Field of Dreams

[Nick Soulis]

Tournament Progress Report

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...................Eduardo Escobar (2018 Twins) 14
Strikeouts.........Jim Bunning (1964 Phillies) 25
Longest HR.......Billy Herman (1941 Cubs) 504 FT

Managerial Leaders
Most Wins...........Davey Johnson 18
Winning %...........Al Dark (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..................Jim Rice (.500)
HR...................Jim Thome (7)
RBI..................Joe Medwick (25)
Runs...............Alex Rodriguez (20)
Hits.................Dave Winfield (33)
SB..................Rickey Henderson (8)
2B...................Alex Rodriguez (8)
3B...................Dave Winfield (3)
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..................Dennis Eckersley (10.80)
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


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

Best Winning Percentage by Franchise Montreal Expos 100%

Records By Decade
1900's.............................2-4
1910's.............................14-4
1920's.............................1-5
1930's.............................3-10
1940's.............................6-6
1950's.............................11-4
1960's.............................9-4
1970's.............................12-10
1980's.............................7-10
1990's.............................15-16
2000's.............................13-8
2010's.............................7-19

Most successful Season: 1964 and 1951 are both 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.

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #101
1912 Boston Red Sox (105-47) vs 2020 Colorado Rockies (26-34)

The first really great Red Sox team and the first season that the World Series really took on national prominence. The Red Sox became champions and were lead by a 22 year old phenom who won 34 games. Smoky Joe Wood took the league by storm with a 1.91 ERA and 258 strikeouts, an amazing total for the day. Buck O'Brien was a 20 game winner with a 2.58 ERA as the line of starters after Wood were also accomplished. Hugh Bedient had a 116 ERA+ in 28 starts and Ray Collins was even better at 134 with only 1.9 BB/9. Charley Hall and Larry Pape were the other two effective arms on the roster but it all started with the magic of Smoky Joe, who just couldnt be touched. The Sox also had the best young defensive centerfielder the game had seen in Tris Speaker, of course Speaker was not just about defense hitting .383 with 222 hits and 53 doubles, Harry Hooper hadnt come around yet at 24 year old hitting only .242 while Duffy Lewis rounded the outfield spots with a team leading 109 runs driven in. Manager Jake Stahl was the first baseman hitting .301 with 60 RBI in 90 games while at the other corner Larry Gardner ended at .315 with 18 triples. Heinie Wagner and Steve Yerkes held up the middle of the diamond without bringing much attention to themselves and catcer Bill Carrigan was part of a three man platoon at catcher. These Red Sox are on paper one of the best teams in baseball lore, expect them to come to life with vengeance in this series.

The 2020 Rockies and Bud Black cant be happy with the draw they were given and will hope the advantage of Coors Field will be a tough adjustment for the 1912 Red Sox. The Rockies could hit as Charlie Blackmon drove in 42 runs and hit .302 out for right and Trevor Story at short stop could fill up a box score with anyone and would make the deadball era proud with his 15 steals. Nolan Arrenado is one of the very best glove men you can see at third and his power translates well although he slugged only .436 in 2020 with a 86 OPS+. Daniel Murphy lost his groove at the plate hitting in the .240's all year but the likes of Kevin Pillar were a nice fit in center hitting .308 while Raimel Tapia showed some real promise in his 51 games with a .772 OPS. Veteran Matt Kemp couldnt field much anymore but managed a 90 OPS+. Not much in terms of depth for the Rockies position players but few teams had could depth in the COVID season. The rotation had only two real players that could be trusted as German Marquez had a good season with an impressive 143 ERA+ and 8 K/9. Antonio Sentazela surprisingly lead the club in WAR with a 3.44 ERA and a Boston like 1.1 WHIP. Kyle Freeland made 13 starts and had a knack for getting out of jams. John Gray and Ryan Castallini struggled to find a place with sky high hit rates and ERA's making a choice for a fourth starter in this series a tough one. Daniel Bard had closer duties and also had trouble too often in the role. Yency Almonte was a good arm out of the pen with a 2.93 ERA but beyond that the pen really struggled and the club carried a very heavy 5.59 team ERA. This will be a very tough task for Colorado to fight off the storied Red Sox, but maybe the advantages of modern baseball can give them an edge that no one expects to see.

Game 1 At Fenway Park
Partly cloudy 60
2020 Rockies....................2
1912 Red Sox...................1 (11 inn)
WP: C. Estevez (0-1) LP: S. Wood (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Smoky Joe Wood
2020 Rockies lead series 1-0
Smoky Joe Wood went 11 innings striking out 12 on 143 pitches but his offense just couldnt break through and the 2020 Rockies steal game one in 11 innings. Tony Wolters tied the game in the 9th inning with a clutch RBI double and in the 11th the Rockies scored two runs with Wolters driving in another run. In the bottom of the frame the Sox rallied but came up short with the tying run on third as Carlos Estevez induced a flyout by Harry Hooper to end it.

Game 2 At Fenway Park
Clear 61
2020 Rockies......................3
1912 Red Sox.....................1
WP: G. Marquez (1-0) LP: H. Bedient (0-1)
HR: None
POG: German Marquez
2020 Rockies lead series 2-0
The Red Sox are really pressing as they have scored 2 runs in 2 games and lose again to fall into a hole for the series. German Marquez was the man of the night limiting the Sox to four hits and only one run over nine innings of work. The game was tied in the 8th when pinch hitter Sam Hilliard came through with an RBI hit as did Raimel Tapia. Colorado had 15 hits and are flying high as the series moves to Coors Field.

Game 3 At Coors Field
Clear 58
1912 Red Sox......................3
2020 Rockies.......................5
WP: K. Freeland (1-0) LP: E. Cicotte (0-1) S: Y. Almonte (1)
HR: T. Speaker (1)
POG: Kyle Freeland
2020 Rockies lead series 3-0
Continuing their shocking play, the 2020 Rockies won their third straight in a row and are one game away from a sweep of the shocked Red Sox. Boston took a 3-0 in the first inning but Kyle Freeland settled down and his team quickly responded with 5 runs in three innings off Eddie Ciccote to regain control. Two Boston errors hurt their cause but in the 9th they had the bases loaded with two outs when Jake Stahl struck out to end it. Thats baseball as the Rockies are in complete control and look to beat Smoky Joe Wood in game 4 to end it.

Game 4 At Coors Field
Partly cloudy 58
1912 Red Sox.................7
2020 Rockies..................3
WP: S. Wood (1-1) LP: A. Senzatela (0-1)
HR: H. Wagner (1)
POG: Smoky Joe Wood
2020 Rockies lead series 3-1
A seven run 7th inning breaks this game open for the Red Sox who avoid the sweep and try to get the series back to Boston. Smoky Joe Wood gets the win striking out 11 and allowing 2 earned runs on 117 pitches. Wood also drove in two runs with a bases loaded double in the big seventh.

Game 5 At Coors Field
Partly cloudy 49
1912 Red Sox.................14
2020 Rockies...................2
WP: H. Bedient (1-1) LP: G. Marquez (1-1)
HR: None
POG: Hugh Bedient
2020 Rockies lead series 3-2
Twenty hits and a nine run second inning as the Red Sox finally look like they are comfortable playing at Coors and whitewash the Rockies by 12 runs. Catcher Bill Carrigan drove in four runs as Rockies starter German Marquez allowed 10 earned runs and couldn't survive the second. The Red Sox will try to pull the miracle comeback as they now head back home where the Rockies took both games to open the series; can they force a game seven?

Game 6 At Fenway Park
Clear 64
2020 Rockies......................2
1912 Red Sox.....................10
WP: E. Cicotte (1-1) K. Freeland (1-1)
HR: None
POG: Eddie Cicotte
Series tied at 3
A tight pitchers duel was developing as both teams went into the 6th inning in a scoreless tie. Kyle Freeland hit a wall however in the 6th and was hit for 8 earned runs before departing, the Red Sox would score 10 in the inning. Steve Yerkes would have 3 RBI in the big inning as would Cicotte himself who continued the trend of Boston hurlers who could hit. On the mound Eddie struck out 12 limiting the Rockies to six hits. The last three games have not even been close, and now in the finale Smoky Joe Wood takes the hill in a do or die matchup.

Game 7 At Fenway Park
58 partly cloudy
2020 Rockies..................0
1912 Red Sox................12
WP: S. Wood (2-1) LP: A. Senzatela (0-2)
HR: D. Lewis (1)
POG: Smoky Joe Wood
For the first time in this competition a team has come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a series, and in truth Boston made it look easy. Smoky Joe Wood struck out 13 batters for a complete game shutout and the Red Sox left no doubt scoring 12 runs as the Rockies made 4 errors in the loss. Tri Speaker went 3-4 and scored 3 runs. Boston outscored the Rockies 43-7 in the last four games.

1912 Boston Red Sox Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Smoky Joe Wood
(2-1, 1.86 ERA, 36 K, 11.2 K/9, 1.00 WHP, 200 ERA+)

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #102
1977 Pittsburgh Pirates (96-66) vs 1988 Seattle Mariners (68-93)

The sustained success the Pittsburgh Pirates had from 1960-1980 is something to be impressed by and this club in 1977 with their 96 wins fits that bill perfectly. The Bucs did come up short to the Phillies in the division and were greatly hampered because one of their stars, although 37 years old, Willie Stargell only played in 63 games. Bill Robinson filled in well at first in the meantime hitting 26 home runs and driving in over 100 runs for an .862 OPS. Phil Garner played like nails at third driving in 77 runs and putting his body on the line everynight. Rennie Stennett hit an unbelievable .336 in his role at second base with 28 steals while Frank Taveras at short couldnt really do anything but run, where he stole 70 bags to ignite the offense. The real offensive stars shined in the outfield as Al Oliver continued to terrorize NL pitching hitting .308 with a 120 OPS+ and the Cobra Dave Parker had MVP written all over him hitting .338 with 215 hits, 44 doubles and 107 runs. A platoon at catcher was mostly for defensive purposes while Omar Moreno filled in well in centerfield swiping 53 bases and adding 9 triples. On the mound John Candelaria was brilliant in 1977 going 20-5 with a 2.34 ERA and a 169 ERA+. At 23 years old the future was very bright for the lefty while Jim Rooker won 14 games with a 3.08 ERA in 30 starts as the top of the Pirate rotation all threw from the left side. Jerry Ruess was less effective with a 1.43 WHP and a losing record and Bruce Kison struggled with an 81 ERA+ and some tough outings at Three RIvers Stadium. Coming into his own in a huge way was 25 year old closer Goose Gossage. Gossage threw very hard and struck out 151 batters in 133 innings with 26 saves. Subnarine specialist Kent Tekulve was the main setup arm and had nice composure in the big spots appearing in 72 games and saving seven with a 3.06 ERA. Twenty two year old Ed Whitson was another arm to watch and overall the Bucs 3.61 ERA was not bad especially considering the lineup they put on the field everynight. A fast, exciting club that left it all on the field and should be a force against anyteam in history.

Few teams have a more thin history then the Seattle Mariners and throughout the 80's they struggled to gain respect with mostly losing campaigns. Under two managers the club won only 68 games finishing last in the AL West without even a whimper. They did have an ace to be proud of however in Mark Langston. The lefty won 15 games with a 3.34 ERA including 9 complete games and 3 shutouts in 261 innings. Mike Moore had less luck bet was decent in his efforts as a second starter losing 15 games with a 3.78 ERA but also throwing three impressive shutouts. Bill Swift was hit hard as was 24 year old Mike Campbell had a 71 ERA+ allowing 18 home runs. Scott Bankhead was a pleasant surprise with a 3.07 in 21 starts striking out 7 batters per nine in 135 innings. Mike Schooler was the closer but didnt last very long in the role and had struggled with an ERA of 3.84 and control issues although he did strikeout 10 per nine. Michael Jackson was very effective in the pen as were serviceable Jerry Reed and Rod Scurry. Erik hansen made six starts and showed promise also at 23 years of age. Harold Reynolds stole 35 bases and showed promise at the top of the order hitting .283 but what the club really lacked was the power bat to drive in runs, Alvin Davis lead the teams with a modest 18 home runs but an impressive .412 OBP. Lefty Ken Phelps spent most of his time at DH with a .982 OPS as he drew 51 walks and had one of the best eyes in baseball. Jim Presley had 14 home runs out of third but hit only .230 while Ray Quinones was a good glove man but had no speed or power leaving him overvalued at the position. The outfield was nothing overly impressive with Henry Cotto overstretched to produce for an entire season and Glen Wilson getting only 17 RBI in 78 games. Mickey Brantley was a good all around talent stealing 18 bases with 15 home runs and 56 runs driven in and lead the team with 230 total bases. The talent on the Mariners bench was real with Jay Buhner learning the ropes at 23 years old and Dave Valle about really to take over catching duties with his better then average power. Steve Balboni ar 31 years old had seem better days but still could do damage with a fastball. A tough draw for the Mariners in this series where they will need Mark Langston to be his best and the offense to overachieve when the less trustable arms are called upon.

Game 1 At Three Rivers Stadium
Rain 49
1988 Mariners.....................4
1977 Pirates........................23
WP: J. Reuss (1-0) LP: M. Moore (0-1)
HR: D. Parker (1), R. Stennett (1), A. Oliver (1), K. Phelps (1)
POG: Dave Parker
1977 Pirates lead series 1-0
Wow. The Pirates score 23 runs on 26 hits including a 10 run inning to open the series and blow out Seattle. Dave Parker had seven RBI and Al Oliver added six in one of the biggest offensive explosions anyone has seen. Seattle actually had a 3-0 lead when Matt Moore lost it and the Bucs put 7 home in the 3rd. Jerry Ruess goes the distance in the easy win as Chuck Tanner saves his bullpen for another day. A straight out party in Pittsburgh.

Game 2 At Three Rivers Stadium
Cloudy 50
1988 Mariners.....................0
1977 Pirates.......................10
WP: R. Gossage (1-0) LP: S. Bankhead (0-1) S: O. Jones (1)
HR: D. Parker 2 (3)
POG: Dave Parker
1977 Pirates lead series 2-0
Dave Parker remained red hot this time mashing 2 home runs and 4 more RBI making it 11 in two games as Pittsburgh had 14 more hits and an easy win. Parker has 9 hits in 9 atbats and still hasnt been retired. In a surprise, Goose Gossage was given a start and did very well in 5.2 innings striking out six but walking five. Odell Jones closed out the game and the Mariners had a nightmare two games and could not leave Pittsburgh fast enough after being outscored 33-4.

Game 3 At Kingdome
Indoors
1977 Pirates...................9
1988 Mariners................4
WP: J. Candelaria (1-0) LP: M. Langston (0-1)
HR: E. Ott (1), D. Parker (4)
POG: Ed Ott
1977 Pirates lead series 3-0
Five first inning runs off of Mark Langston keeps the misery going even as Seattle comes home with the biggest blow being a Ed Ott grand slam home run. John Candelaria held on to the lead and went 9 innings for the win as both teams made two errors in what turned into a sloppy game. Dave Parker hit another home run and had three more hits but did finally make an out, in what is becoming a historic series for him. It does look like the series wont last long however as the Pirates are a good bet to close things out in four, as they haven't even been challenged yet.

Game 4 At Kingdome
Indoors
1977 Pirates.....................7
1988 Mariners...................5
WP: K. Tekulve (1-0) LP: M. Schooler (0-1)
HR: K. Phelps (2), D. Parker (5)
POG: Dave Parker
It looked as if the Mariners finally did something right with a 5-0 lead against the Bucs, but Mr. Dave Parker once again had other plans. A two run single by the incredibly hot Parker made the game 5-2 and in the 8th the Pirates tied the game thanks in great part to a 2 run triple by Omar Moreno. The most appropriate end to this series came in the ninth, when Mike Schooler faced Parker with a man on and the Cobra took him over the right center field wall for a two run home run, his fifth of the series along with his 17 RBI. The Pirates dominate the series and take it in four straight, impressing like few teams have so far.

1977 Pittsburgh Pirates Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Dave Parker
(15/19, .789 AVG, 1.63 SLG, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 11 R, .810 OBP)

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #103
2001 Atlanta Braves (88-74) vs 1942 Washington Senators (62-89)

Continuing their decade of dominance, the 2001 Braves lead by Bobby Cox made it all the way to the NLCS and did it with some star power and as always great pitching. Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine were showing some age but both of them threw over 200 innings again with great effect. Maddux threw three shutouts with 17 wins and a 1.06 WHIP as his control remained elite. His 3.08 ERA was lower then Glavine who had a 3.57 and had lost considerable velocity on his fastball. Still Glavine went 16-7 with a 120 ERA+ and could induce weak contact mostly by working the outside of the plate. John Burkett had 34 starts and fit in well posting a better ERA+ then both of his more popular teammates and striking out 187. Kevin Millwood and Odalis Perez rounded off the rotation and both of them in their own way seemed to underachieve both with results and injuries. In the closers role was the lighting rod John Rocker. Rocker could not keep his mouth shut but could close a game down but only saved 19 games in 32 innings. Mike Remlinger and Steve Karsay were very good options for Cox while 22 year old Jason Marquis quickly became more trusted as the season went on and earned 16 starts posting a 128 ERA+. As for John Smoltz, he was transitioning into a bullpen role for the first time and will be very interesting to see how he is used in this series. Chipper Jones was the top of the class for the Braves and most of baseball. The star switch hitter hit .330 with 38 home runs and 102 driven in. Javy Lopez could still swing a hot bat at catcher hitting 17 home runs and 66 RBI that helped pick up some of the slack from disappointing first baseman Rico Brogna. In the outfield Andruw Jones was a graveyard in center field flashing outstanding defense but Jones also cranked 34 home runs with 104 RBI and a .772 OPS. Brian Jordan drove in 97 runs and had a 109 OPS+ while BJ Shuroff was much less dangerous out of left field scoring only 68 runs. At 23 year old Rafael Furcal had star potential behind him hitting .275 with 22 steals and some nice work with his glove. Ken Caminiti was on the bench but was full of post steroid injuries at 38 while Marcus Giles had 105 total bases as a utility weapon for the team. This Braves team was as always a winning team, but their performance in a dramatic series like this one should be watched with a cautious eye.

Washington baseball in the early part of the century was a punching bag for the big boys in the American League. In perspective the club hit only 40 home runs as a team and scored just over 600 runs for the entire season, giving you an idea of why they won only 62 games. Stan Spence did have an impressive 203 hits with 27 doubles and an OPS of .817. At 24 years old Mickey Vernon was a quality player driving in 86 runs with 34 doubles and a good hard hit rate even if he only hit 9 out. At 21 year old John Sullivan was just getting his feet wet on the big stage and second baseman Ellis Clary shared the role witu both Bob Repass and Ray Cullenbine. One thing the Nationals could do was run, as they stole 98 bases as a team lead by the 44 by George Case. Case also hit .320 making him quite dangerous despite his phone booth power. Vernon also added 25 steals to show his overall game while Bobby Estalella had five triples and a good season at third showing off an impressive .400 OBP. Bruce Campbell was the definition of average in centerfield and Jake Early was an interesting left handed catcher who drove in 46 runs but had only 99 total bases all season. The Nationals pitching was also not a pretty picture and could be a major issue against the Braves bats. Bobo Newsome at 34 years old showed his rust with a 4.93 ERA and an 74 ERA+. Sid Hudson managed 17 losses and 1.4 WHIP, he was used in and out of the pen a big but did lead the team in innings pitched. Early Wynn at only 22 years old was nowhere near ready to perform and had a 5.12 ERA. Walt Masterman was the more promising youngster in the rotation throwing an impressive 4 shutouts and a respectable 110 ERA+. Alex Carasquel was a part time starter that did fine and may very well be considered to start in this series while Bill Zuber and Ray Scarborough were the main long men in the pen called upon when the starters hit the showers. The team and the staff is quite thin and Washington will really have to pull a trick to pull off this series.

Game 1 At Turner Field
Partly cloudy 48
1942 Senators.........................2
2001 Braves............................1
WP: B. Newsom (1-0) LP: M. Remilnger (0-1) S: S. Sundra (1)
HR: M. Vernon (1), J. Early (1)
POG: Bobo Newsom
1942 Senators lead series 1-0
Greg Maddux was not expecting the pitchers duel he got from the aging Bobo Newsom but that is exactly what he got. After an early home run by Mickey Vernon the Senators starter held the lead striking out 8 and walking none into the 7th inning. A Chipper Jones double lead to a game tying sacrafice fly from Javy Lopez and each team was sitting on 3 hits. In the 8th, Jeff Early hit a solo shot off Mike Remlinger to give the visitors the lead, a rare two home run game for them. The lead would hold up as Atlanta wastes a good outing for Maddux who struck out five and walked none.

Game 2 At Turner Field
Clear 50
1942 Senators....................1
2001 Braves.......................2
WP: J. Rocker (1-0) LP: S. Sundra (0-1)
HR: None
POG: John Burkett
Series tied at 1
Senator pitching was great once again as Early Wynn held on to a one run lead all the way to the 7th inning and could sense a second straight win. Andrew Jones did break the drought for the Braves and tied the game with an RBI single vindicating John Burkett who had pitched well. John Smoltz helped the score remain tied until the 9th inning when Rafael Furcal doubled into the gap with Wes Helms on base; Helms would score all the way from first and the series breaks even.

Game 3 At Griffith Stadium
Rain 57
2001 Braves...................9
1942 Senators................5
WP: T. Glavine (1-0) LP: S. Hudson (0-1)
HR: M. Vernon (2)
POG: Javy Lopez
2001 Braves lead series 2-1
The Braves powered into the series lead as Javy Lopez homered and drove in three as did BJ Shuroff. On the mound Tom Glavine did not have his best stuff and ran into trouble in a four run fifth, but the Atlanta pen once again was good and the 13 hit offensive night would be more then enough. John Smoltz pitched another scoreless inning in relief and has become a vital piece in preserving leads.

Game 4 At Griffith Stadium
Partly cloudy 53
2001 Braves....................4
1942 Senators.................5
WP: D. Leonard (1-0) LP: J. Marquis (0-1) S: S. Sundra (2)
HR: None
POG: Dutch Leonard
Series tied at 2
Atlanta broke out with three runs in the top of the first against Dutch Leonard and the Senators but the 33 year old righty settled down and shut down the Braves the rest of the way. Washington scored 5 runs in the second and third innings as John Sullivan drove in two with a double to chase Jason Marquis. Washington is finding other sourses to socre runs as Mickey Vernon and Sam Spence have combined for two hits in four games. Greg Maddux and Bodo Newsom face off in game 5.

Game 5 At Griffith Stadium
Clear 59
2001 Braves.....................0
1942 Senators..................6
WP: B. Newsom (2-0) LP: G. Maddux (0-1)
HR: B. Estallela (1)
POG: Bobo Newsom
1942 Senators lead series 3-2
The same old curse that seems to come back to the Braves when they play a big series has returned. Greg Maddux is roughed up for six runs as Bobby Estallela drives in four runs behind 11 Washington hits. The biggest effort was turned in again by Bobo Newsom who once again baffled the Braves on the mound taking the shutout into the ninth striking out five and allowing six hits. Bobo was excellent in game one and has inspired his team in this series. Now the best of seven heads to Atlanta where the Braves need to win both games.

Game 6 At Turner Field
Rain 56 (Delay 31 min)
1942 Senators...................1
2001 Braves......................4
WP: J. Burkett (1-0) LP: E. Wynn (0-1) S: J. Rocker (1)
HR: C. Jones (1)
POG: John Burkett
Series tied at 3
John Burkett to the resue for Atlanta as the 35 year old right hander goes 8 innings allowing only one earned run and give Atlanta the start it desperately needed. Chipper Jones homered in the first inning and the home team added two more in the third to break a 1-1 tie and get past Early Wynn who wasnt very bad tonight. John Rocker closes out the easy ninth and now the series moves all the way to game seven, producing drama no one had anticipated.

Game 7 At Turner Field
51 partly cloudy
1942 Senators.....................14
2001 Braves.........................7
WP: A. Carrasquel (1-0) LP: K. Millwood (0-1)
HR: B. Jordan (1), M. Vernon (3), G. Case 2 (2)
POG: George Case
A wild game seven at turner field where Atlanta outhit the Senators but the visitors refused to come this far and come out short as upset series winners. George Case drove in five runs and scored four time including launching two home runs. The game was tied into the 6th inning when Ellis Clary doubled in two runs and the Senators would not be caught from there notching six more runs in the final 2 innings. Tom Glavine just didnt have his best stuff and the Braves pen was even worse not showing up when it mattered.

1942 Washington Senators Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Bobo Newsom
(2-0, 0.55 ERA, 13 K, 2 BB, .190 OBA, 0.61 WHIP, 1 shutout)

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #104
1999 New York Mets (97-66) vs 1955 Pittsburgh Pirates (60-94)

All it took for the Mets to win was two 40 year old stars past their prime and the great Benny Agbayani in 1999. In truth the Mets did have alot more then that and Bobby Valentine put together a team that came two wins away from winning the pennant. Orel Hershiser and Rickey Henderson were two starts pas their best but made important contributions to this team. Hershiser won 13 games and threw 179 innings even if by the numbers he was average at best with a 97 ERA+. Al Leiter was much more stable but was far from dominant winning 13 games with a 4.23 ERA and 162 strikeouts. Masato Yoshii was 12-8 but had a tendency to get hit hard however still finished with a 101 ERA+. Rick Reed, Octavio Dotel, and a seasoned Kenny Rogers all tried to earn permanent roles in the rotation but all of them had limited success in limited work. What saved the Mets in a literal sense was the fine arms they had in the pen. Armando Benitez finished the season as likely the best closer in the NL with 20 saves and a 1.85 ERA. Supporting the big closer was Turk Wendell who threw in 80 games and despite his weird behavior, became a fan favorite with a 3.05 ERA. John Franco was still hanging on at 38 years old and Pat Mahomes finished an impressive 8-0. The Mets had a potent balanced offense but even more then that they played fantastic defense. An exception to that defense was slugging catcher Mike Piazza. Piazza smashed 40 home runs with 124 RBI all while holding a .301 average, it was one of the best seasons in his career, John Olerud was a consistent hitter checking in with a .288 average but even better was his sparkling .427 OBP. Robin Ventura was a star at third base and lead the team in WAR but it wasnt just his fabulous glove. Robin hit 32 home runs and drove in 120 runs the highest totals of his career. Edgardo Alfonso and Ray Ordonez made it look easy up the middle making flashy plays the norm. Alonzo was also a monster at the dish hitting 27 home runs and driving in 108 runs with 191 hits. As mentioned before, Henderson was still very valuable at his age stealing 37 bases and scoring 89 runs while Brian McRae was one of the better centerfielders in the league. Roger Cedeno hit .313 with 66 steals making him even more dangerous on this roster. On the bench was none other then Benny Abgayani who hit 14 homers and became a fan favorite for his tendency to hit in the clutch. Bobby Bonilla and Shawon Dunston were two more veterans on the bench who didnt provide much as far as numbers, but added to the character of this team. This is a very good Mets team, and if the starting pitching can give them anything, they truly could do some Amazing Mets things.

It seemed like the Pirates of 1955 were a much longer way then just 5 years to a championship as their 60 wins would indicate, but fortunes can change quickly in this game. These Pirates had a number of issues icluding an impotent offense that plated only 560 runs while the team batting average was .244 with not a single man hitting over .300. The brightest spot on the roster had to be 20 year old Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente who had the raw skills in the field to make scouts marvel at the potential. At the dish however he had miles to go as his 77 OPS+ and partly .284 OBP seemed to make him an easy out. Dale Long was a nice bat at first base hitting .291 with 13 triples and a 132 OPS+. Johnny O'Brien lead the team with a .299 average but played in only 84 games as Dick Cole also saw action. The other Frank Thomas was a decent hitter showing the most power on the club with 25 home runs but his .245 average brought his value down. Gene Freeze managed 14 homers from third and Dick Groat was there mostly for his glove work as his 79 OPS+ was not impressive. Eddie O'Brien was nowhere to be found in centerfield with pathetic numbers as Jerry Lynch spelled him in 88 games; Jack Shepard was serviceable at catcher. The remainder of the bench was notebook paper thin and in truth as mentioned before, the Bucs were a very poor offensive club. Bob Friend was the most dependable arm on the club but because of this he was used in all kinds of roles and actually made more appearances as a reliever. When in there his ERA of 2.83 stands out and is much stronger then the main starter on the team, Vern Law, who went 10-10 with a 3.81 ERA. Max Surkont was hammered in his 22 starts and eventually lost his role allowing 23 home runs along the way. Ron Kline deserved better losing 13 games with a 4.15 ERA while 24 year old Dick Hall had a decent 3.91 and came on stronger late. Bob Purkey carried a heavy 5.32 ERA in his 10 very rocky starts. Roy Face is another arm you should know on this roster, but like Friend his arm was so good he was used in a variety of roles including closer where he earned 5 saves while making 10 starts with a 114 ERA+. The rest of the pen was useless other then Nellie King who somehow ended with an impressive 2.98 ERA in 17 games. These Bucs will really need a miracle to compete with the Mets but as we have seen so many times up to know, never count the underdog out in the Field of Dreams.

Game 1 At Shea Stadium
Clear 57
1955 Pirates...................0
1999 Mets......................3
WP: A. Leiter (1-0) LP: B. Friend (0-1) S: A. Benitez (1)
HR: None
POG: Al Leiter
1999 Mets lead series 1-0
A perfect night in New York and Al Leiter made it even better shutting down the Pirates for 8 innings in some efficient work striking out five and allowing only 4 hits. Armando Benitez closed the door in the ninth despite allowing the tying run to the plate but in the end preserved the shutout. The Mets scored two runs in the first off Bob Friend thanks to an RBI single by Mike Piazza.

Game 2 at Shea Stadium
Cloudy 55
1955 Pirates....................1
1999 Mets.......................7
WP: B. Jones (1-0) LP: V. Law (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Bobby Jones
1999 Mets lead series 2-0
Mike Piazza went 3-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI as the Mets scored three runs in the first inning and set the stage for another dominant pitching effort, this time by Bobby Jones, who went the full nine allowing one run. Jones walked two and struck out four as the Pirates scored oen run in two games and head to Pittsburgh with their tails between their legs.

Game 3 At Forbes Field
Clear 58
1999 Mets...............9
1955 Pirates............0
WP: R. Reed (1-0) LP: D. Hall (0-1)
HR: B. McRae 2 (2), J. Olerud (1), E. Alonzo (1)
POG: Rick Reed
1999 Mets lead series 3-0
Rick Reed was on his game and went the complete nine innings not walking anyone and striking out seven batters. Reed aided his own cause with a two run double while Hal McRae showed off some rare power hitting 2 home runs and scoring three runs. Edgardo Alonzo went 4 for 5 with a home run of his own and 2 runs scored as New York continues to toy with the Pirates totaling 17 hits in this one. A sweep would seem to be on the cards.

Game 4 At Forbes Field
Partly cloudy 51
1999 Mets......................3
1955 Pirates...................5
WP: M. Surkont (1-0) LP: M. Yoshii (0-1) S: R. Face (1)
HR: R. Cedeno (1), J. Lynch (1)
POG: Max Surkont
1999 Mets lead series 3-1
The Pirates survive and avoid the sweep as they build a 5-0 lead behind Max Surkont who went 6 innings allowing three. Jerry Lynch hit a two run home run in the 2nd to set the Bucs on their way and to give at least one day of joy to their fans.

Game 5 At Forbes Field
Clear 48
1999 Mets.....................7
1955 Pirates.................1
WP: A. Leiter (2-0) LP: B. Friend (0-2)
HR: R. Ventura (1), B. McRae 2 (4)
POG: Brian McRae
For the second game of the series Brian McRae showed impressive power homering twice while Robin Ventura also homered and drove in three. Al Leiter was in command just like most Mets pitchers in this series and went the distance striking out six and one earned run. The Pirates scored five runs in five games and were shutout twice in a series that they really were never in.

1999 New York Mets Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Brian McRae
(.389, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, .476 OBP)

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #105
1931 Pittsburgh Pirates (75-79) vs 1994 Oakland Athletics (51-63)

Only six years removed from a championship, the 1931 Pirates still had much of the talent that made them a consistent winner but a lack of depth especially in the starting rotation had them suffer a losing season. Heinie Meinie at 35 years of age did lead the staff with 19 wins and a 2.98 ERA and throwing three shutouts. Meinie stuck out almost no one but was a great control pitcher as was the case for Larry French as the 23 year old ended with a 3.23 ERA with 20 complete games and 275 innings of work, the young lefty was indeed impressive. The third starter Rey Kramer had one of the best breaking pitches of the day and at 36 years old still managed 30 starts and a 115 ERA+ proving he had alot left in the tank. Beyond the three top starters the Bucs had little to offer as Erv Brame won only 9 games with a 4.31 ERA and 13 home runs allowed. Spades Woods was demolished in 10 starts and quickly lost the confidence of his manager. Glenn Spencer tending to fill the role of spot starter but also managed 3 saves and had a 112 ERA+ in alot of work of over 175 innings. Bob Osborn went 5-1 with an ERA over 5 and that's where the depth ends for the Pirates, the solid top three however do give them a nice order for a seven game series format. The Pittsburgh lineup still had alot of talent as Paul Waner hit .322 with a .404 OBP and 35 doubles. His brother Lloyd did him even better with an impressive 214 hits with 13 triples and 90 runs; the Waners were not a bad baseball brotherhood to say the least. Pie Traynor is likely the biggest threat in the lineup who drove the brothers in and then some with his 103 RBI with only 2 home runs. Traynor had 15 triples taking advantage of Forbes Field and had a 108 OPS+ while being an excellent clutch hitter. Adam Comoroskey struggled a bit in 99 games hitting .243 with 11 steals but he was the best option the club had in left field. George Grantham was another very under appreciated talent at first ending with a 130 OPS+ with 91 runs and a .400 OBP. Tommy Piet hit .299 which was a very good number at the time for a second baseman while Eddie Phillips at catcher and Tommy Thevenow at short were mostly there for their defensive ability. Gus Suhr struggled off the bench as the Bucs much like their pitching, had little support beyond their stars. The roster overall has some very good talent, even Hall of Famers, which places the Pirates as favorites over a similar Oakland ballclub.

A serious lack of starting pitching, almost alarming for 1994, did Tony LaRussa and the Athletics in as the desperate manager even tried to go with a three man rotation. Thirty three year old Ron Darling made 25 starts in the shortened season with a 4.50 ERA and even with a 98 ERA+ was the best Oakland could put out there. Bobby Witt went 8-10 with an eyesore 5.04 ERA however did get lighting in a bottle with 3 shutouts. Super prospect Todd Van Poppel at only 22 years old was proving to be much more hype then substance as he was hit allover the field in his 23 starts holding a 6.09 ERA allowing 20 home runs and walking 6.9 batters per nine innings. Steve Ontiveros tried to fit the bill as a spot starter and did a good job of it with a 2.65 ERA and 37 year old Bob Welch was still part of the mix, although arm issues and fatigue held him to 8 starts. In the pen, Larussa stayed with his man at closer as Dennis Eckersley saved 19 games but was not the pitcher he used to be. A 4.26 ERA with a WHIP around 1.4 Eck was hit hard and was nearing the end of the line at 39 yeard old. Billy Taylor and Mark Acre were nice setup men but were being used at a very high rate. The team ERA of 4.80 speaks for itself. The offense did get Rickey Henderson back for the 94 season but he only played in 87 games hitting .260 with 22 steals at the top of the order. Mark McGwire managed only 47 games and had injury issues and managed only 9 home runs in a lost season as Troy Neel spelled him at first with 15 knocks. Ruben Sierra hit 23 home runs and drove in 92 as his pretty swing seems ageless from the left side. Stan Javier actually lead the team in steals with 24 and was a steady presence on this team while Geronimo Berroa hit .306 as the designated hitter and and lead the team with a 131 OPS+. Mike Bordick and Brent Gates was very low profile up the middle of the diamond with little impact at the plate to make note of. Scott Brosius had begun to get noticed for his big hits in big moments and his play at third was steady as he hit 14 home runs with a .706 OPS. Finally Terry Steinbeck remained one of the best hitting catchers in the entire game hitting .285 with 21 doubles and an impressive .768 OPS. The issue with Steinbeck was the poor work he did with the pitching staff especially with the shell shocked Van Poppel. The A's bench was very weak with the likes of Steve Sax and Mike Aldrete making very little impact. It is just expected to say that the A's will have major issues with the productive Pirate hitters and getting outs could be a real headache especially with even Eckersley struggling. Oakland definitely has their work cut out for them.

Game 1 At Forbes Field
Partly cloudy 63
1994 Athletics......................1
1931 Pirates........................4
WP: L. French (1-0) LP: R. Darling (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Larry French
1931 Pirates lead series 1-0
Lloyd Waner went 3-3 and scored three runs as he was a pain in the side of Ron Darling while Lloyd's brother Paul drove in two of those runs. Darling allowed 4 runs in his 8 innings of work but it was Larry French who was the man of the game holding Oakland to one run over nine throwing 133 pitches. Forbes Field was filled to the rafters on a beautiful day in Pennsylvania.

Game 2 At Forbes Field
Clear 63
1994 Athletics..................4
1931 Pirates....................7
WP: H. Meinie (1-0) LP: B. Witt (0-1)
HR: L. Waner (1), G. Grantham (1)
POG: Lloyd Waner
1931 Pirates lead series 2-0
Lloyd Waner continued his hot start with a 2 run home run in the first inning off a slider from Bobby Witt and the Pirates were on their way again. Waner would end with 3 RBI and Pie Traynor would drive in two more while George Grantham hit a long solo home run as the Bucs are looking as if they may make this a short series. Heinie Meinie allowed 11 hits and threw a whopping 150 pitches but went the full nine for the win. Geronimo Berroa drove in 2 for the losing side.

Game 3 At Oakland Coliseum
66 Clear
1931 Pirates....................7
1994 Athletics..................4
WP: R. Kremer (1-0) LP: S. Ontiveros (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Ray Kremer
1931 Pirates Lead Series 3-0
Woody Jensen and George Grantham both had key 2 RBI hits to lift the Pirates to five runs in two innings and more then enough for winner Ray Kremer. Kremer allowed 11 hits and four earned runs over nine but had the resolve to close what he started and set the Bucs up for the possible sweep. Stan Javier had two doubles but the A's lacked long ball power and could not come through when it mattered.

Game 4 At Oakland Coliseum
62 partly cloudy
1931 Pirates......................3
1994 Athletics....................5
WP: B. Welch (1-0) LP: S. Wood (0-1) S: D. Eckersley (1)
HR: T. Steinbach (1), G. Berroa (1)
POG: Bob Welch
1931 Pirates lead series 3 to 1
The Athletics stayed alive with a determined win behind Bob Welch who went into the ninth with the lead and got into trouble before Dennis Eckersley closed the deal. Troy Neel had a two run single early and in the fifth Geronimo Berroa and Terry Steinbach went back to back as Spades Wood was getting his pitches too high in the zone. Can the Athletics make a series of it?

Game 5 At Oakland Coliseum
Partly cloudy 63
1931 Pirates...................2
1994 Atletics...................9
WP: R. Darling (1-1) LP: L. French (1-1)
HR: T. Neel (1)
POG: Troy Neel
1931 Pirates lead series 3-2
A Tony Piet error set up a three run home run by Troy Neel and a four run first inning as the 1994 A's have all of a sudden woken up to put the pressure on. Neel ended his big game with 5 RBI while Rueben Sierra drove in three as Ron Darling went the distance allowing only one earned run for a deserved win. There were seven errors in this sloppy game and the Pirates seem to have loss some mojo. The series moves back to Forbes Field for game six.

Game 6 At Forbes Field
Rain 49
1994 Athletics..................0
1931 Pirates....................9
WP: H. Meinie (2-0) LP: B. Witt (0-2)
HR: L. Waner (2)
POG: Heinie Meinie
Back home, the 1931 Pirates look smooth as silk and put the series on ice. Heinie Meinie was brilliant throwing a six hit shutout and calming nerves at Forbes Field after the Bucs had lost two straight. It was Lloyd Waner showing his worth again with a 5 RBI performance including a grand slam in a 6 run 6th inning that took the life out of the A's. In the end, the better team took the spoils.

1931 Pittsburgh Pirates Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Lloyd Waner
(.440, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 1 SB, .680 SLG)

[luckymann]

Wow, talk about timing.

In my Bucs save I've just finished the 1930 season, and IRL I'm an A's fan. So I await the result of this one eagerly!

[italyprof]

Wild and audacious!

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #106
1939 Brooklyn Dodgers (84-69) vs 1970 Houston Astros (79-83)

The resurgence of the Brooklyn "bums" was finally becoming a reality in the late 1930's and it was lead by a hardnosed player manager named Leo Durocher. Durocher played in the middle of the infield and although he wasnt a numbers producer, was the motivator for this club. Durocher and double play mate Pete Coscarant were similar players hitting in the .270's or speed but they did make the defensive plays they needed to. Cookie Lavagetto was much better at the dish with a .802 OPS and 14 steals while scoring 92 runs. Babe Phelps was a .285 hitting catcher who played well defensively and called a good game. First baseman Dolph Camilli was the real muscle of the team getting on base at a .401 clip and hitting 26 home runs with a team leading 104 RBI. The outfield was very tame as Gene Moore and Art Parks were well below average but Dixie Walker was also in the mix hitting .280 with a fine eye at the plate but he managed to get into only 61 games. Ernie Koy had a 105 OPS+ in right field and had an impressive 37 doubles. Johnny Hudson was the reserve for the infield hitting .254 and giving Leo a day off when he needed it. Luke Hamlin was a 20 game winner in 36 starts with a 3.64 ERA and excellent control walking less then 2 per nine. Hugh Casey was also very good and underrated winning 15 games with a sparkling 2.39 ERA and 139 ERA+. Whitt Wyatt had an excellent 177 ERA+_ in his 14 starts but for whatever reason at 31 years old wasn't one of Durocher's favorites. Tot Presnell and Freddie Fitzsimmons each threw about 150 innings but still good enough to add the the very deep crop of pitchers the Dodgers could put out there; Durocher also had no hesitation in using anyone of them out of relief if needed. Left hander Vito Tamulis had 4 saves and was the most common option out of relief but he held a 1.4 WHIP and had a tendency to get into trouble. This Brooklyn club may not seem like they are the deepest in talent, but they play hard, have good defense and pitching, and most of all don't back down to anyone.

The 1970 Astros were making steady progress and had some young talent that brought excitement to the dome. Joe Morgan was coming into his own as a star in the game showing off 5 tools but especially his eye at the plate, walking 102 times, as well as his 42 steals and 102 runs scored. Dennis Menke was a .304 hitter at short and drove in 92 runs while hitting 13 home runs. As a reminder, the Astrodome was an amusement park and one of the hardest places to hit a long ball. Doug Rader was a fantastic defensive player at the hot corner and at the plate he hit 25 home runs, 87 RBI, and a .758 OPS. Tommy Davis was on the roster and could still hit but injuries kept him to only 57 games while in center field Jim Wynn was quite a talent with 27 home runs and 88 driven in he also had a .394 OBP and covered a good centerfield. Jesus Alou was a .300 hitter without much power or speed in right. A 19 year old talent named Cesar Cedeno was really showing promise hitting .310 with 17 steals and an exciting overall game. Joe Pepitone and Bob Watson split time at first base with modest results and were not a vocal point of the lineup. Larry Dierker was making people take notice at only 23 years of age he won 16 games with a respectable 101 ERA+ and 191 strikeouts. The rest of the rotation struggled to consistency with numerous arms taking their shot. Jack Billingham made 24 starts but also relieved in almost as many games with a 3.98 ERA while Don Wilson went a fortunate 11-6 with a similar 3.91 mark. Poor Tom Griffin went 3-13 to hurt his confidence at only 22 with a ballooned 5.74 ERA and 31 year old Denny LeMaster didnt do much better with a 1.44 WHIP and 86 ERA+ but did managed to save three games. Wade Blasingame came on late in the season and started in 13 games with pretty good results ending with a 113 ERA+. Veteran Fred Gladding was the closer earning 18 saves but wasnt dominant with a 4.06 ERA and Jim Ray seemed like the better option although his control could be an issue. Jim Bouton was also in the mix with his knuckle ball but his best days were well behind him. There is legitimate talent on this roster and the Dodgers will have their hands full as this may have the making of a close nip and tuck series.

Game 1 At Ebbets Field
Clear 70
1970 Astros.....................6
1939 Dodgers.................4
WP: L. Dierker (1-0) LP: F. Fitzsimmons (0-1)
HR: D. Camilli (1), C. Lovagetto (1), J. Pepitone (1)
POG: Joe Pepitone
1970 Astros lead series 1-0
Joe Pepitone hit a three run home run in the 5th inning that would be the difference in game one behind Larry Dierker who went 9 complete. Dolph Camilli had tied the game up in the third with a two run home run but Freddie Fitzsimmons ran into some trouble in his start and made the big mistake to the Astro first baseman. Pepitone ends with 5 RBI on the day as a capacity crowd in Flatbush goes home sunk.

Game 2 At Ebbets Field
57 rain
1970 Astros......................3
1939 Dodgers..................1
WP: J. Billingham (1-0) LP: H. Casey (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Jack Billingham
1970 Astros lead series 2-0
Jack Billingham did his best Ohtani impression doubling in the first run of the game and throwing a gem of a game as the Astros take the first two games of this series on the road. Billingham struck out four and only allowed one earned run looking in complete control and getting the better of Hugh Casey. The Dodgers also made three costly errors causing Leo Durocher real worry as the series heads to the great Dome.

Game 3 At Astrodome
Indoors
1939 Dodgers.....................3
1970 Astros.........................8
WP: D. Wilson (1-0) LP: L. Hamlin (0-1)
HR: D. Menke (1)
POG: Don Wilson
1970 Astros lead series 3-0
A tie game was busted open in the 7th inning when the Astros put up 5 runs and set the stage for their third win in a row. Don Menke and Bob Watson combined for 5 RBI as Cesar Cedeno went 3-4 with 2 runs scored in an 11 hit effort as Houston continues to soar. Leo Durocher himself is hitting .125 in what has been a nightmare series for him and his club. Now the Astros look to complete the sweep in what will be a very load Astrodome for game four.

Game 4 at Astrodome
Indoors
1939 Dodgers................3
1970 Astros....................10
WP: W. Blasingame (1-0) LP: W. Wyatt (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Cesar Cedeno
Not many could have predicted this result but the 1970 Astros win game four in convincing fashion and completely own the Dodgers in a four game sweep. Cesar Cedeno had a huge game and huge series driving 6 runs in this one with 2 2 run doubles. Wade Blasingame was the next in line to shut down Brooklyn striking out 11 over nine innings.

1970 Houston Astros Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Cesar Cedeno
(.444, 7 RBI, 1 SB, 4 R, 2 2B, 1.085 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #107
2000 Oakland Athletics (91-70) vs 1971 Cleveland Indians (60-102)

The famous Athletics of Moneyball fame bring their ground breaking philosophy with Art Howe at the helm and a good draw against a club they should be able to handle. Jason Giambi is still the star of the lineup hitting .333 with 43 home runs and 137 driven in, clean or not clean it didnt matter. Ben Grieve whacked 27 home runs 104 while Terrance Long in center scored 104 runs and managed 34 doubles. Matt Stairs may have been a statue in right field, but he muscled 21 home runs despite his .227 average. Miguel Tejada had an MVP type bat with 30 home runs and 115 RBI and Jason's brother Jeremy platooned with John Jaha for DH and outfield work but each produced below average numbers. Eric Chavez may have been the best defensive player in the league at the time but also added a 117 OPS+ and 26 home runs. Randy Velarde and Ramon Hernandez rounded off the order at 2nd and catcher. The team overall scored an impressive 947 runs with a team .360 OBP and 239 home runs. Tim Hudson made the most of the offensive support by winning 20 games with a 4.14 ERA and 7.5 K per 9. Gil Heredi and Kevin Appier each won 15 games with adequate work but each arm was over 30 and slowing down. Then there were two 22 year old stars up and coming that were really showing promise in Mike Mulder and Barry Zito.Zito had a curve ball that was out of this world and a 2.72 ERA in 14 starts while Mulder struggled with command and is unlikely to make a start in this series. Jason Isringhausen was the closer who notched 33 saves and seemed to be calm as a cucumber when the game was on the line. Doug Jones at 43 years old actually got the job done in 54 games with Jeff Tam also doing well in relief with a 2.63 ERA in 72 games. The Oakland team seems to have a little of everything but their power at the plate has to be their defining characteristic.

Tough years for the Cleveland ballclub in the early seventies as Cleveland Stadium was mostly empty and losing baseball was the norm. Two managers did their best to right the ship in 1971 but neither could produce a competitive team. A 4.28 team ERA told part of the story but there were some good individual pitching performances in the duration. Sam McDowell started 31 games and was the only hurler with an ERA+ over the mean at 113. His issue was the walk as he averaged over 6 walks per nine innings. Sam Dunning lost 14 games and allowed 25 home runs in 29 starts and third starter Allen Foster was a little better with a 4.16 FIP and 92 ERA+. The bottom of the rotation never materialized with Mike Paul and Rich hand playing the roles of jesters in poor spotty performances and ERA's well over 5. Phil Hennigan was the rocky closer on the rare occasion the Indians were in a save situation with his 4.94 ERA. Lefty Steve Mignori had the best ERA on the team at 1.43 in 54 games. Ray Lamb did start in 21 games and held the opposition down with a 3.35 ERA, we may see him start in this series. Graig Nettles was the best player on the roster both with the glove and at the plate hitting slugging .435 with 28 home runs at .261. Chris Chambliss was only 22 but won the role at first base and had a .749 OPS in 111 games which was quite good on this team. Ray Fosse the catcher was also an up and coming talent as this was before the Pete Rose collision as he hit .276 with 12 home runs. Vida Pinson still patrolled center but may have lost a step although he did steal 25 bases but had a .295 OBP. Roy Foster managed 18 home runs Ted Uhleander had 20 doubles and a .288 average but overall the outfield was below average. Eddie Leon was scrappy at second base but lacked range or a good hitting eye while the short stop Jack Heidemann wont be remembered by anyone with his .208 average and was spelled by reserve Fred Stanley. Ken Harrelson was the best known player on the bench but his .199 average in 52 games said it all; you may also recognize Kurt Bevaqua. The team overall hit only .238 and is at a great disadvantage against this strong Oakland club. The question is if the 100 loss Tribe can be competitive.

Game 1 At Oakland Coliseum
Partly cloudy 54
1971 Indians....................5
2000 Athletics..................7
WP: T. Hudson (1-0) LP: M. Paul (0-1) S: J. Isringhausen (1)
HR: G. Nettles (1)
POG: Randy Velarde
2000 Athletics lead series 1-0
The Indians got off to a good start in Oakland behind Mike Paul but the A's came back with 4 runs in the fourth behind a 2 RBI single by pinch hitter Olmedo Saenz. Another pinch hitter in the 6th broke up a 4-4 tie as Adam Piatt tripled in the go ahead run. Randy Velerde added a big two run hit for insurance in the 8th, he had three RBI on the night, and Jason Isringhausen made sure Oakland took the first lead of the series with his save.

Game 2 At Oakland Coliseum
Clear 64
1971 Indians......................3
2000 Athletics....................6
WP: B. Zito (1-0) LP: S. McDowell (0-1) S: J. Isringhausen (2)
HR: R. Foster (1), R. Becker (1)
POG: Rich Becker
2000 Athletics lead series 2-0
Rich Becker hit a three run home run to put the Athletics up by 4 runs before the Indians made a comeback with three runs in the fifth to cut the lead to one. The game stood in the balance before Terrance Long hit a two run double in the bottom of the 8th off of a tired Sam McDowell to make the lead three. Late hitting was key for Oakland much like game one and also like the last game, Jason Isringhausen closed the game out in the 9th. Sam McDowell walked 13 batters in this game.

Game 3 At Cleveland Stadium
Partly cloudy 51
2000 Athletics....................11
1971 Indians.......................2
WP: K. Appier (1-0) LP: A. Foster (0-1)
HR: E. Chavez 2 (2), R. Velarde (1)
POG: Eric Chavez
2000 Athletics lead series 3-0
Eric Chavez had two 2 run home runs in the first three innings and Oakland added 5 runs in the 8th to run away with game three. The Oakland third baseman was on point and did not miss an offering from Cleveland starter Alan Foster who lasted only 2 innings. Randy Velarde also drove in four runs and hit a three run home run in the big 8th off of reliever Steve Dunning. The Indians are now officially on life support.

Game 4 At Cleveland Stadium
55 clear
2000 Athletics...................10
1971 Indians......................0
WP: G. Heredia (1-0) LP: R. Hand (0-1)
HR: R. Velarde (2), R. Hernandez (1), R. Becker (2)
POG: Gil Heredia
In one of the most dominant series we have seen yet, the 2000 Athletics finished off the Indians with a 10-0 shutout at Cleveland Stadium for the series Randy Velarde hit a grand slam to drive in another four runs and make it a total of 11 for the series from the leadoff spot. Gil Heredia struck out four and allowed seven hits but no runs in the final taming of the Tribe.

2000 Oakland Athletics Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Randy Velarde
(.474, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 3 R, 1.31 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #108
1909 Philadelphia Athletics (95-58) vs 1934 Philadelphia Athletics (68-82)

A much younger Connie Mack will battle against a more patient and experienced version as two Athletics clubs face off. The 1909 Philly club was among the best teams in baseball and was a threat for a championship every season. Rube Waddell was no longer on the roster but the A's still had a dependable pitching staff. The team ERA was an otherworldly 1.93 but keep in mind the pitcher friendly era of the time. Eddie Plank was 19-10 at 33 year old with a 1.04 WHIP and three shutouts. Right there with him and maybe even better was Charles Chief Bender who went 18-8 with a 1.66 ERA and a 0.964 WHIP that included 45 walks in 250 innings of work. Cy Morgan was 15-11 with a 1.65 which boggles the mind of how he could lose 11 games with that figure. Mack always seemed to find young gems who could pitch and 20 year old Harry Krause had a 174 ERA+ and allowed 33 earned runs in 213 innings of work. Jack Coombs rounded off the rotation but very likely will not see a turn in this series but likely will be a relief man as will be Jimmy Dygert and Rube Vickers. The Athletics allowed only 411 runs all season long. With batting very low impact in the era, the club hit .256 combined but still had some very established stars. Eddie Collins lead the team with 9.7 WAR and had the respect of the entire league for his leadership. He He hit .347 and stole 63 bases with his excellent glove all at the tender age of 22. In contrast at short was Jack Berry who hit only .211 and slugged .259 which were numbers that his glove could not make up. At third was Home Run Baker who was very good driving in 85 runs and hit .305 despite only 4 home runs. First baseman Harry Davis had 11 triples and a 122 OPS+ while catcher Ira Thomas didnt give much with his bat. The outfield were Mack type of players covering alot of ground and playing the game the right way. Rube Oldring and Bob Ganley each started in about 80 games and Ganley really struggled hitting .197; Oldring had 22 extra base hits to his name. Topsy Hasrtzel was the main platoon outfielder hitting a solid .270 and a 120 OPS plus to go along with Heinie Heitmuller who had a .286 average off the pine. Danny Murphy played everyday in right field and hit .281 with 5 home runs and 69 RBI to be one of the main weapons in the everyday lineup. The Athletics won 95 games in 1909 and will look for low scoring wins leaning mostly on their legendary pitching staff.

By 1934 the Athletics were letting some of their biggest stars go and the glory days of just a few years would be the last of the Connie Mack great teams. This club struggled losing 82 games and lacking the identity it had head with ace Lefty Grove the biggest subtraction. Replacing Grove fell to a group of arms who just didnt have it and ended with an ERA at 5.01. Johnny Marcum threw the most innings and won the most games but his 1.48 WHIP tells you that he was hit effectively and he walked almost as many batters as he struck out; hardly an ace he was. Sugar Cain went 9-17 and didnt have much sweetness to him with a 4.41 ERA and allowing 15 home runs to lead the team. His 5.16 FIP says just about everything about his effort for the year. Bill Dietrich had an identical 4.68 ERA with 4th starter Joe Cascarella and each had WHIPs well over 1.5 and an average of about 5 walks per nine; essentially they were the same two pitchers to a tea, Al Benton and Roy Mahaffey tried their luck as both starters and relievers but the story only got worse the deep you got into this roster. Pen arms Bob Kline and Matt Flohr may have been better off finding another profession altogether in 1934. The Philly lineup had alot of work to do on a daily basis and two mega sluggers kept this team respectable. Jimmy Foxx indimidated any pitcher hitting 44 home runs with 130 RBI, 28 doubles and an 1.108 OPS including being walked 111 times. Bob Johnson also had a big year hitting 34 home runs with 92 RBI and even swiping 12 bases. He and Foxx combined for 231 runs for the team. Ed Coleman and Doc Cramer would good hitters in the A's outfield, Cramer had 202 hits and Coleman powered for 14 home runs. Pinky Higgins hit .330 at the hot corner with a .901 OPS making him very dangerous. Eric McNair was ahead of his time at short showing good offense and power with 17 home runs and a .280 average although he did not like to walk much. Rabbit Warstler had only a 64 OPS+ and was most inconsistent while Charlie Berry fit the role of catcher well enough despite the poor performance of the pitching staff. Mack did utilize his bench quite a bit with with 4 players getting more then 200 atbats and Lou Finney along with Dim Williams leading the way. It would appear that this series will come down to pitching and the lack there of but it will be interesting to see how a more "seasoned" Connie Mack does against his much younger self.

Game 1 At Shibe Park
Clear 70
1934 Athletics...................4
1909 Athletics...................0 (11 inn)
WP: J. Marcum (1-0) LP: C. Bender (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Johnny Marcum
1934 Athletics lead series 1-0
An epic pitching duel to open this series at Shibe Park. Chief Bender and Johnny Marcum battled into extra innings before the visiting side put together a big 11th inning scoring four times. Marcum threw 136 pitches waling only one and striking out five as the home team managed only three doubles all game. Pinch hitter Dib Williams hit a back breaking two run double in the 11th.

Game 2 At Shibe Park
Rain 62
1934 Athletics.....................0
1909 Athletics.....................1
WP: H. Krause (1-0) LP: B. Dietrich (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Harry Krause
Series tied at 1
Danny Murphy broke up another scoreless game with an RBI double in the 7th inning that would prove to be the only tally in the game. Just like game one, this game was dominated by two A's pitchers in Harry Krause and Bill Dietrich. Dietrich allowed only 3 hits in the loss but it would prove to be enough as Krause worked with a determination striking out seven and walking only one.

Game 3 At Shibe Park
Cloudy 62
1909 Athletics....................2
1934 Athletics....................1
WP: E. Plank (1-0) LP: J. Cascarella (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Eddie Plank
1909 Athletics lead series 2-1
A third straight strong pitching duel between these two teams and again one run as the difference as Eddie Plank held a 2-1 lead through the ninth striking out seven and allowing only 4 hits. Connie Mack pinch hit Tommy Hartsel in a big spot in the third inning and he came through with an RBI hit that would be the final margin in the game. Joe Cascarella pitched well in the loss allowing two runs on six hits.

Game 4 At Shibe Park
Cloudy 65
1909 Athletics....................2
1934 Athletics....................5
WP: J. Marcum (2-0) LP: C. Bender (0-2) S: B. Kline (1)
HR: None
POG: Johnny Marcum
Series tied at 2
The 1909 Athletics and Chief Bender were holding tight to a one run lead as this game went into the bottom of the 8th. In the inning however the home team rallied as Doc Cramer added a two run single to turn the tide and plate four runs. The 1909 team however made 6 errors in this game and two in that critical inning as in the end Bender allowed no earned runs. The series has been a dandy as it now becomes a best of three for the race to the finish.

Game 5 At Shibe Park
Rain 60
1934 Athletics..................0
1909 Athletics..................9
WP: H. Krause (2-0) LP: B. Dietrich (0-2)
HR: D. Murphy (1)
POG: Harry Krause
1909 Athletics lead series 3-2
Harry Krause did it again and pitched a determined shutout as the visiting Athletics take the lead in the series. Krause allowed five hits and struck out five on 111 pitches. Danny Murphy went 3-5 with a home run and 3 RBI as the visitors banged out 14 hits and now become the home team with a clear advantage.

Game 6 At Shibe Park
Cloudy 56
1934 Athletics...................8
1909 Athletics...................3
WP: J. Cascarella (1-1) LP: E. Plank (1-1)
HR: E. Collins (1)
POG: Joe Cascarella
Series tied at 3
The 1934 Athletics jumped all over Eddie Plank and scored 7 runs in the first four innings as this very competitive series now is all even heading into a game seven. Rabbit Warstler and Charlie Berry each drove in two runs and Joe Cascarella took advantage of the lead and went the distance striking out five and allowing three runs. Now Cheif Bender and Johnny Marcum make their third starts of the series with everything on the line.

Game 7 At Shibe Park
Clear 64
1934 Athletics...................2
1909 Athletics...................1
WP: J. Marcum (3-0) LP: C. Bender (0-3)
HR: None
POG: Johnny Marcum
Ending in the way one would expect, another pitching duel in game seven came down to the final out. Chief Bender held a 1-0 lead against Johnny Marcum into the 7th inning. Marcum himself tied the game with an RBI single and Doc Cramer who went 3-5 gave the visitors the lead with a 2 out RBI hit. Marcum then bared down and with two on and two out in the ninth, induced Eddie Collins to fly out to center and end the series. Marcum wins three times in the seven games in what truly was a great seven game battle.

1934 Philadelphia Athletics Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Johnny Marcum
(3-0, 0.96 ERA, 14 K, 6 BB, 1.9 BB/9, 1.04 WHIP, 1 RBI)

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #109
2007 Milwaukee Brewers (83-79) vs 1991 New York Mets (77-84)

A lack of real quality pitching did in the 2007 Brewers as they finished in second place and could not get over the hump. The Brew Crew did possess a ton of power on offense lead by Prince Fielder who hit 50 home runs with 119 RBI and 109 runs scored. The big first baseman was tough to get past in the lineup but so was Ryan Braun who hit .324 with 34 home runs and like Fielder had an OPS over 1.00. JJ Hardy added 26 home runs from the short stop position with 80 driven in at only 24 years old. Also 24 was second baseman Rickie Weeks who stole 25 bases from the top of the order and added 16 jacks. Geoff Jenkins and Bill Hall both hit around .250 from their outfield spots with similar RBI totals but were more fringe players while 25 year old Corey Hart showed real promise with a 127 OPS+ and 23 stolen bases. Johnny Estrada did the catching and the Brewers bench was quite thin and old with the likes of Craig Counsel and Kevin Mench as the best options. The issue for the Brewers was their pitching as games tended to be quite high scoring. Ned Yost tried a variety of starters with Jeff Suppan making the most starts going 12-12 in 34 of them. Suppan had an unimpressive 4.42 FIP but Dave Bush and Chris Capuano were even worse with ERA's over 5 and the same ERA+ for both of 87. Ben Sheets was running on fumes at this point in his career but did go 12-5 with a 3.84 ERA and 7 K/9. Claudio Vargas struggled in 24 starts with 23 home runs allowed and a 5.09 ERA. Promise in 21 year old Yovani Gallardo who went 9-5 in 17 starts with a 8.2 K/9. Francisco Cordero was a lock down closer with a 2.98 ERA and 44 saves with a 12.2 K per 9. Carlos Villanueva and Derrick Turnbrow were questionable setup men but the best this roster had to offer. A fun team to watch hit who tipified the type of baseball and era they are coming from.

Holding on to the past can be a hard thing to do in this game, and the 1991 New York Mets were already well moving on from their dominant years in the 80's. Gome was Davey Johnson and the likes of Gary Carter or Darryl Strawberry but Dwight Gooden was still there at only 26 years old making 27 starts. The Doctor was not what he used to be but went 12-7 with a 3.03 FIP but even more significant was that Gooden no longer needed to be the ace of this staff. David Come had taken on that role and his brash style fit in well with this team while going 14-14 with a 3.34 ERA with two shutouts and over 8 strikeouts per game. Frank Viola the lefty had a cutting curveball but his ERA creeped up to 3.97 ERA allowing an alarming 25 home runs. Ron Darling had some arm issues but only made 17 starts and was fairly effective in his limited work. Wally Whitehurst and Anthony Young were two more names that likely will be used in long relief if they make the playoff roster. John Franco saved 30 games and a 2.93 ERA with his great splitter while Alejandro Pena and Jeff Innis made for a very good Mets bullpen. New York just didnt have the magic at the plate to match their good pitching hitting only .244 as a team. The best bat likely was Howard Johnson who had an .877 OPS with 38 home runs and 117 RBI. Johnson however was an atrocious defender wherever you played him. Kevin McReynolds drove in 74 runs and hit only .259 while 34 year old Hubie Brooks was past his best hitting only 16 home runs with an average under .240. Vince Coleman played center which was not his natural position and he did steal 37 bases but injuries limited him to less then 100 games. Greg Jeffries was still the talk of baseball as the future star at only 23 years old but he hit only .272 with 9 home runs and just didn't have the power everyone was hoping for; he heard the boo birds. Dave Magadan was a fan favorite at first but really wasnt an everyday player while Kevin Elster was never known for his hitting and 1991 definitely was not the exception. Rick Cerone had a tough time helping the Mets forget Gary Carter hitting .273 with only 2 home runs. Daryl Boston played much in the outfield mostly for his glove and Keith Miller saw work in the infield hitting .280 which was quite good for this team. Both these teams have obvious weaknesses and are an interesting matchup, unlikely performances from unexpected sources will likely help determine the outcome.

Game 1 At Miller Park
Cloudy 50
1991 Mets...........................7
2007 Brewers.....................11
WP: D. Turnbow (1-0) LP: J. Innis (0-1)
HR: G. Gross (1), T. Teufel (1), D. Boston (1)
POG: Johnny Estrada
2007 Brewers lead series 1-0
The Mets pen imploded in this opening game and allowed the Brewers to score six times in the 7th and 8th and take the win. New York built a good lead as Daryl Boston and Tim Teufel each had early two run home runs and David Cone left the game in the 6th with a 7-5 lead. Johnny Estrada went 4-5 with 3 runs scored as the Brewers roared back hammering both Jeff Innis and Alejandro Pena. Doc Gooden faced Ben Sheets in game two.

Game 2 At Miller Park
Roof closed
1991 Mets.........................2
2007 Brewers....................3 (16 inn)
WP: C. Capuano (1-0) LP: W. Whitehurst (0-1)
HR: R. Weeks (1)
POG: Dwight Gooden
2007 Brewers lead series 2-0
Dwight Gooden and Ben Sheets looked like their old selves pitching very good games. The Mets had the lead in the 8th inning with Gooden still on the mound but JJ Hardy doubled in a run to tie the game and the marathon from there was on. Neither pen would budge as the game moved all the way to the 16th inning before catcher Johnny Estrada delivered his only hit of the game walking off the winning run. Fifteen pitchers were used in this 5 and a half hour game. Mets need to come to life as they head home.

Game 3 At Shea Stadium
Partly cloudy 57
1991 Mets..........................2
2007 Brewers....................7
WP: Y. Gallardo (1-0) LP: F. Viola (0-1)
HR: B. Hall (1), C. Hart (1), J. Hardy (1)
POG: Corey Hart
2007 Brewers lead series 3-0
Frank Viola had very little as the Brewers pounded him for five runs in the first three innings and behind Yovanni Gallardo Milwaukee is one game away from ending this series. The Brewers hit three home runs and Corey Hart ended with 3 RBI in a 13 hit effort and a much more comfortable win then they had in the first two games. Gallardo walked five and struck out four before his pen closed out the final two innings.

Game 4 At Shea Stadium
Clear 56
2007 Brewers..................4
1991 Mets.......................7
WP: R. Darling (1-0) LP: D. Bush (0-1)
HR: J. Estrada (1), D. Boston (2)
POG: Rick Cerone
2007 Brewers lead series 3-1
Greg Jeffries finally came out of his slump and went 3-5 with 3 RBI while catcher Rick Cerone went 3-3 with a home run as the Mets put smiles on their fans faces. Ron Darling went six strong with 6 K's and no walks and David Bush takes the loss. Sweep avoided.

Game 5 At Shea Stadium
Rain 52
2007 Brewers...................3
1991 Mets........................2
WP: D. Turnbow (2-0) LP: A. Pena (0-1) F. Cordero (1)
HR: J. Hardy (2)
POG: David Cone
The Mets held a 2-1 lead into the 6th inning when JJ hardy came through with a tying home run off of David Cone. Cone was great tin this one striking out 11 batters before exciting in the seventh. Jeff Suppan also kept his team in it after a rocky start striking out 8 over six and once again a tight game between these two went into the late innings. It was catcher Johnny Estrada who came through in the 8th inning with a 2 out single to give the Milwaukee club the lead. In the ninth with closer Francisco Cordero on the mound, Hubie Brooks hit into a game and series ending double play as the Mets are eliminated.

2007 Milwaukee Brewers Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Ryan Braun
(.385, .808 OPS, 5 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB)

[Nick Soulis]

Preliminary Round
Series #110
1922 Cincinnati Reds (86-68) vs 1976 Detroit Tigers (74-87)

Pat Moran and the Reds of this era was the epitome of a team and proved it with their championship in 1920. The club was still in tact and playing well in 1992 finishing second in the National League and winning 86 games. The lineup had a .353 OBP and struck out only 381 times lead by the likes of first baseman Jake Daubert who brought in a .336 average and actually lead the team with only 12 homeruns. Bubbles Hargrave could be considered among the best catchers of the time hitting .316 with 10 triples and a total handle on this defensive duties. Sam Bohne and Ike Caveney were the typical middle infielders of the era not there for their bats but rather for their steady gloves but each did drive in over 50 runs. George Burns was showing his age a bit at 32 hitting only .285 with also 10 triples and 20 doubles. Burns did steal 30 bases to help his cause while Pat Duncan hit an impressive .328 with 94 RBI and 94 runs and many considered him the offensive MVP of this team. Geroge Harper hit .340 with a .397 OBP and a 119 OPS+ and at third base Babe Pinelli hit .305 with 72 RBI and 17 steals. The bench saw Lew Fonseca hit .361 as an elite pinch hitter and Ed Roush played in 49 games and hit .352; the depth of good hitters on this team seems never-ending. The pitching staff had experience and depth as well as Eppa Rixey lead the rotation with 25 wins and a 3.65 FIP. Johnny Couch had the highest ERA in the rotation at 3.89 but did get the support of the offense winning 16 games as did Pete Donohue who at only 21 years old won 18 games with a very good 3.12 ERA and 2 shutouts. Dolph Luque had no such luck losing 23 games with a 3.31 ERA but seemed to wilt when the game was on the line. Cactus Keck made 15 starts in support with a 3.37 ERA and a very cool name. There were only three real relievers on the club with John Gillespie and Cliff Markle not very good in any role they were asked to fill, it is starters or bust for this team. The Reds will compete their butts off and play the game the old fashion way whcih makes for intense action.

"The Bird is the Word" for sure is the lasting cry of the 1976 Tigers and their fanbase. Of course the club's overall success was not something to embrace but the antics and results of their 21 year old starting pitcher is cemented in Tiger history. Mark Fidrych had it all working for him with a 2.34 ERA, 4 shutouts, and only 65 earned runs in 250 innings. His enthusiasm filled Tiger Stadium and surely the kid will be the game 1 starting pitcher when this series with the Reds starts. Dave Roberts made 36 starts but held a 16-17 record with a 4.00 ERA and may have been the most forgotten pitcher in the league. Vern Ruhle had a 95 ERA+ in his 32 starts and was just about as average as can be. Ray Bare and Joe Coleman rounded off the rotation but each struggled with ERA+ plus both at around 80. The 3.87 team ERA overall was not terrible and is good enough to give the Tigers hope, John Hiller was great in relief with 13 saves and a 2.38 ERA. John Crawford and Bill Laxton were the left sided specialist but were less dependable then hoped. The Tigers lineup was a real mix of the old and the new to modest results. Ron LeFlore was the engine that made the offense go hitting .316 with 58 steals and some really daring exciting baseball. Rusty Staub and Willie Horton were two from the older guard that switched from outfield to DH with Staub doing better hitting .299 with 96 RBI but the two of them combined for only 29 home runs. Alex Johnson stole 14 bases and hit ,268 but only scored 41 runs while playing almost everyday. Tom Veryzer at 23 years old did not live up to expectation hitting only .234 in 97 games but did bring a good glove at short. Pedro Garcia was a .199 hitter in 77 games at second base but Dan Meyer eventually won the job hitting .252 with 10 steals. Aurelio Rodriguez drove in 50 runs but wasnt the muscle the team needed at third while at first Jason Thompson hit 17 home runs but hit a very pathetic .218. Bill Freehan was still a staple at the catcher position and brought winning and leadership to the club even in only 71 games. A star on the bench was Ben Oglive who had all the tools and hit .285 with 15 home runs and at 27 years old was just itching to play. The Reds will do best to be weary of this Tigers team and in a series of only seven games, where some of their best talents can make a definite difference.

Game 1 At Crosley Field
Partly cloudy 61
1976 Tigers.......................2
1922 Reds.........................4
WP: P. Donohue (1-0) LP: J. Coleman (0-1)
HR: W. Horton (1), S. Bohne (1)
POG: Pete Donohue
1922 Reds Lead Series 1-0
Sam Bohne hammered a first inning two run home run off of Joe Coleman that would set up Pete Donohue and the Reds up for their opening win. Donohue goes the full none without walking a man and allowing only two earned runs with 2 strikeouts. The Tigers did tie the game but in the seventh pinch hitter Lew Fonseca doubled in the go ahead run that would set the home team up for the opening win.

Game 2 At Crosley Field
Partly cloudy 65
1976 Tigers.....................6
1922 Reds......................4
WP: D. Lemanczyk (1-0) LP: E. Rixey (0-1)
HR: D. Lemanczyk (1)
POG: Dave Lemanczyk
Series tied at 1
Dave Lemanczyk did it with both the bat and the arm as he brough Detroit back to win game two and tie the series. The Syracuse native hit a home run in the 6th inning but more importantly went 9 innings allowing only two earned runs overcoming three errors by his defense. Ben Oglive also went 4-5 with a run and some fine defensive work as Detroit overcame an early 3-0 deficit to win by three.

Game 3 At Tiger Stadium
Clear 61
1922 Reds.........................2
1976 Tigers........................8
WP: M. Fidrych (1-0) LP: D. Luque (0-1)
HR: A. Rodriguez (1)
POG: Mark Fidrych
1976 Tigers Lead Series 2-1
Mark Fidrych had a full house to throw in front of in game three and had a quality showing going nine strong despite only striking out one. The Tigers offense was also up for the night started off by Aurelio Rodriguez who smacked a two run home run in the first and later a four run 8th put the game away. Ron LeFlore had two doubled and scored two runs as Detroit scattered 15 hits to take a series lead and hold the momentum. Fidrych seems to have great karma for his side.

Game 4 At Tiger Stadium
Partly cloudy 53
1922 Reds.........................10
1976 Tigers.........................5
WP: J. Scott (1-0) LP: R. Bare (0-1)
HR: B. Freehan (1), J. Caveney (1)
POG: Ike Caveney
Series tied at 2
A six run third inning gave the Reds a comfortable 7-0 lead and they cruised from there as Jack Scott didnt have the best outing but survived. Scott allowed 13 hits and five earned runs but his offense was in the mood in this one. Babe Pinelli went 4-6 and Ike Caveney hit a three run home run and ended with four RBI. The series is moving along nicely with both teams having won twice. Ralph Houk has already said that he is saving Mark Fidrych for a potential game seven.

Game 5 At Tiger Stadium
Clear 58
1922 Reds............................4
1976 Tigers..........................5
WP: D. Roberts (1-0) LP: P. Donohue (1-1)
HR: J. Thompson (1), B. Hargrave (1), P. Duncan (1)
POG: Jason Thompson
1976 Tigers lead series 3-2
The Reds pounded out 16 hits but a 4 run 8th inning against Reds starter Pete Donohue was enough for the Tigers to escape with a crucial game 5 win. Jason Thompson had the biggest hit of the game as his 2 run home run gave the Tigers the lead for good. Donohue had escaped too many times and his luck ran out giving reliever Dave Roberts the win after starter Joe Coleman left the game in the 7th trailing. Now the Reds need to win the last two games at Crosley Field.

Game 6 At Crosley Field
Rain 54
1976 Tigers.................5
1922 Reds..................6 (10 inn)
WP: E. Rixey (1-1) LP: V. Ruhle (0-1)
HR: A. Rodriguez (2)
POG: George Harper
Series tied at 3
The 1922 Reds rallied down one in the bottom of the 10th and walked game six off with a Bubbles Hardgrave double to extend the series to game seven. This game was nip and tuck with Eppa Rixey going all 10 innings for the winning side. Aurelio Rodriguez hit a home run and tied the game up in the 8th on a sacrifice fly with his team down one; his home run had given the Tigers the lead in the 10th. Now this very tight series goes to one final game for all the marbles as Fidrych takes the mound.

Game 7 At Crosley Field
Clear 58
1976 Tigers............................4
1922 Reds.............................3
WP: M. Fidrych (2-0) LP: D. Luque (0-2)
HR: R. Staub (1), B. Oglive (1)
POG: Mark Fidrych
The Reds and Dolph Luque held a 3-1 as this deciding game went into the 3rd inning when the Tigers rallied behind their determined starter Mark Fidrych. In the 6th Detroit three times as the effort was capped by a two run home run from Ben Oglive. With the one run lead, there was not way that the Bird was going to give the ball up or even more importantly the lead up. He threw 123 pitches and worked out of a jam in the 8th with two on before a perfect ninth and the Tigers move on.

1976 Detroit Tigers Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Bill Freehan
(.370, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 3 2B, 2 R, .950 OPS, 1 K)

[Nick Soulis]

As the project continues. This thread will be moving to the OOTP23 Dynasty group shortly so that it can stay relevant and accessible.

Thank you