The Field Of Dreams Project

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #127
1969 Washington Senators (86-76) vs 1905 New York Highlanders (71-77)

Better then expected, the 1969 Washington Senators lead by manager Ted Williams were 10 games over .500 and won 86 games. The Senators were lead by the big power left fielder who had a season to remember. Frank Howard jacked 48 home runs and drove in 111 runs while scoring 111. His slugging percentage was .574 and he literally put the fear into just about every pitcher he faced. Del Unser and Lee Maye helped make up the rest of the outfield and had similar profiles batting around .290 with a dependable arm in the outfield. Mike Epstein was obviously taking some good lessons from his manager as he hit 30 home runs, drove in 85, and had a .414 OBP. Ken McMullen at third hit 19 home runs but also lead the team in strikeouts with 102, he had a .775 OPS. Ed Brinkman was the everyday shortstop but was nothing extra special with an 89 OPS+ and he did work well with the second baseman Bernie Allen that hit from the left side. Allen had a .726 OPS and was feisty at the plate as a slap hitter and good baserunner. Paul Casanova made no one fall in love at the plate as he was mainly there for his defensive ability and his comfort level with the Senators hurlers. Brant Alvea hit 11 home runs off the bench and Hank Allen had the most appearances for a reserve with 75 hits and 12 stolen bases. The Senators hitters took on the profile of their manager, were patient and did very well in setting up for their big weapon, the Capital Punisher, Frank Howard. The Washington pitching staff also had a pleasant season especially at the top of the rotation where two arms made the difference. Joe Coleman at 22 years old was making a name for himself with 12 complete games and 4 shutouts his 3.27 ERA was a token of his good poise and command. Even better was Dick Bosman who went 14-5 with a sparkling 2.19 ERA, he allowed only 11 home runs and walking only 39 men as he made things easy for his defense. These two arms will be the go to pieces for Williams in this series. Jim Hannan filled in ok as a third starter, his 3.64 ERA was good but with a FIP at 4.67, it shows that he pitched in quite a bit off good luck along the way. The remainder of the rotation was filled by lefty Barry Moore and veteran Camilo Pascual. Pascual had nothing left as he was blown up in his starts while Moore is the most likely to get a start in the series with a 4.30 mark. The pen was a good one as Dennis Higgins and Darold Knowles were equally effective from different arm angles as the two of them combined for 29 saves. Jim Shellenback made 10 starts but likely wont be trusted while keeping in mind that Williams is known to be old school, and use all of his pitchers in any and all situations. We will see if the Senators will put it all toigether, against a deadball team with some very good pitching in the Highlanders.

New York of the American league wanted to build a winner as soon as possible so for the new team at manager Charlie Griffin was brought in. Griffin knew quite a bit about winning and did his best with a new team with a scatter of some stars but issues still remained, and the team did lose more then they won. Two excellent starters sat at the top of the rotation for New York and any club would have to worry in a series like this one. Al Orth won 18 games and a 2.86 ERA with 6 shutouts in 305 innings worked. Orth was getting up in age a bit but even more dominant was Jack Chesbro who won 19 games with a 2.20 ERA and both aces had a 1.09 WHIP. Bill Hogg at 23 years of age had a 3.20 ERA in just over 200 innings of work and very similar was a fourth starter in Jack Powell who also threw 203 innings with a 3.50 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. Griffin himself made seven starts and threw over 100 innings, he will likely be a key reliever in the series but we will see how he utilizes himself. Keeping the era in mind, the pitching for the club is excellent by the numbers. Thirty three year old Willie Keeler is the most famous name in the offense and he did hit .304 although he was mostly a singles machine with a .363 SLG. Hal Chase was the other star on the roster at first base. Chase was brilliant in the field like few others and he stole 22 bases. His .249 average left alot to be desired and some of his effort and character are also up for debate. Kid Elberfeld was the heart of the roster as the hot tempered player let no one get the best of him and controlled the basebaths. His numbers were average with a 97 OPS+ but he brought much more to the field. Joe Yeager had 107 hits at third base with 7 triples and 54 runs to go along with second baseman Jimmy Williams who had some speed with 14 steals but struggled to hit the ball with authority hitting .228 with 6 home runs. Patsy Dougherty was set up in centerfield with 17 steals and 56 runs but he slugged only .319. Dave Fultz was the third outfielder hitting .232 but he lead the team with 44 steals and 13 doubles at 32 years old. Red Kleinow did his best at catcher but played in only 88 games and split time with Deacon McGuire. Wid Conroy was a good replacement who had 19 doubles and 11 triples including 25 steals. The Highlanders will fight to keep scorelines down and try to fight for every run the old fashion way.

Game 1 At RFK Stadium
Clear 64
1905 Highlanders....................2
1969 Senators.........................5
WP: Dick Bosman (1-0) LP: J. Chesbro (0-1) S: D. Knowles (1)
HR: W. Conroy (1), J. French (1), M. Epstein (1)
POG: Dick Bosman
1969 Senators lead series 1-0
Two two run home runs, one in the 2nd and one in the 8th was more then enough for starter Dick Bosman who went seven strong innings as the Senators got off to the best start in beating Jack Chesbro and the Highlanders. Washington had only five hits for the duration of the game but made them count; Darnold Knowles earned the two inning save.

Game 2 At RFK Stadium
Clear 67
1905 Highlanders...................5
1969 Senators........................0
WP: C. Griffith (1-0) LP: J. Coleman (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Clark Griffith
Series tied at 1
Manager Clark Griffith inserted himself as the starter in game two and made a statement as he shutout the Senators and evened the series on a two hit effort. Griffith was as good as it gets walking only one and striking out five with what seemed like little effort. Wid Conroy went 3-4 and John Anderson scored two runs but it took the Highlanders until the 8th inning to extend on a one run lead and make the win comfortable. Now the series heads for the small outback of Hilltop Stadium next.

Game 3 At Hilltop Stadium
Clear 64
1969 Senators...........................2
1905 Highlanders......................3 (13 inn)
WP: D. Newton (1-0) LP: D. Higgins (0-1)
HR: J. Williams (1), W. Keeler (1)
POG: Bill Hogg
1905 Highlanders lead series 2-1
Willie Keeler took advantage of the short porch in right field of Hilltop Park and hit a ball 305 feet just over the wall in the 13th inning as the New York club walked off game three to take an edge in the series. The Senators were held to only four hits for the duration of the entire game with Bill Hogg throwing 8 innings and allowing two runs only on the detriment mostly of his 5 walks. Jimmy WIlliams hit a dramatic home run in the bottom of the ninth against Darold Knowles to force extras and turn the game around.

Game 4 At Hilltop Stadium
Clear 63
1969 Senators.....................3
1905 Highlanders................4
WP: J. Powell (1-0) LP: F. Bertania (0-1) S: W. Clarkson (1)
HR: R. Kleinow (1)
POG: Jack Powell
1905 Highlanders lead series 3-1
New York wins its third game in a row and is on the verge now of closing out the series at home after a come from behind win in game four. Washington broke on top 3-0 in the third as Ed Stroud had an RBI triple and Del Unser had three hits including an RBI single. Catcher Red Keinow got two runs back with a home run in the 4th inning off Frank Bertania and in the 5th the hosts would take the lead for good as Willie Keeler and Patsy Dougherty had RBI hits. Jack Powell struck out five and went seven strong for the win as Clark Griffith and his team look more and more confident.

Game 5 At Hilltop Stadium
Clear 63
1969 Senators..........................4
1905 Highlanders.....................8
WP: J. Chesbro (1-1) LP: D. Bosman (1-1)
HR: J. Williams 2 (3), B. Allen (1)
POG: Jimmy Williams
Celebrations in New York as the Highlanders sweep all three games at home and dispose of the 69 Senators in five games. Jimmy Williams hit two home runs as New York leaned on the unlikely long ball in this series especially in their home park. Williams scored four times and ended the game with 4 RBI. Jack Chesbro brought the clinching game home going the full nine and striking out 11 on a hefty 158 pitches.

1905 New York Highlanders Over 1969 Senators 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Jimmy Williams
(.450, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 1.500 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #128
2006 Baltimore Orioles (70-92) vs 1912 New York Highlanders (50-102)

Some good hitting and speed were dismissed due to some massive pitching deficiencies as the 2006 Orioles were far from a contender. Their draw against a 100 loss team however gives manager Sam Perlozzo hope that his team will show up enough to advance. Miguel Tejada was still as dependable as they get leading the team in WAR and RBI with 100. Tejada hit .330 but only walked 49 times and his power was a bit down with a modest 24 bombs. Melvin Mora was another veteran at third base who hit .274 with 83 RBI and even 11 steals. Turning 40, Jeff Conine did his best in left field and DH hitting .265 with 20 doubles and a very good clubhouse man. In center Corey Patterson still had alot to give stealing 45 bases with a .757 OPS and some excellent range in center. With all the age, the up and coming star on the club was 22 year old Nick Markakis who hit .291 and slugged .448 and good plate discipline. Kevin Millar brought his presence to the team at first hitting 15 home runs, 26 doubles and a .274 OBP. Brian Roberts still could move in his thirties stealing 36 bases and scoring 85 runs he remained the consomite Oriole. At catcher Ramon Hernandez was excellent with an .822 OPS with 23 home runs and 29 two baggers but his defense was subpar at the key position. Javy Lopez was the regular DH but he struggled for the position with only 8 home runs in 76 games. Jay Gibbons had a .799 OPS of the bench in numerous roles and Brandon Fahey along with Chris Gomez provided depth for what was overall a potent offense. Erik Bedard won 15 games at the top of the rotation and his 3.76 ERA and almost 8 K per nine were the only bright spot in a dark season for Oriole pitchers. Rodrigo Lopez lost 18 times which is saying something with this offense and allowed 32 home runs in less then 200 innings. Kris Benson was even worse allowing 33 bombs and a 5.60 FIP in what was surely the end of the line for the 31 year old. Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen tried to eat up some innings and starts but their results were in the ERA+ range of about 85. Bruce Chen made 12 starts he should forget with a 6.93 ERA and nothing on his stuff. Russ Ortiz among others could not provide relief for the club but closer Chris Ray did have a nice season for himself saving 33 games with a 2.73 ERA but his FIP was an alarming 4.84. LaTroy Hawkins and Todd Williams did hold down the fort in middle relief. Baltimore is a veteran one sided team, but the talent on offense alone should carry them against a deadball ear club.

Moving from Hilltop Park to the Polo Grounds did not help the 102 loss Highlanders who were ages away from being the great Yankee team a decade later. Stability in the starting rotation was also an issue for this team as six men vied for starts and innings to limited success. Russ Ford had close to 300 innings and lost 21 games with a 3.55 ERA while allowing a high home run total for the era of 11. Jack Warhop lead the team in ERA and was the best of the group but even with a 2.45 ERA he still lost 19 games. Warhop also played a big role in relief in close games and made more appearances then anyone else. Ray Caldwell had a terrible season with his 4.47 ERA although he did pitch in some very bad luck, George McConnell made 20 starts but was in his mid thirties still his 2.75 ERA and 1.2 WHIP made him a tough arm to crack. Jack Quinn and Ray Fisher rounded out the arms that started the most but both of them had ERA's north of 5 and didnt last long in their roles. A 24 year old Hippo Vaughn also made 10 starts but struggled, he hadnt found himself yet and was not the great pitcher he would soon become. The 4.13 team ERA is dreadful for the era. Rumors remained about first baseman Hal Chase and his links with organized crime and game throwing, Chase hit .274 with 21 doubles but almost everyone would agree he played under his potential. Ed Sweeney held down the catchers job but did nothing with it with only 30 RBI amd 13 extra base hits. Hand Simmons had only a 68 OPS+ and was among the worst regular hitters in the league but did swipe 19 bases. Jack Martin played in only 71 games at short and hit .225 as Charles Sterrett starting to make regular starts for him. Roy Hartzlell was a good left fielder hitting .272 with 11 triples 20 steals to go along with Bert Daniel in center who scored 72 runs and lead the team with 37 stolen bases. Guy Zinn hit six home runs out of right field with 55 RBI and decent speed, he brought a good change in the lineup from the left side. Birdie Cree was a very good player off the bench who hit .332 and is likely someone we will see start in the series at any of the outfield spots. Earle Gardner hit .281 and Jack Leivelt .362in reserve work but in very limited duty. New York can run a bit but their defense and lack of any real punch in the lineup give the Orioles a clear advantage in this series.

Game 1 At Camden Yards
Partly cloudy 56
1912 Highlanders...................3
2006 Orioles...........................7
WP: E. Bedard (1-0) LP: R. Caldwell (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Erik Bedard
2006 Orioles lead series 1-0
Sixteen hits and a big offensive day for the Orioles as Corey Patterson and Jeff Conine have three hits each and Nick Markakis drives in two. Ray Caldwell was hit hard in the loss even as the Orioles left 13 batters on base. Erik Bedard cruised to the win striking out nine and walking only one in 6.1 innings. The Highlanders will need to find better pitching and turn to young Hippo Vaughn in game 2.

Game 2 At Camden Yards
Clear 60
1912 Highlanders..................7
2006 Orioles..........................6
WP: H. Vaughn (1-0) LP: A. Loewen (0-1) S: R. Keating (1)
HR: B. Roberts (1)
POG: Jack Lelivelt
Series tied at 1
The Orioles down three rallied in the bottom of the ninth for two runs before Ray Keating shut the door by getting Brian Roberts to ground out with runners on the corners. The Highlanders hit Adam Loewen hard with two in the first and eventually knocking him out in the 7th with three more. Russ Ford and Dutch Sternett did most of the damage with 2 RBI each and Hippo Vaughn had an effective start going 7 innings even if his bullpen made things interesting. Series even heading to the Big Apple.

Game 3 At Polo Grounds
Clear 56
2006 Orioles..........................5
1912 Highlanders..................3
WP: D. Cabrera (1-0) LP: J. Warhop (0-1) S: C. Britton (1)
HR: J. Lelivelt (1)
POG: Daniel Cabrera
2006 Orioles lead series 2-1
A scoreless game was broken up in the 6th inning when Kevin Millar and Jeff Conine came through with RBI hits and soon after the Orioles added three more runs in the 7th. Nick Markakis went 4-5 and five Baltimore pitchers combined to hold the lead and preserve a series advantage. Jack Warhop just ran out of gas in this one after throwing 5 scorelss innings, he ends up being tagged with 5 earned runs and the loss.

Game 4 At Polo Grounds
Rain 50
2006 Orioles.....................4
1912 Highlanders.............7
WP: G. McConnell (1-0) LP: R. Lopez (0-1) S: R. Keating (2)
HR: J. Lelivelt (2), R. Hernandez (1)
POG: Jack Lelivelt
Series tied at 2
Highlander centerfielder Jack Lelivelt is having a monster series and his three run home run in the third inning set up the home side at the Polo Grounds for a crucial series tying win. George McConnell wasnt great but did enough allowing five runs in his seven innings of work before Ray Keating earned his second save. Ramon Harnandez drove in three in the loss with 3 RBI and Rodrigo Lopez lasted two innings and earned the loss.

Game 5 At Polo Grounds
Rain 48 (67 min rain delay)
2006 Orioles.....................2
1912 Highlanders.............3
WP: R. Caldwell (1-1) LP: E. Bedard (1-1) S: R. Keating (3)
HR: G. Zinn (1)
POG: Ray Caldwell
1912 Highlanders lead series 3-2
A rain soaked field in the Polo Grounds and a tight game for control in the series. Baltimore held a 2-0 lead until the 6ht inning when Guy Zinn hit a 404 foot home run with a man on off Erik Bedard to give New York the lead, Ray Keating earned his third save and the Highlanders pen got the job done as they sit one game from the upset. Ray Caldwell gets the win going six and striking out five.

Game 6 At Camden Yards
Clear 57
1912 Highlanders.....................3
2006 Orioles.............................4
WP: C. Britton (1-0) LP: R. Keating (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Hippo Vaughn
Series tied at 3
Hippo Vaughn was holding on to a 3 run lead with six outs to go for New York to close out the series but Baltimore had other ideas. The Orioles rallied in the bottom of the 8th for three runs knocking out Vaughn with Brian Roberts delivering the game tying single. In the ninth Miguel Tejada doubled off Ray Keating and then catcher Ramon Hernandez singled to left and Tejada beat the tag for a walk off and a forced game seven. The Highlanders only ended with 4 hits in the game but Adam Loewen had walked six to dig the hole. Chris Britton gets the win and the stage is set for a very interesting game seven.

Game 7 At Camden Yards
Rain 47
1912 Highlanders......................7
2006 Orioles.............................15
WP: B. Chen (1-0) LP: T. Thompson (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Jeff Conine
Once again the Highlanders seemed to have the game in hand leading 7-3 as the game went into the bottom of the 6th. Hal Chase had 3 hits and 2 RBI and Jack Warhop did his best to hold the lead. The Orioles knocked him out of the game scoring 3 times in the frame as Brian Roberts doubled in two. But in the bottom of the 7th Baltimore scored 5 times as Nick Markakis had a two run double and Kevin Millar a two run single. Baltimore would end with 18 hits and ran away from the Highlanders with 4 more in the 8th. New York seemed to crumble in the end after a long series.

2006 Baltimore Orioles Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Brian Roberts
(.414, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9 R, 3 2B, 4 SB, 1.089 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #129
2018 Houston Astros (103-59) vs 1908 Cleveland Naps (90-64)

With the dark cloud of the signal stealing scandel squarely as part of their history, the 2018 Astros still won 103 games and are a legitimate powerhouse of a club from any era. AJ Hinch and the Astro front office built a strong team from within and then added championship pieces, none bigger then the team pitching ace Justin Verlander. Verlander went 16-9 with a 2.52 ERA in 214 innings striking out 12.2 hitters per nine. Few can match the resolve of Verlander but the remainder of the rotation held its own with hard throwing Gerrit Cole doing even better and striking out 12.4 per nine with a 2.88 ERA in 200 innings. Dallas Kuechel brought a different approach from the lefts side but showed some rust with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Charlie Morton went a super 15-3 with a 3.13 ERA and also whiffed 10.8 batters per nine. Joining him as a fourth starter was Lance McCullers who in 22 starts had a 3.86 ERA and showed some good poise for a 24 year old. The two big arms at the top in Verlander and Cole make this team lethal in a series like this. Hector Rendon was the initial closer but his work had too many bumps and Ken Giles as well as Roberto Osuna soon took over the role with more effect. Colin McHugh sported a 1.99 ERA in a set up role with the assistance from Will Harris and Brad Peacock. The Astros offense was dangerous and had layers of talent. The heart of the lineup was likely on the infield with Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. Altuve hit .316 with 84 runs despite missing 30 games while Bregman had a .926 OPS with 31 home runs and 103 RBI to lead the team. They also stole close to 30 bases between them. Carlos Correa had a down year striking out 111 times with a .239 average and only 15 home runs but the talent is obviously there. Yuli Gurrliel drove in 85 runs out of first base with 33 doubles and a excellent eye at the plate. George Springer was starting to make a bigger impact in the outfield but health is also usually an issue for him. Springer hit 22 home runs with 26 doubles in less then a full season, his importance to the team overall can not be understated. Josh Reddick was about average with a 97 OPS+ with 17 home runs but was slowing down. Marwin Gonzalez also struck out too much but added 16 home runs with 25 doubles and decent defense. Jake Marisnik was all effort all the time even if his numbers dont impress, he defense especially was well above average. Max Stassi did most of the catching with Brian McCann still on the roster, both were similar player who could provide some needed pop. Evan gattis remained popular and the most frequent DH who slugged .452 with 25 home runs but only 33 walks and a .226 average. Martin Maldonado and JD Davis added the familiar names on the bench as the offense was very well rounded. A 103 team says it all, but history always asks if this Astros club was really as good as that, or was it all a very successful mirage.

Baseball in 1906 was a completely different world and almost a different sport. Pitching was dominant in every regard and finding a hitter to hit .300 was a futile attempt. Still within this formula, the 1906 Cleveland club had a fine season winning 90 games and finishing second behind the White Sox for the pennant. The team description has to start with the manager and best player, in fact the man who had the team named after him because he was such a factor, Nap Lajoie. Lajioie hit .289 with 74 RBI and 32 doubles while playing hard intimidating defense. He lead the team by word and by deed, and anyone in the league at the time considered him among the very best. George Stovall was actually hitting better then Lajoie at first with a .292 mark and 29 doubles making him a big part of the offense. Bill Bradley at third scored 70-runs with 18 steals and 24 doubles making him another significant contributor perfect for the era. Joe Birmingham was bad in centerfield with a 66 OPS+ and a .213 average and reserve Wilbur Good began to take over the role. In left Bill Hinchman hit .239 but had 59 RBI scoring 55 times and he was significantly better then the right fielder Josh Clark although Clark lead the team in steals with 37.George Perring at only 23 years old was the short stop but played in only 89 games hitting only .216 and definitely in over his head, Terry Turner was the man to back up at short with more stability at the position but still a .239 average. Jay Clarke is the left handed swinging catcher who hit .241 with no slugging ability and split time with Harry Bemis. Lajoie and Stovall could carry the lineup, especially when the pitching was as good as it was. Addie Joss was the star on the mound going 24-11 with one of the lowest ERA's in the history of the game at 1.16 and an incredible WHIP of 0.86; he allowed 42 earned runs in 325 innings. Bob Rhoads, the number two starter, had a stellar ERA also at 1.77 in 30 starts and 20 of them complete. Rhoads and Joss combined for 10 shutouts at it was a real chore to score even two runs in a game against them. Glenn Liebhardt actually lost 16 games with a 2.20 mark that was kind of average for the day. Heinie Berger went 13-8 with a 2.12 ERA in 200 innings of work and finally Charlie Chech added to the embarrassment of riches with a 1.74 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 20 starts. Jack Ryan and Ed Foster were to extra arms but in essence this was a team without any kind of bullpen. As a unit, the Naps had a 2.02 ERA with only 3.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Thus the contrast could not be any greater between these two sides which makes the series all the more fascinating.

Game 1 At Minute Maid Park
Clear 74
1908 Naps...........................4
2018 Astros..........................7
WP: J. Verlander (1-0) LP: A. Joss (0-1) S: K. Giles (1)
HR: G. Springer (1), A. Bregman (1), J. Clarke (1)
POG: George Springer
2018 Astros lead series 1-0
Emotions ran high in Houston for game one as Nap shortstop Bill Hinchman was ejected after a called third strike and both teams seemed to be chirping the entire game. George Springer went 2-4 with a 2 run home run and 3 RBI while Yuli Gurriel drove in another 2. Alex Bregman also went deep as Addie Joss was introduced to modern baseball the hard way allowing 6 earned runs and being knocked out in the 6th. Justin Verlander struck out seven in the win.

Game 2 At Minute Maid Park
Clear 67
1908 Naps...........................6
2018 Astros..........................1
WP: G. Liebhardt (1-0) LP: G. Cole (0-1)
HR: W. Good (1), B. Bradley (1)
POG: Glenn Liebhardt
Series tied at 1
Nap Lajoie delivered a two run double and the Naps also homered twice off of Gerrit Cole to control and win the second game of the series. Cleveland only had 6 hits but made the most of them including a two run triple by Charlie Hickman who played as the DH. Cole walked four and lacked command in his six innings of work. Glenn Liebrandt gets the win striking out six and walking four as the Astros had no extra base hits.

Game 3 At League Park
Clear 49
2018 Astros..........................3
1908 Naps............................4 (11 inn)
WP: J. Thielman (1-0) LP: J. Smith (0-1)
HR: T. Turner (1)
POG: Heinie Berger
1908 Naps lead Series 2-1
Pinch hitter Terry Turner hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score and deny the Astros the win off of Ken Giles. In the 11th the Naps completed the dramatic win when another pinch hitter, George Perring, singled in the winning run to walk off a series lead. Houston wasted a good start by Charlie Morton and had taken a lead in the 8th inning off Alex Bregman RBI double. Heinie Berger had kept his team in the game allowing only one run in seven innings and eventually his mates came through. Cleveland means business in this series.

Game 4 At League Park
Clear 50
2018 Astros...........................9
1908 Naps.............................8
WP: L. McCullers Jr (1-0) LP: C. Chech (0-1) S: K. Giles (2)
HR: J. Clarke (2), B. Hinchman (1), W. Good (2), J. Reddick (1), L. McCullers (1). J. Altuve (1), Y. Gurriel (1)
POG: Lance McCullers Jr
Series tied at 2
The Naps almost did it again this time down 9-3 heading into the 8th after the Astros hit four home runs and seemed in complete control. Cleveland scored three runs in the 8th when Jay Clarke cleared the bases with a double, he had already homered in the game. In the 9th, Ken Giles came on to redeem himself but allowed a two run shot by Wilbur Good to cut the lead to one run. George Stovall then flew out deep to right to ease Astro hearts and even this very good series.

Game 5 At League Park
Clear 55
2018 Astros......................0
1908 Naps........................3
WP: A. Joss (1-1) LP: J. Verlander (1-1)
HR: J. Clarke (3)
POG: Addie Joss
1908 Naps lead series 3-2
Addie Joss showed his brilliance in game 5 pitching a two hit shutout and leading the Naps to the brink. Joss recovered from a bad game one and was on top of his game disrupting all of the Astros hitters timing and striking out seven while walking none. A good Justin Verlander could not keep pace and after Josh Clarke hit a solo home run in the 1st, the Naps and Joss would need nothing more. The game took just over two hours and was a sigh to see a deadball era pitcher completely befuddle a modern power lineup.

Game 6 At Minute Maid Park
Roof closed
2008 Naps..................4
2018 Astros................11
WP: G. Cole (1-1) LP: G. Liebhardt (1-1) S: H. Rondon (1)
HR: B. Hinchman (2), C. Hickman (1), J. Birmingham (1), J. Altuve (2), A. Bregman (2), E. Gattis (1), M. Gonzalez (1)
POG: Evan Gattis
Series tied at 3
With their backs against the wall, Evan Gattis had 4 RBI and Houston uses a six runs 8th inning to put the Naps away and force a game seven. Gerrit Cole struck out 12 batters in seven innings of work without allowing an earned run. Houston hit four home runs with Marwin Gonzalez adding a big three run job in the big 8th. The series is now poised for one game to decide it all.

Game 7 At Minute Maid Park
Partly cloudy 60
2008 Naps........................3
2018 Astros.......................6
WP: H. Rondon (1-0) LP: H. Berger (0-1)
HR: E. Gattis (2), J. Clarke (1), B. Hinchman (3), C. Hickman (2)
POG: Charlie Morton
A tight game seven moved to the late innings and in the 8th Alex Bregman singled in the go ahead run off fatigued Cleveland starter Heinie Berger. With a one run lead, the big blow came off the bat of Evan Gattis who slammed a three run home run to put the Astros up by 4. Ken Giles worked a rocky ninth to close out the game and what really was a good series and a scare for Houston. Charlie Morton gets the win throwing into the 8th inning and striking out 10.

2018 Houston Astros Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Alex Bregman
(.480, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .760 SLG, 10 R, .567 OBP)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #130
1995 New York Yankees (79-65) vs 1974 Kansas City Royals (77-85)

The building blocks were already in place as the next Yankee dynasty was about to take flight. Two key pieces of the 1995 team however would not be part of the imminent success, as manager Buck Showalter and the great Don Mattingly were in their final seasons. The 1995 club overachieved in many peoples eyes even if they lost a heartbreaker against Seattle in the ALDS, this is a club that should not be taken lightly. Mattingly was hurting physically and hit .288 while slugging only .413 with 7 home runs. Still he only struck out 35 times and drilled 32 doubles while maintaining a good glove at first. The star of the team was 26 year old Bernie Williams in center. Williams hit .307 with 82 driven in and 93 runs scored totaling a .878 OPS. Next to him in the outfield was the intense Paul O'Neil who hit 22 home runs and drove in 96 keeping in mind the 1995 was a short season. Pauly hit exactly .300 while the final outfield spot was usually filled by Luis Polonia or Rueben Sierra. Sierra had a 95 OPS plus hitting .260 while Polonia was more of a defender and speed option who struggled to make hard contact. Tony Fernandez was the 33 year old shortstop for most of the season but after hitting only .245, he was replaced by rookie sensation Derek Jeter who soon took over the role but was as green as could be at 21. Pat Kelly and Randy Velarde played the rest of the time in the infield mostly at second, neither was very good although the latter stole 6 bases and hit .278. Thirty seven year old legend Wade Boggs took his place at the hot corner hitting an impressive .324 with a .412 OBP showing that he still have alot to give even as the power stroke was gone. Mike Stanley did most of the catching and delivered 18 home runs with 83 RBI, excellent numbers for a catcher. Darryl Strawberry and Danny Tartabull are two veteran names that also played a big role when called upon. The bullpen was anchored by John Wetteland who saved 33 games with a 2.93 ERA10 K per nine. In support of him was Bob Wickman and Steve Howe who both had the knowhow to hold leads in tough sports. As for Mariano Rivera, he had a 5.51 ERA and even made 10 starts, he was galaxies away from being the great closer he would become. Jack McDowell won 15 games and started in 30, he had a 3.93 ERA and a 4.30 FIP showing that consistency wasnt a strong point. Andy Pettitte was 12-9 at 23 years old with a 4.17 ERA and a high WHIP of 1.4. David Cone came on strong going 9-2 in 99 innings of work with 89 K. Sterling Hitchcock made 27 starts with an ERA near 5 and losing 10 times in the process. Melido Perez and Scott Kamienieki were also part of the mix but wont see a start in this series and likely will be in long relief. The Yankee rotation was a rough spot for a team that had a good bullpen and a lineup that got on base and could hit in the clutch.

Another team that was building something special was coming together in the 1974 Royals. A number of young stars, including 21 year old George Brett at third base, were learning the ropes in real time and even as this particular club lost 85 games, manager Jack McKeon had alot of talent to work with. As for Brett he hit .282 in 133 games with only 2 home runs and 49 runs, The improvement over the season however could be seen both at the dish and with the glove. Freddie Patek was the everyday shortstop hitting only .225 but showing off speed with 33 steals, 72 runs, and 6 triples. John Mayberry still had some pop at first base slugging .424 with 22 home runs but he too could not hit for average. Amos Otis was a very good all around player in centerfield stealing 18 bases with 72 RBI and a 121 OPS+. Jim Wohlford patrolled left but also had only 2 home runs hitting .271 that was obviously underwhelming for the position. Two veterans made their mark for the club starting with 35 year old Vida Pinson in right. Pinson hit .276 with 21 steals but only 45 runs and 41 RBI making him the same type of hitter with too many in the order. Second baseman Cookie Rojas was a smart player at his advanced age and did drive in 60 runs with 147 hits in 144 games. Fran Healy was a good catcher driving in 53 runs with 24 doubles at the position. At DH was the very consistent Hal McRae who proved himself as the best hitter on the team. He hit .288 with 15 home runs and 36 doubles for 256 total bases. Young Frank White was part of the infield depth and Orlando Cepeda also had a roster spot. Buck Martinez and Al Cowens were the regular reserve men for McKeon. At 24 years old Steve Busby tried to take the moniker of ace winning 22 games with a 3.39 ERA and three shutouts; he struck out 198 batters in 292 innings to add to an impressive season. Paul Splittorff lost 19 games with a 4.10 ERA and 23 home runs allowed. The lefty had some back luck but making hard contact on him didnt seem to be a problem. Al Fitzmorris was 13-6 with a 2.79 ERA even if his FIP was 3.56 he did provide some quality innings for the staff. Bruce De Canton was good in his 22 starts and might see a role in this series but he does have some control issues. Nelson Briles had a 4.02 ERA and an even better FIP as he is yet another option to bolster the staff. Doug Bird played the role of closer but saved only 10 games, still in any capacity he was in he did well with his 2.73 ERA. Lindy McDaniel and Marty Pattin will also be used if the starters in a particular game prove ineffective. Both this Royals team and the 1995 Yankees are similar clubs, the edge for New York would be with the bats while the Royals have some very good starting pitching. There is also some history between these two franchises including two very capable manager.

Game 1 At Yankee Stadium
Partly cloudy 59
1974 Royals.....................5
1995 Yankees...................3
WP: G. Garber (1-0) LP: D. Pavlas (0-1) D. Bird (1)
HR: P. O'Neil (1)
POG: Steve Busby
1974 Royals lead series 1-0
The Yankees held a 3-2 lead heading into the 8th where the Royals rallied and Hal McRae delivered the go ahead hit off Dave Pavlas. The lead would hold up and KC redeems Steve Busby who struck out seven in 6.2 innings pitched and allowed 2 earned runs. A nice upset in game one for the Royal blues.

Game 2 At Yankee Stadium
Partly cloudy 56
1974 Royals..................9
1995 Yankees................0
WP: B. Dal Canton (1-0) LP: J. McDowell (0-1)
HR: J. Wohlford (1), A. Otis (1), J. Mayberry (1)
POG: Bruce Del Canton
1974 Royals lead series 2-0
Royals starter Bruce Dal Canton can be frustrating on the mound at times, and in this one he walked six men while striking out seven, but in the end had a performance to remember. Dal Canton went the whole way completing a shutout at Yankee Stadium allowing only 5 hits. John Mayberry had a three run home run as Jack McDowell didnt have it in what was an easy win for the visitors who control this series.

Game 3 At Royals Stadium
Partly cloudy 53
1995 Yankees......................9
1974 Royals........................10 (10 inn)
D. Bird (1-0) LP: B. Wickman (0-1)
HR: F. Healy (1), B. Williams (1)
POG: Bernie Williams
1974 Royals lead series 3-0
Amos Otis delivered a walk off double in the 10th inning to set Royals Stadium alight as the Kansas City team is one game away from a sweep. This was a wild one as the home team had a 4 run lead in the ninth before New York roared back on Doug Bird helped by a big error by George Brett. The Royals had 20 hits in this game including 4 from Tony Solaita. Bernie Williams went 4-5 for the Yanks with 3 RBI but pitching for both sides in this one was drilled.

Game 4 At Royals Stadium
Partly cloudy 55
1995 Yankees.....................7
1974 Royals........................5
WP: M. Rivera (1-0) LP: D. Leonard (0-1) S: B. Wickman (1)
HR: A. Otis (2), P. O'Neil (2), P. Kelly (1)
POG: Paul O'Neil
1974 Royals lead series 3-1
The Yankees were determined not to suffer a sweep and Paul ONiel hit a three run home run in the first inning to show it. The Royals however scored 4 runs in the 2nd thanks to a George Brett double to take the lead. Pat Kelly put New York back up in the 4th with a 2 run home run and the Yanks would survive. O'Neil ended with 5 RBI and an unlikely Mariano Rivera gets the win in relief.

Game 5 At Royals Stadium
Clear 60
1995 Yankees........................3
1974 Royals...........................2
WP: A. Pettitte (1-0) LP: S. Busby (0-1) S: M. Perez (1)
HR: None
POG: Andy Pettitte
1974 Royals lead series 3-2
Pat Kelly came up with another big hit doubling in two runs in the 4th inning to give his side the lead that they would preserve. It was Andy Pettitte who proved to have the resolve holding off the Royals for seven innings before Melido Perez earned a 2 inning save for the fatigued Yankee pen. Now things get very interesting as the series moves to the Bronx.

Game 6 At Yankee Stadium
Partly Cloudy 54
1974 Royals.........................6
1995 Yankees......................3 (11 inn)
WP: D. Bird (2-0) LP: B. Wickman (0-2)
HR: A. Otis (3)
POG: Amos Otis
Cookie Rojas delivered a two run single off of Bob Wickman in the 11th inning as the Royals put 3 three runs on the board and pull away to win their third game at Yankee Stadium to win the series in six. Amos Otis drove in three for the winning side including 2 in the first inning with his third home run of the series. New York fought back but never had the lead in this one and never had the lead in the series.

1974 Kansas City Royals Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Amos Otis
(.462, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 2 2B, .885 SLG)

[Nick Soulis]

Tournament Progress Report 130 Series Played

Every 10 series I will give a progress report on the competition including stats.

Leaders (single series)
Hits...................George Stone (1907 Browns) 17
Home Runs.......Andrew McCutchen (2014 Pirates) 6
RBI...................Dave Parker (1977 Pirates) 17
Strikeouts.........Smoky Joe Wood (1912 Red Sox) 36
Longest HR.......Billy Herman (1941 Cubs) 504 FT

Cumulative WAR leaders (ALL Players)
1. Kenny Lofton - 3.2
2. Al Lopez - 3.1
3. Mike Piazza - 2.9
4. Ramon Hernandez - 2.8
5. Omar Vizquel - 2.6


Managerial Leaders
Most Wins...........Tony LaRussa - 22
Winning %...........Bill Virdon - 100%

Hall of Famers
Culminative leaders for all Hall of Famers for every series they play (includes Pujols, Rose, Bonds, Joe Jackson, Clemens, Trout, Verlander, Cabrera)
Avg..................Harry Heilmann (1.00)
HR...................Jim Thome (10)
RBI..................Jim Thome (35)
Runs...............Jim Thome (28)
Hits.................Johnny Bench (33)
SB..................Rickey Henderson (11)
2B...................Alex Rodriguez (8)
3B...................Tris Speaker (4)
AB...................Jim Thome (119)
SLG................Gaby Hartnett (1.083)
Wins...............Jim Palmer (5)
IP....................Jim Palmer (81)
K.....................Gaylord Perry (55)
ERA................Whitey Ford (0.00)
K/9..................Juan Marichal (10.52)
BB/9................Dennis Eckersley (0.00)
Saves..............Mariano Rivera (4)

Championship Clubs
1. 1959 Dodgers (defeated 1989 Dodgers 4-2 in prelim) Still Alive
2. 1908 Chicago Cubs (Lost to 1919 Giants 2-4 in prelim) ELIMINATED
3. 1985 Kansas City Royals (Lost to 1995 Padres 1-4 in Prelim) ELIMINATED
4. 1973 Oakland Athletics (defeated 1920 Braves in Prelim) Still Alive
5. 1919 Cincinnati Reds (Lost to 1973 Reds 3-4 in Prelim) ELIMINATED
6. 1998 New York Yankees (Defeated 1926 Cubs 4-2 in Prelim) Still Alive
7. 1991 Minnesota Twins (Defeated 1909 Highlanders 4-2 in Prelim) Still Alive
8. 1951 New York Yankees (Defeated 1923 Athletics 4-1 in Prelim) Still Alive
9. 1947 New York Yankees (Lost to 1914 Yankees 3-4 in Prelim) - ELIMINATED
10. 1912 Boston Red Sox (Defeated 2020 Rockies 4-3 in Prelim) Still Alive

Incredible Comebacks (Teams down 0-3 to come back and win series)
1. 1912 Boston Red Sox (Defeated 2020 Rockies)


Franchise Records
Arizona Dbacks....................0-2
Atlanta/Mil Braves................4-4
Baltimore Orioles..................5-6
Boston Braves/Beans...........1-4
Boston Red Sox...................10-3
Brooklyn/LA Dodgers...........8-9
Chicago Cubs......................3-6
Chicago White Sox..............7-5
Cincinnati Reds...................9-10
Cleveland Indians/Naps......2-7
Colorado Rockies................0-1
Detroit Tigers......................5-6
Florida/Miami Marlins......... 1-0
Houston Astros....................3-2
KC Royals...........................3-1
Los Angeles Angels.............2-5
Milwaukee Brewers.............5-3
Minnesota Twins..................3-5
Montreal Expos...................4-0
New York Mets....................3-3
New York Yankees...............8-8
New York/SF Giants.............6-3
Philadelphia Phillies.............5-5
Philadelphia/Oak A's............6-9
Pittsburgh Pirates.................7-5
San Diego Padres................4-4
Seattle Mariners...................2-3
St. Louis Browns..................2-1
St. Louis Cardinals...............3-4
Tampa Bay Rays..................1-0
Texas Rangers.....................1-2
Toronto Blue Jays.................2-0
Washingtion Nationals..........0-0
Washington Senators...........6-4

Best Winning Percentage by Franchise Montreal Expos 100%

Records By Decade
1900's.............................3-8
1910's.............................17-6
1920's.............................2-6
1930's.............................5-11
1940's.............................9-6
1950's.............................12-9
1960's.............................9-9
1970's.............................18-13
1980's.............................8-11
1990's.............................18-22
2000's.............................20-12
2010's.............................11-20

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


Achievements
Series 2 - Jim Longborg 19 scoreless innings pitched
Series 5 - Gil Hodges 5-5, 2 HR, 7 RBI in game 2 of series
Series 15 - Mark McGwire hits 3 HR in one game at Braves Field.
Series 48 - Ron Fairly goes 5-6 with 3 doubles and a home run in 13-10 win.
Series 62 - Joe Adcock hits three home runs in the deciding game seven with 5 RBI including the walk off series clinching winner.
Series 73 - Joey Medwick goes 4-5 with 3 HR and 7 RBI in game 4 of series. He hit 2 three run home runs.
Series 85 - Alex Rodriguez goes 6-6 with 3 2B and 4 runs in game six clinching win.
Series 91 - Noodles Hahn pitches to complete game shutouts in series sweep, one in game one and one in game 4.
Series 96 - Darryl Strawberry of the 1984 Mets goes 6-6 with 6 RBI in a 24 hit effort by the team in a win over the 1994 Expos.
Series 99 - Three home runs by Walker Cooper in a crucial 7-5 win in game 6 to keep the 1948 Giants alive and eventual winners.
Series 102 - Dave Parker hits 5 home runs in 4 games and drives in 17 runs.
Series 117 - Ed Konetcy goes 3-5 with 7 RBI for the 1909 Cardinals in a 16 run win.
Series 121 - Jim Palmer pitches a 13 inning shutout to beat Whitey Ford and the Yankees 1-0.

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #131
1916 New York Yankees (80-74) vs 1992 New York Yankees (76-86)

In 1916 the American League team from New York has a new name called the Yankees and were slowly becoming a factor in the pennant chase. Wild Bill Donovan had an ace pitcher and some viable hitters to win 80 games and finish in 4th. Bob Shawkey was the ace referred to winning 24 games with a 2.21 ERA and 4 shutouts. The 25 year old struck out 122 batters and when he wasnt starting even saved 8 games proving his value. George Mogridge and Ray Fisher each made 21 starts with the lefty being much better with a 126 ERA+ while Fisher had a 1.35 WHIP and was hit quite a bit. At 22 Allen Russell made 19 starts with a 3.20 ERA and nothing really special in this era. Nick Cullup was 13-6 with a fine 2.03 ERA and definitely deserves more chances with a 1.09 WHIP. Ray Caldwell was 5-12 in 18 starts and had some back luck to lose as many as he did. Donovan has a number of options and can play his rotation in this series any number of ways, all these arms could also play key relief roles. Ray Keating at only 22 is the outside wild card, but he is likely too green for this stage. On offense the Yankees had some really nice pieces with the famous Home Run Baker fitting in nicely. Baker hit 10 home runs and drove in 52 while playing in only 100 games. Still Baker brings a championship mentality to a club that wanted to get there. Lee Magee was the fire on the team stealing 29 bases with almost 60 runs and walking 50 times. Almost everyone in the lineup had double digit steals and Frank Gihooley in center was no different, he had a nice .278 average in 58 games but split time with Fritz Maisel who wasn't as consistent. Hugh High hit .263 but only drove in 28 runs with a weak 13 doubles and was not a good answer in right. Roger Peckinpaugh was an excellent short stop with 22 doubles and 58 RBI and was a fine glove man. Wally Pipp was hands down the best hitter on the club and a star at this time before anyone ever heard of Gehrig. Pipp scored 70 runs, hit 12 home runs, and drove in a very impressive 93 runs. He had truly established himself as one of the best overall first basemen at this time in the American League. Joe Gedeon manned second base but was the deadlink of the infield hitting .211 with a brutal 62 OPS+. Les Nunamaker was the catcher and lead the team with a .296 average and a .784 OPS making a supurb part of the offense. Paddy Bauman was a capable bat off the bench hitting .287 and could play almost anywhere. The Yankees had a deep roster and Donovan in truth used it in every way possible, The new digs for the team in the Polo Grounds is also worth noting.

Young Buck Showalter took over manager duties and was on a mission to revive a lost franchise. Baby steps were needed in 1992 for this team but the frame work of a winning side was not far away. The offense did have some work to do as Don Mattingly did not have his best season but was still the head of the class in the Bronx. Donny hit .288 with 14 homers and 86 RBI and also added 40 doubles and some dependable defense but he did hear some critics say he was past his best also nursing a tender back. Danny Tartabull has a masher in rightfield with an .898 OPS thanks to 101 walks and a .409 OPSl he also hit 25 home runs. Roberto Kelly had all the tools in centerfield making defense look easy. His speed translated to 28 steals and 31 doubles while scoring 81 runs. Mel hall was the left fielder hitting .280 with 81 RBI but he may have been swinging for the fences too often and his effort was an issue. Charlie Hayes played a good third base but struck out 100 times and walked only 28. He offered little as did shortstop Andy Stankiewicz who hit .268 with a .685 OPS and only 2 home runs; his defense also did not make up for the lack of power. Matt Nokes had some read power out of the cather position with 22 home runs even if he wasnt consistent with a .224 average. Mike Stanley was a dependable backup for him when he would hit DH. Kevin Maas was the most frequent DH hitting 11 home runs with a .710 OPS which could be considered average at best Pat Kelly was the light hitting second baseman with Randy Velarde also seeing alot of work in the middle infield, his OPS was .719. Young Bernie Williams was still learning the ropes hitting .280 and Mike Gallego along with Jim Leyritz may be two bench names that are recognizable. Melido Perez started 33 games but lost 16 of them even though he deserved better. Perez had a 2.87 ERA with a 3.05 FIP striking out an impressive 8 per 9. He should be considered the ace after Scott Sanderson who came in at a grey 35 years old. Sanderson was 12-11 with a rough 4.92 ERA allowing an alarming 28 home runs. Scott Kamieniecki went 6-14 with a 4.36 but his whip was almost 1.5. Tim Leary was even worse as a starter in 15 starts he had a FIP of 5.17. Greg Cadaret also had his chance to start but was better used in the pen, thus overall the Yankee 4 man rotation was a sore spot for this club. The pen did offer hope but as expected was overused, Steve Farr had 30 saves with a great 1.56 ERA in 50 games. Rich Monteleone, John Habvan and Tim Burke were all fine options for middle or long inning relief. Yankee pitching will need to hold up against a good hitting opponent, as two of the not so legendary Yankee teams face off against eachother.

Game 1 At The Polo Grounds
Clear 75
1992 Yankees....................2
1916 Yankees....................5
WP: N. Cullop (1-0) LP: M. Perez (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Nick Cullop
1916 Yankees Lead Series 1-0
Les Nunamaker drove in two runs as the old Yankees took the opener at the Polo Grounds behind Nick Cullop who stood tall in the win. Cullop went the distance allowing six hits and 2 earned runs while striking out four. Melido Perez also went the distance but had issues with his control and came up on the short end.

Game 2 At The Polo Grounds
Clear 64
1992 Yankees....................2
1916 Yankees....................1
WP: S. Sanderson (1-0) LP: B. Shawkey (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Bob Shawkey
Series tied at 1
A great pitchers duel for game two and a Mel Hall run scoring double in the 5th was the difference. Bob Shawkey struck out nine and was in complete command but an error by Frank Gilhooley set up an unearned run that would tag him with the loss. Scott Sanderson may not have been as sharp striking out only two and allowing 11 hits. His 138 pitch effort however was good enough as he finished what he started allowing only one earned.

Game 3 At Yankee Stadium
Partly cloudy 62
1916 Yankees....................2
1992 Yankees....................12
WP: S. Militello (1-0) LP: R. Keating
HR: D. James (1)
POG: Dion James
1992 Yankees lead series 2-1
An emphatic win for Buck Showalters team as they whip 16 hits and 12 runs to take the lead in this series. A six run second inning set the stage and a three run home run by Dion James in the 5th put the game away; James ended with with 4 RBI and 2 runs. Another complete game as Sam Militello threw 134 pitches and worked around 6 walks to hold the 1916 team to only two runs. Ray Keating lasted only 2.2 innings and was well off his game.

Game 4 At Yankee Stadium
Clear 67
1916 Yankees.......................6
1992 Yankees.......................3
WP: N. Cullop (2-0) LP: M. Perez (0-2)
HR: F. Baker (1)
POG: Home Run Baker
Series tied at 2
In the top of the seventh inning Home Run Baker broke a 3-3 tie in a big way hitting a three run home run off Melido Perez 334 feet over the right field wall. Of course Baker has been a legend with the timing of his home runs and tonight just adds to that. Nick Cullop wins his second game of the series walking none and allowing seven hits. The series has really been dead even between these teams and where it goes is anyones guess.

Game 5 At Yankee Stadium
Cloudy 52
1916 Yankees.......................3
1992 Yankees.......................4
WP: S. Sanderson (2-0) LP: B. Shawkey (0-2) S: S. Farr (1)
HR: None
POG: Bob Shawkey
1992 Yankees Lead Series 3-2
A Wally Pipp error set up a two run double from Don Mattingly as the 1992 Yankees delighted their fans with a 3 run 3rd inning and an advantage they wouldnt lose. Scott Sanderson ran into some trouble in the 6th but got out of it with a one run lead and took it to the 9th before Steve Farr closed the door with the tying run on second. Sanderson gets his second win and Bob Shawkey again loses a game he pitched very well in, allowing only one earned run.

Game 6 At The Polo Grounds
Clear 66
1992 Yankees......................0
1916 Yankees......................5
WP: R. Keating (1-1) LP: S. Militello (1-1)
HR: None
POG: Ray Keating
Series tied at 3
Ray Keating had the task of keeping the 1916 Yankees alive and forcing a game seven and that is exactly what the right hander did. Keating struck out five and walked five but did not allow a run in his complete game as the 1992 Yankees stranded 10 men. Frank Baker drove in his 6th run of the series and Paddy Bauman went 3-4 as the series now heads to its climax of one game for it all.

Game 7 At The Polo Grounds
Partly cloudy 53
1992 Yankees.......................4
1916 Yankees.......................5 (11 inn)
WP: N. Cullop (3-0) LP: M. Perez (0-3)
HR: None
POG: Nick Cullop
In what has been a dead even series, game seven was no different going into extra innings before the 1916 team walked it off. Both Melido Perez and Nick Cullop went the distance into extra innings in their third matchup of the series. In the 11th with two out and the bases loaded, Paddy Baumann singled to left center scoring Lee Magee. Cullop threw 153 pitches and won all three of the games he started in.

1916 New York Yankees Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Nick Cullop
(3-0, 29 IP, 2.48 ERA, 5 BB, 13 K, 1.03 WHIP)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #132
2007 St. Louis Cardinals (78-84) vs 1992 Cleveland Indians (76-86)

Coming off of a championship season is never easy and the 2007 Cardinals found that out the hard way winning only 78 games in a down season. The Cardinal pitching just didnt have the staying power and the rotation had far too many holes. Adam Wainwright was now a mainstay in the rotation making 32 starts going 14-12 with a 3.70 ERA. Wainwright wasn't at his peak yet in his career and at times his command could be off. Braden Looper went 12-12 with a 4.94 ERA that is alarming for a number 2 starter, he allowed 22 home runs to lead the team. Kip Wells and his 17 losses say alot as his ERA and confidence ballooned to a 5.70 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP to give Tony LaRussa nightmares. Speaking of nightmares Anthony Reyes was 2-14 and should have been pulled from the rotation much sooner with his 6.04 ERA. Joel Piniero and Todd Wellemeyer each made 11 starts and really were desperation reaches for the club that was really lacking in quality starters,. Brad Thompson made 17 starts but carried a 5.96 FIP with him. Jason Isringhausen closed 34 games and looked as strong as ever at 34 years of age. Ryan Franklin and Russ Springer added to a good pen that surely had a ton of work to do all season. The numbers for the pitchers were even worse when you consider that the Cards were a very good defensive team. King Albert Pujols was in his prime at 27 years old and likely the best hitter in the league. He hit .327 with a .997 OPS that inlcuded 99 runs, 32 home runs, and 103 driven in. Pujols was almost unstoppable at this point in his career. Scott Rolen at third base had a down year with only 8 home runs and a .265 average but he did miss over 40 games with injuries. Chris Duncan in left field hit 21 home runs but struck out 123 times but remained second in the lineup in overall OPS. Jim Edmonds in center missed his share of games at 37 and only hit .252 as his skills were on the way down. Juan Encarnacion slugged only .445 in 78 games leveling out at .283. The Cards had a number of other options for the outfield including So Taguchi, Rick Ankiel, and Ryan Ludwick, David Ecksein always gave it his all at shortstop hitting .309 with 10 steals and 23 doubles. Adam Kennedy played in only half the season hitting just .219 as the second baseman but really Aaron Miles who hit .290 with 55 runs may be the better option. Yadier Molina at 24 years old was already the leader at catcher and his defensive IQ was off the charts. Yadi hit .275 and was getting better with a .708 OPS and 40 RBI in 111 games. In the end it will be all about pitching for this team and how they will fare against and up and coming Indians team.

John Hart and the Cleveland front office were beginning to put the pieces together for what would become a generational talented club. Mike Hargrove was the man in charge on the field and much like the Cardinals, finding a good rotation he could count on was the biggest challenge he faced. What the Indians were becoming great at was scoring runs, and at the head of all of that was 25 year old catalyst Kenny Lofton. Lofton quickly became one of the most exciting players in baseball stealing 66 bases and scoring 96 runs all while making sensational plays in center. In the outfield with his was Mark Whiten who stole 16 bases but made less contact and hit .254. Glennallen Hill had immense power with 18 home runs but was feast or famine with a .241 average and only .287 OBP. Carlos Baegra was an excellent hitter at second base driving in 105 runs with a .312 average and 20 home runs. Paul Sorrento did his bit at first base with 18 home runs and 60 RBI in 140 games he also walked 51 times. Like Molina, Sandy Alomar was a great leader and presence at the catcher position although he bat was light with a 75 OPS+ and at times being overwhelmed. Mark Lewis at shirt stop was someone you would likely soon forget hititng .264 with 30 RBI in 122 games; he was only 22. Brooks Jacoby was at the hot corner with a .651 OPS but only a total of 11 exrtra base hits in 120 games. Still the offensive dynamite was Albert Belle who could intimidate any opposing pitcher. Thirty four home runs and 112 RBI coming in at a 123 OPS plus and 279 total bases in split time between the outfield and DH. A young third baseman named Jim Thome was also coming in off the bench as well as Thomas Howard, Felix Fermin and Carlos Martinez. Charles Nagy won 17 games at the top of the rotation with a 2.96 ERA, 3 shutouts, and 10 complete games. Nagy was as consistent and dependable as anyone in the league. In 23 starts Jack Armstrong eventually lost his role with a 4.64 ERA and 15 losses. Left hander Dennis Cook was 5-7 but had a 4.94 FIP and allowed 29 home runs letting you know just how hard he was hit. Scott Scudder and Dave Otto were short term non answers while future closer Jose Mesa made 15 starts with a 4.16 ERA but did not have the arsenal of pitching to remain. There was no depth whatsoever at the position so the Indians often had to endure the worst with the arms that they had. Steve Olin was a bright star as closer of this team with a 2.34 ERA and 29 saves any lead was in very good hands with him. Ted Power and Derek Lilliquist were also excellent options for the Indians in what was an impressive bullpen. The Indians and the Cardinals in this matchup are very similar teams with similar profiles and records. The Cards may have a little more depth and definitely experience in some areas, but the Indians could easy walk away with the series with all that they bring.

Game 1 At Busch Stadium
Partly cloudy 53
1992 Indians.....................3
2007 Cardinals..................4
WP: J. Isringhausen (1-0) LP: D. Lilliquist (0-1)
HR: R. Ludwick (1)
POG: Adam Wainwright
2007 Cardinals lead series 1-0
David Eckstein doubled and Aaron Miles singled him in to walk off the opening game for St. louis in the bottom of the ninth. Adam Wainwright went seven innings in a good battle with Charles Nagy but after Cleveland scored three times in the first two innings, they were shutout the rest of the way. An uplifting start for the Cards in game one.

Game 2 At Busch Stadium
Partly cloudy 53
1992 Indians........................1
2007 Cardinals....................3
WP: K. Wells (1-0) LP: R. Nichols (0-1) S: J. Isringhausen (1)
HR: B. Ryan (1)
POG: Kip Wells
2007 Cardinals lead series 2-0
The Cards take a firm hand on the series winning again with great pitching as Kip Wells shut down the mighty Indians on one runs through 4 hits. Wells went 8 striking out five and walking none throwing like he was a seasoned veteran. Brendan Ryan went 3-5 with an RBI and Wells himself drove in two at the dish proving that a need for a DH is overrated.

Game 3 At Cleveland Stadium
Clear 59
2007 Cardinals.....................6
1992 Indians.........................3
WP: R. Flores (1-0) LP: K. Wickander (0-1) S: J. Isringhausen (2)
HR: R. Ankiel (1), Y. Molina (1), A. Belle 2 (2)
POG: Rick Ankiel
2007 Cardinals Lead Series 3-0
Down 2-1 in the 7th, the visiting Cardinals woke up in a big way scoring 5 times against Scott Scudder and Steve Olin to win their third straight. Yadier Molina drove in three runs including a homer and Rick Ankiel went 3-4 also going deep. Randy Flores gets the win late and it just may be a matter of time before the Cards end this series.

Game 4 At Cleveland Stadium
Clear 52
2007 Cardinals.........................1
1992 Indians.............................2
WP: D. Milicki (1-0) LP: A. Reyes (0-1) S: D. Lilliquist (1)
HR: None
POG: Dave Milicki
2007 Cardinals lead series 3-1
Dave Milicki went seven innings striking out six and holding on a to a one run lead before the Tribe pen nailed it down. Glenalen Hill had the go ahead RBI single in the 5th and the scoring was done for the night as both teams combined to strand 19 batters. A tense but good win for Cleveland who simply hope to win at home in game 5 and see what happens.

At Cleveland Stadium
Clear 46
2007 Cardinals....................3
1992 Indians........................8
WP: C. Nagy (1-0) LP: A. Wainwright (0-1)
HR: R. Ankiel 2 (3)
POG: Mark Whiten
2007 Cardinals lead series 3-2
Here come the Indians as Charles Nagy has command for 8 innings striking out seven and allowing two earned while the Tribe offense came to life. Sandy Alomar Jr had three RBI and the Indians had 14 hits as Adam Wainwright wasnt helped by his defense as Albert Pujols made two errors and was chanced on the 6th inning. Cleveland means business as the series heads back to the Midwest and the Cardinals still having the egde.

Game 6 At Busch Stadium
Clear 55
1992 Indians......................10
2007 Cardinals...................11
WP: K. Jimenez (1-0) LP: S. Olin (0-1) S: J. Isringhausen (3)
HR: J. Edmonds (1), A. Belle (3), S. Alomar JR (1)
POG: Aaron Miles
A wild game six as the series returns to Bush Stadium and the Cardinals find a way to win and close out the series. Aaron Miles goes 5-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBI while Albert Pujols drives in three for his best game of the series. The Cards held an 8-5 lead into the 7th but the Indians put 5 runs on the board to tie the score with Sandy Alomar homering and driving in three. Ryan Ludwig however had the winning hit in the bottom of the 7th and the Cardinal pen lead by Jason Isringhausen brought the series home.

2007 St. Louis Cardinals Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Rick Ankiel
(.538, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 2 2B, 6 R, 1.92 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #133
1963 Boston Red Sox (76-85) vs 1967 Kansas City Athletics (62-99)

We recently saw the 1961 Red Sox bow out of the competition and now the 1963 team that finished 7th in the AL has a good draw and another good chance to advance. There is talent on this team and one would have to dig deeper to see exactly why they didnt win more but most fingers were pointed to manager Johnny Pesky. Starter Bill Monbouquette won 20 games despite a higher then normal ERA of 3.71. He allowed 31 home runs but limited damage with good command but he may not have what it takes to be considered an ace. Earl Wilson went 11-16 but had the opposite issue then Monbouquette walking more then 4 batters per nine and throwing 21 wild pitches. Dave Morehead is only 19 years old but made 29 starts and did walk 5.1 batters per nine with a 4.11 FIP. Still his effort and results at such a young age says alot about him. Rounding off the Pesky four man rotation was Bob Heffner who had a 4.26 in 126 innings and depended on weak contact, a tough proposition at Fenway. Dick Radatz had an excellent season in relief saving 23 games with a 1.97 ERA and had multiple appearances with multiple innings worked. Jack Lamabe worked well in addition to Radatz but that is where the Sox depth ends with Arnold Early being hit hard and Wilbur Wood a bit too green to be effective. For the era the 3.97 team ERA was extremely high and heavy weight on the club. The Sox could really hit with 171 home runs lead by Dick Stuart who hit a whopping 42 slugging .521 and driving in 118 while striking out 144 times. For a short stop Eddie Bressoud hit an impressive 20 bombs while hitting .260 but a lack of speed and range for the position. Chuck Schilling was light hitting at second in everyway bringing a .234 average to the lineup with 33 RBI in 146 games. Frank Malzone remained unappreciated at third hitting .291 with 15 home runs and 71 RBI. Carl Yastrzemski was beginning to prove how good he was hitting .321 at 23 years old with a .418 OBP and a poise that patrons at Fenway hadnt seen for a while. Lou Clinton drove in 77 runs with 22 home runs but he also didnt make much contact and had a .294 OBP. Lefty Gary Geiger was in center hitting 16 home runs and stealing nine bases but he split time with Ramon Meijas with limited effect. Bill Tillman at catcher couldn't hit much at .225 and just did his job when needed on defense but still leaving the position a but undermanned. Dick Williams and Felix Mantilla were the best options off the bench as Williams brought experience and Mantilla hit .315. Boston should hit just fine and in this series matchup their margin for error should be large enough to win.

There just wasn't much to get excited about yet in the Athletics organization but a few crumbs were starting to come together as the club looked to a very successful future especially coming out of Kansas City. Twenty one year old Catfish Hunter lost 17 games but threw 259 innings with 5 shutouts and a 2.81 ERA including 196 strikeouts. Hunter was a rare talent and he was already showing what he could become. Jim Nash also was a young man at 22 who also lost 17 games but his ERA was 3.76 and he had more of the common issues of a young arm. Nash was an excellent strikeout pitcher for the time getting 7.5 per nine but his work with men on base was a concern. Chuck Dobson at 23 believe it or not was the eldest of the rotation. he went 10-10 with a 3.69 making most of his numbers less then average for the ear he threw in. Blue Moon Odom capped off the four man rotation but was hit hard with a 5.04 ERA and the likes of Lew Krause had to take his turn in the rotation, Krause had a 4.28 ERA and also took the popular 17 losses in 160 innings. The pen was a struggle and Jack Aker had 12 saves in 57 games but had a 4.30 ERA. Paul Lindbald was the specialist from the leftside while Tony Pierce at 21 threw close to 100 quality innings. The pitching corps was young for sure, but the A's were committed to their plan of development and there ace was a big reason why. Youth was the word on offense as well, 21 year old centerfielder Rick Monday had a decent .740 OPS but did strike out 102 times. He was much better then Jim Gosger in left who hit .242 with only 31 runs scored and almost no power. Mike Hershberger was in right and he hit one lone home run all season with a .254 average but did make contact striking out only 40 times. Bert Campaneris had the talent to make a difference at short and his glove was for sure up to par. Campy however only hit .248 but did add 29 doubles and a very high 55 bases. Danny Cater at third was a nonfactor with 4 home runs and a .270 average as was Ramon Webster at first who hit 11 home runs and 51 RBI. The A's just wernt getting the power numbers they needed from their core positions. Phil Roof played the most games at catcher but hit only .205 with a 78 OPS+, he was platooned with Dave Duncan who was even worse at .188. Ken Harrelson and Sal Bando were trying to find their way into atbats but it was dynamic 21 year old Reggie Jackson who hit his first home run and had only 135 atbats. Reggie and the youth movement was great promise for the future, but didnt do much in 1967. Still the Athletics just may have an outside chance in this series with the Red Sox.

Game 1 At Fenway Park
Clear 69
1967 Athletics.......................3
1963 Red Sox.......................0
WP: C. Hunter (1-0) LP: B. Monbouquette (0-1)
HR: R. Repoz (1)
POG: Catfish Hunter
1967 Athletics lead series 1-0
Catfish hunter threw nine scoreless innings at Fenway Park walking two and striking out six for an impressive shutout victory. Robert Repoz broke a scoreless game open in the sixth inning with a two run home run off Bill Montebouquette and that would be all their ace would need. Just the start that Kansas City was hoping for.

Game 2 At Fenway Park
Rain 61
1967 Athletics......................6
1963 Red Sox......................3
WP: J. Nash (1-0) LP: E. Wilson (0-1)
HR: R. Nixon 2 (2), D. Stuart (1)
POG: Jim Nash
1967 Athletics lead series 2-0
Soggy day in Boston and another complete game by the Athletics as Jim Nash wasnt as dominant as Catfish but wins jus the same going nine innings allowing three earned runs with 11 strikeouts. Catcher Russ Nixon hit two solo home runs for the Sox but as a whole the Boston offense has been shut down and thus the deep hole as the series heads to Kansas City. Leadoff man Bill Campaneris was 3-5 with a big two run double in a four run second inning that set the tone for the win.

Game 3 At KC Municipal Stadium
Clear 64
1963 Red Sox........................5
1967 Athletics........................10
WP: B. Stafford (1-0) LP: B. Heffner (0-1) S: T. Pierce (1)
HR: R. Webster (1), J. Gosger (1), R. Repoz (2)
POG: Jim Gosger
1967 Athletics lead series 3-0
A seven run seventh inning turned a 5-1 Red Sox lead onto its head as the Athletics take the first three games of this series and now have two home games to close out the series. Boston starter Bob Heffner was going well until he ran into big trouble including a grand slam home run from Roger Repoz. Boston also showed their nerves committing four errors and take the loss despite outhitting the home team. Jim Gosper also drove in two runs and made a couple of fine plays in left field.

Game 4 At KC Municipal Stadium
Clear 66
1963 Red Sox.......................5
1967 Athletics.......................6
WP: J. Aker (1-0) LP: D. Radatz (0-1)
HR: R. Repoz 2 (4), D. Stuart (2), F. Malzone (1), E. Bressoud (1)
POG: Roger Repoz
In a moment that maybe stands as the best of the competition so for, Roger Repoz hit a walk off series ending grand slam in the bottom of the ninth against Dick Radatz to end the series in four. It was the 4th home run for Repoz and his second of the game all coming after the Red Sox hit three home runs and held a comfortable three run lead with their closer on the mound. Dave Morehead deserved much better and had pitched the type of game to keep his team in the series, but baseball is indeed a nine inning game. The ball sailed 352 feet straight down the left field line.

1967 Kansas City Athletics Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Roger Repoz
(.294, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 1.000 SLG, 4 R, Walk off GS)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #134
1978 Baltimore Orioles (90-71) vs 1901 Cleveland Blues (54-82)

There was an adage called the "Oriole Way" that manager Earl Weaver implemented in his teams and by 1978 the formula had almost been perfected. Excellent starting pitching, defense, and the three run home run would win most games for you, but even more then that it was an attitude of winning. Baltimore came up a little short in 1978 but still won 90 games and at the forefront as always was their starting pitching. Jim Palmer was head of the class of the four man rotation logging 296 innings with six shutouts, a 2.46 ERA, and only 19 home runs allowed. Palmer was still at the very top of his game at 32 while Mike Flanagan was hit a little harder with a 4.02 ERA but still managed 19 wins in 281 innings worked. He made 40 starts and was likely the least effective of the group where as Dennis Martinez had a 100 ERA+ and a 3.54 FIP with some nasty breaking stuff and some real charisma at 24 years of age. Scott McGregor was the 4th man and had a fine season with a 3.32 ERA and four shutouts while holding a 1.13 WHIP and a great effectiveness against left handed hitters. Nelson Briles made 8 starts but it was the four arms mentioned that Weaver rode on with good reason. Don Stanhouse as the closer when needed with 24 saves and a nice 2.89 ERA while Tippy Martinez was the closer in making appearing in 42 games but a worrisome ERA of 4.83. Tim Stoddard and Joe Kerrigan were two more pen names to watch. On offense, Lee May hit 25 home runs as the DH with with 80 RBI but struck out 110 times with a .246 average, symbolic of the DH position of the time. Ken Singleton was still a productive player hitting 20 home runs with a .871 OPS and a .409 OBP while Larry Harlow tried to use his speed and 14 steals to make up for a .243 average. Pat Kelly fit in well in the lineup with a 131 OPS+ in 100 games with 40 RBI and 10 steals but he shared time with Carlos Lopez who was a similar type player. Catcher Rich Dempsey was beloved by his teamates and especially pitchers for the way he called games and played defense while his hitting at .259 was average for the position. Mark Belanger by now had established himself as a dynamic shortstop even at the age of 34 but his bat was basically gone hitting only .213 with no pop to speak, he had 16 RBI in 135 games played. Rich Dauer at second hit 6 home runs and only struck out 22 times while at third base Dou Decinces lead the team in WAR and drove in 80 runs with 37 doubles slugging .526. Eddie Murray had his typical superstar season with 27 home runs and 95 RBI and a .286 average and Murray was always a beast with runners on base. Billy Smith hit 5 home runs off the bench and had the most pinch hits while Kiko Garcia and Andres Mora played where and when they could. Playing a club from 1901 should be an interesting proposition.

With the worst attendance in the league and one of the worst records, baseball in Cleveland was not off to a rousing start coming into the 20th century. The American League was still trying to establish itself even before there was a world series, and clubs like the Blues were starving for some talent. Only four players in the lineup played in over 100 games and five of the regulars were over the age of 30 bogging down the roster. Right fielder Ollie Pickering lead the club in steals with 36 and scored 102 runs as the 31 year old was the most exciting player in the lineup and worth keeping an eye on. Two Jacks manned the other outfield spots as McCarthy and O'Brien both hit from the left side but neither played over 100 games. McCarthy was a .321 hitter with seven triples but seeing 45 games was another outfield bat, Zaza Harvey, who stole 15 bases and hit .353 at 22 years of age. Bill Bradley was the third baseman with 55 runs driven in and a good .739 OPS. Bradley at 23 years old was one of the few really good young players on the roster and his 95 runs and 15 steals are a big part of the prospects of this team. Frank Schiebeck played in 93 games at short and hit all of .213 with an amazing 47 OPS+, Danny Shay was his only hope as a backup but the position was a dumpster fire. At second, Erve Beck was only 22 and hit .289 with 79 RBI and 26 doubles making him a great pair with Bradley. George LeChance at first hit .303 with 75 RBI and 9 triples but at 31 years old he was becoming a below average player especially in the field. Bob Wood hit .292 at the catcher position with 23 doubles but catcher was more of a revolving door as George Yeager and Joe Connor added to the position. Manager Jimmy McAleer could also play at his age, but decided to only get into a handful of contests. The pitching staff had a 4.12 ERA, very high for the deadball era. Pete Dowling made the most starts with 30 but lost 22 games with a 3.86 ERA including hitting 15 batters and throwing 6 wild pitches. Earl Moore lead the team in wins with 16 and had a good 2.90 ERA with 4 shutouts and a good deal of promise at 23. Five other pitchers had over 10 starts with Bill Hart going 7-11 with a 3.77 ERA and then it only got worse from there. Ed Scott and Bill Hoffer had ERA's around 4.50 with WHIPs at 1.5 and finally Jack Bracken was hammered in his 12 starts with an ERA north of 6. Even some of the mentioned hitters had their chance on the mound in an era when two way players was not unheard of, but none of them will remind you of Ohtani; Jimmy McAleer and Bill Bradley each got into games.This Cleveland team really is a patchwork squad with the pitching likely no where near a level where they should be able to compete. There is some useful talent in the lineup but Oriole pitching should be good enough to cruse through.

Game 1 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 59
1901 Blues.....................12
1978 Orioles....................5 (12 inn)
WP: E. Scott (1-0) LP: D. Stanhouse (0-1)
HR: E. Murray (1), L. May (1)
POG: Eddie Murray
1901 Blues Lead Series 1-0
Both teams combined for 30 hits and three errors and played things out for 12 innings before the visiting side broke through. Cleveland scored 7 times in the 12th as Candy LaChance and Chuck Yeager each had 2 run hits against a tired Oriole pen. Eddie Murray drove in four including a home run for the home side who fought back from a three deficit to force extras but the Blues turned it on late in a big way.

Game 2 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 64
1901 Blues......................2
1978 Orioles....................4
WP: D. Martinez (1-0) LP: B. Hart (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Dennis Martinez
Series tied at 1
The Orioles got back on track in game two to tie the series behind Dennis Martinez who went the distance and allowed only one earned run with 4 hits allowed. Larry Harlow had a big two run single to put the Orioles up coming after a crucial error with two outs by Bill Bradley. Doug Decines went 4-4 in the win with three doubles.

Game 3 At League Park
Partly cloudy 53
1978 Orioles...........................2
1901 Blues.............................1
WP: J. Palmer (1-0) LP: E. Scott (1-1) S: D. Stanhouse (1)
HR: E. Murray (2), P. Kelly (1)
POG: Jim Palmer
1978 Orioles lead series 2-1
Earl Weaver saved Jim Palmer for the crucial game three in Cleveland and the Baltimore ace came through. Palmer shut down the Blues going seven innings with seven strikeouts before Dan Stanhouse closed out the last two innings. It was a Pat Kelly home run in the 8th inning that broke a 1-1 tie Ed Scott in what was a quick and well played ballgame.

Game 4 At League Park
Rain 47
1978 Orioles........................5
1901 Blues..........................2
WP: M. Flanagan (1-0) LP: B. Hoffer (0-1) S: D. Ford (1)
HR: None
POG: Mike Flanagan
1978 Orioles lead series 3-1
Steady pitching for the Orioles continued as they took their third game in a row to take control of this best of seven series. Mike Flanagan allowed 5 hits but only 2 earned runs striking out five over 8 innings. Flanagan also had a bases loaded single for 2 RBI and Rich Dauer drove in two more runs as Baltimore is beginning to show that they are the better all around club.

Game 5 At League Park
Clear 45
1978 Orioles....................1
1901 Blues......................0
WP: S. McGregor (1-0) LP: E. Moore (0-1)
HR: P. Kelly (2)
POG: Scott McGregor
A perfect way to finish this series with Scott McGregor throwing a shutout and confirming the dominance of Oriole pitching. Baltimore wins all three games in Cleveland and McGregor outduels Earl Moore striking out only one but walking none and allowing seven hits. The only run of the entire game was a solo home run by Pat Kelly to lead off the game, both of his homer runs this series have been crucial ones. The Orioles didnt flinch playing baseball the old fashion way.

1978 Baltimore Orioles Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Pat Kelly
(.300, 2 HR, .417 OBP, 4 R, 3 2B, 2 Game winning hits)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #135
1962 Cleveland Indians (80-82) vs 1924 Boston Braves (53-100)

Credit to Mel McGaha who managed the 1962 Indians to 80 wins and did well with a group of players that played like a team, despite not being the deepest in talent. Joe Romano was one of those team leaders that helped the Indians play good baseball as the strong hitting catcher hit 25 home runs and lead the team with 81 RBI and an .842 OPS all while playing good defense. Tito Francona at first base was also a smart player who hit .272 with 70 RBI and 28 doubles and played almost every inning at the position. Jerry Kindal, hit only .232 at second base but did hit 13 home runs and 22 doubles but more was needed from him. At third Bubba Phillips was average at best hitting .258 with only a ,289 OBP and patchy defense at a key position. Woodie Held patrolled short stop and did draw 107 walks while hitting only .249. Chuck Essegian showed some pop with 21 home runs but most of them were with the bases empty but he still had a 133 OPS+ and was a valuable asset. Ty Cline and Willie Kirkland were liabilities mostly at the other outfield spots although Kirkland did have 21 home runs with 72 driven in in 137 games. Al Luplow played in the outfield in 97 games with 15 home runs while Don Dillard and Willie Tasby also tried but gave minimal value. Dick Donovan was a 20 game winner and the ace of the club with 15 complete games and 5 shutouts. Pedro Ramos also threw over 200 innings with a 3.71 ERA but a 4.81 FIP showing that he could be much worse then his numbers. Jim Perry ended 12-12 with a 4.14 ERA but in the long run may have been the second best arm on the team. Mudcat Grant was 7-10 with a 4.27 in 23 starts and Sam McDowell made 13 starts with a 4.89 FIP and 1.72 WHIP. Gary Bell saved 12 games but likely did not have the stuff for a closer while Frank Funk did better then Barry Latman as both pen arms got into over 40 games. Cleveland is sure to play hard and have a good draw against a 100 loss club in this series which obviously bodes well.

Thirty three year old player manager Dave Bancroft had a long season trying to man short stop and lead a club that was lacking in almost everything. One hundred losses was the result in a dark period for Boston baseball. Bancroft hit played in only 79 games and hit .279 while splitting time with Bob Smith who wasnt better hitting .228. Cotton Tierney at second base drove in 58 runs with 131 hits and 11 steals but his .296 OBP and 38 runs say it all. At first, Stuffy McGinnis was a veteran who hit .291 and knew how to handle the bat with 23 doubles and 59 RBI. Ernie Padgett at third had 25 doubles but only a .657 OPS and much like the rest of the team couldn't run very well at all. Bill Cunningham was in centerfield hitting .272 with 8 triples but was not an impact player. Frank Wilson hit from the left side and played right but played in only 61 games while hitting .327. The most interesting man was in left field and could talk your ear off. Casey Stengel hit .280 and did bring a winning mentality to a struggling team. He hit 20 doubles, 13 steals, and lead the team in OPS at .730; he also could really hit in the clutch. The catcher was Mickey O'neill who hit .246 and split time with Frank Gibson who was actually a .310 hitter, a rarity on this team. Gus Felix had over 200 atbats and Ray Powell close to it, however this team overall hit only .256 with a .306 OBP. Jesse Barnes carried most of the weight in the rotation with 267 innings and 21 complete games. He went 15-20 with a 3.23 ERA but he did have good command and was very tough to hit hard. The next best option for Bancroft was likely Johnny Cooney who from the left side was effective with a 3.18 ERA in 12 starts, two of them being shutouts. Joe Genewich started in started in 27 games but was just terrible with a 5.21 ERA although to his credit he did pitch in terrible luck and bad defense behind him. Tim Mcnamara was 8-12 in 21 starts with a 3.50 FIP and and 25 years old still showed quite a bit of promise. Al Yeargin was 1-11 in 12 starts and eventually was lost in the bullpen while Larry Benton and Red Lucas were the long relievers, who on this team, were used quite a lot. At 37 years old, Rube Marquard was in one of his last seasons, but still had some decent stuff in only three starts. The Braves were impressing no one both on the field then or on paper now, and a task to beat the Indians is indeed a tall one.

Game 1 At Cleveland Stadium
68 clear
1924 Braves......................3
1962 Indians......................1
WP: J. Cooney (1-0) LP: D. Rudolph (0-1) S: J. Barnes (1)
HR: C. Essegian (1), C. Tierney (1)
POG: Johnny Cooney
1924 Braves lead series 1-0
The Braves stun the Indians in the opener of the series as suprise starter Don Rudolph pitched well but took the loss. Johnny Cooney went 8 strong innings for Boston striking out six and walking none without ever really looking in trouble other then a Chuck Essegian solo home run. A two run 5th for the visiting side was the difference with Cotten Tierney adding a home run.

Game 2 At Cleveland Stadium
Rain 53
1924 Braves.....................0
1962 Indians.....................2
D. Donovan (1-0) LP: S. Graham (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Dick Donovan
Series tied at 1
Dick Donovan threw a complete game shutout allowing only four hits making very quick work of the Braves to tie the series. Casey Stengel hit an RBI single in the first inning and the game sailed right along until the home team added an insurance run in the 8th. Nearly 50,000 fans enjoyed the performance and the series now heads back to 1924 and Braves Field.

Game 3 At Braves Field
Clear 69
1962 Indians...................3
1924 Braves...................5
WP: J. Barnes (1-0) LP: B. Dailey (0-1)
HR: C. Stengel (1)
POG: Casey Stengel
1924 Braves lead series 2-1
The Braves ralled from a three run deficit to overtake the Indians and once again get the edge on the series. Joe Genewich had a 3-0 when he allowed a 2 run home run to Casey Stengel in the 6th inning but still carried a one run into the 8th. He got into quick trouble and Bill Dailey came in to try and put out the fire. A bases loaded double thatr scored three by Ray Powell was the biggest hit of the game putting the home side up two and indeed the lead would hold up. The 100 loss Braves have fought hard in this series and have come up with the big hits when needed.

Game 4 At Braves Field
Clear 69
1962 Indians......................0
1924 Braves......................2
WP: L. Benton (1-0) LP: B. Latman (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Larry Benton
1924 Braves lead series 3-1
The Braves have really played some excellent baseball and in game four, it was starter Larry Benton who throws a shutout striking out four and walking five on 118 pitches. Frank Gibson ripped an RBI single in the first inning and Bill Cunningham had an RBI double all the way in the seventh inning as the Braves continue to get timely hits when they needed them. Now the Braves look to close things out at home in game 5 and clearly now have the confidence that manager Dave Bancroft can take credit for.

Game 5 At Braves Field
Clear 53
1962 Indians......................0
1924 Braves......................2
WP: J. Cooney (2-0) LP: D. Rudolph (0-2)
HR: None
POG: Johnny Cooney
In what has been some of the best stretch of pitching we have seen, Johnny Cooney pitched a shutout to build on the shutout thrown by Larry Benton in game four, and complete this series in five. Cooney struck out 10 while allowing only 4 hits in what has become 24 straight shutout innings. Frank Gibson hit an RBI triple in the first inning for one of the two runs and the Indians would never match it. A great series to say the least from a 100 loss team.

1924 Boston Braves Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Johnny Cooney
(2-0, 0.59 ERA, 1 ER, 16 K, 0.52 WHIP, 3 BB)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #136
2010 Milwaukee Brewers (77-85) vs 1939 Philadelphia Athletics (55-97)

The 2010 Brewers as with many of their teams provided the power that worked well at Miller Park but on the flip side their lack of pitching and relief work ended up costing them a losing season. The team hit 182 home runs with Primce Fielder leading the charge slugging .471 with a .401 OBP and 32 home runs. Fielder walked 114 times but drove in only 83 runs in 16 1 games proviing he was not as effective as you would think. Cory Hart hit 31 home runs and drove in a much more valid 102 RBI adding 34 doubles and 91 runs. Carlos Gomez split time with a 40 year old Jim Edmonds in centerfield as Gomez hit .247 in 97 games while Edmonds was not the same player but had a 125 OPS+ with 8 home runs. In left was the consistent Ryan Braun. Braun hit no matter what people thought of him slugging .501 with 25 long flyes and 103 RBI while scoring 101 times. He added 14 steals and truly when Braun was on, there were few in the game as good as him. Alcides Escobar really struggled at the dish at short hitting .235 with a .614 OPS while Rickie Weeks struck out 184 times but did manage 29 home runs in his feast or famine approach. Casey McGehee played almost everyday at third having his best season with 104 RBI, 38 doubles, and 23 home runs. Jonathan Lucroy at only 24 was the catcher of the future but had not really hit his stride yet and split time with lefty George Kottaras. Craig Counsell and Lorenzo Cain were two well known bats on the bench each bringing something different to the table. The team ERA was 4.58 and in contrast to the hitting, a liability in their hitter friendly park. Randy Wolf was the ace of the staff with 13 wins and a 4.17 ERA. He threw 215 innings allowing 29 home runs and a risky 1.4 WHIP. Yovani Gallardo went 14-7 with a better 3.84 ERA in 31 starts while his FIP was 3.02 and he seemed to be getting better with each start. Dave Bush lost 13 games and had a 5.13 FIP while allowing 28 home runs in only 174 innings worked. Chris Narveson had a 4.99 ERA but still managed to win 12 times however he was not a dependable option in the rotation. Manny Parra made 16 starts but struggled and Chris Capuano was another emergency option who did better with a 3.95 mark. John Axford was the closer pinning down 24 saves and 8 wins. His support was very little as Tood Coffey and an old Trevor Hoffman had very little left. Kameron Lee was the best man for middle relief. A typical Brewers team that lives on the edge hoping that their bats are louder than their opponents on any given day.

The great days of the White Elephant and the Athletics had long passed as Connie Mack stood as a nostalgic figure of better days. This Athletics team lost 97 games and honestly had a pitching staff worth laughing at, but Mack has surprised us before with this ability to win. Starting with the mess that was the pitching, the team ERA was 5.79 as 6 different arms started the majority of the season with disastrous effect. Lynn Nelson was the only 10 game winner and he had the best numbers across the board with a 4.78 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. Nels Potter had an ugly 6.60 ERA allowing 144 earned runs and 26 home runs to a 1.76 WHIP. Buck Ross wasn’t any better with a 6.00 ERA in 28 starts with only 43 strikeouts and am 87 ERA+. Bill Beckman came in with a 4.40 FIP and 2 shutouts but he struck out a meager 20 men. George Caster was 9-9 with a 4.90 that wasn’t that bad for this team including his 1.39 WHIP that lead the team. Cotton Pippen had a great name but a 5.99 ERA that did no one any good but the opponent. Chubby Dean saved 8 games and worked 116 innings in relief at only 23 years old, he likely felt like he signed up for more then he bargained for. Roy Parmelee and Bob Joyce were part of the remainder of the pitching roster that was just plain poor. At the plate no one could complain about Bob Johnson who had a monster season with a .993 OPS and 114 RBI while stealing 15 bases. He scored an impressive 115 runs and was a good tandem with Sam Chapman who hit 15 home runs and stole 11 bases while holding a less impressive .770 OPS. Wally Moses is a good left fielder hitting .307 with a .370 OBP but played in only 115 games and had no pop. Frankie Hayes was a good hitting catcher managing 20 home runs and 83 RBI that were way above the mean for the position. Dick Siebert hit .294 but was not the typical first baseman as he had a .423 slugging percentage with only 6 home runs. Skeeter Bewsome played in 99 games at short and hit only .222 with 10 overall extra base hits; Bill Nagel took his job by the end of the season hitting a better .252. Dario Lodigiani hit .260 with 6 home runs and 44 driven in and proved competent enough at the hot corner. Joe Gantenbein was the 23 year old second baseman who had 101 hits and a .290 average complimenting the lineup nicely. Dee Miles was a .300 hitter off the bench with outfield depth while Wayne Ambler and Nick Etten were well below league average. The Athletics could hit a bit, but their complete lack of pitching efficiency would seem to be impossible to overcome.

Game 1 At Miller Park
Roof closed
1939 Athletics..................9
2010 Brewers..................10 (16 inn)
WP: C. Villanueva (1-0) LP: L. McCrabb (0-1)
HR: J. Gantenbein (1), G. Kottaras (1), P. Fielder 2 (2), A. Escobar (1)
POG: Price Fielder
2010 Brewers lead series 1-0
An epic 16 inning battle to open this series as the totality of it took almost six hours. The Athletics scored 4 in the first inning but the home side had them in a 4 run hole heading into the 8th. John Axford blew the save chance in a big way as the A's scored three in the ninth to tie the score as Earle Bruckner went 4-7 on the night with 3 runs and 2 RBI. Some batter had 8 or even nine at bats as the game moved all the way to the 16th when Prince Fielder hit a towering drive 398 feet over the right field wall to walk it off. Each side had 17 hits and both sides must be exhausted with a very long series still ahead of them.

Game 2 At Miller Park
Roof closed
1939 Athletics......................1
2010 Brewers......................5
WP: C. Narveson (1-0) LP: G. Caster (0-1)
HR: P. Fielder (3), B. Johnson (1)
POG: Prince Fielder
2010 Brewers lead series 2-0
Chris Narveson allowed a first inning home run to Bob Johnson and had 108 pitches going into the 6th inning but he did enough to scratch his way to a win. Prince Fielder hit another big home run this time with an man on in the 4th to break a 1-1 tie. Corey Hart also went 4-4 and the Brewers pen closed the contest with a much more comfortable win for Milwaukee then in game one.

Game 3 At 3 At Shibe Park
Clear 58
2010 Brewers....................1
1939 Athletics....................4
WP: S. Page (1-0) LP: M. Parra (0-1) S: C. Pippen (1)
HR: D. Lodigiani (1), R. Braun (1)
POG: Sam Page
2010 Brewers lead series 2-1
Connie Mack and the Athletics get back on track with a fine effort from Sam Page who goes 8 innings striking out six. This was a must win for the Athletics and Dario Lodigianni came up with the biggest hit of the game blasting a two run home run in the 4th inning. Prince Fielder had two more hits in the losing effort and is hitting .500 for the series.

Game 4 At Shibe Park
Partly cloudy 61
2010 Brewers.............................8
1939 Athletics.............................3
WP: R. Wolf (1-0) LP: L. Nelson (0-1)
HR: C. Hart (1), C. McGeehee (1), P. Fielder (4)
POG: Corey Hart
2010 Brewers lead series 3-1
Casey McGeehee hit a three run home run in the 6th inning to break the game open and in the 8th it was Prince Fielder who hit his fourth home run in as many games with two men on to set the Brewers up for another win. Corey Hart also scored three runs and drove in two while Randy Wolf went into the ninth with 8 strikeouts before she showed fatigue allowing three runs. Milwaukee now has the strangle hold on the series and look to avoid a trip back home with a win in game 5.

Game 5 At Shibe Park
Clear 56
2010 Brewers....................2
1939 Athletics....................6
WP: E. Smith (1-0) LP: Y. Gallardo (0-1)
HR: C. McGehee (2)
POG: Eddie Smith
2010 Brewers lead series 3-2
Eddie Smith and the Athletics bullpen allowed only two hits over nine innings to finally subdue the Brewers for a win and send the series back to Wisconsin. A four run 5th inning thanks in part to a 2 run double by pinch hitter Lou Finney set the table in a 10 hit effort. The Brewers will have to try and wrap things up at home.

Game 6 At Miller Park
Roof closed
1939 Athletics...................3
2010 Brewers...................4
WP: J. Axford (1-0) LP: C. Pippen (0-1)
HR: J. Edmonds 2 (2), B. Johnson (2), S. Chapman (1)
POG: Jim Edmonds
A dramatic game at Miller Park that ended in celebration after a great comeback by the Bew Crew. Philadelphia held a 3-0 lead behind George Caster and looked to force a game seven. Prince Fielder drove in a run in a 2 run 6th off Caster for the home team to cut the lead to one. In the 8th inning ageless Jim Edmonds tied the game with his second home run of the game off of Les McCrabb. In the 9th inning Lorenzo Cain stole second base with Ryan Braun at the plate and a single to right sent the runner to the plate, Cain beat the throw and Miller Park began to celebrate. A very fun series in the end.

2010 Milwaukee Brewers Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Prince Fielder
(.435, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, .500 OBP, 1.043 SLG)

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Nick, you have an error in post 28 of this thread, in regards to the summary. Should be easy to spot, I hope, for you. Look just above the MVP picture. CD out.

[Nick Soulis]

Originally Posted by Clovidequano Dovatha

Nick, you have an error in post 28 of this thread, in regards to the summary. Should be easy to spot, I hope, for you. Look just above the MVP picture. CD out.

Thank you sir.

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #137
1934 Pittsburgh Pirates (74-76) vs 1972 Texas Rangers (54-100)

Still a very successful and established franchise by 1934, the Pittsburg Pirates were showing some age but still had some Hall of Famer players on their roster. The Waner brothers were still patrolling the outfield even as they were both around 30. Paul hit .362 with a .429 OBP and 90 RBI while scoring 122 runs to remain one of the best overall player sin the league. Little Poison Lloyd hit .283 with 27 doubles and 61 RBI making literally half the player his brother was. Freddie Lindstrom played in 97 games hitting .290 with 24 doubles and a.738 OPS but he shared time with Woody Jensen who also hit .290 and played against righties. Pie Traynor at 35 years old hit .309 with a .751 OPS but may have lost a step on defense and had no power with one home runs. Cookie Lavagetto was an interesting player at second base and only 21. He had a lot to learn hitting .220 with only a .295 OBP and a lack of real authority on his swings. Gus Suhr was a very good first baseman leading the team with 103 RBI and an .819 OPS with 36 doubles and 13 triples. Earl Grace hit .270 at catcher ant split time with Tom Padden who hit .322 in limited duty. The real story for the Bucs was their up and coming superstar shortstop who hit .333 with a .942 OPB. Arky Vaughan hat it all scoring 115 runs with 10 steals and 94 RBI, his potential was limitless and exciting. Tommy Thevenow had 121 hits off the bench and Wally Rottger had 106 atbats and 11 doubles. Larry French lost 18 games somehow with a 3.58 ERA and only 8 home runs allowed. French also struck out 103 to lead the team for a rotation that pitched to contact. Bill Swift made 25 starts and threw 212 innings with a 3.98 ERA and was average almost across the board. The rest of the rotation goes downhill from there, Ralph Birkofer had a FIP of 4.23 and walked almost as many as he struck out. Red Lucas made 22 starts with a 4.38 and showed some good control but like the rest of the staff tended to be hit hard. Heinie Meine at 38 years old rounded off the starters with a 4.32 ERA but was closer to 5 when the FIP was included. Burleigh Grimes at 40 years old made four starts but had nothing else to offer. Waite Hoyt at 34 was the jack of all trades for the club saving 5 games and starting in another 17. He had an impressive 2.93 ERA and will be an interesting tool in the upcoming series. Leon Chagnon and Hal Smith go from bad to worse in any relief help the club would need. The Pirates still have 6 Hall of Fame players on their roster, and if their pitching can give them anything, they will be tough to beat.

One hundred losses for Ted Williams in his final season as a field manager and the first season for the new club in Arlington. There was really nothing for Williams to do as he was dealing with a roster depleted of talent. The Ranger pitching staff was dominated by youth and they went with mainly 6 pitchers. Twenty tow year old Pete Broberg threw the most innings at 176 but only won 5 times with a 3.59 FIP. Broberg did strike out 6.8 batters per nine and did threw hard as did most of the staff. Dick Bosman was the elder statesman of the group going 8-10 with a 3.63 ERA and only one complete game. Rich Hand won the most game with 10 and a good 3.32 ERA but he some control issues walking 103 batters. Bill Gogglewski went 4-11 with an unlucky 4.24 ERA also chipping in two saves but only a 71 ERA+. Don Stanhouse at only 21 years old went 2-9 with a 3.78 ERA but was stuck in the mud with the rest of the group. Mike Paul also made 20 starts from the left side and was quite efficient with a 2.17 mark, we just may see Paul be the preferred choice in this series. Horacio Pina saved 15 games with a 3.20 and Paul Lindblad was a good option from the left side in relief sporting a 2.62 ERA and a rubber arm. The Ranger defense was very poor but Toby Harrah was a promising 23 year olkd at shortstop. Harrah hit .259 with 16 steals and 120 total bases while patrolling his position well. Larry Randle hit an embarrassing .193 at second base and was eventually benched for Larry Bittner who hit .259 with 99 hits and 18 doubles. Dave Nelson was the man at third but he hit only .226 and drove in 28 runs in 145 games. Ted Ford had 50 RBI in 129 games to go along with his team leading 14 home runs, telling you just how light hitting the lineup is. Joe Loyitto hit .224 with 23 runs and a 75 OPS+ not to mention less then good range in center. Tom Grieve hit a pitiful .204 in 64 games and was also replaced. Elliott Maddox had 20 steals and hit .252 making him a much better option in the outfield. Finally, at 35 years old Frank Howard was a shell of what he used to be. He slugged only .369 with 9 home runs in 95 games as his average sat at .244; the big guy could barely run anymore. Don Mincher was the fill in for Howard at first while names like Vic Davis and Dalton Jones have been long forgotten. A team average of .217 really had to make the great Williams sob, this did not represent what he was all about. The Rangers will really need to play over their heads to compete in this series.

Game 1 At Forbes Field
Clear 61
1972 Rangers..................2
1934 Pirates....................5
WP: W. Hoyt (1-0) LP: D. Bosman (0-1) S: R. Birkofer (1)
HR: T. Padden (1)
POG: Waite Hoyt
1934 Pirates lead series 1-0
Waite Hoyt pitched 8 strong innings allowing two earned runs on seven hits to put the Pirates up in the series. Gus Suhr had a two run double in the 3rd inning and Tom Padden had three hits including a long home run. The Pirates managed to work around three errors as almost 26,000 enjoyed the comfortable win by the home team.

Game 2 At Forbes Field
Partly cloudy 53
1972 Rangers..................4
1934 Pirates....................0
WP: M. Paul (1-0) LP: L. French (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Mike Paul
Series tied at 1
Mike Paul settled nerves and pitched a complete game shutout at Forbes Field throwing 131 pitches and allowing six hits while walking none. Larry Biitner and Elliott Maddox each had RBI doubles against loser Larry French. Series all even heading the Arlington.

Game 3 At Arlington Stadium
Cloudy 78
1934 Pirates........................3
1972 Rangers......................4
WP: B. Gogolewski (1-0) LP: B. Swift (0-1)
HR: C. Lavagetto (1)
POG: Bob Gogolewski
1972 Rangers lead series 2-1
Ted Williams can be proud of his teams efforts as they return home and win again to take a surprise lead in the series. In true dramatic, thirty five year old Frank Howard hit a walk off two run double in the bottom of the ninth with his team trailing by one and down to his last strike. The Bucs had taken the lead in the 9th when Cookie Lovagetto hit a solo home run to break the 2-2 tie. Pirate starter Bill Swift tried to close his own game but pinch hitter Joe Lovitto singled as did Elliott Maddox when Howard showed his old form and came through. It could really be a series turning game with the stunned Pirates looking to come back in game four.

Game 4 At Arlington Stadium
Clear 80
1934 Pirates......................12
1972 Rangers.....................4
WP: R. Lucas (1-0) LP: J. Shellenback (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Gus Suhr
Series tied at 2
Thirty hits and seven errors between the two teams in game four but in truth it was never really close, as the Pirates put 12 runs on the board to tie the series. Gus Surh went 4-6 with 2 RBI and pitcher Red Lucas went 2-3 with 4 RBI including a bases clearing double in the 2nd inning. A five run run 9th inning capped the big win as Toby Harrah made tow errors to allow all unearned runs.

Game 5 At Arlington Stadium
Clear 70
1934 Pirates.........................2
1972 Rangers.......................5
WP: D. Bosman (1-1) LP: W. Hoyt (1-1)
HR: A. Vaughan (1)
POG: Dick Bosman
1972 Rangers lead series 3-2
The Rangers made up for their poor play in game four and came out swinging against Waite Hoyt and the Pirates. Four first inning runs as Toby Harrah and Elliott Maddux each had RBI hits and catcher Dick Billings capped the inning with a two run double. From there Rangers starter Dick Bosman redeemed himself with a good outing and the win striking out five and allowing only one earned run going the full nine. Now the Rangers will have to win the series the hard way at Forbes Field with game six looming.

Game 6 At Forbes Field
Partly cloudy 50
1972 Rangers........................7
1934 Pirates..........................5
WP: M. Paul (2-0) LP: L. French (0-2)
HR: None
POG: Elliott Maddox
The Rangers did it again and stun the Pirates into elimination. Once again Larry French had no answers as he allowed 5 runs in the first 3 innings including a two run double from Ton Kubek. Mike Paul gets his second win of the series throwing a complete game once again showing great control with no walks. Elliott Maddox had three hits and Dave Nelson drove in two more. Great work by manager Ted Williams who gets the most out of this 100 loss club.

1972 Texas Rangers Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Mike Paul
(2-0, 2.00 ERA, 5 K, 0 BB, 0.94 WHIP, 18 IP, 2 CG)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #138
1967 Boston Red Sox (92-70) vs 1996 San Diego Padres (91-71)

Before there was the miracle Mets of 1969 one could say there was a miracle Red Sox team of 1967. In what was a magical season in a great pennant race for Boston, the club came one game away from winning it all. At the center of it was Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski who had one of the best seasons in the history of the game. Yaz had a 12.5 WAR with 44 home runs and 144 driven in but more then anything carried the team hitting over .500 in the last 12 games. He was the stuff of legend with a 1/040 OPS. Reggie Smith hit only .246 in center with 16 steals but at 22 was still too young to be the player he would become. Popular Tony Conigliaro played in 95 games with 20 home runs and a .287 average but injury was the tale of his unfair career. Joe Roy played third and hit .251 with a 113 OPS+ but drove in only 49 runs. Rico Petrocelli hit 17 home runs with 66 driven in and a.750 OPS, he too seemed to play his best when it mattered most. Geroge Scott had some muscle at first hitting 19 home runs with 82 RBI and 10 steals with 263 total bases. Mike Andres played in 142 games at second hitting .263 but had little power and contributed 18 sacrifices. Mike Ryan was the catcher hitting only .199 and solely there for his ability with the glove. Jerry Adair played in 89 games hitting .291 and Jose Tartabull was the most frequent sub in the outfield but hit only .223. Elston Howard was also there at 38 years old and little left. The Boston pitching also followed suit throwing great ball for the season under pressure. Jim Lonborg went 22-9 and a 3.16 ERA and 246 strikeouts. He also hit 19 batters showing his style while allowing 23 home runs mostly when it didn’t matter. Lee Stange was 8-10 with a 2.77 ERA in 24 starts but soon became an important piece throwing 2 shutouts, converting a save, with a 1.11 WHIP. Gary Bell had a 3.16 ERA and a 3.33 FIP striking out 6.5 per nine and finally Dennis Bennett made 11 starts with a 3.88 ERA from the left side with a 1/34 WHIP and 4 complete games. Darrell Brandon lost some of the confidence of his manager Dick Williams and turned a 4.17 ERA into a bullpen role. Jose Santiago also made 16 starts and had a nice 12-4 record in 145 innings. John Wyatt saved 20 games with a 2.60 ERA and 1.179 WHIP and will prove to be an important piece for sure in a close series. Dan Osinski and 22 year old Sparky Lyle also played a part in relief with some good work from both sides. It will be fun to se this club play again to recreate when made them a mythical group for at least one season lead by the great Yaz.

A good Padres team lead by Bruce Bochy that won the NL West will be the adversary for the Red Sox. A well balanced team with a dominant closer is deep and hard to plan for. Trevor Hoffman is in his heyday saving 42 games with a 0.90 WHIP and 2.25 ERA. He struck out 11.4 batters per nine and was a sure thing in close games. Scott Sanders and Tim Worrell were solid in setting up the big closer as Sanders had a FIP of 2.94 and Worrell the leader in holds. The rotation was steady and dependable with vast experience. Joey Hamilton had the most innings with 2.11 and a 4.17 ERA with 15 wins and almost 8 batters K/9. Bob Tewksbury would have hoped to be more effective with a 4.31 ERA and a 10-10 record. His 92 ERA+ is below average but as a veteran he knew how to pitch out of trouble. Fernando Valenzuela had a good run with 13 wins and a 3.62 ERA with his split finger pitch still getting outs. He did have a 4.52 FIP and a higher WHIP so some of his effectiveness may be a mirage. Andy Ashby won 9 games with a 3.23 ERA in 24 starts with a 1.20 WHIP and may be the most underrated arm on the staff. Sanders also made 16 starts but was better in relief while Sean Bergman was a spot starter with limited effect. Ken Caminiti rarelt smiled but should have in 1996. He had a 1.028 OPS with 130 RBI and a .326 average. He hit everything hard and was best to be avoided in the lineup. Wally Joyner in his 30’s was still producing showing some great glovework and hitting .277 with 29 doubles. Jody Reed at second hit only .244 with 20 doubles and 45 runs in 146 games; nothing special at all. Shortstop was a weak point with Chris Gomez played in 94 games at short with an 89 OPS+ and a .262 average with Andujar Cedeno also seeing work at the spot. In the outfield was the great Tony Gwynn who hit .353 at 36 years old with 27 doubles and a .400 OBP, he did miss some time as his body wasn’t what it used to be. He was joined by fellow Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson who played left hitting only .241 but did generate 125 walks for a .410 OBP and 37 steals; speedy Rickey scored 110 runs. In center was Steve Finley who hit .298 with an .885 OPS and 195 hits. Finley played everyday scoring 126 runs with 45 doubles and was a big of part of this team as anyone else. John Flaherty was the catcher who managed a .303 average while splitting duty with Brian Johnson who hit .272. Marc Newfield and Greg Vaughn were the most often used replacements in the outfield, Vaughn managing 10 home runs. Archi Cianfrocco and Scott Livingstone shored up the roster as emergency options. This series between Boston and San Diego is just about as good as it gets in the preliminary round. Two teams with great managers all Hall of Fame talent as well as the confidence on both sides that they should win.

Game 1 at Fenway Park
Rain 56
1992 Padres............................5
1967 Red Sox..........................2
WP: S. Sanders (1-0) LP: J. Lonborg (0-1) S: T. Hoffman (1)
HR: None
POG: Scott Sanders
1992 Padres lead series 1-0
Jim Londborg struck out 13 Padre hitters but when they did make contact they hit him hard in what turned into a San Diego win. Scott Sanders went seven innings for the win despite walking five but his defense was true behind him and Boston stranded 8 runners. Tony Gwynn went 3-5 with 2 RBI as the Padres pushed across nine hits on a soggy night at Fenway.

Game 2 At Fenway Park
Partly cloudy 55
1996 Padres........................8
1967 Red Sox......................0
WP: J. Hamilton (1-0) LP: L. Stange (0-1)
HR: K. Caminiti 2 (2), A. Cedeno (1)
POG: Ken Caminiti
1996 Padres lead series 2-0
The party atmosphere at Fenway Park was ended early when Ken Caminiti hit a two run home run over the green monster in the first inning off of Lee Stange. Caminiti would add another home run later and would end the game with 4 RBI. Joey Hamilton goes nine innings for the shutout striking out 8 and walking two. The Padres head home with a 2-0 lead and have taken the wind out of the sails of the Red Sox.

Game 3 At Jack Murphy Stadium
Clear 80
1967 Red Sox.........................1
1996 Padres............................2
WP: T. Hoffman (1-0) LP: J. Wyatt (0-1)
HR: R. Henderson (1)
POG: Bob Tewksbury
1996 Padres lead series 3-0
Rickey Henderson lead off the first inning with a home run and Bob Tewsbury took that slim lead and carried it deep into the night. The Red Sox became desperate and starter Dave Morehead did keep them in the game. Finally in the 8th, an error by Craig Shiply allowed the tying run to score and it seemed like Boston would find a way. However in this crucial game, it became a battle of the closers. Hoffman did his job but John Wyatt had trouble in the ninth. A single and a wild pitch put Wally Joyner on second. With one out Brian Johnson singled to center and Joyner beat the throw to walk off the win and probably break the hearts of the Red Sox who are now down three games to none.

Game 4 At Jack Murphy Stadium
Rain 71
1967 Red Sox....................5
1996 Padres......................4
WP: J. Wyatt (1-0) LP: A. Ashby (0-1) S: S. Lyle (1)
HR: T. Gwynn (1), S. Finley (1), C. Yastzremski (1), J. Foy (1)
POG: Joe Foy
1996 Padres lead series 3 to 1
With their backs completely against the wall, the Red Sox trailed by three runs in the 8th inning and a cruising Andy Ashby on the mound for San Diego. Bruce Bochy did not go to Trevor Hoffman who needed rest and rolled the dice before Boston came roaring back, the biggest blow being a three run home run by third baseman Joe Foy. Sparky Lyle struck out the side in the 9th and we move to game 5 with the last thing the Padres wanting is another trip to Fenway. Tony Gwynn went 2-4 with a home run and is hitting .444 for the series.

Game 5 At Jack Murphy Stadium
Clear 69
1967 Red Sox........................3
1996 Padres..........................2 (12 inn)
WP: S. Lyle (1-0) LP: T. Worrell (0-1) S: D. Osinski (1)
HR: C. Shipley (1), T. Conigliaro (2)
POG: Jim Lonborg
1996 Padres lead series 3-2
Another grueling classic game in this series where Boston once again refuses to lose and pulls out a win in 12 innings after pinch hitter Bob Tillman singles in a run. The biggest star of the game was Jim Lonborg who threw 10 innings on 141 pitches and struck out 12 and literally had to be dragged off the field. Tony Conigliaro hit a two run home run early but the Padres tied the game in the 7th when Craig Shipley went deep. Both managers pulled out all the stops with Trevor Hoffman throwing 3 scoreless innings and neither team giving in. It was Boston who prevail and now the series moves back East for its exciting finish.

Game 6 At Fenway Park
Clear 62
1996 Padres.....................0
1967 Red Sox...................8
WP: L. Stange (1-1) LP: J. Hamilton (1-1)
HR: M. Andrews (1)
POG: Lee Stange
Series tied at 3
The perfect time for a shutout as Lee Stange and the Red Sox were glad to be home and made game six an easy one winning by 8 runs. Stange went the full nine allowing only 5 hits, striking out five, and walking none on only 106 pitches. Mike Andrews had three hits including a home run and scored four times while Rico Petrocelli drove in two. The Red Sox are almost all the way back and it all comes down the the two best words in sports, game seven.

Game 7 At Fenway Park
Clear 57
1996 Padres.....................3
1967 Red Sox...................0
WP: B. Tewksbury (1-0) D. Morehead (0-1)
HR: S. Finley (2)
POG: Bob Tewksbury
A four hit shutout in game seven puts the Red Sox to bed and douses the enthusiasm at Fenway Park. Steve Finley hit a solo home run in the second inning and and Ricky Henderson hit an RBI triple in the third and that would be all they would need. Bob Tewksbury threw a four hit shutout striking out eight and walking only two in what was a commanding effort at the perfect time. The Boston comeback was so close to reality, but it takes three not four to win a series, and San Diego gets the spoils.

1996 San Diego Padres Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

Bob Tewksbury
(16.2 IP, 0 ER, 11 K, 0.72 WHIP, 4 hit shutout game seven)

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Your text here should say 92-70 for the 1967 Boston Red Sox's record, Nick, it seems. Just so you know. CD out.

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #139
2018 Oakland Athletics (97-65) vs 1971 Philadelphia Phillies (67-95)

Winning the Moneyball way and doing it with a limited budget always makes the Athletics in intriguing club to follow. Bob Melvin lead the club to 97 wins but the success in the playoffs continued to elude this club, and now they will be once again tested in a playoff type format. Rich in talent in the lineup, Khris Davis may have been the biggest outlier going deep 48 times with 123 RBI and an .874 OPS mostly at DH. He did strike out 175 times but his muscle and 98 runs broke the backs of many a team. Stephen Piscotty also struck out over 100 times but he drove in 88 with an .821 OPS and 41 doubles proving his line drive abilities. Mark Canha wasn’t the most graceful centerfielder and he hit only .249 in 122 games. Dustin Fowler was a regular reserve for him playing in 69 games but having only a 68 OPS+. Chris Pinder platooned time in left with Nick Martin and Pinder had a .769 OPS with 13 home runs in 110 games. Martin had a .414 OBP and hit .296. Matt Chapman hit .355 with 15 home runs and 14 stolen bases. He did lead the team in runs with 100 and had real ability to be a five tool player. Marcus Semien scored 89 times and drove in 70 but had has OPS stale at .706 with only a .318 OBP. Jed Lowrie at 34 years old had 99 RBI and hit 23 home runs with an .801 OPS and some fine leadership for the group. Jonathan Lucroy was slowing down quite a bit at catcher hitting .241 with only 4 home runs and 100 hits in 126 games, he also however was a respected teammate. Finally at first base Matt Olsen was gaining attention hitting 29 home runs with 84 RBI but whiffed 163 times, the Athletics as a team struck out 1381 times. Matt Joyce was another outfield option while Josh Phegley backed up Lucroy at catcher. Season Manaea lead a staff that saw 6 pitchers start more then 1 games. Manaea went 12-9 with a 3.59 ERA although his FIP was 4.26. He allowed 21 home runs but was consistent with his quality of work. Daniel Mengden had a 4.05 ERA in 17 starts but allowed 18 home runs even with his good WHIP of 1.11. Trevor Cahill struck out 8.2 per nine and had a 3.76 ERA making him a decent option while 34 year old Edwin Jackson had a 3.33 ERA and in 92 innings still had something left in the tank. Brett Anderson had a 4.48 ERA and was too often hit hard while Frankie Montas made 11 starts but had a high WHIP at 1.46 and had to constantly work out of jams. Blake Treinen saved an impressive 38 games with an 0.78 ERA making his season one of the best we have ever seen for a closer. Yusmeiro Petit and Lou Trivinio were also lights out in set up roles and as always one of the strongest things about this A’s team was their late inning options and pitchers. Chris Bassitt and Mike Fiers had some spot starts and Ryan Bchter was 6-0 and a specialist for the left side. It is no fluke that this club made the post season and should not be overlooked. There draw against the lowly Phillies should finally see a Billy Beane team win a playoff series.

Another rough season in 1971 for the Phillies who were now over 20 years without a pennant. The talent level especially on the hitting side was thin and the construction of the roster seemed to favor players with a decent glove but no pop in their swing. Twenty one yea rold Oscar Gamble made his debut in left field but hit only .221 in 92 games with 23 RBI proving he had a lot to learn. Willie Montanez in center was a .255 hitter that brought 105 strikeouts but at least he had the power, hitting 30 home runs with 99 RBI and 78 runs. Roger Freed in right was also a .221 hitter with 37 RBI and a 78 OPS plus in 118 games, far from worthy numbers for the position. Larry Bowa as the feisty 25 year old short stop with a great glove and good speed swiping 28 bases, but his bat was singles power only with a .292 SLG. Denny Doyle at second hit .231 with 24 RBI in 95 games and only 12 doubles. He really sat buried in the lineup and had no place as an everyday option. John Vukovich at 23 years old was at third for 74 games with a .400 OPS and a .166 batting average; enough said. Deron Johnson actually put together an impressive year hitting 34 home runs with 95 RBI and a respectable .265 average, He had am .836 OPS and was the best thing going at Veterans Stadium in 1971. Tim McCarver came with a great reputation of winning and did a great job with the staff while he also hit .278 with 20 doubles and even 5 steals, he was still a very productive player. Don Money played in 121 games and was needed although he sported a .223 average and 80 strikeouts. Ron Stone played in 95 games hitting .227 and Terry Harmon batting .204 in 79 games proving that the Phillies bench was par for the course for this club. The Phlly pitching had a lot to do and really fought to keep games close. Rick Wise somehow won 17 games with avery impressive 2.88 ERA. He walked only 70 batters in 272 innings and had a good WHIP at 1.25. Wise deserves more credit then he gets for this particular season. Barry Lersch was 5-14 with a 3.78 and had a excellent WHIP of 1.18 proving that he could be trusted. He did allow a whopping 28 home runs however. Chris Short had a 3.85 ERA with a 4.15 FIP and a 92 ERA+ making his a decent third starter. After the top three the rotation fell off quite a bit as Ken Reynolds had a 1.50 WHIP with 4.5 BB per nine and some real command concerns to go along with Jim Bunning who at 39 years old was way past it, as the Philly legend ended with a 5,48 ERA in 8 starts. Joe Hoerner was a very good end of game closer with a 1.97 ERA and nine saves, he was a nightmare on left handed hitters. Woodile Fryman made 17 starts as well but transitioned to the pen with a 3.38 ERA. Bill Champion and Bill Wilson also helped make up a decent bullpen. There were many challenges for Frank Lucchesi and this team but none will be bigger then a very strong Oakland team standing in their way.

Game 1 At Oakland Coliseum
49 partly cloudy
1971 Phillies......................1
2018 Athletics....................3
WP: T. Cahill (1-0) LP: W. Fryman (0-1) S: B. Treinan (1)
HR: K. Davis (1)
POG: Trevor Cahill
2018 Athletics lead series 1-0
A three run swing of the bat by Khris Davis was the winning margin in this one as the slugger went deep in the sixth inning to turn around a 1-0 deficit against Woodie Fryman and the Phillies. Trevor Cahill went seven innings allowing only one run and striking out 11 at which point the Oakland pen took over and held the lead with Blake Treinan getting the save. Just the type of win the Athletics had hoped for to open the series. Even worse Larry Bowa suffered an injury in the loss for Philly.

Game 2 At Oakland Coliseum
Clear 61
1971 Phillies.........................3
2018 Athletics.......................2
WP: R. Wise (1-0) LP: S. Manaea (0-1) S: J. Hoerner (1)
HR: S. Piscotty (1), D. Johnsin (1), D. Money (1)
POG: Rick Wise
Series tied at 1
Don Money hit a two run home run in the sixth inning to put the visting Phillies ahead and support Rick Wise who had his good stuff and would need limited support. Wise went into the 8th inning striking out five before the call was made to Joe Hoerner to pull him out of a hole and close the deal. The first two games of this series have been very nip and tuck, and the A's may be in for more of a fight then they anticipated. Next stop Philly.

Game 3 At Veterans Stadium
Partly cloudy 51
2018 Athletics..................3
1971 Phillies....................1
WP: F. Montas (1-0) LP: J. Bunning (0-1) S: B. Trienen (2)
HR: M. Chapman (1), S. Piscotty (2)
POG: Frankie Montas
2018 Athletics lead series 2-1
Once again it was the long ball that made the differance in a tight game. Down by a run and the old vet Jim Bunning on the hill, Matt Chapman hit a solo home run in the 6th to tie the game and in the same inning Steven Piscotty hit a two run shot to put the A's up for good. Once again the Oakland pen held the lead all the way giving the win to Frankie Montas who walked six but allowed only one earned run.

Game 4 At Veterans Stadium
Clear 62
2018 Athletics.................9
1971 Phillies...................4
WP: B. Anderson (1-0) LP: B. Lersch (0-1)
HR: J. Briggs (1), W. Montanaz (1), M. Olson (1), R. Laureano (1)
POG: Matt Olson
2018 Athletics lead series 3-1
Matt Olson hit a three run home run in the first inning and Oakland scored five runs in the first two innings battering Phillies starter Barry Lersch and setting the pace for a 14 hit victory. Ramon Laureano also added a home run and scored two runs to support Brett Anderson in the win. Oakland now have control of the series.

Game 5 At Veterans Stadium
Clear 50
2018 Athletics...................4
1971 Phillies.....................8
WP: B. Brandon (1-0) LP: T. Cahill (1-1)
HR: W. Montanaz 2 (3), J. Briggs (2), M. Canha (1)
POG: Willie Montanez
2018 Athletics lead series 3-2
Willie Montanez drilled two home runs as the Phillies came from behind to get the win and extend the series. Montanez drove in as did Deron Johnson and John Briggs. Matt Canha hit a three run home run early to put the A's ahead but on this night for a change the Oakland pitching and Trevor Cahill were off the mark. Bucky Brandon picks up the win in relief.

Game 6 At Veterans Stadium
Partly Cloudy 48
1971 Phillies.....................4
2018 Athlletics..................8
WP: S. Manaea (1-1) LP: R. Wise (1-1) S: P. Blackburn (1)
HR: J. Briggs (3), D. Johnson (2), S. Piscotty (3), M. Olson (2)
POG: Stephen Piscotty
A six run bottom of the sixth inning broke this game wide open and set the Athletics up for the series clincher. Jonathon Lucroy drove in 3 runs from the 9th spot while Stephen Piscotty drove in two and scored three times. Rick Wise who had looked so good in his last outing, allowed five in this one and did not survive the big inning. Sean Manaea wasnt sharp, but did log six innings and was stubborn enough for the win. The A's win the series as deserved in six.

2018 Oakland Athletics Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

Stephen Piscotty
(.250, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .700 SLG, 6 R, .348 OBP)

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #140
1971 Oakland Athletics (100-60) vs 1913 Chicago White Sox (78-74)

The 1971 Athletics were a year removed from the beginning of their three championship dynasty, but winning 101 games that season shows that they had already arrived. All the pieces were there including manager Dick Williams who filtered the club from an unpredictable owner. Vida Blue emerged with one of the most dominant seasons ever at the ripe age of 21. He went 24-8 with a 1.75 ERA and 301 strikeouts; he was simply unhittable. Blue had 8 shutouts and 24 complete games and ended with a 0.95 WHIP. Behind him was Catfish Hunter who also won 20 games in 272 innings and 4 shutouts. Hunter had a 2.96 ERA but even though he was great, did not have his best season. Chuck Dobson went 15-5 with a 3.81 ERA and a 4.19 FIP as his command could be lost easily and Williams was a bit cautious when to use him. Diego Segui won 10 games with a 3.14 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP making him a probable third starter in the series while Blue Moon Odom went 10-12 with a 4.29 ERA in 140 innings as his control was up towards 5 walks per nine making him hard to trust. Rollie Fingers actually started in 8 games but it was clear he was best set for a closer role. He saved 17 games with a 2.99 ERA but was touched up for 14 home runs leaving fans a bit nervous in close ones. Bob Locker saved six games with a 2.86 ERA and Darold Knowles among others helped the team ERA stay down at 3.05 as a unit. Thirty-five-year-old Mudcat Grant made 15 appearances with a nice 1.98 mark. The two aces at the top were complimented by a good group of arms behind them. Reggie Jackson was the headline maker at 25 years old and in his brash prime. He hit 32 home runs with 80 RBI and 16 steals while of course striking out 161 times. Still one could rarely keep their eyes off Reggie and his monumental power. Rick Monday hit 18 home runs in center but hit only .245 and was relieved at times by Angel Mangual who was also a little more fleet in center. Jo Rudi was proving to be a good line drive hitter in left hitting .267 but it was Rudi’s glove that really gave a boost to a defense that needed it. Sal Bando was a fixture at third hitting 24 home runs with 94 RBI and a 137 OPS+. Bando was also one of the most clutch hitters you can ever meet. Dick Green was the light hitting second baseman at .244 with 49 RBI and a .673 OPS. Bert Campaneris scored 80 runs and stole 34 bases making him the fire starter at the top of the lineup. His defense at short was also solid not being afraid to take a chance. Mike Epstein hit 18 home runs at first but hit only .234 but his OBP was an impressive .368 with 62 walks. Dave Duncan hit .253 as the catcher and drove in 40 runs but it was Duncan behind the plate and his smarts in calling a game that made him very important to the roster. Tommy Davis hit .324 off the bench and young Gene Tenace was coming into his own as an impressive hitting catcher. This is a very very good team in Oakland, with star power, great leaders, and a impactful manager.

With three starting pitchers with an ERA under two, these 1913 White Sox were the perfect example of a successful dead ball era team. Still for manager Jimmy Callahan the results were not all good, as the Sox finished in 5th place with only 78 wins. Reb Russell logged the most innings at 316 and settled with a 1.90 ERA making one wonder how he lost 16 games. Russell had 8 shutouts and a 154 ERA+ while being used in a number of roles including converting four saves. Jim Scott won 20 games with an identical 1.90 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. He was essentially the same pitcher as Russell throwing 312 innings and leading the team with 158 strike outs. Eddie Cicotte at 29 years old went 18-11 with an even better ERS of 1.58 while his FIP was 2.60. Cicotte loved the spitter striking out 121 with a 186 ERA+ that was among the highest in the league; Cicotte may be the game one starter of this series. Joe Benz threw in 151 innings and 32 year old legend Ed Walsh 97 innings. Neither really made a big impact with Walh finishing with a 2.58 ERA in 14 starts as his arm at this stage of his career was obviously tired. Doc White was another long time legend at 34 years old, he threw 103 innings and made 8 starts with a more troublesome 3.50 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. Frank lange and Poo boy Smith also made starts but the likely hood is they will not be used in the series other then long relief. Hal Chase is said to have taught the Sox their cheating ways, but at first base he was as smooth as a cat while hitting .286 in 102 games adding 10 triples. Morrie Rath hit only .200 at second base in 92 games and lost most of his time to Joe Berger who didn’t do much better hitting.215. Buck Weaver was the everyday short stop who hit .272 with 145 hits and 20 steals. Weaver at only 22 years old would be a main stay for the Sox throughout the decade. Harry Lloyd checked in at third with 18 doubles and 12 triples as he also stole over 20 bases. Lord was the veteran in the lineup at 31. Ray Schalk was an excellent catcher with 14 steals and 15 doubles at only 20 years old. The outfield was lead by Shano Collins who had 26 doubles and 47 RBI even with his paltry average of .239. Ping Bodie hit .264 with a team high 112 OPS+ but was one of the slower footed players in the lineup also impacting his fielding. Wally Mattick hit only .188 and played only 71 game sin right. Larry Chappell played in 60 games in relief at the position but his OPS+ is 69. Jack Fournier was a 20 year old bench bat who looks like he has the making of a legitimate batting talent. The A’s are best to be careful of this White Sox club that has some tools that make it a competitive series or more.

Game 1 At Oakland Coliseum
Rain 62
1913 White Sox.....................4
1971 Athletics........................8
WP: V. Blue (1-0) LP: J. Scott (0-1)
HR: D. Mincher (1), R. Jackson (1), P. Bodie (1)
POG: Ping Bodie
1971 Athletics lead series 1-0
Vida Blue did not have his best stuff in the opening game of this series as Ping Bodie went 3-4 with 3 RBI including a 2 run home run in the first. The Oakland bats however picked up their ace as Bert Campaneris drove in three an Don Mincher hit a go-ahead two run home run. Reggie Jackson also went deep in a 12 run effort as the A's scored runs in all 5 of their first innings. Blue was able to go the distance as Sox starter Jim Scott had a bad day at the office.

Game 2 At Oakland Coliseum
Partly cloudy 63
1913 White Sox....................0
1971 Athletics.......................2
WP: C. Hunter (1-0) LP: E. Cicotte (0-1)
HR: D. Mincher (2)
POG: Catfish Hunter
1971 Athletics lead series 2-0
Throwing 108 pitches and holding the White Sox to only 5 hits in a complete game shutout, Catfish Hunter proved why he is so trusted by his manager and team. Eddie Cicotte pitched a good game for Chicago but was not at the level of Hunter who walked only one and struck out four. Hunter even came through with the bat driving in a run in the seventh after Don Mincher hit another big home run to break a 0-0 tie. Oakland can be confident as the series heads east to Chicago.

Game 3 At Comiskey PArk
69 clear
1971 Athletics....................9
1913 White Sox.................4
WP: B. Locker (1-0) LP: J. Benz (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Joe Rudi
1971 Athletics lead series 3-0
The Athletics are on the verge of sweeping this series as they go into Chicago and score five runs in the last two innings to get the win. Joe Rudi had three hits and ended with 5 RBI in a banner day while Bert Campaneris scored four times. Ed Walsh went six strong innings for the Sox as the veteran was given a roll of the dice start to try and turn the mojo of the series around; the Sox pen however did not cooperate.

Game 4 At Comiskey Park
Clear 66
1971 Athletics...................2
1913 White Sox................3
WP: F. Lange (1-0) LP: C. Dobson (0-1)
HR: J. Fournier (1), P. Bodie (2), R. Jackson (2)
POG: Reb Russell
1971 Athletics lead series 3-1
Down by two runs and facing elimination, the White Sox showed some heart and didnt quit coming back to win game 4 and extend the series. A Reggie Jackson home run had put the visitors up 2-0 behind Chuck Dobson but the Sox would chip away at the lead. Jack Fournier would tie the game with a home run in the 6th and in the 8th Ping Bodie came through with a clutch go ahead home run to put Chicago up. Frank Lange would close the door and get credit for the win as the Sox survive another day.

Game 5 At Comiskey Park
Partly cloudy 57
1971 Athletics....................2
1913 White Sox.................1
WP: V. Blue (2-0) LP: J. Scott (0-2) S: R. Fingers (1)
HR: None
POG: Jim Scott
The 1971 Athletics closed out the series in five and did it in an exceptional way. Oakland was one hit in this game but managed two runs which would be enough to close the deal. Jim Soctt did everything he could but a lead off single to Reggie Jackson followed by a walk, a wild pitch, and then a big error by harry Lord allowed two runs to score. Vida Blue held the lead like a iron safe going seven innings and striking out six. In the 8th and 9th Rollie Fingers came on to close the door, and with two men on in the ninth he escaped the jam and the A's are deserved winners. Scott struck out nine in seven innings of one hit work and took the loss.

1971 Oakland Athletics Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

Ping Bodie
(.444, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 1.42 OPS, 1 SB, 3 R)

[Nick Soulis]

Tournament Progress Report 140 Series Played

Every 10 series I will give a progress report on the competition including stats.

Leaders (single series)
Hits...................George Stone (1907 Browns) 17
Home Runs.......Andrew McCutchen (2014 Pirates) 6
RBI...................Dave Parker (1977 Pirates) 17
Strikeouts.........Smoky Joe Wood (1912 Red Sox) 36
Longest HR.......Billy Herman (1941 Cubs) 504 FT

Cumulative WAR leaders (ALL Players)
1. Kenny Lofton - 3.2
2. Al Lopez - 3.1
3. Mark Belanger - 3.1
4. Mike Piazza - 2.9
5. Ramon Hernandez - 2.8


Managerial Leaders
Most Wins...........Tony LaRussa - 26
Winning %...........Bill Virdon - 100%

Hall of Famers
Culminative leaders for all Hall of Famers for every series they play (includes Pujols, Rose, Bonds, Joe Jackson, Clemens, Trout, Verlander, Cabrera)
Avg..................Harry Heilmann (1.00)
HR...................Jim Thome (10)
RBI..................Jim Thome (35)
Runs...............Jim Thome (28)
Hits.................Rickey Henderson (40)
SB..................Rickey Henderson (11)
2B...................Alex Rodriguez (8)
3B...................Pie Traynor (5)
AB...................Rickey Henderson (132)
SLG................Gaby Hartnett (1.083)
Wins...............Jim Palmer (6)
IP....................Jim Palmer (88)
K.....................Gaylord Perry (55)
ERA................Whitey Ford (0.00)
K/9..................Juan Marichal (10.52)
BB/9................Dennis Eckersley (0.00)
Saves..............Mariano Rivera (4)

Championship Clubs
1. 1959 Dodgers (defeated 1989 Dodgers 4-2 in prelim) Still Alive
2. 1908 Chicago Cubs (Lost to 1919 Giants 2-4 in prelim) ELIMINATED
3. 1985 Kansas City Royals (Lost to 1995 Padres 1-4 in Prelim) ELIMINATED
4. 1973 Oakland Athletics (defeated 1920 Braves in Prelim) Still Alive
5. 1919 Cincinnati Reds (Lost to 1973 Reds 3-4 in Prelim) ELIMINATED
6. 1998 New York Yankees (Defeated 1926 Cubs 4-2 in Prelim) Still Alive
7. 1991 Minnesota Twins (Defeated 1909 Highlanders 4-2 in Prelim) Still Alive
8. 1951 New York Yankees (Defeated 1923 Athletics 4-1 in Prelim) Still Alive
9. 1947 New York Yankees (Lost to 1914 Yankees 3-4 in Prelim) - ELIMINATED
10. 1912 Boston Red Sox (Defeated 2020 Rockies 4-3 in Prelim) Still Alive

Incredible Comebacks (Teams down 0-3 to come back and win series)
1. 1912 Boston Red Sox (Defeated 2020 Rockies)


Franchise Records
Arizona Dbacks....................0-2
Atlanta/Mil Braves................4-4
Baltimore Orioles..................5-6
Boston Braves/Beans...........2-4
Boston Red Sox...................10-5
Brooklyn/LA Dodgers...........8-9
Chicago Cubs......................3-6
Chicago White Sox..............7-6
Cincinnati Reds...................9-10
Cleveland Indians/Naps......2-10
Colorado Rockies................0-1
Detroit Tigers......................5-6
Florida/Miami Marlins......... 1-0
Houston Astros....................3-2
KC Royals...........................3-1
Los Angeles Angels.............2-5
Milwaukee Brewers.............6-3
Minnesota Twins..................3-5
Montreal Expos...................4-0
New York Mets....................3-3
New York Yankees...............9-9
New York/SF Giants.............6-3
Philadelphia Phillies.............5-6
Philadelphia/Oak A's............9-10
Pittsburgh Pirates.................7-6
San Diego Padres................5-4
Seattle Mariners...................2-3
St. Louis Browns..................2-1
St. Louis Cardinals...............4-4
Tampa Bay Rays..................1-0
Texas Rangers.....................2-2
Toronto Blue Jays.................2-0
Washingtion Nationals..........0-0
Washington Senators...........6-4

Best Winning Percentage by Franchise:
Montreal Expos 100%

Records By Decade
1900's.............................3-9
1910's.............................18-7
1920's.............................3-7
1930's.............................5-13
1940's.............................9-6
1950's.............................12-6
1960's.............................10-12
1970's.............................20-14
1980's.............................8-11
1990's.............................19-24
2000's.............................21-12
2010's.............................11-20

Most successful Season: 1977 is 4-0 (100%)


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 48 - Ron Fairly goes 5-6 with 3 doubles and a home run in 13-10 win.
Series 62 - Joe Adcock hits three home runs in the deciding game seven with 5 RBI including the walk off series clinching winner.
Series 73 - Joey Medwick goes 4-5 with 3 HR and 7 RBI in game 4 of series. He hit 2 three run home runs.
Series 85 - Alex Rodriguez goes 6-6 with 3 2B and 4 runs in game six clinching win.
Series 91 - Noodles Hahn pitches to complete game shutouts in series sweep, one in game one and one in game 4.
Series 96 - Darryl Strawberry of the 1984 Mets goes 6-6 with 6 RBI in a 24 hit effort by the team in a win over the 1994 Expos.
Series 99 - Three home runs by Walker Cooper in a crucial 7-5 win in game 6 to keep the 1948 Giants alive and eventual winners.
Series 102 - Dave Parker hits 5 home runs in 4 games and drives in 17 runs.
Series 117 - Ed Konetcy goes 3-5 with 7 RBI for the 1909 Cardinals in a 16 run win.
Series 121 - Jim Palmer pitches a 13 inning shutout to beat Whitey Ford and the Yankees 1-0.
Series 133 - Roger Repoz hits a walk off grand slam to win the series for the 1967 Athletics.

[Nick Soulis]

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #141
1966 Detroit Tigers (88-74) vs 1973 Texas Rangers (57-105)

One wouldn’t think that a club that had three different managers would win 88 games and obviously on the rise, but the 1966 Tigers were looking for that leader and direction as they headed towards their 1968 championship season. The core of the pitching staff was blooming with 22 year old Denny McLain winning 20 games with 4 shutouts and a nice 1.16 WHIP. McLain still had some growing pains with his 3.92 ERA but the upside was obvious to all. Mickey Lolich had somewhat a rougher time proving himself with a 4.77 ERA but a better FIP at 3.70. Lolich threw 11 wild pitches and walked almost 4 per nine as he and McLain combined to allow 66 home runs. Earl Wilson was a nice third starter on this team bringing a veteran feel going 13-6 with a 2.59 ERA in 163 innings. He struck out 7.3 per nine and held a 1.00 WHIP while walking only 38. Johnny Podres at 33 years old made 13 starts with a 3.43 but some arm issues and other names like Dave Wickersham and Hank Aguirre also made multiple starts as the Tigers looked for the right mix. Who they choose to start game four of this series is very much in the air. Larry Sherry was the closer saving 20 games with a worrisome 3.82 ERA. Orlando Pena had seven saves and a better 3.08 ERA and Red Gladding was another piece who went 5-0 in relief with a 106 ERA+. A 3.85 team ERA was actually not very good for the era they threw in. Al Kaline was by now trenched at Mr. Tiger at 31 years old and was still getting it done with a .927 OPS, a .388 OBP, 29 home runs, and 85 runs scored. Kaline also had is usual gold glove play in center field. Jim Northrup manned right and hit 16 home runs with a .788 OPS and only 52 strikeouts. Willie Horton brought even more power in left field hitting 27 home runs and leading the club with 100 RBI. Horton struck out 103 times but for the most part was a very efficient hitter in the middle of the order. Don Wert played third for 150 games hitting .268 with 20 doubles but limited power and only 56 runs scored. Jerry Lumpe was very weak at second with a 61 OPS+, no power or speed and was platooned with Jake Wood who hit .252 and provided more basic tools at the position. Norm Cash whacked 32 home runs from first with 93 RBI and an .829 OPS> Cash was a legitimate power threat even as he was now past 30 getting 288 total bases. Dick McAuliffe played a good short hitting .274 with 23 home runs and 83 runs scored, his ability to pick the position and make contact would be a big key in the short term success of the team. An even bigger impact was likely 24 year old catcher Bill Freehan who was excellent with the glove and managed 12 home runs and 46 RBI while moving quite well for a catcher on the bases. Mickey Stanley and Ray Oyler were the most frequent pinch hitters with limited impact while Gates Brown hit seven home runs off the bench. There are some real competitors on this roster and a team that was inching to win during an era when the American League was quite competitive post Yankee dynasty.

The 1973 season was not a pretty sight for the Texas Rangers who had three managers including Billy Martin and Whitey Herzog but still lost 105 games. No one in the lineup hit over .300 or drove in over 100 runs. The only power source was right fielder Jeff Burroughs who hit 30 home runs and drove in 85, that was more then double the number anyone else on the team could produce. Vic Harris tried to bring the speed element in center stealing 12 bases and hitting seven triples, but he was quite raw at 23 and pure baseball talent was lacking. Rico Carty had seen better days at 33 and playing left and he managed only 86 games hitting .232 as Elliott Maddox got into 100 games and was better with the glove despite his 81 OPS+. Jim Fregosi played in only 45 games at third and Larry Bittner saw most of the work but he had zero pop and had only 80 total bases making the position a black hole. Jim Spencer hit 4 home runs out of first base in 102 games hitting a light .267 but did walk as many times as he struck out and drove in 43 runs. Toby Harrah at 24 years old was the legitimate hope for many at short. He hit .260 with 10 homers and 50 driven in while stealing 10 bases. Harrah was also an athletics defender and one of the few reasons to watch this team play. Dave Nelson was also fast and worked well with Harrah from second base. Nelson stole 16 bases and thrived under Whitey ball scoring 71 runs and hitting .286 to lead the team. Ken Suarez and Dick Billings switched off at catcher and both really could hit much at all; they were both 30 and on the downside of their careers. Bill Sudakis played in 81 games hitting .255 and spending time at first and Jim Mason was the main defensive replacement on the infield. Alex Johnson was the very light hitting DH hitting .287 with 10 steals and only 8 home runs. He did hit 26 doubles with a .698 OPS which was not bat on this team. Six different arms did their best to patch together a pitching staff that allowed a 4.64 ERA. No one threw over 200 innings with Jim Bibby leading the way with a 9-10 record in 180 frames. Bibby had a nice 3.24 ERA with 2 shutouts but in desperation was also used in relief and ended with 2 saves. Jim Merritt was 5-13 in 19 starts and a 4.05 ERA allowing over 10 hits per nine and a 1.40 WHIP making him quite risky. Sony Siebert has a 3.99 ERA and a 3.49 FIP making him acceptable as he kept the ball on the ground but was also pulled to be used in relief when needed. Pete Broberg and Steve Dunning were awful with ERA’s over 5 and over 5 walks per nine. David Clyde started in 18 games but also saw his ERA grow to 5.01 with no complete games and also allowing 10.2 hits per nine. Who the ace on this team is a very wide open question as is who will start in this series. Mike Paul also made 10 starts but was more valuable as a lefty option in the pen. The pen had only a few “dependable” arms like Steve Fouclat who at 23 had a 3.88 ERA and 8 saves. He also had some major control issues. Jackie Brown had his FIP at 3.80 but had a WHIP at 1.60. Charlie Hudosn and Bob Gogolewski also were relievers along those same lines. The Rangers will have to find real magic to win a few games in this series, but at least their manager Whitey Herzog is innovative and will pull out all the stops to compete.


Game 1 At Tiger Stadium
Partly cloudy 60
1973 Rangers....................3
1966 Tigers........................2
WP: S. Foucault (0-1) LP: L. Sherry (0-1)
HR: D. McAuliffe (1), B. Madlock (1), J. Burroughs (1)
POG: Jackie Brown
1973 Rangers lead series 1-0
Texas opens up with an upset at Tiger Stadium as Jackie Brown and Mickey Lolich get tangled in a pitching duel. Three home runs played part in a 2-2 tie after both teams went to their bullpens heading into the 9th. An error by set up a Bill Madlock double to put the visiting side in front and Steve Foucault closed the door for the narrow win. Madlock was 3-5 with a home run and 2 RBI.

Game 2 At Tiger Stadium
Clear 64
1973 Rangers.....................6
1966 Tigers.........................3
WP: R. Hand (1-0) LP: B. Monbouquette (0-1)
HR: D. Nelson (1), B. Sudakis (1)
POG: Dave Nelson
1973 Rangers lead series 2-0
Texas stuns again winning their second game at Tiger Stadium with one big blow in the 8th inning. With the game even at three, catcher Bill Sudakis came up with two on and two out to become the key man. Larry Sherry left one in the zone and the ball was launched 399 feet over the right field wall for three run lead. Dave Nelson went 3-5 with 3 RBI while Rich Hand pitched well into the 8th inning striking out five for the win. The Tigers now head to Texas stunned at their predicament.

Game 3 At Arlington Stadium
Partly cloudy 71
1966 Tigers.........................1
1973 Rangers.....................3
WP: D. Clyde (1-0) LP: D. Wickersham (0-1) S: S. Foucault (2)
HR: T. Harrah (1)
POG: Toby Harrah
1973 Rangers lead series 3-0
The fairy tale continues is Texas and the Rangers just seem to have the Tigers number. Tonight it was starter David Clyde who pitched 7.1 innings on one run ball striking out six and allowing only three hits. Toby Harrah hit a two run home run in the 6th inning to give Texas the lead for good, it was the third game where a late home run by the Rangers made the difference. Steve Foucault closed the door and White Herzog has this group of misfits one game way from a sweep.

Game 4 At Arlington Stadium
Partly cloudy 77
1966 Tigers........................5
1973 Rangers....................7
WP: D. Bosman (1-0) LP: D. McLain (0-1) S: M. Paul
HR: D. Demeter 2 (2), B. Freehan (1), T. Grieve (1)
POG: Don Demeter
Funny things can happen in the game of baseball and even more so in a short series when a club gets hot. The 105 loss 1973 Rangers did away with the Tigers in four straight games and gave their fans something good to cheer for a franchise with a disappointing past. Don Demeter hit two home runs for the Tigers but it would not be enough as Jeff Burroughs delivered a two run double in a four run fifth and 12 run barrage for the home team. Dick Bosman was not good allowing 5 runs in 7 innings but was good enough for the win while Mike Paul earned a rare save. Kudos to Whitey Herzog for his teams performance in one of our biggest upsets.

1973 Texas Rangers Win Series 4 Games To 0

Series MVP:

Toby Harrah
(8/15, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB, .800 SLG)