ANDY'S 15-SEASON Franchise League--SEASON RECAPS

[andycummings65]

:D

[andycummings65]

1. Yankees[color=white:dabd2c9c98]y[/color:dabd2c9c98] 1006-776 .565 (1 WC, 7 DIV, 5 Finals Apps, 3 Champs)
2. Cubs [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yyyy [/color:dabd2c9c98]681-615 .524 (1 WC, 4 DIV, 3 Finals Apps, 1 Champ)
2. Giants [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yyy [/color:dabd2c9c98]934-848 .524 (5 WC, 1 DIV, 1 Finals Apps, 0 Champ)
4. Expansion 677-619 .522 (1 WC, 3 DIV, 4 Finals Apps, 1 Champ)
5. Cardinals[color=white:dabd2c9c98]y[/color:dabd2c9c98] 759-699 .521 (1 WC, 2 DIV, 2 Finals Apps, 1 Champ)
6. A's [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yyyyyyy [/color:dabd2c9c98]840-781 .518 (2 WC, 3 DIV, 2 Finals Apps, 2 Champs)
7. Red Sox [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yy [/color:dabd2c9c98]665-631 .513 (0 WC, 2 DIV, 1 Finals App, 1 Champ)
8. Indians [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yyy [/color:dabd2c9c98]642-654 .495 (1 WC, 2 DIV, 2 Finals Apps, 1 Champ)
9. White Sox[color=white:dabd2c9c98]y[/color:dabd2c9c98] 639-657 .493 (0 PLayoff Apps)
10. Tigers [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yyy [/color:dabd2c9c98]706-752 .484 (0 WC, 3 DIV, 2 Finals Apps, 1 Champ)
11. Dodgers [color=white:dabd2c9c98]y[/color:dabd2c9c98] 623-673 .481 (0 WC, 3 DIV, 0 Finals Apps)
12. Pirates [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yyy [/color:dabd2c9c98]771-859 .476 (0 WC, 1 DIV, 0 Finals Apps)
13. Reds [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yyyyy [/color:dabd2c9c98]594-702 .458 (1 WC, 0 DIV, 0 Finals Apps)
14. Beltway [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yy [/color:dabd2c9c98]583-713 .450 (0 Playoff Apps)
15. Braves [color=white:dabd2c9c98]yyy [/color:dabd2c9c98]572-724 .441 (0 Playoff Apps)

[andycummings65]

[color=white:f4fb527ba1]yy[/color:f4fb527ba1]Pitcher[color=white:f4fb527ba1]yyyyyyyyyyyy[/color:f4fb527ba1]Season[color=white:f4fb527ba1]yyyyy[/color:f4fb527ba1]TEAM[color=white:f4fb527ba1]yyyyy[/color:f4fb527ba1]Record
1. Chesbro, Jack (1904) 6 YANKEES 33-7
2. Chesbro, Jack (1904) 5 YANKEES 30-7
2. Guidry, Ron (1978) 6 YANKEES 30-9
4.Maddux, Greg (1995) 11 BRAVES 29-7
5.Pfiester, Jack (1906) 2 CUBS 27-9
5.Young, Cy (1901) 12 RED SOX 27-10
5.Hunter, Catfish (1972) 4 A's 27-11
8. Walsh, Ed (1910) 3 WHITE SOX 26-12
8. Koufax, Sandy (1963) 8 DODGERS 26-13
8. Mathewson, Christy (1905) 2 GIANTS 26-13
8. Mathewson, Christy (1905) 9 GIANTS 26-13

[andycummings65]

[size=18:0a0028b450][b:0a0028b450]SEASON #12 RECAP[/b:0a0028b450][/size:0a0028b450]

For the second straight season, there was parity in the League, though some critics would prefer the term mediocrity.

After 11 years of playoff heartbreak, the White Sox finally reached postseason play. The Pale Hose were led by fine pitching from Ed Walsh (16-17, league-leading 3.49 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), Red Faber (18-8, 3.87 ERA, 1.30 WHIP), and Hoyt Wilhelm (20 saves). On the offensive side of the ledger, Dick Allen (42 HR, 142 RBI), Joe Jackson (45 2b, 101 RBI, .315 AVG), Luke Appling (.314 AVG, 101 Runs)), and Frank Thomas (29 HR, 104 RBI) were the key contributors. The Dodgers finished a respectable second, with the major contributions coming from Sandy Koufax (21-17, 3.70 ERA) and Duke Snider (38 HR, 110 RBI). The Beltway squad got great pitching from Walter Johnson (4.26 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), though his 19-19 record belied the way he pitched. Dick Hall saved a league-leading 44 games, and George Sisler (.303 AVG, 200 Hits) and Harmon Killebrew (41 HR, 106 RBI) led the offensive output. The Pirates got great rate stats from Babe Adams (3.76 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) and good power numbers from Willie Stargell (49 HR, 100 RBI), but little else in compiling the worst record in the league.

The Central Division was the most competitive division in Season #12. For most of the season, it was a three-team battle between the Expansion squad, the Cubs, and the Red Sox, with the Expansion team in front for a good portion of the season. The Red Sox and Cubs both caught fire just as the Expansion team began a precipitous drop through the standings. Going into the last series, the Red Sox sat one game behind the Cubs, while the Expansion team and hard-charging Indians were both 4 out, still hoping for the Wild Card. The Indians swept the Red Sox, while the Cubs won two of three from the suddenly inept Expansion squad, giving the Cubs the Division crown, while the Red Sox barely hung on to take the Wild Card. The ace of the Cubs’ staff was Pete Alexander, who had a record of 22-13 and a 3.82 ERA. Hack Wilson placed the Cubs on his back and carried them offensively, as he belted 70 home runs, drove in 140 runs, and scored 129 runs. Ernie Banks (43 HR, 122 RBI) and Gabby Hartnett (49 HR, 112 RBI) also gave the team an offensive boost. Though he was probably the most dominant pitcher in Season #12, the Cy Young Award eluded Cy Young, despite his 27-10 record and 3.62 ERA). Still, he and Fireman of the Year Dick Radatz (40 Saves) helped the Red Sox to the Wild Card. On offense, Ted Williams (40 HR, 117 RBI, .323 AVG), Carl Yastrzemski (33 HR, 127 RBI), Tris Speaker (.348 AVG, 126 Runs, league-leading 64 Doubles), and Rudy York (35 Hr, 129 RBI) powered the Sox. The Indians’ push at the end of the season fell one game short, but they still had good seasons from Cy Young winner Bob Feller, Addie Joss, Nap Lajoie (.326 AVG, 211 Hits, 102 Runs), Riggs Stephenson (30 HR, 102 RBI, .324 AVG), Earl Averill (38 HR, 100 RBI), Lou Boudreau (.314 AVG, 95 RBI, 95 Runs) and Hal Trosky (38 HR, 109 RBI). Though reliever Woodie Fryman (37 saves) pitched well, the Expansion club’s starting pitching failed them in the end. Offense was definitely not the problem, as George Brett (28 HR, 128 RBI, .352 AVG), Mike Schmidt (56 HR, 145 RBI), Robin Yount (29 HR, 91 RBI), Gary Carter (41 HR, 88 RBI), Reggie Jackson (39 HR, 122 RBI), and Jimmy Wynn (42 HR, 94 RBI, 124 Runs) all performed well at the plate.

The Yankees commanded the West, before a late-season swoon made the final standings look closer than they really were. Jack Chesbro (22-16, 3.91 ERA) was again the Yanks’ best on the mound, while Lou Gehrig won his second straight MVP award with 70 HR, 169 RBI, .348 AVG, and 162 runs scored. Babe Ruth (56 HR, 145 RBI, .325 AVG), Roger Maris (league-leading 76 HR, league-leading 178 RBI), Mickey Mantle (55 HR, 145 RBI), and Joe DiMaggio (32 HR, 166 RBI) also combined to give the Bombers the League’s strongest offense. The Cardinals offense compared favorably to the Yankees, with MVP-candidate Rogers Hornsby (52 HR, 141 RBI, league-leading .367 AVG, league-leading 250 Hits, 145 runs), Mark McGwire (59 HR, 131 RBI), Johnny Mize (49 HR, 130 RBI), Jack Clark (55 HR, 134 RBI), and Joe Torre (30 HR, 109 RBI, .326 AVG) leading at the dish. However, poor pitching doomed the Cards to second place. Tom Seaver (22-12, 317 K) was terrific for the Reds, Joe Morgan (130 Runs, 44 SB) was a great catalyst, and Cesar Cedeno (.326 AVG, 37 HR, 127 RBI), George Foster (57 HR, 135 RBI), Frank Robinson (48 HR, 130 RBI), and Harry Heilmann (.360 AVG, 25 HR, 112 RBI) gave fans a great offensive show along the Ohio River. The Braves also struggled on the mound, though Hank Aaron (60 HR, 171 RBI, .330 AVG) and Orlando Cepeda (53 HR, 116 RBI) played well.

The postseason was a match-up of arch-enemies, as the Cubs and White Sox squared off in one Semi-Final, while the Red Sox faced the hated Yankees.
In Game 1, Frank Thomas belted 2 solo home runs and Ed Walsh outdueled Pete Alexander to give the White Sox their first ever postseason victory, a 4-3 win. The White Sox joy was short-lived, however, as Mordecai Brown shut out the Pale Hose on 4 hits to give the Cubs a 3-0 win. Game 3 was another pitcher’s contest, as the White Sox manufactured 3 runs in the 8th, giving Lefty Williams the 3-2 win over Jack Taylor of the Cubs. Now, one victory from the World Series, the White Sox took no prisoners in their Game 4 whipping of their cross-town rivals. The White Sox scored 7 in the first three innings, paced by Dick Allen’s home run and double and Frank Thomas’ home run. The big story, however, was Sox hurler Billy Pierce, who carried a perfect game into the 7th inning. The Cubs rapped out 3 hits in that inning and scored one run, but Pierce composed himself and finished what he started, giving the White Sox a berth in the World Series.

The Red Sox had a hard time getting their offense on track in the Semi-Finals. Ron Guidry did the honors for the Yankees in Game 1, pitching the Bombers to a 5-2 win, helped by Mickey Mantle’s 3-run home run. In Game 2, Yankees starter Whitey Ford was twirling a masterful one-hitter when he tweaked his ribcage with two out in the 4th inning. There was no letdown by Ford’s successor, as Wilcy Moore shut the Sox out through the 7th, and Luis Arroyo finished the job with a 2-inning save, giving the Yankees a 2-0 win and a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 saw Rico Petrocelli step up for his teammates and slug 3 home runs to put the Red Sox back on the board with a 7-4 victory.
Game 4 was a classic Fenway Park offensive showing. The Red Sox opened their half of the inning was an explosion of 6 runs, and Carl Yastrzemski’s 3-run shot knocked Yankee starter Lefty Gomez from the mound after allowing 6 runs and only one out. The Yankees scored a couple of runs here and there until they touched Sox starter Bill Dinneen for four straight hits before a Bill Dickey home run, and the Bombers took a 7-6 lead. Rico Petrocelli continued his heroics, blasting a 2-run homer in the 6th, and the Red Sox regained the 8-7 lead. In the top of the 7th, however, Mickey Mantle tied the game with a solo shot off of George Winter. The Red Sox didn’t threaten in their half of the 7th, and when the Yankees came to bat, Dickey and Bobby Richardson hit back to back singles off of Winter, so the Red Sox turned to closer Dick Radatz. After Dickey took 3rd on Richardson’s single, the diminutive second baseman greeted Radatz with a steal of second. The Bronx Bombers then went smallball, as Phil Rizzuto laid down a beautiful suicide squeeze bunt, and Dickey scored the go-ahead run. Joe DiMaggio then singled in Richardson and, after Babe Ruth’s solo home run in the top of the 9th, the Yankees took the series with an 11-8 Game 4 victory.

The World Series was billed as a battle between David and Goliath, but the White Sox packed more of a punch with their simple slingshot than any sports pundit gave them credit for. Game 1 proved the point, as Big Ed Walsh totally dominated the vaunted Yankees’ lineup, spinning a 3-hitter in the White Sox 7-1 victory. Walsh struck out 10 Yankees and Dick Allen smacked 3 hits in the win. The Yankees calmed their fans with a 5-3 win in Game 2, as Bill Dickey and Roger Maris homered for the margin of victory.
Game 3 saw the Series move to Chicago, and Roger Maris and the Yankees offense really got on track in Comiskey Park. Maris bashed two home runs and had 5 RBI to back Yankee starter Jack Chesbro’s complete game win, as the Yankees won 10-2.
In Game 3, Maris continued his exploits, hitting a solo home run in the 2nd to give the Yankees the early lead off of Eddie Cicotte. Cicotte pitched well after that, and the Sox took the lead after Luke Appling tripled and Minnie Minoso and Dick Allen hit back to back doubles. The back and forth struggle saw the lead change hands again in the top of the 8th, as Ruth and Mantle hit back to back home runs and the Yankees went up 3-2. Allen struck again for the White Sox, doubling in Appling to tie the score at 3 apiece. Cicotte then went back out for the 9th and shut the Yankees down. In the bottom of the 9th, the Yankees turned to Wilcy Moore, but Sox centerfielder Larry Doby wasted no time. Doby hit the first pitch he saw into Comiskey’s cavernous centerfield bleachers, and the Series was tied 2-2.
Game 5 was another nail-biter, as Walsh and Guidry prepped for a rematch. Walsh did not have his Game 1 stuff, as Mantle hit a 3-run home run in the top of the 1st. Trouble struck for the Yankees starters again, as Guidry had to be pulled from the game in the 2nd due to elbow pain. The White Sox exploited this in the 6th, as they scored 5 runs in the 6th inning, led by home runs from Allen and Doby. The Empire struck back quickly in the top of the 7th, as Babe Ruth homered and Bobby Richardson hit an RBI single to tie the game. The White Sox retook the lead when Allen scored on Frank Thomas’ groundout in the bottom of the 7th. In the 8th, with runners on 2nd and 3rd, surehanded second baseman Nellie Fox mishandled Babe Ruth’s grounder, allowing the tying run to score. IN the 9th, Yankee catcher Bill Dickey was lost for the remainder of the postseason after he severely pulled a hamstring trying to reach after a dropped third strike. Neither team really threatened, and the game moved to extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th, Ray Schalk doubled, Luke Appling hit an infield single, and then Fox atoned for his defensive miscue by singling Schalk home with the winning run, giving the Pale Hose a 7-6 win, and moving them one win from a World Series championship.
The Series moved back to Yankee Stadium, and Babe Ruth sought to remind the White Sox that they were entering the House that he built. Ruth was a one-man wrecking crew, as he launched a Grand Slam in the 1st inning, smacked a three-run homer in the 5th inning and doubled which plated a run in the 7th inning. Ruth finished with 2 home runs and 8 RBI, giving the Yankees a 12-4 win and setting up the ultimate, a Game 7 of the World Series.
Game 7 saw a matchup up Jack Chesbro and Billy Pierce take the mound, as the Yankee Stadium fans prepped for baseball history. The Yankees drew first blood in the bottom of the 3rd, as Lou Gehrig doubled in Joe DiMaggio. Gehrig later tried to score another run on Mickey Mantle’s single to left field, but Minnie Minoso turned the Iron Horse to glue with a bullet throw to the plate. In the 4th, the Bombers added to their lead as Roger Maris hit a solo homer. Chesbro rolled along until the 7th inning, when Frank Thomas hit a home run into the Yankee Stadium center field bleachers, making it 2-1. In the 8th, the White Sox tied the game, as Luke Appling doubled and Shoeless Joe Jackson brought him home with a single. As the season ticked down to a precious few grains of sand, Mickey Mantle put his name on another page of baseball history with a majestic clout to center, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 8th. Chesbro then finished what he started, as he shut out the White Sox in the 9th. The White Sox had made a valiant effort, but the Yankees and Postseason MVP Babe Ruth won their unprecedented 4th World Series title.



[img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/7205-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450][color=darkblue:0a0028b450][b:0a0028b450][size=18:0a0028b450]WORLD CHAMPION NEW YORK YANKEES[/size:0a0028b450][/b:0a0028b450][/color:0a0028b450][img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/7205-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]


[size=18:0a0028b450][b:0a0028b450]League Awards[/b:0a0028b450]

MVP—Lou Gehrig, Yankees [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/7205-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Cy Young Award—Bob Feller, Indians [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/wnyd2zhh84f50ux4uxyqbktbh-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Fireman Award—Dick Radatz, Red Sox [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/dxd6fu06fzn9mok79qsjnewjv-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]


[b:0a0028b450]League Leaders [/b:0a0028b450]

Batting Average—Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals .367 [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/wsulgavxp8d0szhyh8oh-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Home Runs—Roger Maris(4), Yankees 76 HR [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/7205-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

RBI---Roger Maris, Yankees 178 RBI [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/7205-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Runs—Lou Gehrig, Yankees 162 Runs [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/7205-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Hits---Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals 250 Hits [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/wsulgavxp8d0szhyh8oh-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Doubles—Tris Speaker, Red Sox 64 2b [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/dxd6fu06fzn9mok79qsjnewjv-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Triples—Joe Jackson, White Sox 21 3b [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/oxvkprv7v4inf5dgqdebp0yse-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]
[color=white:0a0028b450]elmeffrff[/color:0a0028b450]Elmer Flick, Indians 21 3b [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/wnyd2zhh84f50ux4uxyqbktbh-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Stolen Bases—Joe Morgan, Reds 44 SB [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/2919-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Hit Streak---Hank Aaron, Braves 28 games [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/3kgwjp6heowkeg3w8zoow9ggy-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]


[b:0a0028b450]Pitching Leaders[/b:0a0028b450]

Wins---Cy Young, Red Sox 27-10 [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/dxd6fu06fzn9mok79qsjnewjv-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Saves—Dick Hall, Beltway 44 Saves [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/4bmrvfygivt6dgyw9hntp3aqc-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Strikeouts—Sandy Koufax, Dodgers 323 Strikeouts [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/tayw0n3tsg72i7bwr6ef4u5y3-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

ERA—Ed Walsh, White Sox 3.49 ERA [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/oxvkprv7v4inf5dgqdebp0yse-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]

Shutouts—Don Drysdale, Dodgers 4 ShO [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/tayw0n3tsg72i7bwr6ef4u5y3-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]
[color=white:0a0028b450]mordecffai[/color:0a0028b450]Mordecai Brown, Cubs 4 ShO [img:0a0028b450]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/q9gvs07u72gc9xr3395u6jh68-1-1.gif[/img:0a0028b450]


*indicates Single Season Record[/size:0a0028b450]

[errormagnate]

I swear this is almost as good as the season itself. Thanks!

[andycummings65]

[size=18:b37ce69af6][b:b37ce69af6]SEASON #13 RECAP[/b:b37ce69af6][/size:b37ce69af6]

Upstart teams surprised in Season #13, as perpetual second division finishers like the Braves, White Sox, and Pirates challenged for baseball supremacy, while the Expansion squad sought to prove that its team of All-Stars could blend into a cohesive unit.

In the Eastern Division, it seemed no team wanted to take charge, but the Cubs were less putrid than the Dodgers, Reds, and Tigers. The Cubs had some good performances, such as Mordecai Brown’s 22 wins and Bruce Sutter’s 23 saves with no blown saves. The Cubs hit for a lot of power, led by Sammy Sosa (49 HR), Hack Wilson (43 HR), and Ernie Banks (44 HR), but only batted .255 as a team. Although they won only 84 games, that was enough to comfortably lead the division. The Dodgers had no 20-game winners, but Sandy Koufax (1.28 WHIP), Don Drysdale (1.32 WHIP), Dazzy Vance (1.36 WHIP), and Orel Hershiser (1.33 WHIP) all pitched well. Good offensive performances were turned in by Mike Piazza (58 HR, 134 RBI), Roy Campanella (37 HR, 85 RBI), Pedro Guerrero (34 HR, 93 RBI), and Duke Snider (33 HR, 91 RBI). The Tigers tied the Dodgers for second place, and Jim Bunning (21-16, 3.97 ERA) and closer Willie Hernandez (35 Saves) were two big cogs in the Tigers’ pitching staff. Hank Greenberg (50 HR, 130 RBI) had another great season, and Charlie Gehringer (.303 AVG, 111 Runs, 103 RBI) and Ty Cobb (.342 AVG, 106 Runs, league-leading 54 Doubles) were often on base to be the beneficiaries of Greenberg’s bashing. The Reds brought up the rear, though closer Bill Henry led the league in saves with 45, saving 60% of the Rhinelanders’ victories. George Foster (45 HR, 106 RBI) and Frank Robinson (42 HR, 124 RBI) lended offensive punch that, otherwise, was too few and far between.

The Central began as a two-team race, and though the White Sox had the best season in their history, the Expansion squad proved too much for them, posting 99 wins. Expansion was led on the mound by three outstanding pitchers---Cy Young winner Mike Scott (24-13, 3.77 ERA, 349 Ks), Steve Carlton (22-13, 3.79 ERA), and Chris Short (21-12). George Brett (.350 AVG, 42 HR, 90 RBI, 115 Runs) won his second batting title, producing a great offensive year for the Expansion team. Reggie Jackson (62 HR, 144 RBI), Chuck Klein (32 HR, 92 RBI, .302 AVG), Robin Yount (30 HR, 105 RBI) and Jeff Bagwell (31 HR, 106 RBI, 101 Runs) combined with Brett to constitute the division-winning offense. The White Sox won 91 games and the Wild Card, and Big Ed Walsh (league leading 28 wins, 3.96 ERA) once again was one of the league’s leading hurlers. Eddie Cicotte (20-17) and closer Hoyt Wilhelm (32 Saves) also pitched well. Four fine Pale Hose hitters thrilled the Comiskey Park fans in Season #13. Shoeless Joe Jackson (15 HR, 130 RBI), Dick Allen (44 HR, 118 RBI), and Frank Thomas (48 HR, 121 RBI) drove in the runs, while second baseman Eddie Collins (.305 AVG, 110 Runs, 57 SB) provided the offense’s spark. The Beltway team finished just under .500, though they had strong performances as well. Walter Johnson won 20 games, Tippy Martinez saved 30 games, and George Sisler (.340 AVG, 18 HR, 106 RBI, 101 Runs), Rod Carew (.332 AVG, 125 Runs), and Dave Winfield (38 HR, 139 RBI) were the offensive leaders. The Red Sox ended the season at the bottom of the Central standings. Roger Clemens had an awesome season (24-14, league-leading 3.50 ERA, 301 Ks, and a minuscule 1.15 WHIP), but his starting mound mates did not back him with any quality pitching. Dick Radatz did save 41 games, and Tris Speaker batted .346, scored 121 runs, and stole a league-leading 66 bases, but the rest of the offense produced lackluster results. Ted Williams did score 108 runs and drive in 106 on 29 home runs, but he batted an un-Williams-like .276.

In the Western Division, the hapless Braves had never even had a winning season, much less held any playoff aspirations. But, as Bobby Cox placed his players in the right spot to succeed, the Braves rewarded Cox with 93 wins and a trip to the playoffs. Vic Willis won 20 games, Greg Maddux (3.70 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) pitched better than his 16-19 record indicated, and Cox pieced together a bullpen of All-Star arms, and the likes of Steve Bedrosian, Billy O’Dell, Gene Garber, Tom Hughes, Don Mcmahon, and Ron Reed were a light-out ensemble cast that saved 42 games, won 34 games, and gave the starters a reliable respite. Five hitters really shone for the Braves, but as usual, Hank Aaron (40 HR, 141 RBI, .341 AVG) was the certifiable star in Cox’s lineup. The other four top sluggers were Eddie Mathews (35 HR, 94 RBI), Dale Murphy (47 HR, 114 RBI), Orlando Cepeda (45 HR, 107 RBI), and catcher Walker Cooper (32 HR, 85 RBI). The Braves held off the hard-charging Pirates, who were the beneficiaries of the Exploits of MVP Ralph Kiner all season long. Kiner hit 75 home runs and drove in 172 runs to lead the league in both categories, while scoring 136 Runs. Honus Wagner (.325 AVG, 136 Runs) and Willie Stargell (55 HR, 129 RBI) also had good years at the plate, while Babe Adams (20-8, 3.64 ERA) and closer Luis Arroyo (30 saves) were the best on the mound. The Indians were never really in the race, despite Addie Joss (4.03 ERA, 1.26 WHIP), Albert Belle (33 HR, 107 RBI), Baby Doll Jacobson (.342 AVG), and Nap Lajoie (.327 AVG). The Cardinals never got on track, losing 99 games, the most in the league. Rogers Hornsby (35 HR, 112 RBI, .311 AVG), Johnny Mize (43 HR, 124 RBI), and Stan Musial 34 HR, 91 RBI, .311 AVG) were the bright spots for the Redbirds.

The White Sox and the Braves were matched up in Semi-Final. In Game 1, though the White Sox fell behind the Braves and ace Greg Maddux 4-1 after 4 innings, the Pale Hose struck Maddux for 3 runs in the top of the 8th, as Eddie Collins tripled in Minnie Minoso and Sherm Lollar, the Luke Appling hit a sacrifice fly to score Collins and tie the game at 4. The game moved to extra innings, where Shoeless Joe Jackson knocked a 3-run home run into the center field bleachers in the top of the 10th and Eddie Cicotte completed the game with a perfect 10th as the White Sox won Game 1, 8-4. Game 2 was all Braves for the first 8 innings, as Vic Willis allowed only 3 hits and Dale Murphy led the offense with 3 hits, including a two-run home run. In the top of the 9th, with the Braves leading 6-0, The White Sox woke up from their collective offensive slumber. Jackson doubled, the scored on a home run by Frank Thomas to left field. Dick Allen then went back-to-back with Thomas hitting a circuit clout into center. With two outs, the Braves brought in Billy O’Dell to turn switch-hitter Tim Raines around, but O’Dell walked him. Then, Ron Reed entered the game to get Minnie Minoso, But Minoso homered to center, bringing the White Sox to within 1, 6-5, with one out remaining. Cox again went to his pen, and Don McMahon induced Sherm Lollar to ground out to 3rd, giving the Braves a 6-5 win. Dale Murphy continued his hot hitting in Game 3, as he hit two home runs and 5 RBI in Comiskey Park, and the Braves went ahead in the series with an 8-3 victory. Warren Spahn pitched well for the Braves in the contest, throwing a complete game. The White Sox attacked early in Game 4, with Eddie Collins scoring from second on Jackson’s triple. Tragedy struck next for the Pale Hose, as slugger Dick Allen scored Jackson on a grounder to short, but Allen sprained his ankle trying to stretch the grounder into an infield hit, and had to leave the game. Gary Peters pitched well for the first four innings, but ran into trouble in the top of the 5th. Dave Bancroft singled, then took third on Felix Millan’s hit-and-run single through Eddie Collins’ vacated second base position. Shaken by the Braves’ use of the Go-Go Sox’s weapon, Peters walked Billy Hamilton. With the bases loaded, the White Sox left Peters in to face lefty-killer Terry Harper, and Harper made them pay, launching a grand slam to center. In the bottom of the frame, Minoso scored on Appling’s sacrifice fly, and drew the score to 4-3. The Braves scored 1 in the top of the 7th on Hank Aaron’s home run, then put the game and the series out of reach in the 8th, as Bancroft doubled, Millan singled him in, Hamilton walked, and then Aaron struck again with a two-run double. By the end of the inning, the Braves led 8-3, and would win the game 8-4, giving the Braves their first-ever World Series berth.

The other Semi-Finals appeared to be an example of two teams headed in the opposite direction, with the high-flying Expansion squad facing the inconsistent Cubs. The Cubs quickly served notice that the playoffs are a brand new season, as they swept the first two games in Shea Stadium. Mordecai Brown pitched 7 strong innings, Ed Reulbach picked up the save, and Hack Wilson and Gabby Hartnett hit two-run homers, giving the Cubs an 8-2 win. Home runs by Gabby Hartnett and Kiki Cuyler helped offset two costly errors early in Game 2, as the Expansion team led 3-2 after 4. Sammy Sosa slammed the Cubs’ third solo shot of the game, tying the score at 3-3 in the 7th. After that, both starters, the Cubs’ Jack Pfiester and the Expansion team’s Jimmy Key, threw 4 scoreless innings after that, each pitching 11 in all before Key gave way to Craig Lefferts in the 12th. Lefferts allowed a single to Ernie Banks to start the frame, then induced two straight groundouts before Kiki Cuyler stepped in the box. After a conference on the mound, Lefferts was instructed to walk the light-hitting Cuyler and face second baseman Ryne Sandberg, who was 0-10 in the series. Sandberg hit a 3-run home run, giving the Cubs a 6-3 lead. Lee Smith then entered in relief for the Cubs and got the save in support of Pfiester, and the two teams headed to Chicago with the Cubs one win away from the World Series.
The Expansion team didn’t waste much time in Game 3, jumping to a quick 3-0 first inning led by George Brett’s two-run double. Cy Young winner Mike Scott made the most of the lead he was given, striking out 10 Cubs in 7 1/3 innings. Brett finished the game with 3 hits, while Craig Lefferts made up for his loss in Game 2 by picking up the save, and Expansion won 5-3. Chris Short and Ed Reulbach matched up in Game 4, and both pitched well early. Chuck Klein homered in both the 4th and the 5th innings and, along with Fred Lynn’s double gave Expansion a 4-0 lead. Ernie Banks struck back with a two-run homer of his own, but it was not enough to damage Short’s impressive outing. Short struck out 11 in 8 1/3 innings, and Ken Forsch picked up the save, and the series was tied at 2 heading back to Shea. Game 5 was similar to Game 3, as the Expansion squad with offensive precision early behind a flurry of singles and walks, then punctuated by Johnny Callison’s 3-run homer, and took a 6-0 lead after 3 innings. The Cubs had a big inning in the 6th as they batted around a scored four, then Hack Wilson hit a two-run home run to bring the Cubs to within one, 7-6. Expansion struck right back in the bottom of the 7th, as Darrell Porter hit a two-run shot to give Expansion their final margin of victory, and more importantly, the Semi-Final victory.

The World Series began in Shea Stadium for Game 1, and it was a matchup of aces, as Greg Maddux and Mike Scott combined on a great pitcher’s duel. Mike Scott blanked the Braves on two hits over his 8 innings, and Fred Lynn’s single in the 8th scored George Brett with the game’s lone run, and the Expansion squad gained 1-0 Series lead by gaining a 1-0 Series win. Game 2 was more of the same---good pitching from the Braves and great pitching from the Expansion starter, as Jimmy Key and 4 Expansion relievers combined to hold the Braves to one unearned run, as Expansion won the game 3-1. Regular season Batting Champion George Brett continued his unconscious batting stroke with two more hits, giving him a postseason .625 batting average.
Game 3 saw Steve Carlton strike out 10 Braves, George Brett collect two more hits, and the Expansion squad beat the Braves 6-3. Carlton went the distance, and his pitching put the braves in a 3-0 Series hole. Game 4 started in the same fashion, as Expansion scored first on George Brett’s solo home run. After that early setback, however, Vic Willis settled in and shut down the Expansion bats. Light-hitting Billy Hamilton hit a 3-run home run in the 5th, and catcher Walker Cooper hit a 3-run homer in the 6th, and the Braves fans finally had something to cheer about. The Braves won the game 7-1, and had one more home contest to attempt to get back into the series. It was not to be, as they face that man on the mound again, Cy Young winner Mike Scott. Scott ended any hope of a close Series, or even a close game by shutting out the Braves on 4 hits while striking out 12. Offensively, Fred Lynn hit two doubles and Johnny Callison hit a double and a triple to lead the Expansion squad. The Expansion team won its second World Series, thanks in large part to Postseason MVP Mike Scott and his 3-0 record, 1.11 ERA, and 0.66 WHIP.



[size=18:b37ce69af6][color=red:b37ce69af6]WORLD CHAMPION EXPANSION TEAM[/color:b37ce69af6][/size:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/xpq3kkv2xh3lketdfm89-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/223dptvgsgxaazhwbkhflbz7f.gif[/img:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/cpqj6up5bvgpoedg5fwsk20ve-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/d9gtenuraifch1ddwdgeurv2n-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/m01gfgeorgvbfw15fy04alujm-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/mpppi8dvevzzg3zvhoi9k2vot-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/fdjn4hd4asqsmf4vri52ydggg-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/ajfeh4oqeealq37er15r3673h-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/a8op32zmsglwxjgrlqr7pqhn9-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6][img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/wcq5l2h3sugh536gzg9pqya8e-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]


[size=18:b37ce69af6][b:b37ce69af6]Regular Season Awards[/b:b37ce69af6]

MVP—Ralph Kiner, Pirates [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/pirates-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Cy Young Award—Mike Scott, Expansion [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/d9gtenuraifch1ddwdgeurv2n-1-1-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Fireman Award—Dick Radatz, Red Sox [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/c0whfsa9j0vbs079opk2s05lx-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]


[b:b37ce69af6]League Leaders [/b:b37ce69af6]

Batting Average—George Brett, Expansion .350 [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/fmrl2b6xf5hruiike42gn62yu.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Home Runs—Ralph Kiner, Pirates 75 HR [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/pirates-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

RBI---Ralph Kiner, Pirates 172 RBI [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/pirates-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Runs—Ralph Kiner, Pirates 136 Runs [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/pirates-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]
[color=white:b37ce69af6]fffffffff[/color:b37ce69af6]Honus Wagner, Pirates 136 Runs [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/pirates-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Hits---Hank Aaron, Braves 243 Hits [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/3kgwjp6heowkeg3w8zoow9ggy-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Doubles—Ty Cobb, Tigers 54 2b [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/txtu234jlffk0q5l62uhnwm3q-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Triples—Rod Carew, Beltway 21 3b [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/1196-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Stolen Bases—Tris Speaker, Red Sox 66 SB [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/c0whfsa9j0vbs079opk2s05lx-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Hit Streak---Roy Campanella, Dodgers 24 games [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/tayw0n3tsg72i7bwr6ef4u5y3-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]
[color=white:b37ce69af6]ffffffffffffffffff[/color:b37ce69af6]Chick Hafey, Cardinals 24 games [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/wsulgavxp8d0szhyh8oh-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]


[b:b37ce69af6]Pitching Leaders[/b:b37ce69af6]

Wins---Ed Walsh, White Sox 28-10 [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/oxvkprv7v4inf5dgqdebp0yse-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Saves—Bill Henry, Reds 45 Saves [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/2919-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Strikeouts—Mike Scott, Expansion 349 Strikeouts [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/d9gtenuraifch1ddwdgeurv2n-1-1-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

ERA—Roger Clemens, Red Sox 3.50 ERA [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/c0whfsa9j0vbs079opk2s05lx-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]

Shutouts—Steve Carlton, Expansion 5 ShO [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/1272-1-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]
[color=white:b37ce69af6]fffffffffffffff[/color:b37ce69af6]Howie Camnitz, Pirates 5 ShO [img:b37ce69af6]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/pirates-1.gif[/img:b37ce69af6]


*indicates Single Season Record[/size:b37ce69af6]

[errormagnate]

tremendous reading as always!

[bontomn]

Really enjoyable, Andy. Thanks.

[andycummings65]

SEASON 14 RECAP IS OFF THE PRESSES

[andycummings65]

[size=18:fa68c2b8a9][b:fa68c2b8a9]SEASON #14 RECAP[/b:fa68c2b8a9][/size:fa68c2b8a9]

Season #14 produced a second straight Cinderella story, as the Beltway Boys played the role of Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees, shocking the baseball world and coming ever so close to the World Championship after season after season of doormat status. Unfortunately, their deal with the devil ran out one game before their ultimate goal. Closers Bruce Sutter of the Cubs and Willie Hernandez of the Tigers turned in two of the best seasons ever for a reliever. Their two great seasons so confounded the voters of the Season Awards that Sutter won the Cy Young Award, becoming the first relief pitcher to do so, while he could not even win the Fireman of the Year Award, which went to Hernandez. Such was the topsy-turvy world of Season #14.

The bully on the block for Season #14 was definitely the Cubs, who decimated the rest of the Eastern Division on the way to the division crown. The Cubs boasted a fine power lineup of right-handed hitters led by MVP Hack Wilson (.318 AVG, league-leading 68 HR, league-leading 153 RBI, league-leading 137 Runs), Ernie Banks (38 HR, 121 RBI), Ryne Sandberg (42 HR, 95 RBI), and Gabby Hartnett (37 HR, 105 RBI), but the driving force behind the Cubs’ 103 wins was a stellar pitching staff. Pete Alexander (23-13, league-leading 2.70 ERA, 1.09 WHIP), Mordecai Brown (22-10, 3.31 ERA), and Jack Taylor (21-10) all won 20 games, and Ed Reulbach (12-4, 3.18 ERA) had a great year as the primary set-up man to Cy Young Award-winning closer Bruce Sutter (54 Saves, 2.53 ERA).
The Reds contended for the Wild Card throughout the season, only to fall short on the schedule’s last day. On the mound, Tom Seaver struck out 341 batters, while Bill Henry (35 Saves) and Rawly Eastwick (17 Saves) combined to create a strong bullpen. Frank Robinson was the team’s MVP, collecting 42 HR, 127 RBI, and 11 Runs, while batting .316. The rest of the Reds produced timely hitting, but were not consistent enough to secure the Wild Card crown. The Indians struggled in their right-handed dominant park (no doubt in large part because of the Cubs) and could never get their pitching on track. Nap Lajoie (65 2b, 96 Runs, 87 RBI) did lead the league in batting, hitting at a .365 clip, while Lou Boudreau also batted .300 and scored 97 runs. The Expansion squad fell on hard times, hamstrung in every category, though George Brett did bat .323 with 21 home runs.

The Central was an exciting two-team race between the Red Sox and the Beltway Boys. The Beltway Boys led most of the season, but, with 9 games to go, the Red Sox came into Griffith Stadium and threw three straight shutouts at the Beltway Boys, with Roger Clemens, Bill Dinneen, and Tex Hughson doing the honors. However, the Boys won 2 of their next 3 while the Red Sox were being swept by the Cardinals, so the Boys entered the final showdown with the Red sox needing only one win to clinch the Central. The Red Sox won the first two, but the Boys were leading 5-2 going into the seventh inning, when Carlton Fisk crushed the Boys’ Central title hopes with a grand slam over the Green Monster. The Red Sox won the crown, but the Beltway Boys did hold on for the Wild Card. The Red Sox were led by Ted Williams (.306 AVG, 32 HR, 103 RBI), Tris Speaker (.343 AVG, 123 Runs), Rico Petrocelli (48 HR, 115 RBI), and Rudy York (36 HR, 130 RBI) on offense, and by closer Dick Radatz (38 Saves) and starter Roger Clemens (19-11). Earl Weaver’s Beltway Boys eschewed the 3-run home run in favor of pitching, speed, and defense. Walter Johnson (22-15, 3.12 ERA) and Jim Palmer (22-13, 4.11 ERA) were the stars on the mound, and Tom Hall (39 Saves) was the bullpen force for the Boys. At the plate, Rod Carew (.332 AVG, 115 Runs), George Sisler (.315 AVG, 102 RBI, 100 Runs), Joe Cronin (.301 AVG, 94 RBI), Goose Goslin (.311 AVG, 22 HR, 112 RBI), and Dave Winfield (38 HR, 119 RBI) provided the offensive punch for the Beltway Boys. The Cardinals finished third, led by Mark McGwire (67 HR, 138 RBI), Rogers Hornsby (.348 AVG, 47 HR, 132 RBI, 137 Runs) , Stan Musial (.312 AVG, 28 HR, 105 RBI), Johnny Mize (33 HR,111 RBI), and Jack Clark (32 HR, 81 RBI). The A’s found that Shibe Park was not kind to its offense, though Jimmie Foxx (46 HR, 135 RBI), Al Simmons (27 HR, 101 RBI), and Reggie Jackson (50 HR, 129 RBI) produced good results. Chief Bender (15-15, 3.79 ERA) and Lefty Grove (20-16, 4.05 ERA) pitched well for the A’s.

The West was won comfortably by the Tigers, who had a great season of relief pitching from Fireman of the Year Willie Hernandez, who garnered 53 Saves with a gaudy 1.98 ERA. Jim Bunning (21-10) also contributed on the mound. Hank Greenberg (49 HR, 116 RBI), Norm Cash (.309 AVG, 33 HR, 113 RBI), Charlie Gehringer (.329 AVG, 108 RBI, 107 Runs), Alan Trammell (16 HR, 100 RBI) and Rocky Colavito (46 HR, 120 RBI).
Ed Walsh and Billy Pierce pitched well for the second-place White Sox, while Frank Thomas (36 HR, 125 RBI), Dick Allen (51 HR, 123 RBI), Joe Jackson (.333 AVG, 104 Runs), Luke Appling (.361 AVG) and Harold Baines (31 HR, 104 RBI) were the hitting stars for the Pale Hose. The Braves had a Cy Young-worthy performance from Greg Maddux (24-13, 3.76 ERA), Phil Niekro went 22-17, and the offense was led as usual by Hank Aaron (.349 AVG, 49 HR, 130 RBI, 113 Runs), Eddie Mathews (39 HR, 100 RBI, 103 Runs), and Orlando Cepeda (47 HR, 113 RBI). The last-place Dodgers received good pitching from Sandy Koufax (16-21, 3.76 ERA), Don Drysdale (17-14, 3.76 ERA), and Don Sutton (16-8, 3.68 ERA), but really struggled to score runs. Mike Piazza (41 HR, .304 AVG) and Duke Snider (31 HR) were the only offensive bright points for the Dodgers.

The Red Sox squared off against the Tigers in the Semi-Finals. In Game 1, Cy Young scattered 5 hits and Rico Petrocelli homered and drove in 3 as the Red Sox won 8-3. In Game 2, the Tigers touched Roger Clemens for 2 third inning runs before Clemens settle down and struck out 12. Rudy York hit a two-run homer to tie the game in the 8th inning. In the 10th, Ted Williams singled Tris Speaker in and Dick Radatz pitched the bottom of the 10th to get the save for Clemens, and the Red Sox won 3-2. The Tigers won Game 3 behind Ed Summers, and Darrell Evans and Rocky Colavito each homered and drove in 3 runs. Game 4 was a wild, high-scoring Fenway Park affair. The Tigers jumped to a quick 8-0 lead, sparked by Colavito’s home run, and seemed to have an insurmountable lead. However, no lead is safe in Fenway, and the Red Sox cut the deficit in half with 4 runs in the bottom of the 3rd. The Tigers scored again in the 6th and 7th, taking a 10-4 lead. Home runs by Dwight Evans and Rudy York in the bottom of the 7th enabled the Sox to cut it to 10-7 before Willie Hernandez entered the game to cool off the Red Sox bats. The Tigers did not score in the top of the 8th, and Hernandez came back out for the bottom of the 8th. With 2 outs, Hernandez walked two straight batters, then allowed a single to Tris Speaker, who knocked in one run. Wade Boggs then hit what should have been the third out when he flied into shallow center, but Ty Cobb dropped the ball, allowing a run to score, making it 10-9. Hernandez intentionally walked Ted Williams, but then York and Carl Yastrzemski both singled, giving the Red Sox a 12-10 lead going into the top of the 9th. Red Sox closer Dick Radatz struggled, allowing a Cobb triple to bring the score to 12-11 with two outs, but Radatz struck out Alan Trammell, stranding Cobb at third and giving the Georgia Peach all offseason to think about his costly error.

The Cubs were prohibitive favorites in the other Semi-Final, and no one really gave the fading Beltway Boys a chance to win. In Game 1, Walter Johnson and Tom Hall combined to hold down the high-powered Cubs offense, and Rod Carew and Dave Winfield each had 3 hits, and the Boys won 6-3. In Game 2, both teams scored 3 runs in the first three innings. Then, in the top of the 4th, the Beltway Boys gave an example of their offensive prowess all season. Chuck Knoblauch walked, then Earl Battey and Dave Winfield singled. Ed Delahanty walked, and then Rod Carew slapped a bases-loaded double, knocking Cubs ace Mordecai Brown from the game. That was all Bert Blyleven needed, as he and Hall gave the Boys an 8-6 win. Game 3 moved to playoff-starved Griffith Stadium, with Jim Palmer and Jack Pfiester facing off. MVP Hack Wilson homered off of Palmer in the top of the first. In the bottom of the fourth, Ed Delahanty hit a bases-loaded single and scored two run for the home-standing Beltway Boys. In the bottom of the 7th, Winfield hit a bases-loaded single, and the Boys had a 5-1 lead. Palmer allowed a solo home run to Ernie Banks in the 8th, but then spun a perfect ninth to send the Beltway Boys to an improbable World Series berth.

The World Series began with the Red Sox as strong favorites, based in large part to their regular season dominance of the Beltway Boys, winning 17 of 24 meetings. Game 1 matched Walter Johnson against Cy Young. Carl Yastrzemski and Wade Boggs hit solo shots to give Young an early lead, and he and Dick Radatz finished off the Boys by a score of 5-3. Facing Roger Clemens in Game 2 seemed like a daunting challenge for the Boys, but Fenway proved to be Fenway once again, as the two teams combined for 27 runs. Four straight singles in the 2nd gave the Boys a 3-0 lead, and after the Sox scored one in the bottom of the frame, Dave Winfield answered again with a 2-run home run in the 4th, making the score 5-1. The score narrowed to 5-4 when Ted Williams homered in the 5th, but Goose Goslin and the Boys answered with 7 runs in the 6th, led by Goslin’s home run. The Red Sox pulled to within 13-10 in the 8th, but Goslin and the Boys would not be denied. George Siler hit a two-run single, then Goslin homered to give the final margin of victory, a 17-10 Beltway win.
In Game 3, the Boys scored 3 in the first, led by Joe Cronin’s triple. The Red Sox then scored four in the 5th when Rico Petrocelli hit a 3-run home run. Radatz entered in relief of Bill Dinneen in the 7th, and pitched well enough to give the Red Sox the 6-5 win. Game 4 saw Williams and Tris Speaker knock in a run in each of the first two innings, while the Boys were struggling to reach base off of Sox starter Tex Hughson. An error by Speaker in the 5th accounted for the Boys’ only run until the 9th inning. Then, with the Red Sox winning 2-1, Radatz retired Cecil Travis on a groundout. Joe Cronin then walked, followed by a Chuck Knoblauch single. Earl Battey singled to right, and the Griffith Stadium fans rose to their feet to see if Cronin could score, then all groaned in unison when they realized Dwight Evans was patrolling right field with his rocket right arm. Cronin wisely pulled up and retreated to third, not wishing to be the easy second out of the inning. Dave Winfield made the point moot on the next pitch, as he laced Radatz’s fastball into center field, and Cronin was able to walk home with the 3-2 win.
In the pivotal Game 5, Walter Johnson again struggled with the Red Sox bats. The Sox were led by Carlton Fisk and his 5 hits and 4 RBI, as they knocked Johnson from the game in the 4th, while compiling a 7-0 lead. The Boys scored late to make it 7-3, but the Red Sox had taken the Series lead, and looked to finish off the Beltway squad in Fenway Park. The scoring in Game 6 began when Joe Cronin homered for the Boys in the 2nd inning. Bobby Doerr then answered his critics by tying the game with a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the frame. In the 3rd, Ed Delahanty singled, then Rod Carew curved a home run around Pesky’s Pole in right, and Bert Blyleven and the Boys had a 3-1 lead. The Sox flashed their lumber in the bottom of the 4th, tying the score on solo home runs by Carl Yastrzemski and Rudy York. After that offensive display, the Boys could muster only one more hit against Roger Clemens and Radatz, and the Red Sox pounced on the Beltway squad and the World Series title with a 3-run 6th inning. Petrocelli singled and Fisk walked, then Doerr popped out and Evans struck out. Tris Speaker then stepped to the plate, and, in this important time of the game, tripled into the center field triangle in the deepest part of Fenway Park. Earl Weaver came out of the dugout, incensed because he felt the home plate umpire had been squeezing the strike zone against Blyleven and his curve ball. Weaver restrained himself enough to stay in the game, but was reminded that the manager is not to question balls and strikes. Weaver muttered, “I’m gonna go check the rule book on that”, to which the umpire replied, “Here, you can use mine.” Weaver shot back, “No thanks---I can’t read Braille.” That retort earned Weaver the opportunity to watch the rest of the game from the clubhouse. Weaver must have been even angrier when Speaker danced home on a passed ball two pitches later. Radatz blew through the final 3 innings of Boys batters, and Earl Battey’s grounder to Petrocelli at short set off a celebration at Fenway Park, as the Red Sox won their second World Series title. Cy Young was awarded the Postseason MVP, while Earl Weaver was asked if he was proud of what the Beltway Boys accomplished. “When they asked me to manage this team, I told them my philosophy didn’t gel with this particular team. I don’t hit-and-run and steal, because I always said if you play for one run, that’s all you’ll get. But this group is a group of hustlers and fighters, and we almost shocked all of baseball. Nobody likes to hear it, because it's dull, but the reason you win or lose is darn near always the same - pitching. The Red Sox just threw too much big-league pitching at us here at the end. On my tombstone you can just write, 'The sorest loser that ever lived’.”
Hearing Weaver’s comments, Jim Palmer said, “The only thing Earl knows about big-league pitching is that he couldn’t hit it.”


[img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/dxd6fu06fzn9mok79qsjnewjv-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9][b:fa68c2b8a9][color=red:fa68c2b8a9][size=24:fa68c2b8a9]WORLD CHAMPION RED SOX[/size:fa68c2b8a9][/color:fa68c2b8a9][/b:fa68c2b8a9][img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/tiny%20logos/c0whfsa9j0vbs079opk2s05lx-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]



[size=18:fa68c2b8a9]MVP—Hack Wilson, Cubs [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/q9gvs07u72gc9xr3395u6jh68-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Cy Young Award—Bruce Sutter, Cubs [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/q9gvs07u72gc9xr3395u6jh68-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Fireman Award—Willie Hernandez, Tigers [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/txtu234jlffk0q5l62uhnwm3q-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]


[b:fa68c2b8a9]League Leaders [/b:fa68c2b8a9]

Batting Average—Nap Lajoie, Indians .365 [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/wnyd2zhh84f50ux4uxyqbktbh-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Home Runs—Hack Wilson, Cubs 68 HR [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/q9gvs07u72gc9xr3395u6jh68-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

RBI---Hack Wilson, Cubs 153 RBI [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/q9gvs07u72gc9xr3395u6jh68-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Runs—Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals 137 Runs [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/wsulgavxp8d0szhyh8oh-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]
[color=white:fa68c2b8a9]Ffffffffffffffff[/color:fa68c2b8a9]Hack Wilson, Cubs 137 Runs [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/q9gvs07u72gc9xr3395u6jh68-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Hits---Ty Cobb, Tigers 260 Hits [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/txtu234jlffk0q5l62uhnwm3q-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Doubles—Nap Lajoie, Indians 65 2b [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/wnyd2zhh84f50ux4uxyqbktbh-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Triples—Ty Cobb, Tigers 23 3b [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/txtu234jlffk0q5l62uhnwm3q-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Stolen Bases—Ty Cobb, Tigers 69 SB [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/txtu234jlffk0q5l62uhnwm3q-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Hit Streak---Dan Brouthers, Braves 27 games [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/3kgwjp6heowkeg3w8zoow9ggy-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]



[b:fa68c2b8a9]Pitching Leaders[/b:fa68c2b8a9]

Wins---Greg Maddux, Braves 24-13 [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/3kgwjp6heowkeg3w8zoow9ggy-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Saves—Bruce Sutter, Cubs 54 Saves [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/q9gvs07u72gc9xr3395u6jh68-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Strikeouts—Tom Seaver, Reds 341 Strikeouts [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/2919-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

ERA—Pete Alexander, Cubs 2.70 ERA [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/q9gvs07u72gc9xr3395u6jh68-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]

Shutouts—Greg Maddux, Braves 5 ShO [img:fa68c2b8a9]http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/andycummings/supersmall%20Logos/3kgwjp6heowkeg3w8zoow9ggy-1-1.gif[/img:fa68c2b8a9]



*indicates Single Season Record[/size:fa68c2b8a9]