eyed as relief aides. It was a different time in Brooklyn, as the franchise knew little about winning and were more a local club that didnt have the respect of the Yanks and Giants. In this series, the Robins as they were known, should have the quality especially in Grimes and Vance to win this series.

A rare pause in a great decade for the Orioles in 1967 saw them lose 85 games and having many wonder how a club so talented could be so poor. Much of the blame went to manager Hank Bauer who would be replaced by Earl Weaver in a seasons time. Young Jim Palmer was only 21 years old and made only 9 starts so likely wont be featured in this series but the remainder of the rotation was all over the place. Making 33 starts Tom Phoebus logged the most innings going 14-9 with a 3.33 ERA but keep in mind this is an era where any ERA over 3 was weak. Pete Richert was better from the left side with a 2.99 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. Dave McNally made 22 starts but was hit hard with a 4.54 and obviously had something wrong with his arm. Jim Hardin and Gene Brabender only made 14 starts each but had good results in about 100 innings. Hardin especially had a great 140 ERA+ with a 2.27 ERA and 2 complete game shutouts. Steve Barber made 13 starts but lost 8 of them with his 4.78 FIP. Moe Drabowsky was among the best relievers in the league with 13 saves and a 1.60 ERA in 43 games. Eddie Watt and Stu Miller were two more pieces in what was a strength of this team keeping this team in close games. Oriole defense was excellent with Brooks Robinson, Luis Aparicio, and Paul Blair in the everyday lineup. Robinson hit 22 home runs and 25 doubles in a productive year while Blair hit .293 at only 23 years old and showed all the tools of success. Aparicio stole 18 bases at 33 years old even if he was strickly a slap hitter while his keystone mate Davey Johnson who hit only .247 but had some pop with 10 homers and was improving at 24. The big new weapon was that of Frank Robinson to the club and he came through hitting 30 home runs with 94 RBI along with an always intense demeanor and a .929 OPS. Boog Powell had a rough season at first both with the bat and the glove, the big man hit only 13 home runs with a .235 average with a .324 OBP. Andy Ecthebarren hit only .215 as a catcher but had to deal with many different looks and arms behind the dish and was playing for that reason. Curt Blefary had a nice 121 OPS+ in left field with 22 home runs and was a nice addition and Russ Snyder was the main pinch hitter on the bench but had scattered success. Mark Belanger at 23 years old had an impressive glove but a very long way to go at the plate. The Orioles have some real capability of making noise in this series because they do the small things well and have some real talent. It is hard to say what Oriole club we will see.

Game 1 At Ebbets Field
Clear 70
1967 Orioles..................2
1923 Robins..................8
WP: D. Vance (1-0) LP: G. Barbender (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Dazzy Vance
1923 Robins Lead Series 1-0
Gene Brabender was a surprise starter in game one for the Orioles and he ran into immediate trouble allowing three runs in the first and putting his team in too far of a whole before he departed. Dazzy Vance was much more on his game striking out nine over 9 innings and allowing only 2 earned runs. Tommy Griffith was 3-5 with 2 RBI in an 11 hit team effort.

Game 2 At Ebbets Field
Clear 62
1967 Orioles.....................2
1923 Robins.....................6
WP: B. Grimes (1-0) LP: J. Hardin (0-1)
HR: Z. Wheat (1), J. Fournier (1)
POG: Bernie Neis
1923 Robins Lead Series 2-0
Curt Blefary hit a two run double in the top of the first inning but that is as much as the Orioles would get on this day against Dazzy Vance. Brooklyn hit two home runs including one by fan favorite Zack Wheat and two bad Oriole errors added to a Brooklyn day as Vance walked only one and struck out two over nine. Now the series moves to Memorial Stadium as Baltimore must get into win now mode and young Jim Palmer on the mound.

Game 3 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 63
1923 Robins......................3
1967 Orioles......................2
WP: D. Ruether (1-0) LP: J. Palmer (0-1)
HR: B. Robinson (1)
POG: Dutch Ruether
1923 Robins Lead Series 3-0
Brooks Robinson hit a two run home run in the 6th inning off Dutch Ruether and the Orioles gave Jim Palmer the lead into the late innings. The young righty is mature for his age but could not hold it after a Mark Belanger error allowed the tying run to score in the 8th and in the 9th Andy High doubled off the centerfield wall and came around to score on a Stuffy Stewart single. The Robins are looking great as they go for the sweep against the lethargic Birds.

Game 4 At Memorial Stadium
Partly Cloudy 60
1923 Robins.....................3
1967 Orioles.....................7
WP: F. Bertania (1-0) LP: L. Dickerman (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Bob Johnson
1923 Robins Lead Series 3-1
After losing the lead, the Orioles plated five runs in the 6th inning thanks to four errors by the Robins to open the way for their first win. Ivy Olsen had a nightmare game for Brooklyn with three errors at second base and Frank Bertania went the distance walking five along the way. One more game in Baltimore to see if the series continues.

Game 5 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 59
1923 Robins....................5
1967 Orioles....................2
WP: D. Vance (2-0) LP: G. Brabender (0-2)
HR: J. Fournier (2)
POG: Dazzy Vance
A 2-2 tie was broken up in a big way in the 8th inning when Jack Fournier ripped a three run home run off Gene Barbender to seal the fate of the Birds. Dazzy Vance remained steady for his second and most crucial win even though he was short of his best allowing 8 hits and walking seven. The Orioles just never seemed to be in this series and Wilbert Robinson could be happy at the ease in which Brooklyn took the series in five.

1923 Brooklyn Robins Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Dazzy Vance
(2-0, 18 IP, 2.00 ERA, 15 K, 10 BB, 197 ERA+)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #112
2005 Philadelphia Phillies (88-74) vs 1971 Atlanta Braves (82-80)

Coming into their own and building up to being a champion, Charlie Manuel knew the 2005 Phillies were just a few pieces away and their 88 win second place finish was justification. Stars in the infield anchored the team as Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins became stars at their positions. Utley drove in 105 runs and Rollins scored 115 times while the second baseman lead the team in WAR and managed 28 home runs. Rollins stole 41 bases with 11 triples and a .290 average while his glove saved plenty of hits. Ryan Howard was a beast in the middle of the order but was hurt this season and only played in 88 games slugging .567 but 34 year old Jim Thome spelled him for a good part of the year hitting only .207. Kenny Lofton was ageless in center at 38 years old hitting .335 in 110 games while contact driven Bobby Abreu drove in 102 runs with a .402 OBP to continue his impressive Phillies career. David Bell struggled at third base with only 10 home runs and a .248 average in addition to his spotty glove work. Mike Lieberthal was a good overall catcher who brought some pop to the pate for the position. Finally Pat Burrell put together an impressive 2005 with team leading 32 home runs and 117 RBI and he slugged .504 despite striking out 160 times. Jason Michaels and Placido Polanco were part of a good core of bench players that could provide a boost in this series. Billy Wagner saved 38 games and was still in his prime as a closer with an 1.51 ERA and 10.1 K per 9. The Phillies rotation was a bit thin and bumpy as 35 year old Jon Lieber logged 218 innings with a 4.40 ERA and 33 home runs allowed. Brett Myers went 13-8 with a decent 3.72 ERA striking out 208 batters at a decent clip and at times he was the most dependable arm. Cory Lidle and Vincente Padilla gave less then what was hoped for as the rotation begins to get thin the deeper you cut. Lidle at 33, had a 1.35 WHIP while Padilla was hit hard for a 5.24 FIP and some ugly outings. Randy Wolf was a good 5th man option starting in 13 games with am average 101 ERA+. Aaron Fultz was a decent setup man from the left side while Ryan Madson and Ugueth Urbina were hot and cold depending on the day and the matchup. Robert Tejada at 23 year sold made 13 starts with an 124 ERA+. The success for the Phillies in this series may well depend on their pitching as the talent in the lineup should create runs and smash some extra base hits. These Phillies remain good but not yet great.

The 1971 Braves were hanging on to respectability as their aging superstar was still finding a way to produce at the age of 37. Hank Aaron was well on his way to eclipsing Babe Ruth as he hit 47 home runs and drove in 117 runs while hitting .327 in what was truly a magnificent season. The Hammer struck out only 57 times and had a 196 OPS+ to really show that for him age really was just a number. Catcher Earl Williams had a huge season of his own hitting 33 home runs from the position with an .815 OPS, numbers that were unheard of for catchers. The club proved its commitment to 24 year old third baseman Darrell Evans despite him only playing in 89 games and hitting .242; Zoillo Versalles spelled him as a more dependable option. Felix Millan and Marty Perez were similar players up the middle with little pop but hardnosed and good on defense combining for only 6 home runs and 35 doubles between them. Ralph Garr was a star of his own in the outfield, he hit .343 with 30 steals and was literally everywhere on the field. Garr was also an accomplished bunter and scored 101 runs. Centerfielder Sonny Jackson was a major lightweight at the plate but did his job in centerfield for the most part. The rightfielder Mike Lum hit from the left side and hit 13 longballs but overall slugged only .390. Orlando Cepeda played in over 70 games and would see some time at first when Aaron went to the outfield, the big slugger hit 14 home runs and slugged a healthy .492. Andks brother Tommie and Dusty Baker added more depth but were no where near to playing everyday. Phil Niekro was the ace on the mound throwing 268 innings and winning 15 games on the guile of the knuckler. He had a 3.28 FIP striking out 173 but fo the most part inducing very weak contact. Ron Reed made 32 starts and had a pretty good run at it with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP he kept his team in the games he was called upon. Three pitchers from there made 20 starts or more with Tom Kelly having the best results with a 2.96 ERA and 5 complete games we may see him have a significant role in this matchup. Pat Jarvis and lefty George Stone were just about average but Jarvis lost 14 games and seemed to pitch to alot of hard contact; the two of them combined for an impressive 5 shutouts. Jim Nash made 19 starts but was hit harder then the rest with an ERA close to five and a WHIP of 1.65. Keep in mind Fulton County Stadium wasn't called the Launching Pad for nothing. Cecil Upshaw played the role of closer with 17 saves ahtough he did let a few get away with his 3.51 ERA, The rest of the pen also struggled with Bob Priddy getting the most work and Steve Barber the main weapon from the left side. The Braves did have a 3.75 ERA, but much of that was due to Niekro and his quality work. The Phillies are a good lineup and Atlanta will need to match them and hope they get great performances from a number of average players. Aaron should be the star of this series and a key to the success of the Braves in the series.

Game 1 At Citizens Bank Park
Partly cloudy 52
1971 Braves....................2
2005 Phillies...................10
WP: B. Myers (1-0) LP: P. Niekro (0-1)
HR: E. Williams (1), P. Polanco (1), B. Abreu (1), M. Lieberthal (1)
POG: Brett Myers
2005 Phillies lead series 1-0
With a tense game tied in the 8th, Mike Lieberthal came up with two outs and the bases loaded against Phil Niekro. The Philly catcher sized him up and slammed a grand slam deep over the left field wall to break the game open and send the Phillies on their way to a game one win. Bobby Abreu and Placido Polanco also had homers in the run away win for the home side who made a close game into a laugher.

Game 2 At Citizens Bank Park
Clear 56
1971 Braves......................4
2005 Phillies.....................10
WP: J. Lieber (1-0) LP: P. Jarvis (0-1)
HR: C. Utley 2 (2), M. Lieberthal (2)
POG: Chase Utley
2005 Phillies lead series 2-0
Chase Utley hit a two run home run in the first inning and would later add a three run bomb as once again the Phillies scored 10 runs to pull away and win game two. Mike Lieberthal also hit a two run home run, his second in as many days, as the Braves pitching has been ambushed. Hanry Aaron was walked three times and Jon Lieber pitched seven confident inning to get the win.

Game 3 At Fulton County Stadium
Partly cloudy 63
2005 Phillies.......................7
1971 Braves......................10
WP: T. Kelley (1-0) LP: C. Lidle (0-1) S: R. Reed (1)
HR: P. Burrell (1), M. Lieberthal (3)
POG: Darrell Evans
2005 Phillies lead series 2-1
Darrell Evans had a three run home run in the first inning to get the Atlanta crowd in the mood as the braves opened a 10-2 lead behind Tom Kelley. Kelley was not at his best allowing 10 hits but Evans ended with 5 RBI and the Braves were good enough even as the Phillies made a late rally to get within three in the ninth. Ron Reed was called on to close the door and the win gets the Braves back into the series with a shout.

Game 4 At Fulton County Stadium
Partly cloudy 65
2005 Phillies......................6
1971 Braves......................9
WP: J. Nash (1-0) LP: V. Padilla (0-1)
HR: E. Williams 2 (3), D. Baker (2), H. Aaron (2), P. Burrell (2), R. Howard (1)
POG: Earl Williams
Series tied at 2
The 1971 Braves had 20 hits and hit four home runs including two Earl Williams to tie the series at two. Hank Aaron went 4-4 with a home run of his own and in this high scoring game it was Jim Nash who comes out with the win after working into the 8th inning. Now this tight series becomes a best of three moving to a crucial game five.

Game 5 At Fulton County Stadium
Partly cloudy 57
2005 Phillies........................10
1971 Braves..........................4
WP: B. Myers (2-0) LP: P. Niekro (0-2)
HR: P. Burrell (3), B. Abreu (2), C. Utley (3), O. Cepeda (1)
POG: Chase Utley
2005 Phillies lead series 3-2
A ton of runs have already been scored in the three games in Atlanta and in game five the Phillies put up 10 more to take a crucial edge in the best of seven series. Chase Utley went 2-3 scoring three runs and Pat Burrell hit his 3rd home run of the series with a man on in the first. Henry Aaron is hitting .529 in the series but it hasnt been enough as the Braves ended with only 8 hits in this one against winner Brett Myers and his pen. Back to Citizens Bank Park for the close of the series.

Game 6 At Citizens Bank Park
Clear 46
1971 Braves.....................7
2005 Phillies.....................8
WP: B. Wagner (1-0) LP: C. Upshaw (0-1)
HR: K. Lofton (1), J. Thome (1)
POG: Kenny Lofton
What a game in Philadelphia, a game that Phillies fans will not soon forget. The home Phils had ending this series in their sight with a 5-1 lead behind Jon Leiber heading into the 8th inning. The visiting Braves came alive in a big way scoring 5 runs in the 8th with Mike Lum delivering the big blow with a 2 run double. The visitors added an insurance run in the 9th and were up 2 heading into the bottom of the ninth. This is where baseball becomes great. Facing Cecil Upshaw, Shane Victorino singled to left and Chase Utley drew a walk to bring up pinch hitter Jim Thome. On a 2-2 count, Thome connected for a line drive 367 foot home run that ended the game and the series in a fashion truly deemed for a Hall of Famer.

2005 Philadelphia Phillies Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Pat Burrell
(.476, 3 HR, 10 RBI, .520 OBP, 1.42 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #113
1963 Los Angeles Angels (70-91) vs 1947 Washington Senators (64-90)

Still a spanking new franchise, the 1963 Angels tried to make progress quickly in a new market that was dominated by the big name Dodgers. Bill Rigney helped the club win 70 games and mild respect in the American League. A young pitching staff was lead by two 22 year old arms in Dean Chance and Ken McBride. Each won 13 games and had ERA+ over 100. Chance struck out 6 per nine and had 6 complete games even pitching in for three saves, his potential is obvious. McBride battled with a 3.26 ERA and logged the most innings on the club. Don Lee went 8-11 as the third starter and a 3.60 ERA that wasnt terrible while veteran Bob Turley only won twice in 12 starts but also had an ok showing with a 104 ERA+. Lefty Bob Belinsky was roughed up and lost his place while Dan Osinski was a good swing man who made 16 stats to some effect. Closer Julio Navarro was good with 12 saves over 90 innings and he shared the duties with 40 year old Art Fowler. Overall, the pitching and the 3.52 team ERA was not bat at all. Leon Wagner was the only power bat on the entire roster by a mile hitting 26 home runs and driving in 90 for a very weak offense. Centerfielder Albie Pearson stole 17 bases and hit an impressive .304 while scoring 92 runs and could not be overlooked. The Angels got nothing out of right field as George Thomas hit .210 and noone behind him like Bob Perry or Bo Sadowski did better. Felix Torres hit .261 at third base but was there more for his glove work while Lee Thomas was a big disappointment at first hitting .220 with only nine home runs. At short was hope as 21 year old Jim Fregosi had a .748 OPS and some excellent defense despite striking out over 100 times. Billy Moran did his job at second hitting .275 with 65 RBI and some timely hitting. Catcher Buck Rogers at 24 was still green and improving on his game, but he is another player that began to show promise for the team. Charlie Dees hit over .300 as a left handed bat in the pinch, but overall the danger factor for this Angels offense just wasnt there. Expansion clubs usually have a rough go of it for a number of years.

Another difficult season for the Senators who were the annual whipping boy for the American League. They dropped 90 games and too often were robbed of their talent by teams that had more invested resources. The rotation was headed by 27 year old Early Wynn who won 17 games with a 3.64 ERA and 22 complete games. Right there with him was Walt Masterson who lost 16 games but his 3.13 ERA was quite good in over 250 innings including 4 shutouts. Mickey Haefner was the only lefty in the rotation also throwing four shutouts and giving a real stability to the top three that kept the Senators in games. The wild card is 39 year old Bobo Newsom who we have already seen dominate in this competition. The rubber armed star had a 4.09 ERA in 9 starts but manager Ossie Bluege has already hinted that Newsom will be used against the Angels. Ray Scarborough rounded off the rotation with average work and Sid Hudson was hit hard in 17 starts. Tom Ferrick was the only real arm out of the pen with a 3.15 ERA but a 1-7 record. Milo Candini and Marino Pieretti tried as they might but were plain bad. Like the Angels, the Senators seemed to have only one star on offense and that was Sam Spence. Spence had an .819 OPS with 17 home runs and some real ability with only 41 strikeouts. Buddy Lewis drove in just over 40 runs with 15 doubles and modest results while Joe Grace and Sherry Robertson split time in left but neither will make you stand up and watch. Eddie Yost was only 20 years old and showed it at third batting only .238 and being much too anxious to impress. Mark Christman was a contact machine striking out only 16 times all season but only having 89 hits and a .222 average doesnt say much about the contact. Jerry Priddy hit .214 as the everyday second baseman and was nothing more then a dependable glove. Al Evans was a terrible hitter at catcher with a 71 OPS+ but his glove work and control of the rotation earned him his keep. Finally Mickey Vernon at first base was the fan favorite and in many ways the face of the club driving in 85 runs with 12 triples and 12 steals playing a style of baseball that old school fans love. Washington had little to offer in terms of depth so the weak lineup will have to find its way. The best news for the Senators was the draw that they were given does give them a chance against LA in what may not be the most anticipated series, but still good very well be a good one.

Game 1 From Dodger Stadium
Partly cloudy 67
1947 Senators......................3
1963 Angels..........................2
WP: B. Newsom (1-0) LP: D. Chance (0-1) S: T. Ferrick (1)
HR: J. Fregosi (1)
POG: Bobo Newsom
1947 Senators lead series 1-0
Bobo Newsom was the surprise starter in game one and was worth the call striking out nine Angels and going 8 strong innings for the win with the help of Tom Ferrick who closed out the ninth. The Senators scored all their runs in the seventh thanks to two errors by the home side and hard luck for Dean Chance. Early Wynn actually pinch hit in this one and had an RBI hit as well, proving he is more then a pitcher.

Game 2 At Dodger Stadium
Partly cloudy 64
1947 Senators.....................10
1963 Angels..........................3
WP: W. Masterson (1-0) LP: B. Turley (0-1)
HR: M. Vernon (1)
POG: Mickey Vernon
1947 Senators lead series 2-0
Mickey Vernon went 5-6 with 3 doubles, a home run, and five RBI as the Senators put up 20 hits and bombarded the Angels on their way back east. Vernon hit a three run home run in a four run first inning off of Bob Turley while the Angels were again playing very spotty defense committing 4 errors in the loss. Walt Masterson gets the win after 8 innings of quality work. The Angels really need to regroup.

Game 3 At Griffith Stadium
Clear 74
1963 Angels......................9
1947 Senators..................4
WP: D. Lee (1-0) LP: R. Scarborough (0-1)
HR: L. Wagner (1)
POG: Leon Wagner
1947 Senators lead series 2-1
Three runs in the first and 5 more in the third, the Angels got back into the series on a muggy night in DC. Leon Wagner hit a three run home run and ended with 4 RBI while Buck Rogers had a good game at the plate with 2 hits and three RBI in what was more then enough for Don Lee who worked into the ninth before running out of gas. The Senators were never really in this game.

Game 4 At Griffith Stadium
Clear 68
1963 Angels..................0
1947 Senators..............1
WP: E. Wynn (1-0) LP: K. McBride (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Early Wynn
1947 Senators lead series 3-1
Early Wynn was magnificent in what was an intense pitchers duel with Angels hurler Ken McBride. John Sullivan hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning and the single run would hold up for the remainder of the game as Wynn went the distance and struck out three on 128 pitches. In the ninth with the tying run on George Thomas struck out looking and now Washington is one game away from ending this series.

Game 5 At Griffith Stadium
Clear 61
1963 Angel......................2
1947 Senators.................1
WP: A. Fowler (1-0) LP: T. Ferrick (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Dean Chance
1947 Senators lead series 3-2
The pitching has come up to another level in this series and another nailbiter played itself out in game five as Dean Chance and Bobo Newsom battled it out. Newsom held a one run lead into the 8th inning when Albie Pearson doubled to score a run and tie the game. Newsom had struck out nine and walked only one but could not hold the slim lead. In the 9th it was Bob Perry who came up with the winning hit and helped save the Angels from elimination and move the series back west. Chance had gone seven innings without allowing an earned run and deserved the win.

Game 6 At Dodger Stadium
Rain 69
1947 Senators......................0
1963 Angels.........................4
WP: B. Turley (1-1) LP: W. Masterson (1-1)
HR: L. Wagner (2)
POG: Bob Turley
Series tied at 3
Bob Turley took a no hitter into the 7th inning and after getting two out, allowed a single to Jerry Priddy; that would be the only Senators hit of the night. Turley did not close the game out but pitched until that hit striking out eight and walking three in his deserved win. Leon Wagner hit another home run and Albie Pearson drove in another run as the Angels have the momentum and now force a game seven with their pitchers having allowed 2 runs in the last three ballgames.

Game 7 At Dodger Stadium
Partly cloudy 71
1947 Senators.......................4
1963 Angels..........................3
WP: R. Scarborough (1-1) LP: D. Lee (1-1) S: T. Ferrick (2)
HR: S. Spence (1), J. Sullivan (1)
POG: Stan Spence
Sam Spence hit a two run home run in the top of the first inning and the Angels were chasing the visitors the rest of the way. The Angels did put two on the board in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to one thanks to Albie Pearson and an RBI hit. Scarrborough survived seven innings and taking over to save the game was Tom Ferrick who walked one and struck out one but allowed no runs and closed the series out. A very competitive series it was proving that you may not need the big clubs or names to provide for a very exciting series.

1947 Washington Senators Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Early Wynn
(1-0, 1 CG, 1 SH, 0 ER, 1.00 WHIP, 3 K, 1/4, 2 RBI)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #114
2009 St. Louis Cardinals (91-71) vs 1993 Chicago Cubs (84-78)

The Cubs and the Cardinals get ready battle it out in our next series with the likes of Pujols and Molina vs Sandberg and Sosa. The 2009 St. Louis club did win the division and were lead by their 27 year old superstar first baseman in his prime. King Albert hit .327 with 47 home runs and 135 RBI even pitching in 16 steals making the point he was the best player in the game. The remainder of the Cardinals offense comes down to earth with Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan making up the middle infield both hitting around .300 but with little to no slugging ability. Mark DeRosa was the third baseman hitting only .228 at 34 years old and only playing in 68 games as Joe Thurston was his platoon. Matt Holiday was awesome but played in only 63 games but when on the field hit .353 with a .604 slugging and 55 RBI. As Holliday was troubled by injuries, Rick Ankiel filled in for him with his big arm but his lack of contact and .231 average were not impressive. Colby Rasmus was the everyday man in center hitting .251 but only am 89 OPS+. Ryan Ludwik was solid driving in 97 runs wiht 22 home runs and over 200 total bases. With Pujols, the leader in the clubhouse as catcher Yadier Molina who hit .293 with 54 RBI and 23 doubles not even mentioning his gold glove defense. The Cardinals top three starters kept this club on the right track and Adam Wainwright wa at the center of it with one of his best seasons. Going 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 233 innings to qualify as a real ace. Joel Piniero threw 214 innings with 15 wins and a 3.49 ERA made him a dependable option for LaRussa as did one of his favorite veterans in Chris Carpenter, Carpenter was ridiculous in 28 starts going 17-4 with a 2.24 ERA and 38 walks in 192 innings making his control legendary. Todd Wellmeyer made 21 starts but eventually lost the role after being hit hard and Kyle Lohse for 22 starts but was not great with a 4.74 ERA and 86 ERA+. Forty two year old John Smoltz made 7 starts but was at the end of the line and it was weird to see him wear Cardinal red. The competent closer was 36 year old Ryan Franklin who made 38 saves with an impressive 1.92 ERA while Trever Miller was a good setup arm along with Kyle McClennan who appeared in 66 games and had 3 saves of his own. The Cardinals have to love the fact they get the Cubs in this series, nothing gets them or their fanbase going more then beating their rivals from the north.

The 1993 Cubs were not suppose to win anything after letting Cy Young award winner Greg Maddux go a year earlier, but Jim Lefebvre deserves credit as he lead this team to 84 wins. Stepping in for the void of Mad Dog the Cubs turned to a number of arms. Mike Morgan was the only pitcher over 200 innings but went 10-15 with some rough outing and an ERA at 4.03. Jose Guzman also struggled at times with a 4.19 FOP and a neck truing 25 home runs allowed. Maybe the best arm of the bunch was left hander Greg Hibbard who won 15 games to lead the team and had a 3,96 ERA and had a focus like competitive edge that he brought with him. Mike Harkey had all the potential in the world but his arm trouble got the most of him and his 1993 year was a nightmare going 10-10 with a ballooned 5.26 ERA. At 24 years old Frank Castillo also contributed to to 15 starts going 5-8 but allowed 20 home runs with a 4.66 FIP. Young Steve Traschel and Turk Wendell were also wild cards that were given their chance as spot starters but were lacking command. Randy Myers may have had the best season ever for a Cubs closer saving a record 53 games and striking out 10.3 per nine. Dan Plesac, Chick Mcelroy, and Paul Assenmacher set up a very good core of bullpen arms for the Cubs and one of their team strengths. Sammy Sosa was coming into his own in a big way displaying power no one thought he had hitting 33 home runs and driving in 93 while stealing an impressive 36 bases; this Sammy Sosa was a five tool player. Willie Wilson in center was well pas this best with the bat and the glove and was nothing more then a leader and clubhouse asset. Left fielder Derrick may showed alot of promise with a pretty swing hitting .295 with 77 RBI and 25 doubles. Along those same lines was Mark Grace who not only was a gold glove first baseman, but also had a pretty swing striking out only 32 times while driving in 98 runs. Grace was the heart and soul of this team. Ryne Sandberg was back in his groove after some lost seasons hitting .309 with a 109 OPS+ even as his powerstroke seems to have faded. Ryno was still dependable as can be at second base. Rey Sanchez wasnt much like Shawon Dunston in that he was more steady and less flamboyant, with Dunton out Sanchez hit .282 but only scored 35 runs in over 100 games. Steve Buechele had 15 home runs at third with 201 total bases. Maybe the biggest revelation was catcher Rick Wilkins who hit .303, lead the team in WAR, and hit 30 home runs to really surprise fans and the league. Wilkins wasn't as solid on defense but his big bat makes the Cubs that much more dangerous. Chicago had a deep bench with Jose Vizcaino and Dwight Smith briniging alot to the table and Glenallen Hill parking some monster home runs when called upon. This isn't a bad Cubs team and should not be overlooked, any battle between these two rivals should make for must see baseball with everything on the line.

Game 1 At Busch Stadium
Clear 63
1993 Cubs.......................3
2009 Cardinals................6 (13 inn)
WP: D. Reyes (1-0) LP: J. Bautista (0-1)
HR: C. Rasmus (1), A. Pujols 2 (2)
POG: Albert Pujols
2009 Cardinals lead series 1-0
Proving his greatness, Albert Pujols single handedly brought this game out of the fire and burned the Cubs. The Cubs rallied to take a 9th inning lead and sent Randy Meyers to the mound to close it out. Pujols slammed a home run over the left field wall to lead off the inning and tie the game. In the 13th with the game still tied, Pujols took Bob Scanlan deep for a three run walk off home run. Pujols ends with 5 RBI and adds to his legend as the Cardinals take the opener.

Game 2 At Busch Stadium
Partly cloudy 56
1993 Cubs........................2
2009 Cardinals.................6
WP: A. Wainwright (1-0) LP: M. Morgan (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Adam Wainwright
2009 Cardinals lead series 2-0
Adam Wainwright went 9 strong innings and struck out 11 Cubs in a masterful effort to give St. Louis a 2 game lead in the series. Hi battery mate hit a run scoring double in a three run 4th inning to would set St. Louis on its way. The Cubs only had 5 hits in this one and hope seems to be slipping as the series heads north to Wrigley.

Game 3 At Wrigley Field
Partly cloudy 49
2009 Cardinals........................7
1993 Cubs...............................3
WP: J. Piniero (1-0) LP: G. Hibbard (0-1)
HR: Y. Molina (1), S. Sosa (1), D. Smith (1)
POG: Yadier Molina
2009 Cardinals lead series 3-0
The Cardinals once again jumped on Cubs pitching early and took the fans out of their energy as they scored four runs in the top of the first off Cubs starter Greg Hibbard. Yadier Molina hit a three run home run in the frame and although the Cubs came back to cut the lead to one, the visitors scored three more times late to put game three away. Chicago used seven pitchers as Joel Piniero went 6 for the Cardinals before their pen closed it out. The momentum of a dramatic game one has carried over, and now the Cards are primed for a sweep.

Game 4 At Wrigley Field
Partly cloudy 54
2009 Cardinals....................4
1993 Cubs...........................5
WP: M. Harkey (1-0) LP: B. Hawksworth (0-1) S. R. Myers (1)
HR: K. Greene (1), R. Ludwick (1), D. Smith (2)
POG: Dwight Smith
2009 Cardinals lead series 3-1
Dwight Smith hit a three run home run in the third to put the Cubs up early behind Frank Castillo but the Cardinals fought back and the back and forth contest was tied at 4 into the 8th. Derrick May delivered the biggest hit of the series for the Cubs with a 2 out RBI single in the inning and Randy Myers this time did not falter in the 9th and the Cubs survive to extend the series. It was Smith's second home run and drove in 4 of the Cubs 5 runs.

Game 5 At Wrigley Field
Rain 41
2009 Cardinals.....................4
1993 Cubs............................5
WP: J. Guzman (1-0) LP: C. Carpenter (0-1) S: R. Myers (2)
HR: M. Grace (1), D. Smith (3), S. Schumaker (1), R. Ludwick 2 (3)
POG: Ryan Ludwick
2009 Cardinals lead series 3-2
The Cubs showing heart that many thought they didnt have to pull out another close one at home and send the series back to St. Louis. Mark Grace broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run in the 5th and Dwight Smith hit a bigger blow in the 6th with a 2 run home run, it was Smiths third of the series. Ryan Ludwick hit his second home run of the game in the 8th with a man on but once again Randy Myers closed out the Cards in the ninth to lock the door. Pujols went hitless in this one and the momentum has clearly shifted.

Game 6 At Busch Stadium
Rain 47
1993 Cubs......................5
2009 Cardinals...............4
WP: M. Morgan (1-1) LP: A. Wainwright (1-1) S: R. Myers (3)
HR: B. Ryan (1)
POG: Brendan Ryan
Series tied at 3
Sammy Sosa went 3-5 with 2 RBI and Ryne Sandberg drove in two with a clutch hit as the 1993 Cubs found way to win their third game in a row by one run and force this great series to go to a game seven. Randy Myers closed down the ninth for his third save and Mike Morgan does his job getting the win and holding off the Cards to three runs over six. Adam Wainwright takes the loss as the Cards outhit the Cubs but left 8 on base and had no production from the middle of their order. All the pressure now falls on St. Louis as game seven looks to the Cubs to pull the impossible comeback.

Game 7 At Busch Stadium
Clear 60
1993 Cubs.......................2
2009 Cardinals................4
WP: J. Pineiro (2-0) LP: G. Hibbard (0-2) S: R. Franklin
HR: A. Pujols (3) R. Wilkins (1)
POG: Joel Piniero
The Cubs reached the finish line but just couldn't cross it and in game seven the Cardinals finally put the series away behind starter Joel Piniero. Piniero went 6 strong innings without allowing an earned run to get the better of a good Greg Hibbard. It was a one run game all the way to the 7th when Albert Pujols hit a two run home run off his favorite victim Bob Scanlan for a three run lead. Rick Wilkins would hit an 8th inning home run to cut the lead to two, but Ryan Franklin closed the Cubs down in the 9th with the tying run on second base. A great series and credit to Chicago who battled back and showed heart even in the loss.

2009 St. Louis Cardinals Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Joel Piniero
(2-0, 2.25 ERA, 8 K, 1 BB, 1.33 WHIP, 176 ERA+, Game 7 Win)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #115
1919 Chicago White Sox (88-52) vs 1991 Boston Red Sox (84-78)

Maybe the most talked about and definitely the most controversial club in the history of the game gets to take the field again. The infamous 1919 Black Sox that had 8 of its players banned for life for throwing the 1919 World Series have been chronicled in books, movies, and lore for over 100 years. Shoeless Joe Jackson is the most sympathetic player of the group but also likely the best. Jackson hit .351 with 96 RBI and 261 bases while striking out only 10 times. Happy Felch was the right fielder who had 34 doubles and 19 steals and capping off the outfield was Nemo Leibold who hit .302 with 82 runs and a .756 OPS. Eddie Collins was the other star on the team but he was deemed 'clean;. Collins at 32 years old hit .319 with a .400 OBP and 33 steals while playing some of the best second base defense in the game. Buck Weaver lead the team with 89 runs and 33 doubles but wasn't as graceful at third base making some of his play suspect. Swede Risberg was only 24 years old and would also face a life ban, his play was not stellar with an 85 OPS+ and only 38 RBI. At first base was Chick Gandil who many thought was the ringleader of the fix as he hit .290 with 60 RBI and 10 steals. Ray Schalk was a very good catcher for his time hitting .282 with 11 steals and a very competent defensive mind. The Sox as a team stole 150 bases and struck out only 358 total times. Fred McMullin and Shano Collins were the most used reserve players and did well to add to the team's .287 combined average. The Sox lineup was a hard nosed bunch, prefect for the deadball era with great baserunners and line drive hitters. Eddie Cicotte has been blackmarked over the years for his terrible world series and apparent greed in the entire ordeal but his season numbers were very impressive. Cicotte of course was a genius of the spitter and went 29-7 with a 1.82 ERA just was unhittable in 1919. He logged over 200 innings and walked only 49 batters with a WHIP of 0.995. Lefty Williams threw 297 innings and won 23 games with a 2.64 and 5 shutouts. Williams struck out 195 batters with only 58 walks. The third man in the rotation was Red Faber who only made 20 starts winning 11 times but was hit much harder with a 3.47 FIP and 1.41 WHIP. Grover Lowdermilk at 34 years old was part of the mix going 5-5 while Dickey Kerr spent alot of time in relief but did make 17 starts with a nice 2.88 ERA. The Sox went the entire year with 6 pitchers doing 90 percent of the work. Could it be a storybook return for this disgraced team? If any team perfectly describes what the Field of Dreams is all about, it is indeed this one.

The 1991 Red Sox were a team with alot of volatile personalities but still an abundance of talent even if the end result was not what they were hoping for. At the heart of the volatility was the Red Sox ace, Roger Clemens who again in 1991 on the mound proved he is one of a kind. The Rocket went 18-10 with a 2.62 ERA and 241 strikeouts or 8 per nine. Clemens carried most all the load as the remainder of the rotation was poor and were a big reason the Sox ended up going nowhere. Greg Harris was 11-12 with a decent ERA but was needed later in the year to work out of the pen and but did play a vital role on the team throwing over 170 innings. Mike Gardiner was 9-10 with a 4.85 ERA barely hanging by a thread in many of his starts and left hander Tom Bolton was even worse in his 19 starts a 5.24 ERA. Many other arms tried to stick in the rotation including 35 year old Danny Darwin who allowed 15 home runs in 68 innings. Matt Young and Kevin Morton combined for 31 starts but the results were not good either. In the pen Jeff Reardon made 40 saves with a 3.03 ERA and at his advanced age still had the nerves to get the job done. Jeff Gray and Dennis Lamp were part of the inconsistent pen that didnt make a habit of holding down leads. The lineup was mature but still had some bats that could slug the baseball. Jack Clark was the fulltime DH and hit 28 home runs and a .374 OBP even if he struck out 133 times. Tom Brunansky was another slugger who hit 16 home runs and got on base much less then Clark with his .229 average while Ellis Burks was a much more rounded player with 33 doubles and 19 home runs. Mike Greenwell was still loved by the fans and managed to hit .300 while Jody Reed and Luis Rivera were your typical 1990's middle infielders. Carlos Quintana did his best to hold off 23 year old slugger Mo Vaughn for playing time. Quintana had a .375 OBP with 71 RBI but Vaughn had obvious power and bat speed that made its way into the lineup. Tony Pena did his very best to control a weak pitching staff and still had the arm to control the bases. Finally their was 33 year old Wade Boggs, who was slowly wearing out his welcome in Boston even with his .332 average and .881 OPS. Boggs hit 42 doubles and was a bat to ball skill talent that few players in the game could match. It is hard to predict how the 1919 White Sox will perform, but one thing is sure, their pitching staff outside of Clemens was just plain bad. Still Clemens will have three potential starts and the Rocket also knows a thing or two about controversy. A series as intriguing as one could produce, it should be fun to watch.

Game 1 At Comiskey Park
Clear 58
1991 Red Sox.......................1
1919 White Sox....................3
WP: E. Cicotte (1-0) LP: R. Clemens (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Eddie Cicotte
1919 White Sox lead series 1-0
If anyone was worried if Eddie Cicotte was fully invested in this series, put those thoughts to bed. The Chicago ace went 9 innings walking none and allowing only one run against Roger Clemens. Clemens was also strong in his 8 inning effort striking out five but the White Sox rallied late. Jody Reed gave Boston the lead in the 3rd inning but in the 6th Joe Jackson came through with an RBI triple and Cicotte himself added an RBI hit and it would end up being enough. A very well played game by both sides but the White Sox seemed like a very determined bunch.

Game 2 At Comiskey Park
Clear 70
1991 Red Sox....................1
1919 White Sox..................2
WP: L. Williams (1-0) LP: M. Gardiner (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Lefty Williams
1919 White Sox lead series 2-0
Lefty Williams and Mike Gardiner picked right up where game one left off with another good pitching duel. Gardiner did have to endure 3 errors by his defense that played a big role. Chicago lead 1-0 before Tony Pena in dramatic fashion tied the game in the 8th with an RBI single. In the bottom of the frame Luis Rivera made a big throwing error to set Chicago up and Chick Gandil came through with the go ahead hit that would hold up in the 9th. Chicago has played smart baseball and are no doubt giving this series everything they have. Series now heads to Fenway as the Red Sox need a win.

Game 3 At Fenway Park
Clear 60
1919 White Sox................3
1991 Red Sox..................11
WP: G. Harris (1-0) LP: D. Kerr (0-1)
HR: P. Plantier (1)
POG: Luis Rivera
1919 White Sox lead series 2-1
The Red Sox broke through in a big way with six runs in the first two innings and get back into the series with a shout. Greg Harris has all the support he needed and the Boston fans had quite a day in the 8 run win. Luis Rivera had three RBI as did Phil Plantier. Plantier was the one who started the party with his 3 run home run, the only home run in the series thus far, in the very first inning.

Game 4 At Fenway Park
Partly cloudy 55
1919 White Sox........................4
1991 Red Sox..........................3
WP: R. Faber (1-0) LP: M. Young (0-1)
HR: J. Reed (1)
POG: Red Faber
1919 White Sox lead series 3-1
Red Faber finished what he started and struck out Tony Pena with the tying run on second base to lift the White Sox to a 4-3 win and take a commanding three games to one lead over Boston. Faber struck out three and allowed three earned runs after throwing 152 pitches. Eddie Collins went 2-4 with an RBI triple and Joe Jackson drove in his third run of the series and is hitting .385. Boston now tries to fend off elimination behind Roger Clemens.

Game 5 At Fenway Park
53 Clear
1919 White Sox..................4
1991 Red Sox....................12
WP: R. Clemens (1-1) LP: E. Cicotte (1-1)
HR: P. Plantier (2)
POG: Luis Rivera
1919 White Sox lead series 3-2
The 1991 Red Sox sent the series back to Chicago after blasting the White Sox in game five behind their ace Roger Clemens who struck out six and went 9 innings for the win. Boston scored 5 runs in the 4th against Eddie Cicotte who was off his game to everyone's concern. Seventeen hits for the home team and a red hot Luis Rivera went 4-4 and Tony Pena 3-3 as 5 hitters had 2 RBI for the Red Sox.

Game 6 At Comiskey Park
Clear 53
1991 Red Sox......................2
1919 White Sox...................10
WP: E. Cicotte (2-1) LP: M. Gardiner (0-2)
HR: P. Plantier (3)
POG: Eddie Cicotte
To everyone's surprise, Kid Gleason started Eddie Cicotte on only one day's rest to try and close out the series in six games. Cicotte maybe was out to prove just how committed he is to winning and he proved it on the mound. The White Sox plated seven runs in the second inning and ran away with this one having 17 hits with Buck Weaver driving in three runs. Cicotte allowed 10 hits but struck out four walking two and allowing only 2 runs. Chicago makes its point by winning this series and Joe Jackson silences his critics as he hit .364 in the six games and was also playing with a sore knee. In contrast Wade Boggs hit .125.

1919 Chicago White Sox Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Nemo Leibold
(10/19, .654 OBP, 5 R, 1 SB, 6 BB)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #116
1958 Boston Red Sox (79-75) vs 2008 Washington Nationals (59-102)

One of the biggest wonders in warehouse history is that the club could not win even one championship while Ted Williams was active. This 1958 team was a winning side, but did not have eough to challange for a championship and for the great Williams, his best days were now well behind him at 39 years old. In 129 games Williams still hit .321 with a typical .458 OBP and 26 home runs; even an older Williams was much better then most. Right fielder Jackie Jensen was the real hitting star on the club with 35 home runs and 122 RBI he had a .931 OPS. In between Williams and Jensen was Jimmy Piersall who only had a .653 OPS hitting only .237 and not providing much power. Frank Malzone hit .295 at third with 87 RBI and 30 doubles making noise without really being noticed. Dick Gernett also showed some pop out of first base with 20 home runs but his .237 average made the likes of Williams cringe. Pete Runnells kept up the tradition of solid second basemen for Boston hitting .322 with a .416 OBP and a dependable hitter from the left side. Don Buddin was the only player in the lineup to strikeout over 100 times and had an average glove and a 93 OPS+. Catcher Sammy White could handle the bat and was better then expected in a position that most teams had to settle with less. The Boston bench was very thin with Gene Stephens and Lou Berberet not much more then slap hitters and the overall team average of .256 was nothing very special, especially for a club that plays its games at Fenway. The pitching was not bad but definitely wasnt great. The top three in the rotation lead by Tom Brewer battled in their starts as Brewer held a 3.72 ERA in 227 innings while Frank Sullivan had a 3.57 in 199 innings with only 49 walks and 12 home runs allowed. The third man Ike Delock had a 3.56 FIP and a 1.31 WHIP to fit right in with the lukewarm staff. Dave Sisler made 25 starts but was hit very hard with a 4.94 so Ted Bowsfield took his role later in the season and performed better with a 3.84 and 4 wins in 10 starts. Lefty Leo Kiely was the main arm in relief and was deceptive allowing only 3 home runs at Fenway in over 80 innings while Murray Wall got in over 50 games and Mike Fornieles in over 30 as they were the two other main relief men on the roster. Boston did get an excellent draw with the 100 loss Nationals and should have enough to push through. Ted Williams at any age is still fun to watch hit a baseball.

Playing in a brand new park and a brand new city, the 2008 Nationals were still in the honeymoon stage even as they won only 59 games. Manager Manny Acta wasn't expected to field a winner but rather to build a culture that would finds roots for better days. Starting with the good new, the Nats did have a competent bullpen lead by an unexpected closer role from Jon Rauch who saved 17 games and looked quite comfortable with a 2.98 ERA. Joel Hanrahan was a good piece as a setup man while Saul Rivera appeared in 76 games and Jesus Colome when his control was good was also serviceable. The lack of a lefty that could get outs was a hole for this group. Tim Redding and John Lannan threw an identical amount of innings and the lefty was much more effective as Redding had a 4.95 ERA and lead the team in losses with Lannan having a 110 ERA+ even if he was 9-15. Odalis Perez made 30 starts and had a 4.62 FIP with a WHIP on the higher end at 1.48. Jason Bergmann and Colin Balester just were not MLB worthy arms and paid the price cobing to go 5-18 with 37 home runs allowed and a ton of hard contact. Starting pitching was definitely an issue for the Nats, and facing the likes of Ted Williams isnt going to help. Washington hit only 117 home runs in what was a pitchers home park as 23 year old Ryan Zimmerman hit 14 of them. The young third baseman was the best hope for this ballclub including hitting a walk off home run on opening day, his .774 OPS was just about as good as this lineup gets. Aaron Boone at 35 was playing first base and hit only .241 with 6 home runs and not much left in the tank. Austin Kearns was doing his best to fall of the map in what once was a very promising career, his .217 average and 32 RBI says it all. Christian Guzman was likely the best hitter for the entire scope of the season hitting .316 with 35 doubles and 183 hits; his glove could be suspect at times. Willie Harris hit .251 out of left field but did steal 13 bases while center fielder Lastings Milledge was an interesting case as the once highly regarded prospect was looking just to hold down a job at this point as he covered a good centerfield and stole 23 bases. The 23 year old did hit 2.68 with 14 home runs to be among the team leaders. Jesus Flores was a pretty good hitting catcher driving in over 50 runs but he could not take a walk and had an OBP under .300. Ronnie Belliard was a very nice piece off the bench to fill the middle infield and Dimitri Young was the counter to Boone at first and the slugger could still show some flashes. The Nats should not be able to muster much of a fight against even a flawed Red Sox team, but that is why they line em up and play the games.

Game 1 At Fenway Park
Partly cloudy 61
2007 Nationals..................1
1958 Red Sox...................7
WP: F. Sullivan (1-0) LP: S. Hill (0-1)
HR: F. Malzone (1)
POG: Frank Sullivan
1958 Red Sox lead series 1-0
Ted Williams drove in a 2 run single in a 4 run 3rd inning to pace the Red Sox to an easy win in game one at Fenway Park. Frank Sullivan went 9 innings allowing only one earned run while striking out two in a game he had total command on the mound. Frank Malzone also went 3-4 with a home run in what Boston hopes to be a trend heading into game two. Shawn Hill takes the deserved loss.

Game 2 At Fenway Park
Partly cloudy 64
2008 Nationals.........................2
1958 Red Sox..........................3
WP: G. Susce (1-0) LP: O. Perez (0-1)
HR: None
POG: George Susce
1958 Red Sox lead series 2-0
George Ssuce allowed two runs in the top of the first inning but shut the door on the Nationals the rest of the way. The Sox came back on a good Odalis Perez with the biggest hit coming from their best player again as Ted Williams delivered another two run single just as he did in game one. Susce allowed only 6 hits and once he got past his nerves, look to be coasting. The Nats head home without a win and their prospects of climbing back into the series seem remote.

Game 3 At Nationals Stadium
Clear 67
1958 Red Sox......................4
2008 Nationals.....................5
WP: S. Rivera (1-0) LP: T. Brewer (0-1)
HR: R. Belliard (1), R. Langerhans (1)
POG: Tim Redding
1958 Red Sox lead series 2-1
Pinch hitter Ryan Langerhans was down to his final strike with a man on in the bottom of the ninth and his team facing an 0-3 hole in the series. Tom Brewer left one over the plate and Langerhans drilled it 391 feet to right for a walk off home run and a Nationals win. Pete Runnels had given the visitors the lead in the 8th with an RBI single as Tim Redding went 8 innings for the Nats walking 5. Ronnie Belliard hit a two run home run in the third to built confidence in the home crowd but it all seemed for nothing before the heroic comeback in the 9th.

Game 4 At Nationals Park
Partly cloudy 68
1958 Red Sox........................2
2008 Nationals.......................3
WP: J. Lannan (1-0) LP: B. Monbouquette (0-1)
HR: L. Milledge (1), D. Gernert (1)
POG: John Lannan
Series tied at 2
John Lannan shut out the Red Sox for 8 innings and held Ted Williams hitless again and allowed a total of only 4 hits. Washington had a 3 run lead in the ninth before things got tense when Boston scored twice before Frank Malzone grounded out to end the game. Series is now tied at two a piece, Felipe Lopez went 3 for 5 and Lastings Milledge hit a home run.

Game 5 at Nationals Park
Partly cloudy 63
1958 Red Sox......................4
2008 Nationals.....................1
WP: F. Sullivan (2-0) LP: S. Hill (0-2)
HR: J. Jensen (1)
POG: Jackie Jensen
1958 Red Sox lead series 3-2
Frank Sullivan spun a gem in game five holding the home Nats to only one run on nine hits with some good defense behind him. Jackie Jensen hit a two run home run in the 3rd to put the visitors up for good and later Jensen would drive in a third run with a double. Ted Williams had a hit and walked 3 times but it was the Washington bats that had no answers in this one. Now Boston goes home seemingly in control where they played much better baseball to open the series.

Game 6 At Fenway Park
Partly Cloudy 50
2008 Nationals..................2
1958 Red Sox...................11
WP: G. Susce (2-0) LP: O. Perez (0-2)
HR: T. Williams (1)
POG: George Susce
Back in the confines of their home park the Red Sox jumped all over Odalis Perez and the Nationals and ended the series in 6. Ted Williams hit a 2 run home run in the first inning but the big break in this one came in the 6th inning when the Red Sox batted around and scored 7 times. Williams ended with 4 RBI and Jimmy Piersall another 3 while on the mound George Susce threw a complete game striking out three and allowing only 1 earned run. Boston ends this series emphatically.

1958 Boston Red Sox Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Frank Sullivan
(2-0, 18 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 1.00 ERA, 4 K, 2 ER, 2 CG)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #117
1996 Cleveland Indians (99-62) vs 1909 St. Louis Cardinals (54-98)

Still considered among the greatest clubs never to have won it all, the Cleveland Indians of the 90's are a team of unbelievable talent especially when it came to putting runs on the board. The 1996 team won 99 games and scored 952 runs while hitting 218 home runs. Albert Belle was putting together incredible statistical seasons hitting 48 home runs with 148 RBI and a 1.033 OPS. Don't expect Belle to smile much but do expect him to demolish opposing pitching. Another slugger that had an OPS over 1.00 and had a better disposition was Jim Thome. Thome hit 38 home runs and also slugged over 600 with 122 runs scored and a .450 OPB. Who were they driving in? The great Kenny Lofton in his prime was at the top of the order and scored 132 times while stealing an impressive 75 bases for the era. Kenny hit .317 and remains one of the most underrated talents of any era. Then there was Manny Ramirez, who hit .309 with 45 doubles and 33 home runs and 320 total bases giving pitchers no rest. The veteran Eddie Murray was at DH but was well past his best at 40 with a .265 average but Murray was still great in the clutch. Ageless Julio Franco did his thing at first hitting .322 in 112 games while Sandy Alomar was a very good all around catcher where even he was able to drive in 50 runs. Omar Vizquel and Carlos Baegra made up the middle of the defense and played it just about as well as anyone. Vizquel hit .297 even as Baegra had a down year at the plate with a 67 OPS+. Jeff Kent was on the roster as was Jeremy Burnitz and Brian Giles proving just how ridiculous this offensive roster was. The pitching was experienced but in all honestly not very good. Charles Nagy went 17-5 with a 3.41 ERA and gave his club the best chance to win throwing 222 innings. From there the Tribe struggled as Orel Hershiser just got by with a 4.24 ERA and 1.43 WHIP and Jack McDowell was even worse with a 5.11 ERA and a bunch of hard hit balls proving his arm wasn't what it used to be. Chad Ogea just couldn't get back on track after a great 1995 with arm trouble and a questionable 21 starts he was eventually used in relief. Forty two year old Dennis Martinez was just a fill in when needed but was not a long term answer with 20 starts. Jose Mesa was the closer saving 39 games but his confidence wasn't great as his 3.73 ERA showed. Julian Tavarez and Eric Plunk were two good setup options but the Cleveland pen was truly overused too often. A really fun team to watch and it will be fascinating to see what they do again a deadball era team and ballpark; will their power and run scoring ability translate?

From 218 home runs by the Indians to 15 home runs for the 1909 Cardinals. St. Louis was not a very good ballclub anyway you slice the numbers but the opposition they will see in this matchup surely will be a shock. The focus will be on their pitching and six pitchers are in the mix for starts beginning with Fred Beebe who made 34 of them. Beebe lost 21 games but had a 2.82 ERA even as his control for the era wasn't good walking over 100 batters. Johnny Lush lost 18 games from the left side with only an 80 ERA+ while Slim Sallee was much better in his 27 stats with a 2.42 ERA and some good command with a 1.2 WHIP. Sallee may actually be the best option for manager Roger Bresnahan. Bob Harmon and Les Backman were just terrible for the era with ERA+ in the sixties and finally lefty John Raleigh went 1-10 in 10 starts with obviously no luck on his side and a 3.89 ERA. Eddie Higgins and Steve Melter were the main arms in relief both throwing in over 60 innings, but for this club as was the norm, all pitchers could pitch on any given day depending on the matchups and feel of the manager. Charlie Rhodes also started in 10 games but is barely worth mentioning as the 3.41 team ERA is sky high for the deadball era; the Indians should have their way. The Cardinal offense scored about 400 less runs then their opponents and the offense lacked real consistency. The high average and WAR man was Ed Konetchy who hit .284 with 25 steals and 80 RBI. Kontechy is a solid player but there was little to nothing around him. Chappy Charles and Bobby Byrne covered second and third and combined scored under 100 runs. Byrne hit .214 but did steal 21 bases which is close to what outfielder Rube Ellis did. Ellis hit .238 with 21 steals and was a good contributor to the offense while Al Shaw hit .248 in center and Steve Evans was even better in left hitting .259 with 129 hits and 17 doubles making him a valuable left handed bat. Rudy Hullswitt was the shortstop who wouldn't last long as a starter but did have a nice season hitting .280 in only 82 games while Joel Delahanty played a bunch there but was very poor hitting .214 despite is great bloodline and name. Ed Phelps is a good catcher who hit .248 with seven steals and some good defensive work that included the regular blood and sweat for the position. Behind Phelps was manager Roger Bresnahan who inserted himself in 72 games and hit .244, the 30 year old manager was by far not the oldest man on the roster. Two teams that are 87 year apart and even farther apart in style and star power. Two completely polar opposite baseball eras face off in a best of seven.

Game 1 At Jacobs Field
Partly Cloudy 48
1909 Cardinals....................5
1996 Indians.......................10
WP: C. Nagy (1-0) LP: L. Higginbotham (0-1)
HR: R. Ellis (1), K. Lofton (1)
POG: Kenny Lofton
1996 Indians lead series 1-0
Kenny Lofton drove in three runs and scored 4 times while playing an excellent centerfield as the 96 Indians doubled up the Cardinals with 10 runs in game one. Lofton hit a two run home run in the 6th while Jim Thome and Julio Franco also drove in two in a 13 hit effort. Charles Nagy walked five but struck out six in what was a typical Indians win, where offense just takes over.

Game 2 At Jacobs Field
Clear skies 56
1909 Cardinals...................16
1996 Indians........................7
WP: H. Betts (1-0) LP: J. McDowell (0-1)
HR: A. Konetchy (1), B. Byrne (1), A. Shaw (1)
POG: Ed Konetchy
Series tied at 1
A big answer by the Cardinals who embarrass the Indians with 16 runs on their home field nd chase Jack McDowell in the 2nd inning. Jim Thome had 5 RBI on the losing side but on the other side was Ed Knoetchy who had 7 RBI and Steve Evans scored 4 runs for a team that none thought could have this type of offensive output. The two one sided games now take the series to Robinson Field where old time baseball will be on display.

Game 3 At Robinson Field
Clear 62
1996 Indians....................9
1909 Cardinals................1
WP: O. Hershiser (1-0) LP: J. Lush (0-1)
HR: A. Belle (1), J. Thome (1), S. Alomar Jr (1)
POG: Sandy Alomar Jr
1996 Indians lead series 2-1
The home run ball and big bats finally came out for the Indians and put on a power display at Robinson Field. Johnny Lush did not have his good stuff for the home side and allowed three in the first inning and his defense behind him made three errors. A 14 hit effort and a great outing by vintage Orel Hershiser put the Tribe back on top in the series.

Game 4 At Robinson Field
Clear 65
1996 Indians........................5
1909 Cardinals....................4
WP: C. Ogea (1-0) LP: F. More (0-1) S: J Mesa (1)
HR: M. Ramirez (1)
POG: Ed Konetchy
1996 Indians lead series 3-1
Manny Ramirez hit a big two run home run with the Indians down two in the 6th inning and Albert Belle added an RBI triple in the same frame as the come from behind win gets the Indians a win away. The Cardinals knocked on the door in the late innings but Eric Plunk and Jose Mesa closed the door in relief. Ed Konetchu went 3-5 and is hitting .444 in the series, but it could all be in vain if the Cardinals dont win the next one at home.

Game 5
At Robinson Field
Clear 51
1996 Indians.....................12
1909 Cardinals..................8
WP: D. Martinez (1-0) LP: S. Sallee
HR: J. Thome (2), R. Ellis (2), J. Bliss (1)
POG: Manny Ramirez
In a tight back and forth game, once again the Cardinals defense let them down committing 3 errors but also surrendering 17 hits to Cleveland who ended this series in 5. Manny Ramirez went 3-3 and drove in four runs while Jim Thome went deep for the second time in the series as a three run 8th inning put the game away for good. Cleveland just proved to be more resilient and capable of scoring runs when all is said and done and they swept right though the old ball park proving venue can only contain good offense only so much.

1996 Cleveland Indians Win Series 4 Game To 1

Series MVP:

Jim Thome
(.429, 2 HR, 12 RBI, .520 OBP, 7 R, 3 2B, .857 SLG)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #118
1913 Chicago Cubs (88-65) vs 2001 Minnesota Twins (85-77)

Age was catching up a bit on the Cubs of 1913 but they were still considered among the top contenders every season for the pennant. Player manager Johnny Evers brought the winning mentality and emphasized defense and nose to the grindstone baseball. Evers was still the everyday shortstop hitting .285 with 20 doubles and 81 runs while playing his usual fine defense. Al Birdwell had taken over for the long gone Tinker and wasn't as fleet of foot as well as only hitting .240 with only 35 runs scored. Vic Saier hit an outstanding 21 triples with 14 home runs and 15 doubles making him one of the most effective players in the national league and he was yet another bat from the leftside at first base. The third baseman Heinie Zimmerman was turning into a star hitting .313 with 95 RBI and 18 steals; he also lead the offense in WAR and OPS+. Tommy LEacg was 35 years old but his experience hadn't slowed him down much as he stole 21 bases with a team leading 99 runs and a .391 OBP. Centerfielder Frank Schulte also stole 21 bases with 28 doubles and nine home runs with 205 total bases. In right, Mike Mitchell played in half the games hitting .262 and his platoon mate from the leftside Ward Miller hit only .236 leaving the position a little light. At catcher Jimmy Archer had taken over the role with 98 hits and 44 RBI with Roger Bresnahan slowing down at 34 and hitting only .228 with his best days long past. Art Phelan added 11 doubles in the pinch and Cy Williams did his best to lend a helping hand off the bench. The great Chicago pitching was maybe not a s great as it used to be, but the Cubs could still stifle most offenses. Larry Cheney won 21 games in 36 starts and entered another 18 in relief. He had a 2.57 ERA and struck out a nice 136 batters but did throw 19 wild pitches. Bert Humphries went an impressive 16-4 with a 2.69 ERA and 1.066 WHIP having the type of year few expected from him. George Pearce had the lowest ERA on the team at 2.30 with 3 shutouts and striking out 4 per nine innings to add to the strength of the staff. Charlie Smith went 7-9 in his 19 starts with a 123 ERA+ while the legend Orval Overall was slowing down at 32 years old as he was hit hard with a 3.84 ERA in only 68 innings. Jimmy Lavender also threw for over 200 innings and 40 games in total, 20 of them as a starter but wasn't excellent with a 3.62. A very interesting final piece was 25 year old Hippo Vaughn who had a 1.45 ERA in six starts with electric stuff; we will see if he is used in this series. Chicago is still a good club that should give any team trouble no matter what the era.

Tom Kelly still had the Twins playing good baseball in 2001 and before Moneyball took full effect, the Twins were an organization that found winners on a limited budget and team baseball; not much unlike the Cubs. Joe Mays won 17 games and lead the team in WAR for a nice season while Brad Radke had his usual season with an ERA of 3.94 but all the intangibles that fans loved as he won 15 games and battled through every inning he threw. Also a 15 game winner was Eric Milton who threw from the left side but did allow a stunning 35 home runs for his 4.59 FIP. Kyle Lohse was only 22 years old and really struggled in 90 innings of work with a 5.16 FIP. Rick Reed made his contribution at 36 years old with 12 starts but almost no missed bats and a lot of hard contact. JC Romero made 11 starts with an ERA over 6 that says it all. The Twins pen was a real problem as LaTroy Hawkins had one of his worst seasons saving 28 games but seeing his ERA close in on 6 he couldn't be counted on. Eddie Gaurdado took over in the role and made 12 saves but he also has his cringe worthy moments. Hector Carrasco and Travis Miller were two more arms that didnt impress and added to the vulnerability of the Twins in close games. The Twins offense was quite good and had contact hitters who sprayed line drives to all fields. The team also had a 25 year old DH without a position named David Ortiz who hit 18 home runs with a .234 average and obviously wasn't going to amount to anything. Watch Big Papi when the game is one the line. Jacque Jones and especially Torri Hunter were dynamic defensive players that made the Twins defense stellar. Hunter hit .306 with 92 RBI and a team lead with 27 home runs. Jones hit 14 with a .276 average and 25 doubles. Matt Lawton made up the other side of the outfield driving in 51 runs with 19 steals with a sneaky 120 OPS+. Doug Mientkiewicz added to the fine defense with a gold glove performance at first base and at the plate showing an .851 OPS with 39 doubles. Luis Rivas stole 31 bases and added to the excitement of a very fast team hitting .266 while shortstop Christin Guzmnan had 25 steals and 14 triples while scoring 80 runs. Corey Koskie always seemed to make the most of his chances and scored 100 runs while driving in 103 and 26 home runs; he added 27 steals to reaffirm his value to the team. All of this and then a catcher who was both loved and hated throughout the league in AJ Pierzynski. AJ hit .289 with 55 RBI and 33 doubles all while controlling the pitching staff well and playing harder then anyone in the league. Denny Hocking was the foil infielder off the bench with limited upside and Brian Buchanan hit 10 home runs with 12 doubles as a nice pinch hitter for the club. In many ways this Twins team could remind someone of the clubs of old like their opponents the Cubs. Look for a very hard nosed series with great defense and minimal mental mistakes. The Twins pen could be a deal breaker, but the storylines in both dugouts are quite fascinating.

Game 1 At West Side Grounds
Partly cloudy 54
2001 Twins...................5
1913 Cubs....................2 (10 inn)
WP: B. Radke (1-0) LP: C. Hendrix (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Brad Radke
2001 Twins lead series 1-0
The 1913 Cubs were losing by two runs in the bottom of the ninth thanks to an outstanding start by Brad Radke. The Cubs rallied in the 9th however to tie the score after Al Birdwell singled in the 2nd run. The Twins redeemed their pitcher by putting 3 on the board in the 10th with the bog blow being a Denny Hocking 2 run triple. Radke goes 10 innings striking out three and walking six.

Game 2 At West Side Grounds
Partly cloudy 53
2001 Twins.....................8
1913 Cubs......................1
WP: E. Milton (1-0) LP: O. Overall (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Eric Milton
2001 Twins lead series 2-0
Another strong pitching performance for the Twins as Eric Milton held down the Cubs to one earned runs and only five hits while striking out five. Denny Hocking had another big game at the dish going 3-5 and driving in 3 runs as the Twins scored 4 runs in the 8th and 3 more in the ninth. The series now heads to the Metrodome where one would think the Twins have a great chance to end this series.

Game 3 At Metrodome
Indoors
1913 Cubs.....................6
2001 Twins....................3
WP: J. Lavender (1-0) LP: J. Romero (0-1)
HR: T. Leach (1), F. Schulte (1)
POG: Frank Schulte
2001 Twins lead series 2-1
Frank Schulte got the biggest hit of the series for the Cubs with a three run home run off JC Romero in the third inning that would be the difference in the game. Jimmy Lavender walked six over nine innings and struck out four and allowed three earned runs.

Game 4 At Metrodome
Indoors
1913 Cubs.......................3
2001 Twins......................2
WP: C. Hendrix (1-1) LP: B. Radke (1-1)
HR: None
POG: Claude Hendrix
Series tied at 2
The road team wins again as the Cubs have made the Metrodome a nice venue for them this time clipping the Twins behind the good outing by Claude Hendrix. Hendrix struck out six and walked only one to beat Brad Radke and get some payback for game one. Cather Jimmy Archer came through with the big hit in the 8th inning to break a 2-2 tie and set Chicago up for the series tie.

Game 5 At Metrodome
Indoors
1913 Cubs......................3
2001 Twins.....................2
WP: O. Overall (1-1) LP: E. Milton (1-1)
HR: C. Guzman (1), T. Leach (2)
POG: Orval Overall
1913 Cubs lead series 3-2
No one would have expected it but the Cubs win all three games inside the Metrodome and take game 5 by the slimmest of margins. Chicago only had 5 hits to Minnesota's 12 but they built a 3-0 lead as Tommy Leach went 2-5 with 2 RBI and a first inning home run. Overall walked two and struck out four in his 146 pitch effort but was resilient enough to get the crucial win.

Game 6 At West Side Grounds
Partly cloudy 48
2001 Twins.....................2
1913 Cubs......................3
WP: J. Lavender (2-0) LP: J. Romero (0-2)
HR: J. Evers (1)
POG: Jimmy Lavender
An error and an eventual wild pitch ends this series and scores the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. The Cubs win their fourth game in a row completely changing the tide. as Jimmy Lavender only allowed two earned runs despite walking five. AJ Pyrzinski tied the game in the 8th inning with a clutch double but manager Johhny Evers had a good game hitting a rare home run and driving in 2 runs. JC Romero just couldnt hold the game late.

1913 Chicago Cubs Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Tommy Leach
(.455, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R, .500 OBP)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #119
1996 Milwaukee Brewers (80-82) vs 1919 Philadelphia Phillies (47-90)

Still in the American League, the 1996 Brewers finished third and were right near .500 under Phil Garner scoring only 5 fewer runs then they allowed. First baseman John Jaha lead and offense that could hit the long ball and the 30 year old had quite the season hitting .300 with 188 RBI and 34 home runs. Adding to the power Jaha brought with him was Greg Vaughn who hit 31 and drove in 95 runs, both players had an identical 133 OPS+. Jose Valentin struck out 145 times but showed some real pop from the shortstop position hitting 24 home runs with 94 RBI and stealing 17 bases. Valentin could be considered among the new mold of shortstops while second baseman Fernando Vina hit .283 with only seven home runs but scored four more times then Valentin. Jeff Cirillo had it all clicking hitting .325 with an .894 OPS in one of his best seasons as a pro playing a competent third base. Kevin Seitzer was an old third baseman who was mostly a DH for this team hitting .316 and striking out only 68 times proving his bat to ball skills. Pat Listach was a platoon guy in center with little upside as Dave Nilsson sacrifice the defense but hit 17 home runs while hitting .331 and was a great addition to the lineup. Matt Mieske filled a decent role in right with 14 home runs and an OPS close to .800. Mark Loretta and Jeromy Burnitz were also on the bench but were not at the peak of their careers at this point. Milwaukee did hit 178 home runs and made County Stadium look small. The issue as usual was the lack of frontline pitching as Ben McDonald did his best winning 12 games and leading the team in WAR with a 3.90 ERA but the team number was 5.14 which tells you all you need to know. Ricky Bones and Steve Sparks had no businiess being in the rotation and were roughed up before they were replaced and lefty Scott Karl lead the team with 13 wins but held a FIP of 5.02 with 29 bombs allowed in 207 innings. Jeff Damico didnt impress in 82 innings or work and Carl Eldred was 4-4 in 15 starts with a 117 ERA+ and may be part of the rotation Gardner uses in this series. Angel Miranda started in 12 games but was later moved to the pen for his LOOGY ability. The closer was Mike Fetters who had a respectable 3.38 with 32 saves notched. Graeme LLoyd was the best pitcher in the pen if not on the roster with a 2.52 ERA in 52 appearances. Your typical 1990's AL team the Brewers were the opposite of smallball and liked to play games that were determined by muscle rather then strategy and speed.

The poor Phillies were still an afterthought not only to the baseball world but even to their own home town as less then 250,000 fans came out to see them play in a 47 win season. Philadelphia in fact would go on a long run of futility that would last over another 30 years. The team allowed almost 200 more runs then they scored and the offense struggled in general with only a few talents to speak of. First baseman Fred Luderus was maybe their best player hitting .293 with 30 doubles and a leading 206 total bases. Only three players played in over 100 games as the lineup was constantly shuffled hoping for answers. Cy Williams and Irish Meusel were mainstays in the outfield with the latter hitting .305 with 24 steals and Williams hitting .278. Manager Gavvy Cravath played in 83 games in the outfield but should have played in more hitting ,381 with a 1.078 OPS but he split time with Lee Callahan as Cravath was 38 and wanted to focus on managing. Dave Bancroft was a decent shortstop hitting .272 with a nice glove but no power and marginal speed. Third base was wide open as Lena Blackburn could not even hit .200 so Possum Whitted was the usual replacement but even he had a .619 OPS. Gene Paulette was the part time second baseman with Doug Baird getting work driving 30 runs with 13 doubles. Three different players had over 100 atbats from the catcher spot with light hitting Bert Adams getting the most work. With little run support, the Phillies pitching staff saw none win over 8 games. No one threw over 200 innings which also tells you about the status of the group as George Smith threw 184 innings with a 3.22 ERA in 19 starts. Lee Meadows wasa the best of the group with a 2.33 ERA in 17 starts and 24 years old and three shutouts. Meadows was truly impressive while Eppa Rixey held a 3.97 ERA in limited work walking 50 batters and completing 11 starts. Brad Hogg was 5-12 with a 4.43 ERA and Gene Packard wasn't much better with a 4.15 and neither or these arms were long term answers. Elmer Jacobs was a little better even in his 10 losses ending with a 3.85 ERA. It will be interesting to see who will join Meadows and Smith in the rotation for the series although most bets are on lefty Rixey. There were not many extra arms beyond those mentioned with Frank Woodard being the most natable as he threw in 100 innings with a 4.74 and only a 68 ERA+. The Phillies obviously have a number of challanges and will have to deal with the Brewer power unlike amything from their era.

Game 1 At County Stadium
Clear 57
1919 Phillies....................6
1996 Brewers..................3
WP: F. Woodward (1-0) LP: M. Fetters (0-1) S: B. Hogg (1)
HR: M. Mieske (1)
POG: Dave Bancroft
1919 Phillies lead series 1-0
A sloppy game with 5 errors saw the Phillies score 4 runs in the top of the ninth inning to break a tie and hold on for a game one win. Dan Brancroft came through with a two run single in the inning going 4-5 with 3 RBI while for the losing side Mike Mieske went 3-4 with all thee Brewer RBI's. Ben McDonald had deserved better allowing only 2 earned runs and striking out nine without a walk in this one but Pat Murray stayed there with him and eventually the Phillies would escape victors.

Game 2 At County Stadium
Partly cloudy 50
1919 Phillies.........................2
1996 Brewers.......................5
WP: C. Eldred (1-0) LP: J. Oeschger (0-1) S: M. Fetters (1)
HR: J. Cirillo (1),
POG: Cal Eldred
Series tied at 1
A four run 5th inning broke a 1-1 tie and allowed the 1996 Brewers to get back on track behind a strong outing from Cal Eldred. Eldred went 8 striking out six and allowing only one earned run while Kevin Seitzer drove in two and Jeff Cirillo went deep.

Game 3 At Baker Bowl
Clear 61
1996 Brewers..................5
1919 Phillies....................6
WP: M. Cantwell (1-0) LP: K. Wickander (0-1) S: G. Packard (2)
HR: G. Cravath (2), G. Vaughn (1), C. Carr (1)
POG: Gavvy Cravath
1919 Phillies lead series 2-1
Another six errors in this game as both sides seem content at gifting runs. Still Phillie manager Gavvy Cravath hit a two run shot in the 3rd inning and drove in three runs while Cy Williams went 3-3. Bert Adams had the biggest hit of the game with a 2 run single to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh as Philly takes the lead in the series.

Game 4 At Baker Bowl
Rain 54
1996 Brewers..................10
1919 Phillies.....................4
WP: A. Miranda (1-0) LP: B. Hogg
HR: C. Williams (1), F. Luderus (1), J. Jaha (1)
POG: John Jaha
Series tied at 2
The Brewers had 14 hits and scored in their first five innings as they end up playing 10 and taking game four to tie the series. John Jaha hit a first inning home run and drove in three and Mike Matheny had two hits and also drove in three. Phillies starter Brad Hogg only lasted three innings while Angel Miranda went seven for the win. The series now becomes a best of three with it being anyones guess on which way it will turn.

Game 5 At Baker Bowl
Rain 49
1996 Brewers..................9
1919 Phillies....................4
WP: B. MCDonald (1-1) LP: M. Cantwell (1-1)
HR: None
POG: Kevin Seitzer
1996 Brewers lead series 3-2
A tie game was broken up in the seventh inning when Milwaukee scored four times to set up a crucial game 5 win. Kevin Seitzer singled in two runs off Mike Pedergast. This was followed by a Dave Nillson two run single as again the Brewer offense had a big game with 14 hits. Dave Bancroft went 2-4 with 2 RBI in the losing effort and now the Phillies need to win both games on the road to take this series. The Brewer bats have come to life.

Game 6 At County Stadium
Partly cloudy 48
1919 Phillies..................11
1996 Brewers..................2
WP: J. Oeschger (1-1) LP: C. Eldred (1-1)
HR: F. Luderus (2), G. Cravath (3)
POG: Joe Oeschger
Series tied at 3
With a chance to close things out, the Brewers came hone and laid an egg as the Phillies force a game five on an 18 hit effort. Philly manager Gavvy Cravish had another excellent game in what has become an excellent series for him smacking his third home run and driving in two more runs. Cy Williams had three RBI as everyone in the lineup had at least knock. Joe Oeschger gets the win in easy fashion striking out six and walking two. It is anyone's game now as game seven looms.

Game 7 At County Stadium
Partly cloudy 43
1919 Phillies......................2
1996 Brewers....................6
WP: S. Karl (1-0) LP: E. Jacobs (0-1) S: M. Fetters (2)
HR: J. Cirillo (2), I. Meusel (1)
POG: Scott Karl
A capacity crowd at County Stadium saw the 1996 Brewers do enough to hold off the Phillies in game seven and win this series. Milwaukee scored twice in the bottom of the first and would not look back after a big throwing error by Dan Bancroft allowed the runs to score. Scott Karl went seven innings walking five but escaping some jams and allowing only two earned runs before the Brewer pen brought the series home as Mike Fetters earned the save. A sloppy series in many ways but a good one, and the favorite Brewers bring it home.

1996 Milwaukee Brewers Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Dave Nillson
(.440, 7 RBI, 3 R, 4 2B, .600 SLG, 11 H)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #120
2008 Los Angeles Angels (100-62) vs 1908 New York Highlanders (51-103)

Mike Scioscia seemingly had the Angels in the mix of a pennant every season in the early part of the decade. The 2008 club was special for winning 100 games but couldn't get over the hump in the postseason despite being favorites. Now Los Angeles gets an excellent draw with a 100 loss team as an opponent, in any case however, don't expect Scoiscia to have his side take anyone lightly. At 33 years old Vladimir Guerrero was still the main attraction of the offense hitting over .300 with 91 RBI and an .886 OPS, not to mention his still elite right field play. Speaking of great defense, Torri Hunter was the man in center hitting 21 home runs with 85 runs scored and 37 doubles. Garrett Anderson was 36 years of age but the Angels legend hit .293 with 84 RBI and even seven steals not to mention is ability to get the big hit when needed. Chone Figgins stole 34 bases at third but was strickly leadoff and his on base skills were drifting, not to mention he played in only 116 games. Howie Kendrick was a .306 hitter at second base with 26 doubles and 11 steals and obviously had alot of future potential. Mark Teixeira was the main man at 1st base hitting .358 when he came in from Atlanta but played in only 54 games as Casey Kotchman was the primary first baseman with a 102 OPS+ and only 12 dingers. Jeff Mathis couldnt get over .200 and was strickly a defensive catcher with Mike Napoli hitting 20 home runs in the role while also working in at DH. The regular DH was Juan Rivera but he struggled mightily hitting only .249. Gary Mattews Jr was an important piece especially for his defense while Eric Aybar and Maicer Izturis platooned at short stop with both producing about the same WAR level; they were good defensive players. Ervin Santana had a great season gaining respect throughout the league going 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA and an impressive 8.8 K per 9. Joe Saunders was even better going 17-7 with a 3.41 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. while Jon Garland pitched in 196 innings but was slipping a bit with a 4.90 ERA and a 1.5 WHIP. Jared Weaver went 11-10 with a 3.90 FIP making him the likely dependable number three for the rotation and finally John Lackey made 24 starts to very good effect with a 3.75 ERA and all the intensity any opponent could ever ask for. Francisco Rodriguez maybe had the greatest season ever by a closer, saving 64 games with a 2.24 ERA and a 10 K per nine innings, he was simply lights out. Darren Oliver and Scot Shields were also great in setup as one of the strengths of this team was its use and effectiveness late in games. One would think that the Anegls will have no problem in this series, but at the very least the 100 year difference in eras should be of some concern.

The 1908 Highlanders of New York were in a tough market to say the least with the very popular New York and Brooklyn teams of the NL, the American League Highlanders couldn't compete especially with a lack of a real good home ball park. To overcome this, management looked for names would draw fan interest and in the process sacrificed the plan to build the best team, a 103 loss season was the result. Manager Clark Griffin didnt have much to work with and his frustration saw him fired in midseason, but that would solve very little. The famous Willie Keeler was now 36 years old and hitting only .263 playing in just 91 games as a stellar career was winding down. Wid Conroy was the everyday third baseman but hit only .237 with 44 runs despite leading the team in doubles with 22. Jake Stahl had a .663 OPS which was good for the era while Charlie Hemphill was likely the most exciting player stealing 42 bases with 152 hits and 62 runs, his OPS+ was 137. Harry Niles and Neal Ball were the duo up the middle and were not very memorable as the club rarely turned the double play and each of these players hit in the .240's with minimal effect although both of them could run combining for 50 steals between them. Then there was Hal Chase at first base, maybe the most gifted defensive first base men in the game, Chase had a .591 OPS but remained one of the most popular players. The issue with Chase was his links off the field and the questions if he was really on the up and up. Red Kleinlow and Walter Blair were the catchers and neither could hit themselves out of a paper bag. Young George Moriarty was the best prospect on the bench and pinched in for Keeler where needed. Frank Delahanty brought nothing more then his familly name and and Frank Laporte was a place holder on the infield. Jack Chesbro wasnt the pitcher he used to be but still the relative ace of this staff. He lost 20 games but had a 2.93 ERA with 3 shutouts. Joe Lake was likely the unluckiest pitcher around losing 22 games with a respectable ERA of 3.17 in 2.69 innings of work. Rube Manning went 13-16 with 19 complete games with a 2.66 FIP and even some work as a reliever. Al Orth was another veteran arm that was searching for the fountain of youth but was a terrible 2-13 with a high 3.42 ERA and not much confidence left. Bill Hogg and Doc Newton also had their share of starts but followed the script going 8-21 between them. Slow Joe Doyle was the most prominent reliever left but went only 48 innings and the rest of the roster were underused arms we wont be seeing. The Pre Yankees have alot of work to do and should find life very hard against the much more talented Angels.

Game 1 At Angel Stadium
Partly cloudy 61
1908 Highlanders...................5
2008 Angels...........................6
WP: E. Santana (1-0) LP: D. Newton (0-1) S: F. Rodriguez (1)
HR: G. Matthews Jr (1), W. Conroy (1)
POG: Ervin Santana
2008 Angels lead series 1-0
Francisco Rodriguez closed the door in the ninth as the Angels came through with a one run win in the opener. Ervin Santana went 8 innings and walked six while allowing 11 hits but still found a way to hold his teams lead. Vladrimir Guerrero drove in two and Gary Matthews went deep as the Angels built a lead late and were able to hold on in a tight one.

Game 2 At Angels Stadium
Partly cloudy 60
1908 Highlanders................0
2008 Angels........................4
WP: J. Weaver (1-0) LP: J. Warhop (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Jered Weaver
2008 Angels lead series 2-0
Jered Weaver spun a gem in game two to lift the Angels to a clear advantage in the series. Weaver allowed only 5 hits while striking out six and walking one for his complete game shutout of 125 pitches. Mike Napoli went 2-3 with 2 RBI and Chone Figgins added two more hits and is batting .561 in two games from the top. It has been a great start for Mike Scioscia and his side.

Game 3 At Hilltop Stadium
Partly cloudy 54
2008 Angels..................3
1908 Highlanders..........6
WP: P. Wilson (1-0) LP: J. Saunders (0-1) S: J. Chesbro (1)
HR: W. Blair (1)
POG: Pete Wilson
2008 Angels lead series 2-1
Wid Conroy had a bases clearing double in the bottom of the first inning and the margin would prove to be the difference as the Highlanders get back into the series. Pete Wilson controlled the Angels in the much different conditions at Hilltop Stadium and only Howie Kendrick really did much damage with three hits, The New York pen closed the deal with Jack Chesbro the new anointed closer for Charlie Griffin.

Game 4 At Hilltop Stadium
Cloudy 49
2008 Angels.....................8
1908 Highlanders.............3
WP: J. Lackey (1-0) LP: R. Manning (0-1)
HR: M. Napoli (1), M. Teixiera (1)
POG: John Lackey
2008 Angels lead series 3-1
Two big home runs at the old ballpark helped set up John Lackey as the Angels had no intention in seeing New York tie the series. Mike Napoli hit a 2 run home run off of Rube Manning and much later in the 8th inning Mark Teixeira slammed a three run shot. Lackey surely wanted to finish this start but he was pulled in the ninth having struck out six and allowing seven hits. Los Angeles will hope to end the series in New York in game five.

Game 5 At Highland Park
Clear 50
2008 Angels.......................7
1908 Highlanders...............5
WP: E. Santana (2-0) LP: D. Newton (0-2) S: F. Rodriguez (2)
HR: V. Guerrero (1)
POG: Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero hit his first home run of the series with a man on in the third inning to put the Angels up by three and the lead would hold behind Ervin Santana who struck out six and pitched well until the 9th. In the 9th the Highlanders rallied as their last hope plating three runs before Francisco Rodriguez closed them down to end the series. Each club had 11 hits but in the end there was really no space for the Highlanders who also showed us some questionable decisions like not to start Jack Chesbro.

2008 Los Angeles Angels Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Chone Figgins
(.455, 1 RBI, 3 R, 3 SB, 10 H)

[Nick Soulis]

Tournament Progress Report 120 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

Managerial Leaders
Most Wins...........Tony LaRussa (22)
Winning %...........Harry Walker (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.................Dave Winfield (33)
SB..................Rickey Henderson (11)
2B...................Alex Rodriguez (8)
3B...................Tris Speaker (4)
AB..................Jim Thome (119)
SLG................Gaby Hartnett (1.083)
Wins...............Jim Bunning (4)
IP....................Jim Palmer (59)
K.....................Jim Bunning (43)
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

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

Best Winning Percentage by Franchise Montreal Expos 100%

Records By Decade
1900's.............................2-7
1910's.............................17-5
1920's.............................2-6
1930's.............................5-11
1940's.............................8-6
1950's.............................12-5
1960's.............................9-6
1970's.............................15-12
1980's.............................7-11
1990's.............................18-20
2000's.............................18-11
2010's.............................7-20

Most successful Season: 1964,1977,1912 and 1951 are all 3-0


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 31 - Glendon Rusch throws a Maddux. A two hit shutout on only 95 pitches without a walk.
Series 48 - Ron Fairly goes 5-6 with 3 doubles and a home run in 13-10 win.
Series 58 - Joe Lake throws a shutout on 93 pitches allowing five hit and no walks.
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 Konetchy of the 1909 Cardinals goes 3-5 with 7 RBI in a 16 run win.

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #121
1977 Baltimore Orioles (97-64) vs 1959 New York Yankees (79-75)

Earl Weaver and the 1977 Baltimore Orioles won 77 games but had nothing to show for it as the Yankees took the crown. Even still this club during the 1970's was a force of baseball excellence that typified the decade as a whole. Weaver went with a 4 man rotation and it was Baltimore pitching that was the cornerstone of these great teams. Jim Palmer may have had the smoothest delivery in history and he showed it going 20-11 with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.135 WHIP over 319 innings. Lefty Rudy May won 18 games with a 3.61 ERA but allowed 25 home runs and was lucky at times. Mike Flanagan was 15-10 with a 3.33 FIP and Ross Grimsley with a 3.96 ERA but average more walks then strikeouts per nine. Twenty three year old Dennis Martinez was a revelation and went 14-7 in 13 starts with 4 saves and a bushel of potential. In the pen Tippy Martinez was establishing himself as a good pen arm with 9 saves and a 2.70 ERA while another 23 year old, Scott McGregor was inconsistent but also pitched in with four seaves. Weaver had a small circle of arms that he really thrusted, and that was fine because they were effective and durable. Speaking of young talent, a 21 year old with a sweet switch hitting swing emerged in Eddie Murray. Murray was mostly the DH hitting 27 home runs with 88 RBI and an .803 OPS. Ken Singleton drove in 99 runs to tie for the team lead with Lee May as both combined for over 50 home runs but it was Singleton who hit .328 to stamp his great campaign. Al Bumbry played center and stole 19 bases with 31 doubles an a .317 average in 133 games. Pat Kelly was even better at stealing with 25 and had 10 home runs and 50 runs scored in 110 games. Doud Decinces tried to make Baltimore forget about Brooks Robinson and he wasnt all that bad hitting 19 home runs with a .772 OPS and some steady glove work. Billy Smith was the very light hitting second baseman hitting .215 while the veteran Mark Belanger could still show off some defensive magic at 33 but his bat wass all but gone hitting .206 with a .286 OBP. Rick Dempsey wasnt much of a hitter either but was a very good defensive catcher and the pitchers just loved the way he called games and went about his business. Andres Mora hit 13 home runs off the bench which Rich Dauer saw work as well as mostly a pinch hitter but overall did not merit many starts. The Orioles were a perfect team for their manager and their era but in some regards wasnt the best team in regards to a series format. No doubt Weaver will have them ready to play, and a clash with Casey Stengel should provide few if any dull moments.

A rare but significant pause in dominance for the 1959 Yankees who somehow finished 3rd only 4 games over .500 after winning the pennant in almost every season since 1936. Yankee pitching took a step back in the season showing a 3.60 ERA with some real uncertainty behind ace Whitey Ford. Ford was still the games best big game arm and should be a huge asset in this series. He went 16-10 with a 3.02 ERA striking out 114 and even saving 2 games when he was really needed. Art Ditmer was a meticulous worker on the mound going 13-9 with a 2.90 ERA and the only other pitcher to throw over 200 innings. Duke Mass won 14 games in 21 starts but like most of the Yankee arms spent some ugly innings out of the pen that saw his FIP reach 4.09. More was hoped from Bob Turley who went 8-11 with a with a 4.32 ERA and he did not miss many bats at all. Don Larsen at 29 years old just couldn't go from good to great making 18 starts with a 4.33 and no perfect games. Despite some shaky starts, the Yankees pen was very strong in general as Ryan Duren had 14 saves and Bobby Shanz had an ERA of 2.28. Jim Coates was 6-1 with a 2.87 ERA and was another piece Stengel could use as he really used everybody in any and all game situations. Yogi Berra was getting up in age but still was mostly the everyday catcher even as his MVP days were past him with a .284 average and 19 home runs. Bill Skowron at first was big and strong even if his 15 homers underwhelm in only 74 games. Marv Thorneberry actually played more games then Skow due to injuries. Bobby Richardson hit .301 from second and was one of Casey's smartest and favorite players while teaming up well with Tony Kubek as each man was 23 years old and seemed to have a 6th sense on the diamond. Hector Lopez seemed to be the man at third hitting .283 with 16 RBI but Gil McDougald was still the more famous man at third but his 85 OPS+ was a big reason why he usually played only in relief. Hank Bauer as 36 years old and well past his prime in right hitting .238 with only 9 home runs and a .682 OPS. In left was Norm Siebern and was nothing special hitting .271 with 53 RBI and not a long term answer; even 43 year old Enos Slaughter saw some at bats in the corner outfield spot. Finally there was the Mick, who had a great season by all accounts but not a Mantle season that many would have expected. Mick hit .285 with 31 home runs that seemed far from his best at 27 years old. He still stole 21 bases and walked 93 times but eh struck out 123 times and produced only 278 total bases. The performance by Mantle was a big reason why this New York team wasn't its usual self. Elston Howard was used alot and was a great help off the bench with his power and bat speed. Howard hit 18 home runs with 73 driven in and surely Stengel will find a role for him. Clete Boyer was another young name to keep an eye on. So who would really bet against these Yankees in this series even if the Orioles were at their 97 win best? It should be a great series to follow with a long list of legends and storybooks.

Game 1 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 55
1959 Yankees....................2
1977 Orioles......................7
WP: M. Flanagan (1-0) LP: A. Ditmar (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Mike Flanagan
1977 Orioles lead series 1-0
Earl Weaver went with Mike Flanagan to many people surprise as the game one starter and the move paid off nicely. Flanagan went the full 9 innings throwing 131 pitches and not running into trouble until the ninth for the win. Baltimore opened up a big lead scoring 5 times in the bottom of the first as Ken Singleton drove in two and Eddie Murray another. The mighty Yanks were held to six hits and now face the prospect of Jim Palmer in game 2, which is just the way Earl planned it.

Game 2 At Memorial Stadium
Partly cloudy 51
1959 Yankees.................3
1977 Orioles...................0
WP: W. Ford (1-0) LP: J. Palmer (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Whitey Ford
Series tied at 1
The chairman of the board, Whitey Ford, made sure that the Yankees returned to New York even. Ford threw a nine inning shutout proving his reputation of a big game pitcher striking out four and beating Jim Palmer. Marv Thornberry had the big hit of the night driving in two.

Game 3 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 53
1977 Orioles.................11
1959 Yankees................5
WP: R. Grimsley Jr (1-0) LP: D. Maas (0-1)
HR: K. Singleton (1), E. Murray (1)
POG: Eddie Murray
1977 Orioles lead series 2-1
Ken Singleton homered with a man on in the first inning and the Orioles scored 10 runs in the first four innings to bet the Yankees thoroughly. Eddie Murray was 2-5 with 4 RBI thanks to a three run home run he hit in the fourth and a bases clearing double in the second. The Oriole pen pitched well after Dennis Martinez allowed 5 runs in 2 innings.

Game 4 At Yankee Stadium
Partly cloudy 51
1977 Orioles..................9
1959 Yankees................4
WP: S. McGregor (1-0) LP: R. Duren (0-1)
HR: D. Decinces (1)
POG: Doug Decinces
1977 Orioles lead series 3-1
The Orioles came roaring back in game four and a three run home run by Doug Decinces in the top of the ninth broke the backs of the Yankees and put Baltimore in complete control. New York had a 4-2 lead in the 7th with Bob Turley vying for the win. The Orioles scratched runs back in the 7th and 8th as Pat Kelly scored twice and Ken Singleton went 4-5. It was Decinces however that will be giving Yankee fans nightmares for his homer to left.

Game 5 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 51
1977 Orioles...................0
1959 Yankees.................2
WP: A. Ditmar (1-1) LP: M. Flanagan (1-1)
HR: E. Howard (1)
POG: Art Ditmar
1977 Orioles lead series 3-2
Another masterfully pitched game by a Yankee starter to keep the Bronx club alive in this series. Art Ditmar refused to give up the baseball or have his team bow out of the series throwing a 2 hit shutout and receiving a standing ovation by the Yankee faithful. Ditmar only walked one while striking out six and was hitting Yogi Berra's glove wherever he put it. Elston Howard hit a home run as New York put up the only two runs of the game in the 6th inning, to spoil a very good effort from Mike Flanagan. The Orioles will now try to wrap it up at home as Jim Palmer will face Whitey Ford again.

Game 6 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 58
1959 Yankees...............0
1977 Orioles.................1 (13 inn)
WP: J. Palmer (1-1) LP: R. Duren (0-2)
HR: K. Singleton (2)
POG: Jim Palmer
In a matchup for the ages between two hall of famers, the Orioles found a way to end the series. Jim Palmer and Whitey Ford gave us a night we will not soon forget and one this competition wont forget. The two aces pitched a scoreless batting into extra innings refusing to relent. Finally in the 12th Ford was lifted and the move cost Stengel as Ken Singleton homered to right field off Ryan Duren to end the series. Palmer went 13 innings allowing no runs, striking out six, walking sox, and throwing 159 pitches.



1977 Baltimore Orioles Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Jim Palmer
(1-1, 22 IP, 2 ER, 0.82 ERA, 10 BB, 12 K, 13 inning shutout game 6)

[Nick Soulis]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2007 Cincinnati Reds Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

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

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #123
1981 Houston Astros (61-49) vs 1994 Pittsburgh Pirates (53-61)

In a strike shortened season the 1981 Astros had a much better second half of the season then first half and ended up third in the NL West. Nolan Ryan had a dominant season as the anchor of the team and the staff going 11-5 with a 1.69 ERA and 8.5 K per 9 innings. The strong staff was also backed up by 36 year old Joe Niekro who went 9-9 with the knuckle ball working and a 2.82 ERA. Don Sutton also continued the veteran theme at 36 also holding an impressive ERA of 2.61, no doubt throwing at the Astrodome was a big help to this group that differed greatly in style. Bob Knepper rounded of the rotation with Vern Ruhle as the overall team ERA of 2.66 and FIP of 2.84 surely cant be ignored. Joe Sambito lead the pen from the left side with 10 saves and a 1.02 WHIP and Dave Smith was a fine set up arm as beyond these two there wasnt much need for short relief with this staff; the pitching was obviously the strength of the club. Terry Puhl stole 22 bases and provided some energy in the lineup while scoring 43 runs and 33 year old Jose Cruz was well known to the fanbase after years of service hitting .267 in this short season leading the team with 13 home runs and 55 RBI. Tony Scott was the centerfielder and hit .291 and 34 year old Art Howe filled the role at third base with 107 hits and 22 doubles. Cesar Cedeno may have been the best overall talent still in the lineup hitting .271 with 12 steals and 34 RBI and could also move to the outfield when needed. Alan Ashby was one of the better catchers in the league adding to the strength of the rotation and in the middle the Astros got by with Craig Reynolds and Joe Pittman who were at times a liability especially on the fast turf in the field. Denny Walling and Kiko Gracia were the platoon men at these positions. Twenty three year old Dickie Thon was the best hope off the bench, but Houston depended on low scoring games and the unique features of their park that gave them any advantage.

Jim Leyland tried as he might to keep the Pirates competitive despite the loss of their best player in Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla. Andy Van Slyke was slowing down hitting only .246 with 30 RBI in over 100 games while Al Martin and Orlando Merced each hit 9 home runs with Martin stealing 15 bases but nether were inspiring ballplayers. Jay Bell was likely the best player on the club playing excellent defense at short and hitting 35 doubles with 45 RBI and 68 runs; teammates and fans loved the way they played. Jeff King at third hit .263 and only a 79 OPS+ with 5 home runs and 79 total bases and Carlos Garcia at second was just about as weak with a 75 OPS+ and only 36 runs scored. Brian Harper hit only .227 out of first base with 11 home runs and 15 doubles but these numbers were also not good enough. Don Slaught hit .288 at catcher while the veteran Lance Parrish fit in when he could, Dave Clark and Lloyd MccLendon were two consistent names off the Jim Leyland bench. Alejandro Pena could not hold the job as the closer and was replaced by Rick White as the overall Pittsburgh pen had a tough time. Zane Smith was the only double digit winner with a 3.27 ERA in 157 innings in what was also a strike shortened year. Denny Neagle went 9-10 but was roughed up to the tune of a 5.12 ERA while another lefty Steve Cooke was not much better. Twently four year old Jon Lieber was coming into his own and may be the right choice for Leyland in this series as he showed good control and a 3.73 ERA. Paul Wagner was the other regular starter with a 94 ERA+ and Randy Tomlin had a spot start at times but likely wont be featured in the series.

Game 1 At Astrodome
Indoors
1994 Pirates...............2
1981 Astros................5
WP: D. Smith (1-0) LP: A. Pena
HR: D. Bergman (1)
POG: Nolan Ryan
1981 Astros lead series 1-0
After a good pitching matchup at the Astrodome through the bottom of the ninth, the home Astros were down 2-1 and Alejando Pena of the Pirates came on to close things out. ndy Ashby tied the game however on an RBI single and then Dave Bergman launched a three run home run over the right field wall to give the Astros the opening win. Nolan Ryan went 8 striking out five and allowing no earned runs and deserves credit for keeping his team in the game.

Game 2 At Astrodome
Indoors
1994 Pirates...................0
1981 Astros....................4
WP: D. Sutton (1-0) LP: J. Lieber (0-1)
HR: J. Cruz (1)
POG: Don Sutton
1981 Astros lead series 2-0
Don Sutton picked up right were Nolan Ryan left off and shutout the Pirates striking out five and walking none in a masterful effort, the Pirates only managed six hits and none for extra bases on the night. Jose Cruz went deep and Terry Puhl scored twice to defeat Jon Lieber who was unlucky in his effort. The Bucs will need to pick themselves up quickly as the series moves to Three Rivers Stadium for game 3.

Game 3 At Three Rivers Stadium
Cloudy 54
1981 Astros......................5
1994 Pirates.....................2
WP: B. Knepper (1-0) LP: P. Wagner (0-1) S: D. Smith (1)
HR: None
POG: Bob Knepper
1981 Astros lead series 3-0
Art Howe delivered a 2 run single in the second inning to break a 2-2 tie and put the Astros up for good. Bob Knepper had a tough first inning but settled down in a big way controlling the Pirates for six more innings before Dave Smith closed the save out. The Astros are now looking at a chance to sweep as their pitching has been a class above in this series so far.

Game 4 At Three Rivers Stadium
Partly cloudy 53
1981 Astros..........................3
1994 Pirates.........................1
WP: J. Niekro (1-0) LP: R. White (0-1) S: D. Smith (2)
HR: D. Walling (1), J. Leonard (1)
POG: Joe Niekro
Trying to stay alive, Steve Cooke and the 1994 Pirates held a 1-0 lead into the 7th inning on the back of a Tom Foley RBI single. Jim Leyland decided to go to his pen where in the 7th pinch hitter Denny Walling hit a two run back breaking home run off of Rick White to put the Astros in the lead. An insurance run in the 9th was a cushion Dave Smith needed to save his second game and allow Houston to walk away with a relatively easy sweep of this series, thanks to their outstanding pitching. Pittsburgh scored 5 runs total in the four games.

1981 Houston Astros Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Don Sutton
(1-0, 9 IP, 1 shutout, 0 ER, 5 K, 0 BB, 6 H, 0.67 WHIP

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #124
1972 Cincinnati Reds (95-59) vs 1976 Texas Rangers (76-86)

Sparky Anderson and the 1972 Reds were a the budding cusp of the mighty Red Machine dynasty. All the pieces were in place and the club won 95 games and the pennant while coming up only one single game short of a championship. Johnny Bench and his dramatic home run in game 5 of the NLCS highlighted a team that had some of the true legendary talent that the game had ever seen, and they were only getting better. Bench of course was without question the best catcher in the game driving in 125 runs with 40 home runs and 100 walks while playing elite defense. Tony Perez manned first base with a catlike glove and 90 RBI along with 33 doubles in 136 games; Tony was one of the best clutch hitters around. Dennis Menke didnt provide much out of third base but Sparky stuck with him despite his .233 average while Dave Conception had a very tough season hitting .209 in 119 games in one of his worst offensive seasons, but he remained an excellent defensive shortstop. Joe Morgan was also the best at his position league wide stealing 58 bases and scoring 122 runs he had a .417 OBP and homered 16 times. Bobby Tolan hit .283 out of center with 82 RBI and 88 runs scored while Cesar Geronimo may not have been the best player to play everyday in right, as in 120 games he only scored 32 runs. Pete Rose was the heart of the team, Mr. Red through and through. Rose hit .307 with 198 hits and 107 runs with an .800 OPS. Rose could play nall over the field and was a fixture with Morgan at the top of the order. Twenty three year old George Foster was getting his feet wet while Darrell Chaney was the most frequent bench option for the team. Gary Nolan really came into his own on the mound in a excellent season going 15-5 with a 1.99 ERA in 25 starts. Nolan allowed only 13 home runs and let his defense do the work for him. Jack Billinghgam made the most starts going 12-12 but did spin 4 shutouts while striking out 137. He was an important innings eater for the team as was lefty Ross Grimsley who was excellent with a 3.05 ERA and 14 wins. Most Reds pitchers knew if they could just pitch decent, their offense would get the job done. Jim McGlothlin made 21 starts with a 3.81 FIP while Wayne Simpson and Don Gullett had less success in their starts and were more valuable as long relief options out of the pen. Clay Carroll was the closer that had the teams trust saving 37 games with a 2.25 ERA and a fine demeanor for the role. Tom Hall and Pedro Borbon were also very effective in set up and relief wihr lefty Hall going 10-1 on the season. This Reds team plays hader then any team you will see with Rose and Bench leading and fueling the machine and the pieces are all here that helped make this era of Reds baseball some of the best in the history of the game.

Trying to make baseball big in Texas wasnt the easiest sell in the1970's but the Rangers did their best to field some good teams. The 1976 team did finish 10 games under .500 with Frank Luchesi at the helm but when one looks at the roster closely, there is some talent to be had. Jim Sundberg is no Johnny Bench and his bat was a drag for the most part hitting .225. Sundberg was a very confident and capable defender however and called a valuable game behind the plate. The Rangers lacked any real power in their lineup as Gene Clines in left and Juan Beniquez in center each hit zero. Bot men could steal a little bit but both ended up with an OPS around .620. Jeff Burroughs in right hit 18 home runs with 86 RBI while hitting .237 but the power leader on the team was DH Tom Grieve who hit 20 and with 23 doubles, a .255 average, and 119 strikeouts. Roy Howell struck out over 100 times in his role at third hitting 28 doubles but walking only 30 times. Mike Hargrove was a nice piece at first base hitting .287 but had an excellent .397 OBP and was among the most patient hitters you will ever see. Lenny Randle was more a liability at second base but he did provide 30 steals on the few occasions he did get on base. Toby Harrah was the favorite in the lineup with a 115 OPS+m 67 RBI and 15 homers. Harrah also became a fan favorite for his effort and ability to come through in the clutch. Roy Smalley and Jim Fregosi were two common options for the utility infield spots but that lack of outfield depth was a real concern. The Rangers staff was quite good with 37 year old Gaylord Perry getting it done with all his arsenal of 'junk". Perry had a 3.24 ERA in 250 innings and 21 complete games and a good number two was Nelson Briles who went 11-9 with a 3.26 ERA and between himself and Perry walked less then 100 batters. At 25 years old Bert Blyleven was showing signs of success with a 2.76 ERA and a team lead 144 strikeouts. Jim Umbarger made 30 starts from the left side with a nice 3.15 ERA and a 114 ERA+ making the top four for the Rangers very solid. Tommy Boggs was a bad luck 1-7 and had a FIP of 4.07 but was doinjg his best at only 20 years of age. The Texas pen was a burden for the team as Joe Heorner failed badly in his try at closer while Steve Hargen saw the most innings in relief and went 8-8 while holding a 3.62 ERA. Steve Foucault and Mike Bacsik were two more throw in options that couldn't get the pen rolling. The Rangers obviously have a giant task to take on the great Reds club but all hope is not lost with a starting rotation that heppens to have two of the four going to the Hall of Fame.

Game 1 At Riverfront Stadium
Partly cloudy 57
1976 Rangers....................3
1972 Reds.........................0 (10 inn)
WP: G. Perry (1-0) LP: G. Nolan (0-1)
HR: B. Jones (1)
POG: Gaylord Perry
1976 Rangers lead series 1-0
In a performance that few could have expected, Gaylord Perry shut out the Big Red Machine in the opening game of the series as the Rangers get off to the fast start. Perry struck out nine and walked only two and allowed only 4 Reds hits, none for extra bases. Gary Nolan was also brilliant in this one but in the 10th the Rangers scored three as pinch hitter Bob Jones hit a home run with two men on. It was the one and only mistake either pitcher would make on this night.

Game 2 At Riverfront Stadium
Clear 55
1976 Rangers......................1
1972 Reds...........................3 (11 inn)
WP: P. Borbon (1-0) LP: T. Boggs (0-1)
HR: B. Carbo (1)
POG: Jack Billingham
Series tied at 1
Bernie Carbo answered the call for the Reds in another tight extra inning game. Carbo drilled a walk off home run in the 11th inning with a man on to break the drama and tie the series. Jack Billingham and Jim Umbarger continued the excellent pitching in the series as both men allowed only one earned run in their matchup. Cincinnati seems to have more then they bargained for in the series as the upstart Rangers can be happy heading back home with a split.

Game 3 At Arlington Stadium
Clear 71
1972 Reds..........................7
1976 Rangers.....................0
WP: R. Grimsley JR (1-0) LP: N. Briles (0-1)
HR: T. Perez (1)
POG: Ross Grimsley Jr
1972 Reds lead series 2-1
Six runs in the very first inning and 17 hits on the night, the 1972 Reds righted their ship and opened up their offense for a big win. Ross Grimsley sat back and leaned on the big early lead to pitch a gem shutting out the Rangers on 106 pitches striking out three. Billy Tolan had three hits and drove in two while Tony Perez got things started in the first with a 2 run home run.

Game 4 At Arlington Stadium
Clear 68
1972 Reds.....................3
1976 Rangers................6
WP: S. Hargan (1-0) LP: J. McGlothlin (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Bill Singer
Series tied at 2
The Rangers dig out of an early hole and come back to defeat the Reds and tie what has now become a very competitive series. Bill Singer settled down after the rough start and shut the Reds down for six innings giving his club a chance to rally and break a tie in the bottom of the 8th inning when they scored three times. Roy Smalley and Jim Sundberg had the key RBI hits as Jim McGlothlin takes the loss. Cesar Geronimo had given the visitors the lead with three run triple.

Game 5 At Arlington Stadium
Clear 59
1972 Reds.........................2
1976 Rangers....................6
WP: G. Perry (2-0) LP: G. Nolan (0-2)
HR: M. Hargrove (1), T. Harrah (1), J. Bench (1)
POG: Gaylord Perry
1976 Rangers lead series 3-2
The excitement now is really building for Texas as their ace Gaylord Perry shuts down the Reds once again and the Rangers are one game away from winning this series. After the game one shutout, Perry goes the distance again striking out seven and allowing only 2 earned runs keeping the talented Reds hitters on their heels. Pete Rose is only hitting .200 for the entire series. Mike Hargrove hit a two run home run and Toby Harrah also went deep in the win as Cincy needs to win both games at home now as they have their backs to the wall.

Game 6 At Riverfront Stadium
Clear 56
1976 Rangers.................3
1972 Reds......................5
WP: J. Billingham (1-0) LP: J. Umbarger (0-1) S: C. Carroll (1)
HR: T. Grieve (1)
POG: Joe Morgan
Series tied at 3
After falling behind early, the Reds were pushed on by their loyal fans and in the third inning Johnny Bench tied the game with a 2 run single to eas some nerves. Joe Morgan went 3-3 and scored two runs as the Red Machine had 13 hits and gave enough support to winning starter Jim Billingham who struck out 11. A great series now comes down to one game for the winner.

Game 7 At Riverfront Stadium
Rain 46
1976 Rangers....................1
1972 Reds..........................9
WP: R. Grimsley (2-0) LP: N. Briles (0-2)
HR: J. Morgan (1), T. Perez (2), J. Bench (2)
POG: Joe Morgan
The Reds were just not going to let this series slip away, and after a tough trip to Texas they win both games at home and take the series in seven. Ross Grimsley pitched his second excellent game of the series and this time went the distance in the crucial game seven allowing only one run and striking out 5. Cinciinnati hit three home runs including a first inning homer by Joe Morgan while Johnny Bench also homered and drove in three runs. The Rangers do deserve credit for the type of series they played.

1972 Cincinnati Reds Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Jack Billingham
(1-0, 15 IP, 1 ER, 3 ER, 19 K, 4 BB, 11.4 K/9, Game 7 Winner)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #125
2002 Seattle Mariners (93-69) vs 2014 New York Yankees (84-78)

After a historic 2001 season that saw Seattle win 116 games, the Lou Piniella lead club dropped down to 93 wins and missed out on the postseason. Sometimes a baseball season does not have the same magic from one to the next, however the talent level on this team is still substantial. Star hitter Edgar Martinez was limited to only 97 games and hit only .277 with a .888 OPS which was not his normal production. Ichiro had another excellent season hitting .321 with 8 triples, 31 steals, and 111 runs scored. Mike Cameron along with the Japanese star both played gold glove defense in the outfield and Cameron also hit 25 home runs despite his 176 strikeouts. Mark McLemore platooned with Ruben Sierra in left and both hit an identical .270 with the 36 year old showing more pop but less ability in the field. Brett Boone also came down to earth a bit but still was a power hitter at second base hitting 24 home runs and leading the team with 107 RBI. At 33 years old, first baseman John Olerud hit an even .300 and drove in 102 runs while adding to the good Mariner defense with his fine glove work. Jeff Cirillo had a rough season at third hitting only 6 home runs with a 70 OPS+ making him a clear liability. Carlos Guillen at short was a little better but not much with a .261 average and 24 double with gap like power. Dan Wilson hit an impressive .295 at catcher and dealt with the staff well and Ben Davis backed him up well. Scott Posednick and Jose Offerman may be two names that are recognizable on a relatively thin bench. Kaz Sasaki was still getting the job done as closer at 34 years old with 37 saves and a 2.61 ERA making close games an advantage for Seattle. Arthur Rhodes and Jeff Nelson also added to a very good bullpen that put most leads on lockdown. The rotation was lead by 39 year old Jamie Moyer, who was only getting started at that age. Moyer went 13-8 with a 3.32 ERA and always seemed to keep his team in games. Freddy Garcia was a winner and did win 16 times even if he did have some rough patches with a 4.39 ERA. Joe Piniero put together some nice work going 14-7 in 28 starts keeping in mind he was only 23 years of age. James Baldwin was the fourth starter but had a difficult go of it with a 5.28 ERA and 26 home runs allowed in 150 innings. John Halama was also given 10 starts but for the most part, Piniella liked to go with a 4 man rotation. The Mariners have some dynamic talents on thier team and should be poised for a competitive battle against a capable Yankees team.

In the final season of the storied career of Derek Jeter, Joe Girardi could not lead the 2014 Yankees to a storybook finish and missed the postseason with only 83 wins. The club was missing ARod due to suspension and could not keep pace with an excellent Oriole team that won 96 games. The Yankees had their own version of Ichiro but this one was 40 years old and obviously on the decline hitting .284 with only 22 RBI and 42 runs scored in 143 games. Brett Gardner lead the club in WAR hitting 17 long balls with 21 steals and 25 doubles. Jackoby Elbury was not living up to his potential in center field hitting only .271 with 16 home runs but he did bring 39 steals to the table and some good defense. Brian Roberts at 36 years old had the most work at second base but hit only .237 with a .659 OPS, Stephen Drew tired to help at the position but hit only .150 and was overmatched. Mark Teixeira was a shell of himself hitting only .216 and had a visible reduction in bat speed generating only 62 RBI with 22 home runs, some of the lowest numbers of his career. Kelly Johnson and Chase Headley tried to fill the void at third base but combined for only 12 home runs and just barely over 200 total bases. As for Jeter, he did not have a banner year at 40 years old hitting .256 with a .617 OPS and visibly the least range in the field of any shortstop in the game. Alfonso Soriano was a recognizable name on the bench but he also was showing his age with a .221 average and only 6 home runs in limited time. The Yankee bats were well past their glory days, and the results showed on the scoreboard. Despite all of this, the Yankees found a way to have a winning record and the top two arms in the rotation both from Japan were pretty good. Hiroki Kuroda was 11-9 with a 3.71 ERA and 146 strikeouts at the age of 39 while the big star was up and coming Masahiro Tanaka who went 1305 with a 2.77 ERA and definitely showed the he belonged with fine control and only 15 home runs allowed. The remainder of the rotation was a mix with Brandon McCarthy making 14 starts with a 2.90 ERA but fought off some injuries while David Phelps started in 17 games with a 4.38 but a good 73 K per nine. Shane Green made 14 starts and did well for himself however Vidal Nuno was hammered in his attempts to make the rotation and surely wont be used in this series. Michael Pineda added depth and had an impressive ERA under 2 while CC Sabathia made only 8 starts and was out for most of the season through arm trouble. The post Mariano Rivera era in the pen saw David Robertson as the closer saving 29 games with a 3.08 and some heat with 96 K in 64 innings. Dellin Betances was an excellent set up man holding his FIP to 1.64 while Matt Thornton and Adam Warren made for a deep and hard throwing pen any team would not want to be trailing against. The Yanks will need to find lighting in a bottle to compete in this series but many of the stars on the team do now how to win, and could put it all together at the right time. Lou Piniella takes on his former team, in what should be a good series.

Game 1 At Safeco Field
Indoors
2014 Yankees.......................0
2002 Mariners.......................5
WP: J. Halama (1-0) LP: M. Tanaka (0-1)
HR: J. Olerud (1)
POG: John Halama
2002 Mariners lead series 1-0
John Olerud hit a two run home run off Masahiro Tanaka in the bottom of the first inning to get the fans started at Safeco Field. John Halama then took things from there and pitched a dominant ballgame aided in part by his strong defense. Halama took the game into the 9th inning allowing no runs, striking out, seven, walking one, and scattering five hits. An impressive debut for Lou Piniella and its team as they defeat the Yankee ace.

Game 2 At Safeco Field
Indoors
2014 Yankees........................5
2002 Mariners........................2
WP: M. Pineda (1-0) LP: F. Garcia (0-1) S: D. Robertson (1)
HR: B. Gardner (1), J. Ellsbury (1), J. Olerud (2), B. Boone (1)
POG: Michael Pineda
Series tied at 1
The Yankees jumped on Freddy Garcia for five runs and knocked him out of the game after three innings as behind Michael Pineda they hang on to take a split in the series back home. Four home runs were hit in the game all solo shots including one by Jacoby Ellsbury who went 3 for 4 and made some very nice plays in centerfield. Pineda allowed only 4 hits and conceded the ninth to David Robertson who struck out one in his save. Now the scene changes to Yankee Stadium for three crucial games.

Game 3 At Yankee Stadium
Partly cloudy 59
2002 Mariners...................4
2014 Yankees...................3 (11 inn)
WP: K. Sasaki (1-0) LP: D. Robertson (0-1)
HR: R. Sierra (1), D. Wilson (1)
POG: Joel Piniero
2002 Mariners lead series 2-1
The Mariners get a step up in the series with an 11 inning road win at the Stadium. Dan Wilson hit a solo home run off David Robertson in the 11th inning catching up to a fastball to break a 3-3 tie. New York had tied the game in the 8th when Carlos Beltran singled off Arthur Rhodes that set the battle for extra innings. Joe Piniero had pitched will in a battle with Hiroki Kuroda before the late dramatic finish.

Game 4 At Yankee Stadium
Partly cloudy 54
2002 Mariners..........................7
2014 Yankees..........................1
WP: J. Moyer (1-0) LP: D. Phelps (0-1)
HR: M. Cameron (1)
POG: Mike Cameron
2002 Mariners lead series 3-1
Dan Wilson was at it again this time driving in three runs as the Mariners used a 5 run fifth inning to get to the Yankees and take total control of this series. On the mound was Jamie Moyer who changed speeds with great effect and held New York to one run after 8 innings. Mike Cameron hit a two run home run and had three hits in his break out game of the series and now the Mariners look to seal the deal with a sweep in the Bronx as game five looms.

Game 5 At Yankee Stadium
Partly cloudy 52
2002 Mariners.......................4
2014 Yankees.......................5
WP: M. Tanaka (1-1) LP: J. Halama (1-1) S: S. Kelley (2)
HR: C. Beltran (1), B. Roberts (1), E. Martinez (1)
POG: Ichiro Suzuki
2002 Mariners lead series 3-2
Brian Roberts hits a big three run home run in the 5th inning with the home team facing elimination. Masahiro Tanaka gets the win going six innings and striking out six even if he did nit have the best command; the Yanks pen held the lead and brought the win home. Ichiro went 4-5 for the Mariners and Edgar Martinez hit his first home run of the series. Seattle left 13 men on base and couldnt make the most of 10 hits and 2 Yankee errors. They will try to wrap up the series at home.

Game 6 At Safeco Field
Indoors
2014 Yankees.....................6
2002 Mariners.....................2
WP: M. Pineda (2-0) LP: F. Garcia (0-2)
HR: B. Roberts (2), Y. Solarte (1)
POG: Michael Pineda
Series tied at 3
The Yankees jumped on Freddy Garica in the very first inning to set the stage for a crucial game six win. Michael Pineda won his second game of the series going seven strong and allowing only two earned runs as the Mariners continue to struggle with runners in scoring position. Jacoby Ellsbury was 3-4 with two stolen bases while Brian Roberts went deep again and is hitting .368 in the series. The pressure mounts now as Safeco prepares for game seven where anything can happen.

Game 7 At Safeco Field
Indoors
2014 Yankees.......................5
2002 Mariners.......................0
WP: H. Kuroda (1-0) LP: J. Pineiro (0-1)
HR: C. Beltran (2), Y. Solarte (2), B. Gardner (2)
POG: Hiroki Kuroda
Often times in a game seven, it is a starting pitcher that throws a determined game and will not allow his team to lose the series. In this one, veteran Yankee arm Hiroki Kuroda did just that going 8 innings of 4 hit ball with 4 strikeouts and only one walk. The Yankees hit three home runs to account for their runs including a two run home run by Brett Gardner in the third inning. Mariner fans had almost nothing to cheer for in this one and that was the theme over the last three games and New York comes from a 1-3 deficit to stun the Seattle.

2014 New York Yankees Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Jacoby Ellsbury
(.393, .433 OBP, 1.112 OPS, 1 HR, 2 3B, 3 SB, 11 H, 5 R)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #126
1946 Brooklyn Dodgers (96-60) vs 1965 Pittsburgh Pirates (90-72)

Missing out on the pennant by two games, Leo Durocher had a number of off the field issues he was dealing with but still lead a very balanced Dodger team to 96 wins. The team ERA was at 3.05 as the Dodger pitching was stellar which is quite a feat considering the era and the small ballpark that they played in. From the left side Joe Hatten went 14-11 with a 2.84 ERA even as he walked 110 batters or 4.5 per nine. Kirby Higbe won 17 games with a 3.03 number to his name throwing three shutouts and allowing only 6 home runs in 210 innings of work; at times his control could get the best of him. Vic Lombardi at only 23 made 25 starts and did well for himself even though he pitched with good luck as his FIP was up close to 4. Rounding out the four man rotation was Hal Gregg who made only 16 starts with a 2.99 ERA as he also split time in the rotation with Hank Berhman and Rube Melton; Melton had an eye-opening 1.99 ERA. Hugh Casey had an identical ERA as Melton and was the main reliever on the team throwing in crucial moments no matter what inning the game was in; he did complete five saves. Durocher did a great job with this entire unit and it created the backbone of the teams success. Pete Reiser was slowing down a bit from his days as a legitimate star hitting .277 with 73 RBI's but the dynamic talent still stole 34 bases. Dixie Walker in centerfield hit .319 and had 116 runs driven in proving he could be counted on when the game was on the line. Carl Furillo was still young in right field and had a nice swing but lacked any real power with only three home runs and 35 RBI in 117 games. Cookie Lavagetto was a fan favorite but really should not have been playing everyday at third hitting .237 with an 86 OPS+. At 21 years old Ed Stevens was thrown into the fire and it showed as he hit only 10 home runs but did drive in 60 with 7 triples. Another young kid at catcher was Bruce Edwards who hit .267 and split time with Ferrell Anderson. The leader of the club was the short stop as Pee Wee Reese had the respect of everyman and played a stellar role on defense, Reese 10 triples, 10 steals and a 114 OPS+ but the intangibles are where he excelled. Augie Galen is an excellent veteran on the bench who hit .310 and could play just about anywhere. Billy Herman and Joe Medwick were two more red beards on the roster, who helped instil a winning feel to the clubhouse. This club started a long run of excellent baseball in Flatbush, and this team Durocher is leading is an excellent baseball club.

Just as good if not better then the Dodgers pitching staff was that of the 1965 Pirates, all be it in a very different pitching dominant era. Bob Veale was the ace throwing 266 innings and taking home 17 wins he struck out a very impressive 9.3 batters per nine and was much better then history give shim credit for. All four Pirate starters threw over 200 innings and Don Cardwell went 13-10 with a 3.18 ERA but maybe the biggest revelation was thirty five year old Vern Law who seemed to rejuvenate his career. Law went 17-9 with a 2.15 ERA including 4 shutouts and 101 strikeouts to 35 walks. Bob Friend has a good reputation as well and started in 34 games with a 1.08 ERA plus even if he had worse luck and won only 8 times. Al McBean took on the role of closer and saved 19 games while 23 year old Tommie Sisk made a number of starts but became most valuable as a setup man. Wilbur Wood and even 37 year old Roy Face were part of an experienced yet very effective group of arms that where the glue for the 90 win Bucs. Five years from winning it all, the offense for the most part stayed in tact. The outfield was excellent as 25 year old Willie Stargell was not fully on the scene slugging .501 with 27 home runs and 107 RBI in the middle of the order. Bill Virdon was slowing down quickly in centerfield hitting .279 but with only 4 home runs and 24 RBI. The great Roberto Clemente was still in his prime hitting .329 with 14 triples and 91 runs, his legendary defense goes without saying. Speaking of great defense Bill Mazeroski was was dealing at second base even as his bat and .271 average were nothing to brag about. Maz however always had his moment from 1960 that made him revered at Forbes Field. Bob Baily was the third baseman with some speed stealing 10 bases but lacking in muscle slugging only .363 with 11 home runs. Gene Alley was the short stop and in 500 atbats hit .252 with 21 doubles and 5 home runs. Donn Clendenon seemed to be wearing out his welcome at first base but he did put together a solid season hitting .301 with 96 RBI even if he did strikeout 121 times. Jim Pagliaroni did most of the catching and impressed with 17 home runs and a .268 average, his 115 OPS+ for the position was among the best in the league. Manny Mota spent alot of time in centerfield for Virdon hitting .279 with 47 runs scored. Dick Schofield and Del Crandell were two names off the bench that many would recognize but the Pirate depth was not great. These two NL rivals with over 90 wins are sure to make a great series in which pitching should dominate. Many are considering this series to truly be a tossup.

Game 1 At Ebbets Field
Clear 72
1965 Pirates......................6
1946 Dodgers....................7 (10 inn)
WP: A. Herring (1-0) LP: R. Face (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Billy Herman
1946 Dodgers lead series 1-0
The Dodgers turned around a 5 run deficit to defeat the Pirates in 10 innings after Billy Herman singled in the winning run off of Roy Face. Herman went 4-5 on the day while Pee Wee Reese drove in 3 runs in what was a satisfying Dodger win. The Pirates outhit Brooklyn 13-8 and took the lead with a 5 run fifth inning but three big Buc errors cost them big and will leave them with regrets.

Game 2 At Ebbets Field
Clear 63
1965 Pirates......................1
1946 Dodgers....................2 (10 inn)
WP: H. Gregg (1-0) LP: R. Face (0-2)
HR: None
POG: Hal Gregg
1946 Dodgers lead series 2-0
Another extra inning battle and once again Ebbets Field leaves a happy place as the home Dodgers win again. Roy Face lost his second consecutive game this time after pinch hitter Goody Rosen singled in the winning run to break a 1-1 tie. Hal Gregg and Vern Law both pitched stellar but it was Gregg who refused to be pulled out and went the distance striking out five and allowing only three hits. Two very good games but it is Brooklyn that is in the drivers seat.

Game 3 At Forbes Field
Clear 66
1946 Dodgers.......................5
1965 Pirates.........................1
WP: J. Hatten (1-0) LP: J. Gibbon (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Joe Hatten
1946 Dodgers Lead Series 3-0
With 15 hits and 4 runs in the final two innings, the Dodgers continued their momentum in the series and now look to end it quickly with a 3-0 lead. Joe Hatten had an ace like performance at Forbes allowing one run in nine innings despite 4 walks and 6 hits allowed. Goody Rosen came through for the second straight game again as a pinch hitter, he cleared the bases for three RBI in the 9th inning to put the game away.

Game 4 At Forbes Field
Partly cloudy 59
1946 Dodgers.....................9
1965 Pirates........................1
WP: R. Branca (1-0) LP: T. Sisk (0-1)
HR: P. Reiser (1)
POG: Billy Herman
Billy Herman ripped a bases clearing double in a four run first inning as the 1946 Dodgers made sure they snuffed the life out of the Pirates and dominated in a four game sweep. Herman ended with 5 RBI on the day as Tommie Sisk did not get out of the 4th inning. Ralph Branca was excellent pitching into the 9th inning and allowing only one run. The competitive series that was to be turned into a rout.

1946 Brooklyn Dodgers Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Billy Herman
(.562, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 4 R, 1.361 OPS)