GTOAT - Greatest Team of All Time Tournament

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RESULTS: ROUND 2 - REGION 4:

8) 1921 New York Yankees vs. 16) 2003 Florida Marlins

The Yankees franchise, who many would say was over-represented in this tourney, have seen their teams dropping like flies. This 1921 entry was not expected to be one of the favorites to carry the flag but due to the upsets in round 1 they are now among the favorites to emerge from the region. First though they will have to avenge their counterparts from 82 years in the future by actually getting some hits off Josh Beckett.

The rookie Beckett will face 27-game winner Carl Mays at the Polo Grounds. Mays would certainly get off to a rough start giving up three first inning runs and another in the second. The Yankees would claw two back in the third and another in the sixth, but went to the late innings down 4-3 when finally into Florida’s pen. They immediately rallied and scored three on a bases clearing double by first baseman Wally Pipp. They would close it out 7-4 and have to be feeling good having beaten Beckett.

Game 2 was an absolute pitching gem between Waite Hoyt and Carl Pavano. After Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez’ RBI double in the 1st there wasn’t another run until the 9th. It was there that Braden Looper was brought in to close the game and didn’t record an out. Ruth doubled, Pipp drove him in to tie it, registering his 2nd big hit in two days, and then Bob Meusal walked it off with a 2-run dinger. Yankees now lead 2-0 heading to south Florida.

Another pitching duel defined game 3. Brad Penny went 6 innings with 5 hits and 1 run while striking out 8, and Bob Shawkey also K’d 8 in 6 shutout. In the 7th inning with a couple baserunners on the Yankees gambled and pinch hit for their cruising starter and second basemen Chick Fewster came through with a run scoring single. It would be the only run of the game. The New York bullpen held it for three innings, with Jack Quinn getting his 2nd save of the series. New York holds a commanding 3-0 lead.

The dynamic young pitcher Dontrelle Willis will attempt to keep Florida alive in game 4. He would be spotted four runs in the 2nd inning, with future great Miguel Cabrera chipping in a 2-RBI double. He would go seven and this time Braden Looper would hold the lead. Marlins avoid the sweep with a 5-1 win.

Josh Beckett got another chance in game 5 and made the most of it early. The game would go to the 6th with Florida leading 1-0. Beckett had given up only one hit and struck out seven, but then the wheels came off. Earl Miller and Wally Pipp had a couple RBIs then Bob Meusal took Beckett deep with the three-run dagger of a homerun. We hit the 9th with the Yankees leading 7-1. Florida would rally for a run and load the bases when Jack Quinn was called from the pen to save his 3rd of the series. The Bronx Bombers are moving on.

Of note, Babe Ruth hit .188 for the series without an RBI, though was on base at a .350 clip. The MVP went to right fielder Bob Meusal slashing .421/.489/.895 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs. Wally Pipp was an honorable mention with his 5 RBIs, a couple wining game 1 and one of them tying game 2.

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RESULTS: ROUND 2 - REGION 4:

7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals vs. 15) 1984 San Diego Padres

The final game of the 2nd round will start in St. Louis today with Eric Show and Dick Hughes opposing each other. The home team Cards would score in the first two innings but Tony Gwynn would pull back a run with a double in the 3rd. The key hit of the game was Alan Wiggins driving in 2 on a double in the 6th to take a 3-2 lead for San Diego. Graig Nettles would pad the lead with a 2-run shot in the 8th and Eric Show was allowed to finish his 134-pitch effort for the game 1 win.

St. Louis can’t feel great losing game 1 with their ace yesterday but the depth of Steve Carlton and Bob Gibson are what makes them prohibitive favorites still. But when Steve Garvey gave the Padres an early lead the home crowd was a bit nervous. It wouldn’t last as Tim McCarver drove in 2 in the bottom of the 1st and then the Cardinals added an error-aided run in the 2nd. Two more San Diego runs in the 3rd tied us back up and it stayed that way until the 7th when hits by Roger Maris and Mike Shannon gave the Cardinals the lead. Steve Carlton would complete the game with 139 pitches and hold the 5-3 lead to tie the series.

Ed Whitson and Bob Gibson would face each other in sunny So Cal for game 3. Tony Gwynn would drive in a first inning run and Craig Nettles’ solo shot in the 4th built a 2-0 lead. Julian Javiar would hit his own solo shot in the 5th but San Diego quickly responded with Garvey launching his own. That’s how it would end, as Gibson pitched well for the visitors but not well enough. Whitson would give us the third straight complete game win in the series giving up only 8 this and 1 walk in the 3-1 win. The upstarts have another series lead.

Game 4 saw Andy Hawkins get off to a rough start with a 4-run 2nd. It didn’t get better in the 3rd with 3 more runs. The Cardinals offense exploded for a 10-0 win with Lou Brock the star, going 3-6 with 4 RBIs and 2 Runs. Continuing the series theme of complete games it was Ray Washburn today who gave up 6 hits and 1 walk through his complete game shutout.

Game 5 is always a high drama affair in a series tied 2-2, and both aces were up for the task. Hughes gave up a 2-run shot to Kevin McReynolds in the 2nd, and then Show was taken deep by the hot hitter Brock in the 3rd. Other than those two half innings no other runners crossed the plate until the 9th. After Goose Gossage had thrown two shutout innings in a rare clutch bullpen outing in the series, pinch hitter Bobby Brown drove in the game-winning run to walk off a 3-2 win and put San Diego on the precipice of a round of 16 slot. They will have to get the job done in St. Louis though, where Carlton and Gibson await.

Carlton was certainly up for the task in game 6, though so was Tim Lollar…for awhile. Into the 6th scoreless we went when Lollar was finally touched up. With the bases loaded a walk, Brock double, and Curt Flood single led to a five-run inning and an insurmountable deficit for the Padres the way Carlton was throwing. He would finish the complete game, though a bit nervy giving up 3 in the 9th to a Kevin McReynolds homerun, for a 5-3 win, forcing a game 7.

Bob Gibson throws for the hosts against Ed Whitson for the visiting Padres. The Cardinals would strike first, manufacturing two first inning runs and giving Bob Gibson more than you would think he needs to work with. Gibson would cruise from there, striking out nine through five innings and not allowing a runner to touch 2nd base. But in the 6th the Padres rallied with a walk, infield hit, and then a double. Gibson buckled down and got out of the jam and we went to the 7th at 4-1 Cardinals. Whitson was still in the game and limiting the damage, but the Padres could not touch Gibson for much of the night. When they saw him come out to start the 8th inning at 118 pitches already they looked deflated. He would notch his 12th and 13th Ks in that inning, and then emerge for the 9th. Even with two on and one out at 132 pitches they let him stay out there to face San Diego’s hot hitter Kevin McReynolds. Gibson induced the double play ball to cap his epic Game 7 performance and end the series.

A great showing by San Diego’s lone representative in the tournament but they come up just short. Lou Brock wins series MVP for St. Louis going .375, 3 HRs, and 9 RBIs.

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Region 1:
9) 1949 Boston Red Sox over 1) 1939 New York Yankees (4-0)
2) 1970 Baltimore Orioles over 7) 1935 Detroit Tigers (4-3)
3) 1986 New York Mets over 11) 2002 Anaheim Angels (4-0)
5) 1989 Oakland A’s over 4) 1953 New York Yankees (4-3)

Region 2:
1) 1975 Cincinnati Reds over 9) 1969 New York Mets (4-1)
10) 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers over 2) 1911 Philadelphia A’s (4-2)
4) 1995 Cleveland Indians over 5) 1984 Detroit Tigers (4-2)
11) 2011 Texas Rangers over 14) 1925 Washington Senators (4-3)

Region 3:
1) 1927 New York Yankees over 9) 1917 Chicago White Sox (4-1)
12) 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates over 4) 1942 St. Louis Cardinals (4-1)
10) 1933 Washington Senators over 15) 1972 Oakland A’s (4-0)
11) 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks over 14) 1977 Kansas City Royals (4-2)

Region 4:
7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals over 15) 1984 San Diego Padres (4-3)
8) 1921 New York Yankees over 16) 2003 Florida Marlins (4-1)
6) 1929 Philadelphia A’s over 14) 1965 Minnesota Twins (4-3)
12) 2015 Toronto Blue Jays over 13) 1909 Detroit Tigers (4-2)

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Below are some tables from after the completion of round 2. We saw much better performance form favorites, the last of the deadball teams to be the first decades with all entrants eliminated, five game 7's, and no franchise with more than two teams left in the Sweet 16.

Performance of various seeds. “Underdog” was not applied to seeds within one of each other, example 9 seed beating 8, or 5 seed beating 4.

Favorites:

Region 1: This round 2-1, total 7-2
Region 2: This round 2-1, total 6-3
Region 3: This round 3-1, total 5-5
Region 4: This round 3-0, total 4-5
Overall: This round 10-3, total 22-15

By Seed (total):

#1: 5-2
#2: 3-3
#3: 2-3
#4: 4-3
#5: 3-3
#6: 2-3
#7: 3-3
#8: 2-3
#9: 4-3
#10: 4-2
#11: 5-2
#12: 4-2
#13: 1-4 ELIMINATED
#14: 3-4 ELIMINATED
#15: 2-4 ELIMINATED
#16: 1-4 ELIMINATED

By Decade (total):

1900s 1-5 - ELIMINATED
1910s 2-4 (*one game against each other) - ELIMINATED
1920s 7-1
1930s 4-2
1940s 3-2
1950s 3-4
1960s 4-4
1970s 8-4
1980s 6-5
1990s 2-5
2000s 4-7
2010s 4-5 (*one game against each other)

By Length of Series:

4 games: This round 3, total 7
5 games: This round 4, total 13
6 games: This round 4, total 16
7 games: This round 5, total 12

By Team (total):

Yankees: 8 entries, 2 remaining (6-6)
A's: 5 entries, 2 remaining (6-3)
Cardinals: 2 entries, 1 remaining (3-1)
Mets: 2 entries, 1 remaining (3-1)
Senators: 2 entries, 1 remaining (3-1)
Red Sox : 4 entries, 1 remaining (2-3)
Pirates: 3 entries, 1 remaining (2-2)
Orioles: 2 entries, 1 remaining (2-1)
Blue Jays: 2 entries, 1 remaining (2-1)
Dodgers: 2 entries, 1 remaining (2-1)
Indians: 2 entries, 1 remaining (2-1)
Reds: 2 entries, 1 remaining (2-1)
Diamondbacks: 1 entry, 1 remaining (2-0)
Rangers : 1 entry, 1 remaining (2-0)
Tigers: 4 entries (3-4) ELIMINATED
Royals: 1 entry (1-1) ELIMINATED
Twins: 1 entry (1-1) ELIMINATED
Marlins: 1 entry (1-1) ELIMINATED
Padres: 1 entry (1-1) ELIMINATED
White Sox: 2 entries (1-2) ELIMINATED
Angels 1 entry (1-1) ELIMINATED
Braves: 2 entries (0-2) ELIMINATED
Cubs: 2 entries (0-2) ELIMINATED
Giants: 2 entries (0-2) ELIMINATED
Phillies: 2 entries (0-2) ELIMINATED
Astros: 1 entry (0-1) ELIMINATED
Brewers: 1 entry (0-1) ELIMINATED
Expos: 1 entry (0-1) ELIMINATED
Mariners: 1 entry (0-1) ELIMINATED
Nationals: 1 entry (0-1) ELIMINATED
Rays: 1 entry (0-1) ELIMINATED
Rockies: 1 entry (0-1) ELIMINATED

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REGION 1
2) 1970 Baltimore Orioles vs. 3) 1986 New York Mets
5) 1989 Oakland A’s vs. 9) 1949 Boston Red Sox

REGION 2
1) 1975 Cincinnati Reds vs. 4) 1995 Cleveland Indians
10) 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers vs. 11) 2011 Texas Rangers

REGION 3
1) 1927 New York Yankees vs. 12) 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates
10) 1933 Washington Senators vs. 11) 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks

REGION 4
6) 1929 Philadelphia A’s vs. 7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals
8) 1921 New York Yankees vs. 12) 2015 Toronto Blue Jays

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The last round saw a lot of big names leave us. Walter Johnson and Ty Cobb. "Shoeless" Joe and Joltin' Joe. Mickey (twice) and Maris. Tony Gwynn, Stan the Man, Reg-gie, and the $100,000 Infield.... all gone.

But plenty all-time greats remain. The Babe is still here (twice) as are the Bash Brothers. Jimmie Foxx, The Big Red Machine and Da Bums are alive and kicking. Ted Williams is still around, so is Frank Robinson, and the entire lineups of the '95 Indians, '11 Rangers and '15 Blue Jays.

And look at the pitching that those powerful hitters will have to deal with! Doctor K, Schilling and Johnson, Jim Palmer, Gibson and Carlton, and Lefty Grove.

Region 1: The only region without a double digit seed alive, but the top overall is gone. The marquee matchup of maybe the whole tournament so far is the '86 Mets vs. the '70 Orioles. The Mets staff essentially still hasn't needed more than five pitchers in the tournament thus far (*a sixth pitcher came on for one pitch) and have lost one game while Baltimore has struggled a bit more than expected, so dare I say the Mets are favored?

Region 2: If that Mets-O's slate doesn't excite you try checking out the Big Red Machine and the '95 Tribe. The Indians offense hasn't disappointed, but they may have run into a team that can keep up. Speaking of offense, the 2011 Rangers are going to be tough for the '53 Dodgers to tame.

Region 3: Developing storyline here is the 1933 Senators the only team to not drop a game yet, with sweeps in each of the first two rounds. I can't imagine that continuing, with Schilling and Johnson's Diamondbacks up next. But should they find a way through they will likely face the 1927 Murderer's Row team, and while the years are different, the Senators franchise was the only one that was able to stop the Yankee's from completely dominating the early to mid 1920's.

Region 4: The region where favorites imploded in round one saw the higher seeds go 4-0 in round two to restore some order. Each series is really intriguing and could go either way. I would love to see the Babe get to face Gibson in the next round.

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RESULTS: ROUND 3 - REGION 3:

10) 1933 Washington Senators vs. 11) 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks

The Senators enter this round still undefeated and one of the stories of the tournament. Now for the 2nd straight round the 10 seeds will have homefield advantage.

24-game winner General Crowder takes the hill for the hosts vs. 22-game winner Curt Schilling. The D’Backs would get a couple early runs and lead 2-0 until when first baseman Joe Kuhel took Schilling deep to tie it in the 5th. In the top of the 7th the big hit was a 2-run homer by Jay Bell to give Arizona the lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Washington has finally dropped a game by the score of 6-2.

How do the Senators respond in Game 2? Not well. Randy Johnson doesn’t need much help, but he got it, to the tune of four first inning runs. Veteran Mark Grace with the 2-run dinger to cap it off. The Big Unit would only go 6 innings and leave leading 5-2. Byung-Hyun Kim would get the save and the home team has dropped the first two games of the series. No huge surprise when going against Schilling and Johnson, so they need to take the day off to regain their confidence and win a couple games in the desert.

The day off did Washington very well it seems. Three first inning runs off Brian Anderson, with Joe Cronin’s triple the big hit, gave starter Lefty Stewart all he would need. Stewart left after seven shutout with his team up 7-0. Joe Kuhel hit two, 2-run homeruns in the eventual 9-0 drubbing. Arizona will have to chalk this one up and remember they are up 2-1 with two home games still.

The star of game 4 appeared to be Senator’s centerfielder Fred Schulte early on with three RBIs in the first three innings. The D’Backs scoreless streak would reach 15 innings before Mark Grace drove in two in the 6th and the game would be 4-3 Washington into the 8th. Goose Goslin would take Bret Prinz deep to add two huge runs and Washington reliever Jack Russell was able to close it there for the save. The series is now tied 2-2, and while Washington has assured at least one more home game, Arizona still has the two big arms left.

The Senators will have to figure out how to beat one of the dynamic duo and with their lefty-heavy top of the order the best chance might be here in game 5 vs. the righty Schilling. Arizona would threaten in the 2nd with 2nd and 3rd and one out, but General Crowder was able to get out of it. We would head to the 5th without another runner for either team reaching 2nd base. Arizona’s Steve Finley would single, steal both 2nd and 3rd with one out, but then be stranded there as Arizona made the decision to let Schilling hit considering the gem he was throwing. Still 0-0 in the 6th both teams would get two runners on but no big hit. Who will blink first in this pivotal game? In the 7th Washington had two on and allowed their own pitcher to stay in and it paid off as he bunted the runners to 2nd and 3rd. But Schilling would strand them there. To Washington’s relief they finally saw a bullpen arm come on for the 8th. Greg Swindell would pitch a perfect 8th and now the D’Backs would get their chance with Crowder chased by a warning track shot in the 8th. The winning run would reach 3rd in the bottom of the 9th but stranded yet again!. Extra innings of a scoreless game. Finally in the top of the 11th Goose Goslin lead off with a double, advanced to third on a groundout and tagged up on a medium fly ball to center, just BARELY beating the tag. The Senators lead 1-0 after the definition of a manufactured run. Ray Prim, who threw a total of 14 innings in 1933, was able to hold it in the big spot vs. the meat of the order. What a great game, and a 3-2 series lead for the Senators.

Predictably in Game 6 Randy Johnson threw a gem and was near impossible to score against. But this time Earl Whitehill was up to the occasion as well and struck out 10 Diamondbacks in 6 innings of work. Luis Gonzalez’s double drove in a run in the 5th, with Washington answering in the 6th and then Arizona again scratched one out in the 7th. Greg Swindell would put the tying run on 3rd but pitch out of it in the 8th, and Kim got his 2nd save of the series to end the game 2-1 and force a game 7.

A rematch of game 3 sees Lefty Stewart for the hosts and Brian Anderson for the visitors. This was almost a mirror image of game 6 with each team trading a run in the mid innings. With the game still 1-1 in the bottom of the 8th Joe Kuhel tripled in a run against Swindell who had been great all series. Jack Russell came on in the 9th and gave up a triple to Matt Williams, but was able to strike out Mark Grace, stranding the tying run and winning the series!

The 1933 Senators are the first team into the Elite Eight and they were helped there by Joe Kuhel who took the MVP hitting .346 with 4 HRs and 7 RBIs.

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RESULTS: ROUND 3 - REGION 1:

5) 1989 Oakland A’s vs. 9) 1949 Boston Red Sox

The ’49 Red Sox are one of the other surprise teams thus far. Not only did they get rid of the #1 overall seed in a sweep in round 2, they didn’t even struggle with what was one of the popular pre-tournament longshot picks in the 1994 Expos. They’ve dropped just one game in two rounds. Their opponents though may be going a bit under the radar. They also had a first round opponent that many people thought were under-seeded, and then they faced the 1953 Yankees and got past them. I think this is where the Red Sox run ends and the A’s stamp themselves as legit title contenders.

The game 1 fireworks started early in Oakland, highlighted by a Jose Canseco 2-run shot off Mel Parnell. The game was 3-2 Red Sox after three though, and stayed that way until the bottom of the 9th when Dave Parker tied it with a solo shot. In the bottom of the 11th Tony Phillips’ walk off Earl Johnson ended it and gave Oakland the series lead.

In game 2 Boston again built a lead. When Dom DiMaggio launched a three run homerun in the 4th they were up 5-0. Dave Henderson would pull the game closer making it 6-3 in the 6th with his homerun, but that was all. Boston would add an insurance run and close out the 7-3 win to knot the series up.

Back on the east coast for game 3 the “Bash Brothers” got to it early. Canseco and McGwire each had RBIs in a 3-run first and Oakland would lead 5-0 by the 3rd. But Ted Williams woke up and launched a 2-run shot off Bob Welch to make it a game for a bit. The lead would eventually balloon to 9-3 thought, aided by Dave Henderson’s homer, and while the Red Sox would score three in the 9th to make it 9-6 and necessitate an Eckersley appearance, they would come up short. Oakland leads 2-1 in the series.

The script would flip the next day for game 4. Boston got out of the gates quickly and Al Zarilla’s homer off Storm Davis in the 2nd made it 3-0. Dave Henderson would again factor in with a big hit and the game moved 3-2 into the late innings. Earl Johnson was on to close it and redeem his walk-off walk given up in game 1 but it didn’t look good when he walked Rickey Henderson and hit Carney Lansford. He was able to induce the double play from Terry Steinback though, and then strike out Mark McGwire with Rickey 90 feet away. What a clutch relief performance to close it out and tie the series up again.

The aces Stewart and Parnell were back on the hill for game 5. The A’s jumped ahead 1-0 in the 1st as unlike last night McGwire was able to drive in Henderson. But Mel Parnell helped his own cause with a 2-run single in the 2nd and that score stuck until very late. In the top of the 8th McGwire was again up with Rickey in scoring position and again got the job done singling him in. The game was tied at 2 and we headed to extras. In the top of the 11th with Mickey McDermott on for Boston Dave Henderson and Mike Gallego would both double and give Eckersley a 3-2 lead to save, which he was able to do in his second inning of work, so technically he won it not saved it. Either way, he closed it out and we are at 3-2 heading back to Oakland.

You have to think Boston’s luck has run out with backs against the wall and no more ace of their very top-heavy rotation, but that’s why they play the games. Ellis Kinder did out-pitch Mike Moore in game 2, but Moore quickly made it known he was out to redeem himself. He would go 7 innings with 10 Ks and 3 runs, and leave the game leading 6-3. In the top of the 8th Bobby Doerr would derive in Ted Williams to cut it to 6-4, but Jose Canseco would launch a moonshot in the 8th that extended the lead to 8-4 and Oakland’s bullpen got the job done in the 9th with no drama.

Oakland ends the series in six games and will now head back to the east
coast and await the winner of the ’70 Orioles / ’86 Mets in what will surely be a highly anticipated matchup. Taking series MVP honors is Dave Henderson who had a number of big hits while going .370/.393/.741 with 3 HRs and & RBIs.

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RESULTS: ROUND 3 - REGION 2:

1) 1975 Cincinnati Reds vs. 4) 1995 Cleveland Indians

The heavyweights remaining in region 2 will feel this Sweet 16 matchup is really the one that will decide the region winner. One thing to look out for is the loss of the DH in the Red’s home games. The Indians will have to decide if their lineup takes a hit by benching hall of famer DH Eddie Murray, or if their defense is compromised putting Murray in the field.

Game 1 is Dennis Martinez vs. Don Gullett as the starters and was an uneventful start to the series from an offensive standpoint. 0-0 in the bottom of the 7th Tony Perez singled in Johnny Bench and then Foster doubled in Perez for the 2-0 lead. Gullett only gave up 3 hits but walked 7, the last of which was a bases loaded RBI to Manny Ramirez to make the game 2-1 in the 8th. Rawly Eastwick would relieve Gullett and close the final five outs without further drama to give Cincy the 1-0 series lead.

Game 2 saw more offensive fireworks early. Jim Thome would drive in a run in the first inning, but Johnny Bench and George Foster would combine for four RBIs in the bottom of the 1st. Two more in the in the next inning saw the Reds up 6-1 and they would cruise to an 8-3 victory. Gary Nolan went the complete game for Cincinnati. The Big Red Machine holds serve at home and now the Indians will get their chance at home.

Orel Hershiser was tasked with stopping the bleeding in game 3 and the offense made sure he was comfortable. Two in the 1st and five in the 3rd built all the lead he would need, and Cleveland cruised to an 11-3 win. Seven Indians had RBIs in the game. Of note, Merv Rettenmund, in the lineup for the Reds only because the DH is in play, had all three RBIs for the Reds. Coming in the thought was that the DH would mostly benefit Cleveland, but will Rettenmund’s bat matter in the net couple games?

With a chance to tie the series at home Cleveland starter Mark Clark had to be happy to have a 4-1 lead by the 3rd inning. But in the top of the 5th Joe Morgan doubled in a run, and Johnny Bench drove one deep for the rest of the damage and suddenly the Reds were up 5-4. They would add two more in the 7th and Rawly Eastwick would save his 2nd game of the season. The Reds are now up 3-1 in the series.

In game 5 the favorites did all they could to remove any drama. They scored three in the 1st, two in the 2nd, one in the 4th, and three in the 5th. The eventual 11-1 win was a laugher from the start. All Reds had hits and eight of them crossed the plate, Rettenmund three times. Don Gullett went seven strong, giving up 7 hits an 1 walk, and the Reds are moving on.

The series that many were looking forward to was really quite a dud. It was done in only five, and only two of the games were close. The MVP goes to Johnny Bench with 11 hits and a .522 OBP.

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RESULTS: ROUND 3 - REGION 4:

6) 1929 Philadelphia A’s vs. 7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals

This series features a six and seven seed, but similar to our last series from region 2 these two teams are the highest remaining seeds in the region 4. The winner here may not have a pushover next, but they know they will have homefield advantage and be favored for the final four appearance.

Dick Hughes will again get the nod for St. Louis in game 1 over the more heralded rotation mates Steve Carlton and Bob Gibson. It does line those guys up for games 6 and 7 though, so the Cardinals can’t lose either way. Lefty Grove will take the mound for the hosts. We would get going early with an error on Max Bishop allowing the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead. The A’s would quickly tie it though, and both starters were dealing into the 8th. That is when the wheels fell of for Grove. Back to back to back doubles plus some other scattered hits and walks led to a 6-run 8th and a 7-1 lead that would allow Hughes to cruise to the complete game. The Cards have stolen game 1 on the road.

Game 2 followed a similar script early with the game going 1-0 for the Cardinals into the 7th. St. Louis catcher Tim McCarver would hit a three run homerun for a 4-0 lead, and though the A’s would claw one back in the 8th it was too little too late. Steve Carlton went the distance in the 4-1 win and the Cardinals are taking a 2-0 series lead home.

Bob Gibson in game 3 down 2-0 is not what you want to see. But the A’s sure have the lineup to deal with anyone. Can they get it going in game 3? The short answer is “yes.” Mickey Cochrane hit into a double play with the bases loaded in the 1st, but Gibson wasn’t able to pitch out of jams in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th innings, allowing two runs in each and a 6-0 lead for Philly. George Earnshaw would go the full nine innings for the crucial victory to pull the A’s back into the series.

In game 4 Lefty Grove returned on three-days rest given the urgency of being down in the series. Spoiler alert, it was not a good decision. Grove would give up 10 hits and 10 runs (6 earned) in 2.2 innings! Ray Washburn threw a 150-pitch complete game and Orlando Cepeda had 5 hits and 4 RBIs in the 13-3 win. The Cardinals now have Hughes, Carlton, and Gibson lined up and only have to win one more.

Game 5 was a back and forth affair as the A’s were not going down without a fight. After runs in the first two innings for the A’s, the Cardinals would tie it up in the 4th on Dal Maxvill’s double. The very next frame the A’s went up 3-2, just to be tied again in the bottom of the 5th. Mickey Cochrane would launch a two run dinger in the 7th but yet again the Cardinals responded in the bottom of the 7th with a two-run double by McCarver. Finally in the 9th the A’s would score on a triple by Mule Haas and be able to hold the lead as Eddie Rommel got the win in relief. The A’s have life, and a home game next.

Steve Carlton takes on Rube Walberg in game 6. The A’s started strong, threatening in the first two innings though Carlton was able to get out of it unscathed. Then in the 3rd Carlton actually started a big inning helping his own cause with a 2-run double. Lou Brock would hit a 3-run homer in the inning that plated eight Cardinals when all was said and done, effectively ending the series then and there. The final score would wind up 11-3 and the Cardinals are moving on.

Orland Cepeda and his .444 average and 6 RBIs were nice and all, but his choice as MVP was a highlight controversial one in my opinion. Carlton was 2-0, with two complete games, a 2.00 era, 16 hits and 11 Ks, would have been my choice. Al Simmons had a massive series for the losing side, with four homers in the six games.

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RESULTS: ROUND 3 - REGION 1:

2) 1970 Baltimore Orioles vs. 3) 1986 New York Mets

In my opinion the most anticipated matchup of the Sweet 16 round, and the two favorites to emerge from the left side of the bracket and face the Big Red Machine or Murderer’s Row in the finals.

Young Dwight Gooden throws for the visitors vs. Jim Palmer in Baltimore. For the first time in the tournament the Met’s starter did not come through with a gem. Gooden was far from “rocked”, scattering enough base runners to get to the 7th down only 3-1, but Boog Powell’s 3-run homer chased Gooden in a rare call to the Mets bullpen, and Palmer finished out the game with a 135-pitch, 1-run effort. Round 1 of this heavyweight fight goes to the Orioles by a 6-1 score.

Ron Darling and mike Cuellar were the opposing pitchers in game 2 and both would come up big. Boog Powell with a big hit for the 2nd straight day giving the O’s a 1-0 lead in the 2nd on a homer, but the score stayed that way until the 8th. That is when Powell would again send one out of the park for two more runs, and it was proven to be a mistake to leave Darling in as Belanger would go deep as well. The Mets offense could never find their groove vs. Cuellar who threw a gem. Complete game, 4 hits and 3 walks, 100 pitches. Gem.

The Mets have lost more games in this series already than the prior two combined. How will they respond to adversity back in New York? The Orioles would put them to the test with a first inning run but Howard Johnson quickly responded with a 2nd inning shot to tie it at 1-1, and that is where it stayed for a while, as both starters went into the 9th, striking out a combined 17 batters vs. 7 hits given up. As the pressure mounted, Paul Blair was up in the top of the 11th with the bases loaded, but Jesse Orosco induced the inning-ending double play. But in the 12th, Baltimore catcher Elrod Hendricks would get the big hit vs. Orosco, and Dick Hall was able to get a 1-2-3 bottom of the 12th for the save. The Mets are completely reeling now and are going to need something almost unprecedented to survive this one.

New York should have the upper hand in game 4 with Sid Fernandez against Jim Hardin, but Fernandez can’t win without offense. The Mets have scored two runs in three games up to this point. It didn’t take long to get on the board in this one as Lenny “Nails” Dykstra led the 1st off with a solo shot. The Mets would score four in the first two innings and be on their way, or so it seemed. Baltimore made it 4-3, but the Mets would respond with a Howard Johnson homer for a 5-3 lead. Baltimore would then make it 5-5, testing the Mets’ resolve once again, and once again they answered the call in the bottom of the same frame for a 6-5 lead. It certainly looked like New York was just willing themselves to win, until the top of the 7th when Merv Rettenmund took reliever Roger McDowell deep for a 7-6 lead. In the bottom of the 8th with 5 outs remaining in their tournament and relief ace Pete Richert on to close it out, Ray Knight would drive in two on a single for a 8-7 lead. This time the Mets would hold the lead and get the win.

The Mets faced all the adversity they could in game 4 and avoided the sweep, can they use the momentum? It didn’t look good when their nemesis Boog Powell drove in two in the first off ace Doc Gooden. But Wally Backman touched up Jim Palmer and tied it 2-2 in the 2nd. When Kevin Mitchell went yard in the 5th the Shea Stadium crowd literally shook the place. Jim Palmer would finish the game for Baltimore with no further damage, but Gooden and reliever Doug Sisk were able to hold it at 3-2 and the Mets now trail the series by the same score.

We are back in Baltimore for game 6 and the Mets have certainly made it a series. With momentum only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher, the Balitmore club still must feel confident. Mike Cuellar threw one of the best games of the tournament in game 2 and returns to try and close out the series. His opponent Ron Darling was much better this time around, but Cuellar was once again dominant. Boog Powell, who else, would drive in the game’s first run in the 4th and that was all that was needed. Each team only had three hits all game, but the Mets had three errors and walked six as well, while Ceullar walked one and again completed the nine innings in only 100 pitches.

The Orioles avoided the scare and take the series in six. The MVP was between Powell and Cuellar and either was deserving, but it goes to Cuellar. 2-0 over 18 innings, 7 hits and 2 walks, 10 Ks, no runs.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 3 - REGION 2:

10) 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers vs. 11) 2011 Texas Rangers

The tenth seed finds themselves the favorites and the benefit of opening at home in Brooklyn for the first time in the tournament. Twenty game winner Carl Erskine takes the hill for the hosts against southpaw CJ Wilson. The Rangers would get a key road victory to open the series led by sole shots from Mitch Moreland and Mike Napoli. Wilson went 6.2 shutout with 8 Ks, and Neftali Feliz got the clean save in the 3-0 win.

In the first inning of game 2 troubled star Josh Hamilton would drive in Ian Kinsler for an early run. In the bottom of the 2nd Carl Furillo would take Colby Lewis deep to tie it, and then in the 5th starting pitcher Russ Meyer would help his own cause with a 2-run single. These go-ahead RBIs would prove to be game-winning as the game ended at 3-1. Meyer struck out 8 through 7 innings, and Jim Hughes got the save for Brooklyn.

With the series even at one apiece the DH comes into play in Texas. The Rangers should have a significant advantage here with their offensive depth. The Dodgers would take two leads in this game, 1-0 and 2-1 but both times Texas responded. In the bottom of the 7th Mitch Moreland’s homerun gave Texas the lead for good. Brooklyn reliever Clem Labine was the loser today, allowing four runs while registering just four outs. Neftali Feliz would get the save and the Rangers lead the series 2-1.

In game 4 Preacher Roe ran into trouble early against this most dangerous lineup. Adrian Beltre went yard, and Mike Napoli and Mitch Moreland also drove in runs in the four-run frame. Down 5-0 in the top of the 6th Brooklyn would cut into the lead with Jackie Robinson’s two-run double, but the rally would be snuffed out there and Texas would add insurance runs in each of the next two innings for a 7-2 lead. After Matt Harrison went six strong innings Texas used Mike Adams and Koji Uehara to finish this one. Elvis Andrus stole three bases and Texas turned three double plays in the game. Brooklyn’s backs are now against the wall.

Game 5 started well for Brooklyn with a two-run first. Texas would scratch a run back in the 5th, but Carl Erskine finished eight giving up no more. In the 9th, with Jim Hughes on to save his second game, the bases would be loaded with one out. But he would get the massive strike out against Josh Hamilton and get Mike Napoli to fly out to end it. Brooklyn wins 2-1 and stays alive.

Colby Lewis and Russ Meyer start game 6 back at Ebbetts Field. Meyer would go six giving up four hits, one run, and striking out nine. Great pressure start for him, and when Elvis Andrus committed an error in the 5th Pee Wee Reese scored the go ahead run. At 2-1 in the 9th Jim Hughes was on to save his third game of the series, but Mitch Moreland had other plans, launching a 3-run homer for a 4-2 Texas lead. Instead it was Neftali Feliz who would get his 3rd save of the series and the Texas Rangers move on in six games.

Moreland takes home MVP honors with .428 average, 3 HRs, 8 RBIs, and the series winning hit. On the flip side Jackie Robinson had a good series, with a .348 average and onbase of .500, but Duke Snider had an awful series at .148 without an RBI.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 3 - REGION 4:

8) 1921 New York Yankees vs. 12) 2015 Toronto Blue Jays

The largest difference in seasons between teams in this round at almost a century is an intriguing one. The ‘21 Yankees certainly were one of the least likely of the many Bronx Bomber entries to make a deep run, yet as circumstances have it they are now the higher seed in their 3rd straight series. The Blue Jays lineup may be deeper on paper, but a team with the Babe has to be the smart bet. But will the modern-day settings used here help the Toronto staff tame him at all?

Game 1 at the Polo Grounds saw late season impact acquisition David Price take on 27-game winner Carl Mays. A pitching duel broke out in the series expected to produce much offense. Mays went 7 giving up just a hit and couple walks, but gave up a “cheap” run in the 7th with a HBP, walk, that one hit, and a sac fly. Price was even better. 8 IP, 4 hits, no walks, no runs. Brett Cecil pitched a perfect 9th and the Blue Jays have a 1-0 lead in their belt.

In game 2 Babe Ruth sent a soaring shot in the first inning off R.A. Dickey and the Yankees haad their first run of the series. They would score in the 2nd and two more in the 3rd and take a 4-1 lead late into the game. Waite Hoyt would give up his 2nd run to make the game 4-2 on a Josh Donaldson double, and New York would turn it over to the bullpen to hold the lead. Jack Quinn was able to save it cleanly and with a 4-2 final the series was tied at 1.

As the series shifted north of the border there were fireworks in game 3. Four total homeruns, three of them giving a lead change, and the back and forth affair was 5-3 for Toronto until the 8th. That was when the wheels came off for the Yankees bullpen, giving up 6 runs. Mark Buehrle would leave after seven innings and Roberto Osuna got a rare save in an 11-3 win due to having come in before the 8th inning rally. Toronto turned three double plays in the game with New York leaving 14 on base.

Toronto had a 2-1 lead as we start game 4. Rip Collins and Marco Estrada were the starters and there was a reasonable expectation of runs in this one. Jose Bautista got us off to a quick start with a 1st inning 2-run homer. Elmer Miller hit a 3-run shot in a 4-run 4th inning and New York would extend to 7-3 by the 6th. Smoak and Tulo would combine to drive in three runs and the game was suddenly 7-6. Harry Harper and Jack Quinn would put out the fire though, with Quinn getting his 2nd save. The series is tied at 2 and guaranteed to return to New York for at least one game.

First though we have another game in Toronto. In this rematch of the aces neither Price or Mays were at their best shown in game 1. The Blue Jays scored three in the bottom of the 1st on an Edwin Encarnacion 3-run bomb, while New York scored a run in each of the first three innings. The starters would settle down and the game stayed knotted at three until the 7th when Bob Meusal chased Price with a run scoring double. The Yankees would score single runs in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings and Jack Quinn again would save the game. He has saved all three Yankee wins now and the Blue Jays may need this off day to regroup.

R.A. Dickey vs. Waite Hoyt is our matchup in game 6. Babe Ruth would take Dickey deep for the 2nd time this series in the 1st inning and New York was leading 3-0 into the 7th with Hoyt cruising. Toronto would scratch a run back in the 7th and Jack Quinn was called on in the 8th for the six out save. But he would finally be touched up in this series, allowing Josh Donaldson to tie it on a double. His luck turned though, when Elmer Miller tripled in a couple runs in the bottom of the 8th off Osuna. The eventual three run inning gave the Yankees another big lead, 6-3, and seemed to allow Quinn off the hook. But after allowing a few base runners he would be lifted for Bill Piercy who served up a meatball to Donaldson who tied it for the 2nd straight inning, this time on the three-run bomb. Toronto would explode for four runs in the 10th inning, their first lead of the game in extra innings! The score would finish there, 10-6, and the Blue Jays, down three runs twice, including with only three outs to go, come from behind for the most unlikely of wins to force a deciding game 7.

The first game 7 of this round of the tournament will be contested between Bob Shawkey and Mark Buehrle. Both would cruise through the lineups the first time when at 0-0 in the 4th Toronto plated two. The Yankees would respond as Babe Ruth started their own 4th inning rally by getting plunked then scoring on Wally Pipp’s triple. Bob Meusal would drive in Pipp and we were tied again, 2-2. Each scored a run in the next inning and now 3-3 in the 6th Toronto chased the Yankee starter with a high 3-runs. 6-3 now and the Yankees are closing in on being eliminated. But they would also get to their opponent’s bullpen with a 2-run 6th of their own, making the score 6-5. After an insurance run made it 7-5, setup man Aaron Sanchez would start the 8th and immediately give up a dinger to Meusal. Score now 7-6 but he escapes without further damage. To the 9th we go and after Toronto goes down 1-2-3 it’s the top of the order for the Yankees to face closer Brett Cecil. The Bambino will get an at bat here in the bottom of the 9th of game 7. Can’t get better than this! After Elmer Miller and Roger Peckinpaugh singled, it was two on and no out when Cecil struck him out! What a massive out for Cecil. Wally Pipp would advance the tying run to 3rd on a grounder that beat out the double play, but Meusal would also groundout and this series is done! What a great last couple of games.

Babe Ruth had four homers in a losing cause, and would’ve been a lock for the MVP if his last at bat had produced something special. Instead it was Josh Donaldson, another key acquisition for the Blue Jays that season, that got the award with his massive game 6 really standing out. He tied the game in two straight innings, the 8th and the 9th, with extra base hits, with his team’s backs against the wall. Great showing for the third baseman who hit .414 with 7 RBIs.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 3 - REGION 3:

1) 1927 New York Yankees vs. 12) 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates

In the last Sweet 16 series we have overwhelming favorites in Murderer’s Row who are trying to keep at least one Yankees team alive into the final eight, vs. the upstart Pirates from 1979.

Bert Blyleven gets the unenviable task of starting the series against Ruth and co, but he was up to the challenge and silenced the Bombers through six. Willie Stargell’s 2nd inning homer giving Pittsburgh the unlikely late lead at 1-0. In the 7th Bob Muesal led the rally with a double and later on Joe Dugan’s triple the Yankees took the 2-1 lead. Three more in the 8th was all the insurance they needed to hold on for a 5-2 game one win.

Game 2 was also close late thanks to the efforts of starters John Candeleria and Herb Pennock. It was 3-2 for the Yanks in the bottom of the 7th when Babe Ruth came up with the bases loaded against reliever Jim Bibby. One swing later it was 7-2 and the final would be 8-2 for a 2-0 series lead heading to Pittsburgh.

In game 3 Pittsburgh would take a 2-0 lead on catcher Ed Ott’s double in the 2nd. Lou Gehrig would hit a solo shot in the 4th to pull to within 2-1, but that was the only run Bob Kison would give up, and then Dave Roberts and Kent Tekulve would impressively throw three perfect innings to close it out. The 2-1 game brings the series to 2-1 also.

The game 4 hero was Pirate’s 4th starter Don Robinson who only lasted 5.1 innings but battled in each and every at bat to only allow 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run over 110 pitches. He left the game up 3-1, but then the offense quickly gave the bullpen an easy day with a 6-run 6th inning sparked by Phil Garner’s homer. The 12 seeds are suddenly tied up in the series.

The #1 starters return for the ever so pivotal game 5 in Pittsburgh. Waite Hoyt barely got the better of Bert Blyleven back in New York. Often overlooked because of Ruth, Gehrig, etc… Yankee’s left fielder Bob Meusal has had an impressive tourney already and it continued with a solo shot in the 2nd inning to take a 1-0 lead. The Pirates manufactured the tying run in the 3rd, but Babe Ruth led off the 4th with a moonshot to retake the lead. Blyleven was going ok other than two bad pitches, but completely lost it in the 5th, loading the bases with no outs. He was pulled but it didn’t help avoid the big inning. Gehrig singled in two, Meusal walked to load the bases again, Lazzeri drove in two, and it was 6-1 with no outs still. The inning would end 9-1, and the game 15-4! Muesal would homer twice in the game and drive in five. This game is why they are called Murder’s Row.

Its not yet but all the positivity Pittsburgh was feeling prior to game five might have been beaten out of them and they need to use the off day to regroup if they’re gonna have a real chance at the upset now. Babe Ruth would drive in a first inning run but after that the Pirates starter Candeleria pitched great. After a 2-run homer in the 5th by Bill Madlock the Pirates were up 4-1. But the Yankees would hit two homers in a 4-run 6th, and tack on two more runs in the 7th for a 7-4 lead that would be the final.

They faced a minor scare in Pittsburgh but in the end the Yankees were able to take care of business and move forward. Second baseman Tony Lazzeri gets the MVP nod this time with a .381/.500/.952 slash, 3 HRs, and 9 RBIs. A case could’ve been made for starter Waite Hoyt at 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA, but cmon, pitchers don’t get MVPs when the team’s lineup has their own nickname!


The third round is now complete and the Elite Eight will begin in a bit!

[tavo2311]

Region 1:
2) 1970 Baltimore Orioles vs. 3) 1986 New York Mets (4-2)
5) 1989 Oakland A’s over 9) 1949 Boston Red Sox (4-2)

Region 2:
1) 1975 Cincinnati Reds over 4) 1995 Cleveland Indians (4-1)
11) 2011 Texas Rangers over 10) 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers (4-2)

Region 3:
1) 1927 New York Yankees over 12) 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates (4-2)
10) 1933 Washington Senators over 11) 2001 Diamondbacks (4-2)

Region 4:
7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals over 6) 1929 Philadelphia A’s (4-2)
12) 2015 Toronto Blue Jays over 8) 1921 New York Yankees (4-3)

[tavo2311]

Tables updated after the Sweet 16. The parity continues, as the two franchises with more than one team left, the Yankees and A's, each lost one. Meaning in the final eight we have no one with more than one representative. We also parity across the decades, with only the 70's having more than one team left this far. They will both be favored to make it through which would give half the final four to the decade.

Performance of various seeds. “Underdog” was not applied to seeds within one of each other, example 9 seed beating 8, or 5 seed beating 4.

Favorites:
Region 1: This round 1-0, total 8-2
Region 2: This round 1-0, total 7-3
Region 3: This round 1-0, total 6-5
Region 4: This round 0-2, total 4-6
Overall: This round 3-2, total 25-17

By Seed (total):
#1: 7-2
#2: 4-3
#3: 2-4
#4: 4-4
#5: 4-3
#6: 2-4
#7: 4-3
#8: 2-4
#9: 4-4
#10: 5-3
#11: 6-3
#12: 5-3
#13: 1-4
#14: 3-4
#15: 2-4
#16: 1-4

By Decade (total):
1900s 1-5 - ELIMINATED
1910s 2-4 (*one game against each other) - ELIMINATED
1920s 8-3
1930s 5-2
1940s 3-3 - ELIMINATED
1950s 3-5 - ELIMINATED
1960s 5-4
1970s 10-5
1980s 7-6
1990s 2-6 - ELIMINATED
2000s 4-8 - ELIMINATED
2010s 6-5 (*one game against each other)

By Length of Series:
4 games: This round 0, total 7
5 games: This round 1, total 14
6 games: This round 6, total 22
7 games: This round 1, total 13

By Team (total):
Yankees: 8 entries, 1 remaining (7-7)
A's: 5 entries, 1 remaining (7-4)
Cardinals: 2 entries, 1 remaining (4-1)
Senators: 2 entries, 1 remaining (4-1)
Orioles: 2 entries, 1 remaining (3-1)
Blue Jays: 2 entries, 1 remaining (3-1)
Reds: 2 entries, 1 remaining (3-1)
Rangers : 1 entry, 1 remaining (3-0)
Mets: 2 entries, 0 remaining (3-2)
Red Sox : 4 entries, 0 remaining (2-4)
Pirates: 3 entries, 0 remaining (2-3)
Dodgers: 2 entries, 0 remaining (2-2)
Indians: 2 entries, 0 remaining (2-2)
Diamondbacks: 1 entry, 0 remaining (2-1)
Tigers: 4 entries, 0 remaining (3-4)
Royals: 1 entry, 0 remaining (1-1)
Twins: 1 entry, 0 remaining (1-1)
Marlins: 1 entry, 0 remaining (1-1)
Padres: 1 entry, 0 remaining (1-1)
White Sox: 2 entries, 0 remaining (1-2)
Angels 1 entry, 0 remaining (1-1)
Braves: 2 entries, 0 remaining (0-2)
Cubs: 2 entries, 0 remaining (0-2)
Giants: 2 entries, 0 remaining (0-2)
Phillies: 2 entries, 0 remaining (0-2)
Astros: 1 entry, 0 remaining (0-1)
Brewers: 1 entry, 0 remaining (0-1)
Expos: 1 entry, 0 remaining (0-1)
Mariners: 1 entry, 0 remaining (0-1)
Nationals: 1 entry, 0 remaining (0-1)
Rays: 1 entry, 0 remaining (0-1)
Rockies: 1 entry, 0 remaining (0-1)

[tavo2311]

REGION 1
2) 1970 Baltimore Orioles vs. 5) 1989 Oakland A’s

REGION 2
1) 1975 Cincinnati Reds vs. 11) 2011 Texas Rangers

REGION 3
1) 1927 New York Yankees vs. 10) 1933 Washington Senators

REGION 4
7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals vs. 12) 2015 Toronto Blue Jays

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by tavo2311

REGION 1
2) 1970 Baltimore Orioles vs. 5) 1989 Oakland A’s

REGION 2
1) 1975 Cincinnati Reds vs. 11) 2011 Texas Rangers

REGION 3
1) 1927 New York Yankees vs. 10) 1933 Washington Senators

REGION 4
7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals vs. 12) 2015 Toronto Blue Jays

Come on you Bash Brothers!!

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 4 - REGION 4:

7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals vs. 12) 2015 Toronto Blue Jays

Road here:

The first Elite Eight match up sees Region 4 where upsets were the story. The Jays still aren’t getting much respect. They beat two dead-ball era teams in the first two rounds, and the turn of the century teams really under performed as a whole in this tournament. Then they did have to get past a big name in the 1921 Yankees, but looking past the name that wasn’t a very impressive win either, an 8 seed that didn’t win their own World Series and only had to beat a 16 seed upstart in the last round. Toronto still may not get the respect they deserve if they beat the 7 seed, but they’ll surely take a Final Four appearance regardless.

The Cardinals and their big three starters may be a bit under-seeded. They also benefitted from the first round debacle in this region and avoided a 2 seed in round 2. But they were impressive in ousting the hall of fame filled 1929 A’s in the last round. They do have to face the DH in the Toronto home games here so the staff will be tested again.

Game 1 starters are David Price and Dick Hughes in St. Louis. The action got underway in the 2nd inning when shortstop Dal Maxvill singled in a run off Price. Kevin Pillar would tie it for Toronto in the 4th, but the Cards would answer immediately in the bottom of the 4th and lead again 2-1. Toronto second baseman Ryan Goins tied the game again in the 6th, adding to the contribution of the bottom of the order of this otherwise staked lineup. But once again, and immediate answer in the bottom of the same frame, to the tune of a 2-run bomb by familiar voice Tim McCarver for a 5-2 lead. The game would end 5-2 in favor of St. Louis.

Starting pitchers for game 2 are R.A. Dickey and Steve Carlton. The game was scoreless through three, and 1-0 Toronto in top of the 5th when Josh Donaldson took a Steve Carlton 3-2 pitch 359 feet to left. The next inning Orlando Cepeda would pull two back for the Cardinals with a homer off Dickey, but the Jays scored three more in the 7th off the St. Louis bullpen. A very entertaining couple of games comes to an end in St. Louis with a final score of 7-3 and a tied series.

Both teams’ hitters apparently were very refreshed after the travel day off with a combined nine runs in the first two innings off starters Bob Gibson and Mark Buehrle. Gibson couldn’t finish five, ad Buehrle was gone by the third. The Cardinals’ early 6-2 lead held there for awhile, but ballooned late to an 11-4 final. Orlando Cepeda drove in Curt Flood three times in the game which saw four long balls in the dome.

In game 4 Marco Estrada will attempt to pull the hosts even while opposing starter Ray Washburn is playing with house money. Followed by Hughes, Carlton, and Gibson as necessary, Washburn can begin to drive the nail into the coffin pressure free. After Jose Bautista’s first inning homerun, and bat flip that travelled nearly as far, Washburn settled down. He would hand it over to the bullpen after six innings with a 5-1 lead provided mostly by nine hitter Del Maxvill’s bases loaded triple. In a series where each team is getting contributions from not so expected sources, Ryan Goins gave the St. Louis bullpen some trouble with a two run homer in the 7th. The game would get to 6-4 before Joe Hoerner would strike out the side in the 9th to save his second of the series. The Cardinals are on the brink of the Final Four.

We had a pitcher’s duel in game five with the aces back on the mound. David Price came up huge at home with the backs against the wall, going eight innings, five hits, no walks, no runs, and ten Ks. Again the bottom of the order did the damage. Ryan Goins and Ben Revere each driving in runs for the Jays in the 2nd, before Edwin Encarnacion added an insurance run with a solo shot in the 4th. Dick Hughes didn’t pitch poorly, but failed to shut the door and now the teams will have to travel back to St. Louis.

Game six sees lefty Carlton vs. knuckle baller Dickey, and the latter would hit early trouble. With two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the 1st, the Cardinals would rally and Mike Shannon’s three run shot to left center would chase Dickey in the first inning at 4-0. Carlton would cruise to the 4th where he finally saw trouble. With the bases loaded and one out, on a 3-2 pitch to Kevin Pillar, a very controversial ball walked in the Blue Jay’s first run. But he would strike out the suddenly dangerous Ryan Goins, and force the Jays into pinch hitting for the pitcher spot early to try and take advantage of the opportunity. Devon Travis would strike out and Carlton escapes with the 4-1 lead. Carlton would turn it over to the bullpen after six innings with eight Ks and just the one run. The Blue Jay’s bullpen did well to keep the Cards off the board after the first, but could they score? They would, as they were aided by a Del Maxvill error in the 7th and push two across to make the game 4-3. But the chance didn’t last. St. Louis scored two in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead again. Four more in the bottom of the 8th essentially ended it. The Cardinals win 10-4 and are Region 4 champs! They move on to the Final Four to await the winner of Region 1.

In a losing cause, Troy Tulowitzki hit .391 and David Price had a 1.84 ERA and 14 Ks across 14 2/3 innings. For the winners, Curt Flood’s .440 average earned him the MVP honors. Orlando Cepeda and Tim McCarver each had 2 HRs and 5 RBIs, and Dick Hughes struck out 15 through 10 innings with a 1.80 ERA, despite only going 0-1.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 4 - REGION 1:

2) 1970 Baltimore Orioles vs. 5) 1989 Oakland A’s

Road Here:

Neither of these teams have had an easy road. The Orioles were down 2-1 to the 15 seeded 1982 Brewers before winning in six in round 1. They were cruising up 3-0 against the ’35 Tigers the next round when the wheels almost came off and they found themselves in a game 7 and trailing early in that game. After they escaped that series they almost repeated the script against the ’86 Mets. After dominating the first three games they lost two in a row and had to win a close game 6 to avoid another do or die game. They have faced adversity in spades thus far, but will their luck run out?

The 1989 A’s were also down 2-1 in the first round before pulling that series out in six against the 1998 Astros. This against a team that many thought was under-seeded and an awful draw for a 5 seed. Next up was a series against Mantle, Berra, and the dynasty that were the ’53 Yankees. The A’s would trail that one 3-2 and have to win two on the road to advance. The Sweet 16 round was the only series the A’s wouldn’t trail at some point, but they did alternate wins to a 2-2 series before winning in six.

Game 1 sees a pair of 20+ game winners on the mound in Memorial Stadium in Baltimore with Dave Stewart for the visitors and Jim Palmer for the hosts. The game was an entertaining start to the highly anticipated series. Paul Blair would get the O’s on the board in the 1st with a solo shot, but the A’s would grab the lead with one run in each the 4th and the 5th, one coming on a Dave Stewart home run that aided his own cause on the mound! He would give it right back though, serving up a meatball to third baseman Davey Johnson for a 2-run shot and a 4-3 lead. The seesaw game continued into the 8th when Jose Canseco bashed the Oriole’s bullpen for a tying home run. To the bottom of the 9th we go, and a very controversial decision by A’s manager Tony LaRussa. After hall of fame reliver Dennis Eckersley pitched a clean inning of only 6 pitches in the 8th, he did not allow him to return for a second inning of work in the tied game. Instead it was projected game 4 starter Storm Davis that came in, and promptly allowed an Orioles rally culminating in a Brooks Robinson walk-off double. The Orioles lead the series 1-0.

Game 2 saw 24 game winner Mike Cuellar attempt to push the favorites to a 2-0 advantage, while 19 game winner Mike Moore would do his best to pull the series even. This game was another close affair. Frank Robinson’s 2-run homer in the 3rd would open the scoring, but the A’s would pull one back in the 4th. With the game 2-1 in the 5th the Orioles would score on a bases loaded walk but Moore escaped further damage and kept his team in the game. Then for the 2nd straight game, the team from the AL in the DH era without hitting pitchers, would get a homerun from their pitcher! Against an opposing ace-caliber pitcher no less. That brought the game to 3-2, but the A’s would get no closer. Cuellar went the complete game, allowing only 3 hits and walk. The A’s made the most of their few chances to even push across two, but it wasn’t enough and they series is 2-0 going into the off day.

The A’s by no means have been overmatched, with two, one-run losses, but you have to get the feel they’re in danger of being run out of the series if they don’t get a pivotal game 3. The game started well for them, with Mark McGwire driving in Rickey Henderson for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Don Buford would give the Orioles a 2-1 lead in the 5th with a two run shot, but the A’s would keep the seesaw theme of the series alive with their own two-run 5th on a Dave Henderson homer. The Orioles would tie the game at 3 in the 6th though, and then with runs in each the 8th and 9th take a 5-3 lead Eckersley gave up runs in two of his three innings, so maybe something is wrong with him and looking back to game 1 LaRussa was aware?? Regardless, the A’s responded in the bottom of the 9th with a Mike Gallego triple and a bases loaded walk to Big Mac tying the game. Canseco would strike out though, losing the chance for a dramatic victory, and the game moved into extra innings. In the 11th inning Paul Blair would hit a solo shot and reliever Eddie Watt was able to finish 2 2/3 innings of relief work with a 1-2-3 11th vs. Oakland. The Orioles lead 3-0 for the 3rd series in a row. Will they be able to put this one away more efficiently?

Storm Davis did make his game 4 start after all, as it only took him about 10 pitches to blow game 1. After giving up an early run he got some good support in the form of a 3-run 2nd inning. It was not the base brothers, but instead Tony Phillips tripled with the bases juiced. In the top of the 4th the Orioles would tie it on a Don Buford single. The game stayed 3-3 until the top of the 7th, when with Davis still in there, Merv Rettenmund chased him with a two-run dinger. Rick Honeycutt would come in and completely implode and all of a sudden the Orioles led 8-3. The A’s were down to their final nine outs, and did nothing with them. Baltimore starter Tom Phoebus finished the game, allowing only four hits, though he did walk seven. The A’s couldn’t find enough big hits with their baserunners and the series ends in an unlikely sweep.

The 1970 Orioles will be facing the 1967 Cardinals in the first final four matchup. What a statement they made in this round! Paul Blair gets the MVP award hitting .353, .455 on base, 3 homers and 5 RBIs. Don Buford also had a good series, as did Merv Rettenmund in his two games once the DH came into play. The Oriole’s starters were great, allowing 22 hits and 3 walks in 32 innings against such a dangerous lineup. For the losing side the team with the “Bash Brothers” hit five homers, two of them by their pitchers! That about sums up their offensive performance. McGwire did hit .385 and was on base more than half the time. Eckersley had a 4.50 ERA in his two appearances, and the A’s staff walked 17 in 29 innings not pitched by ace Dave Stewart. Too wild against an all-time great team.