#85. 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers v. #117 1972 World Champion Oakland A’s
The '98 Yankees await the winner of this one; it's the final Brooklyn team in the field against the last A's club. Will Reggie be heading to Yankee Stadium to take on the Bombers?
Dodgers 104-50 (Pythag 102-52) Mgr Leo Durocher
2nd in NL
d. #44 1986 Mets 2-1 (MVP: Pete Reiser)
d. #108 1909 Tigers 3-0 (MVP: Kirby Higbe/Curt Davis)
All-Stars 2B Billy Herman, OF Ducky Medwick, C Mickey Owen (4th NL MVP) SS Pee Wee Reese, OF Pete Reiser, 3B Arky Vaughan, SP Whit Wyatt
Hall of Famers: Billy Herman, Ducky Medwick, Pee Wee Reese, Arky Vaughan, Leo Durocher
104 wins, but 2 behind the Cardinals in the NL.
A's 93-62 (Pythag: 97-58) Mgr. Dick Williams
1st in AL West
d. Tigers 3-2 in ALCS
d. Reds 4-3 in World Series (MVP-Gene Tenace)
d. #12 1942 Yankees 2-0 (MVP-Ken Holtzman/Catfish Hunter)
d. #76 1946 Cardinals 3-1 (MVP-Bert Campaneris)
All-Stars: 3B Sal Bando, SS Bert Campaneris, SP Ken Holtzman, SP Catfish Hunter (4th AL Cy Young) OF Reggie Jackson, OF Joe Rudi (2nd AL MVP)
Hall of Famers: Orlando Cepeda, Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi
California’s first World Champions that weren’t the Dodgers. We’ve seen Reggie and Catfish with the ’77 Yankees, Reggie missed the Series, injured in ALCS. Last daytime weekday game in WS history.
A's-Dick Williams
1B Epstein (29) (LH) 163 4.5
CF Jackson (26) (LH) 149 4.7
LF Rudi (25) 151 4.9
RF Alou (33) (LH) 110 .3
3B Bando (28) 116 4.6
C Duncan (26) 105 2.4
2B Cullen (30) 88 .4
SS Campaneris (30) 84 4.4
P Hunter (26) 140 6.3
Bench:
RF Mangual (25) 97
C Tenace (25) 97
2B Brown (32) 38
CF Hendrick (22) 54
SP Holtzman (26) (LH) 114 4
SP3 Odom (27) 115 1.4
A's platooning in RF, but all the Dodger pitchers are RH. Whichever catcher shows a hot bat is likely to play. Vida Blue will get the 4th start if the A's advance.
Dodgers-Leo Durocher
CF Reiser (23) (LH) 143 4.5
1B Camilli (35) (LH) 144 5.1
RF Walker (31) (LH) 126 2.8
LF Medwick (30) 115 2.1
3B Vaughan (30) (LH) 100 2.7
C Sullivan (31) (LH) 98 .4
SS Reese (23) 98 6.1
2B Herman (32) 95 3.2
SP Wyatt (34) 120 3.3
Bench
C Owen (26) 87 2.6
OF Rizzo (29) 83
OF Galan (30) (SH) 97
3B Riggs (32) (LH) 100
SP Davis (38) 139 3.7
SP3 Higbe (27) 101 1.3
Platoon at catcher. Johnny Allen is the 4th starter if the Dodgers advance.
Lineups:
C-Push, all 4 catchers might play in the series
1B-Camilli
2B-Herman
SS-Reese
3B-Bando
LF-Rudi
CF-Push
RF-Walker, Dodgers have the position player advantage, 4-2
SP1-Hunter
SP2-Holtzman
SP3-Push, A's catch up with the starting pitching
Pen: Dodgers, despite Fingers, it's Brooklyn with the deeper pen.
WAR: 5-4, Dodgers have the better seed, the slightly better WAR, and Reese is the best position player in the series. Brooklyn is favored.
GAME ONE
1st: The 2017 Dodgers won Region 2; the 1942 Dodgers look to advance to the Region 5 Finals and that starts here with Whit Wyatt. 34 year old RH, 19-7, 2.73. Wyatt made his 4th (last) All Star team this year. His big season was '41, when he was 3rd in the NL MVP. Mike Epstein opens with a walk. Wyatt gets one, but then Joe Rudi doubles. Matty Alou follows with a double that clears the bases and Oakland jumps out in front. A's 2 Dodgers 0
1st: Catfish Hunter takes the ball for the A's. 26 year old RH, 21-7, 2.04. Hunter won 20+ games 5 straight years; he's in that stretch here, this is year 2 and he finished 4th in the AL Cy Young. He led MLB in winning %. In 3 years, he'll be a Yankee - he's already advanced to the Elite 8 with the 1977 Yanks. Dixie Walker singles with 2 away, that's all.
2nd: Bert Campaneris singles with one away. The 30 year old shortstop was MVP for Oakland in their previous round, he made his second (of 6) All Star teams this year and led the league in sacrifices. That's it.
2nd: 1-2-3
3rd: 1-2-3
3rd: Billy Herman singles; the Dodger second baseman is 32, he made the All Star team this year for the first time as a Dodger after 8 with the Cubs. That's it.
4th: Sal Bando singles; Oakland's third baseman is 28, he made his second (of 4) All Star teams this year. That's it.
4th: Arky Vaughan singles with 2 away; the Dodger third baseman is 30, this is his first year in Brooklyn after a decade as the Pirates shortstop, he made 8 straight All Star apperances with the Pirates and made the squad again this season. Billy Sullivan is platooning at catcher for Durocher and he singles, but Catfish keeps the shutout.
5th: Reggie Jackson singles with 2 out, Reggie's a 26 year old center fielder; he made his third All Star team this year (he's got 11 more coming) and next year he'll win his only MVP Award. Reggie, of course, has already advanced into the Elite 8 with the '77 Yanks. Wyatt stops it here.
5th: Pete Reiser singles with 2 away, Reiser's a 23 year old CF, he was 2nd in the MVP last year, 6th this year - and he'll miss the next 3 seasons for the War. Reiser led the league in steals this season. Dolph Camilli follows with a base hit. But that's all - and we head to the 6th, Catfish holding onto the shutout.
6th: Bando singles again, with one away. Nothing results.
6th: 1-2-3 -- we head to the 7th.
7th: Mike Epstein singles with 2 away, Oakland's first baseman is 29, it's his second and last season as an A - dude could hit, career OPS+ was 130. That's all.
7th: Sullivan leads off with a single and an out later Herman walks. Can Brooklyn score? No.
8th: Dodger closer Hugh Casey comes on; 28 year old RH with 6 wins, 13 saves and a 2.25 ERA. He led MLB in saves and is about to miss the next 3 seasons for the War. He walks Bando with 2 away, but that's all.
8th: Dolph Camilli hits a 3-2 Hunter fastball over the wall in right to cut the deficit in half. Brooklyn's first baseman is 35, he finished 8th in the NL MVP this year after winning it last season. He led the league in intentional walks. Dick Williams leaves Catfish in - he gets the next 3. A's 2 Dodgers 1
9th: 1-2-3, Casey keeps Oakland off the board and we head to the bottom of the 9th.
9th: Williams has Rollie Fingers ready to go - but leaves Hunter on.
Sullivan grounds to second.
Reese flies to center.
And Catfish strikes out Billy Herman to end it. Complete Game One victory for Catfish Hunter.
A's 2
Dodgers 1
WP Hunter
LP Wyatt
116 pitches for Hunter in going the distance and giving game one to the A's, they got all the runs they'd need on the 2 run Matty Alou double in the first.
Epstein 2x
Jackson 1x
Rudi 1x/double
Alou 1x/double
Bando 3x
Campaneris 1x
Reiser 1x
Camilli 2x/HR
Walker 1x
Vaughan 1x
Sullivan 2x
Herman 1x
1B Epstein (29) (LH) 163 4.5
CF Jackson (26) (LH) 149 4.7
LF Rudi (25) 151 4.9
RF Alou (33) (LH) 110 .3
3B Bando (28) 116 4.6
C Tenace (25) 97
2B Cullen (30) 88 .4
SS Campaneris (30) 84 4.4
SP Holtzman (26) (LH) 114 4
SS Reese (23) 98 6.1
CF Reiser (23) (LH) 143 4.5
1B Camilli (35) (LH) 144 5.1
RF Walker (31) (LH) 126 2.8
LF Medwick (30) 115 2.1
2B Herman (32) 95 3.2
3B Vaughan (30) (LH) 100 2.7
C Owen (26) 87 2.6
SP Davis (38) 139 3.7
GAME TWO
1st: One more at Ebbets Field, perhaps the last time in the tournament. Curt Davis looks to make that less likely. Co-MVP in the last round for Brooklyn; 38 year old RH, 15-6, 2.36. Davis didn't make the bigs until he was 30 and will pitch until he's 42. Mike Epstein singles to open the game and then Reggie rips a double to the wall in left center - Epstein steams all the way around the bases to score. Bando walks two outs later, Oakland is again out to a first inning lead. A's 1 Dodgers 0
1st: Ken Holtzman takes the ball for Oakland. 26 year old lefty. He and Catfish were co-MVPs in the A's round one win. 19-11, 2.51. It's Holtzman's first year in Oakland and he makes his first All Star team. Like Reggie and Catfish, he's on the '77 Yankee team that won Region One. When Holtzman was a Cub, he was managed by Durocher; the Dodgers skipper today. He gives up a one out Reiser double. That's all.
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: Billy Herman singles with 2 away, that's all.
3rd: Rudi singles with 2 out, that's all.
3rd: 1-2-3
4th: Bando singles, Gene Tenace singles. Dave Duncan got the call behind the plate in game one and Tenace takes game 2. He's 25, in what will be a 15 year career, this is Tenace's worst season with the bat other than his first and last. Tim Cullen then singles home Bando and it's A's 2 Dodgers 0
4th: Reiser singles and then Dolph Camilli - who homered in game one does it again here and it ties the game - huge Brooklyn roar as the Bums are on the board. A's 2 Dodgers 2
5th: Rudi singles again with 2 away, that's all.
5th: 1-2-3
6th: 1-2-3
6th: Camilli walks with 2 out and Dixie Walker puts the Dodgers in front with a double to left center. Walker's 31, a year away from making his first All Star team. Ducky Medwick singles - that's all, but the Dodgers have their first lead in the series. A's 2 Dodgers 3
7th: 1-2-3, 7 straight for Davis, and the Dodgers are 6 outs from knotting up this series.
7th: Arky Vaughan doubles, Holtzman buckles down and gets the next 3. Another tight, tight game here at Ebbets.
8th: Hugh Casey threw 2 hitless in game one and he's back on today. Rudi singles with one away, 3 hits for Joe Rudi; the Oakland left fielder is 25, this is his career year, he finished 2nd in the AL MVP, led the league in hits and triples. Alou singles, but Casey gets through it and Brooklyn is 3 outs away from the win.
8th: Walker singles with 2 out - but Holtzman gets through it.
9th: Casey's 3 outs away.
Cullen leads off - flies to center.
Campaneris slaps a single to left. Can Oakland plate him?
Mike Hegan is a 29 year old first baseman; left handed, he had a big year with the bat and comes off the bench to hit.
Campaneris steals second - big, daring move for Dick Williams - the tying run is in scoring position - and Hegan drives him home with a base hit! Oakland ties the game at 3.
22 year old George Hendrick is sent in to run for Hegan.
Epstein singles - That's it for Casey, Durocher turns to Ed Head, 24 year old RH, 10 wins, 3.56. Go ahead run in scoring position - still just one out.
Reggie flies to the track in center - Hendrick tags up, makes it to third.
And Joe Rudi does it - his 4th hit of the day is a single to right that plates Hendrick and the A's - Those Swingin' A's - score two in the 9th inning. A's 4 Dodgers 3
9th: Rollie Fingers enters. 25 year old RH, 11 wins, 21 saves, 2.51. Fingers is a year away from his first of 7 All Star selections.
Billy Herman singles. That's the tying run.
Vaughan flies to left. One away.
Herman looks to steal second -- but Tenace guns him down - two outs.
Mickey Owen pops up on the infield...Cullen takes it...ballgame
A's 4
Dodgers 3
WP Holtzman
LP Casey
Sv Fingers
Rudi gets 4 knocks including the game winner and the A's head to Oakland one win away from the Regional Final.
Epstein 4x
Jackson 2x/double
Rudi 5x/double
Alou 2x/double
Bando 5x
Campaneris 2x
Tenace 1x
Cullen 1x
Reiser 3x/double
Camilli 4x/ 2HR
Walker 3x/double
Vaughan 1x
Sullivan 2x
Herman 3x
Medwick 1x
CF Reiser (23) (LH) 143 4.5
1B Camilli (35) (LH) 144 5.1
RF Walker (31) (LH) 126 2.8
LF Medwick (30) 115 2.1
3B Vaughan (30) (LH) 100 2.7
C Sullivan (31) (LH) 98 .4
SS Reese (23) 98 6.1
2B Herman (32) 95 3.2
SP3 Higbe (27) 101 1.3
1B Epstein (29) (LH) 163 4.5
CF Jackson (26) (LH) 149 4.7
LF Rudi (25) 151 4.9
RF Alou (33) (LH) 110 .3
3B Bando (28) 116 4.6
C Duncan (26) 105 2.4
2B Cullen (30) 88 .4
SS Campaneris (30) 84 4.4
SP3 Odom (27) 115 1.4
GAME THREE
1st: Blue Moon Odom stands on the Oakland Coliseum mound; a win today and the A's will head to Yankee Stadium for Game 1 of the Region 5 Final. 27 year old RH, 15-6, 2.50. Odom was lights out in the '72 postseason - 2-0 in the ALCS, didn't give up an earned run in 14 innings. 0-1 in the World Series, but with a 1.59 ERA in 11 innings. 1-2-3
1st: Kirby Higbe goes for the Dodgers, 27 year old RH, 16-11, 3.25. Higbe's big year was last year when he as 7th in the MVP. He gives up a leadoff single to Epstein; that's all.
2nd: Ducky Medwick singles. Medwick's 30, he had 3 top 5 MVP finished back in the 30s with St Louis; he made his second NL All Star team as a Dodger this year. Vaughan singles, Sullivan walks and the Dodgers have them loaded with nobody out. Pee Wee Reese grounds out, it scores a run. Herman singles to score another. Dodgers 2 A's 0
2nd: Dave Duncan is behind the plate today, he gets hit with one out. Duncan's 26, made his only ever All Star team last year. That's all.
3rd: Dixie Walker triples with one away - Odom strands him.
3rd: Reggie singles with 2 out. Rudi singles, he's reached 6 times, leading both clubs - and then Matty Alou singles to cut the deficit in half. Alou is 33, platooning in RF, but all the Dodger pitchers are RH, so we've seen him every day. He came over from the Cards during the season, played in just 32 games and is off to the Yankees next year. Dodgers 2 A's 1
4th: Vaughan and Sullivan have back to back singles. Reese walks and again the Dodgers have loaded the bases. Pee Wee Reese does not have a hit in the series; he's 23, made his first All Star team this year and is about to lose the next 3 seasons for the War. Odom gets two - then walks Reiser to force a run and throws a wild pitch for another. Dodgers 4 A's 1
4th: Tim Cullen singles with one out; he's a 30 year old second baseman, it's his only year in Oakland and his last year in the bigs. That's it.
5th: Dixie Walker walks. That's it.
5th: 1-2-3, Higbe was co MVP in the prior round and looks to be extending this series anothe day.
6th: Reese walks with one away, Herman follows with a base hit - but Odom escapes.
6th: 1-2-3, 8 straight for Higbe, the Dodgers are 9 outs away from game 4.
7th: Oakland's best bullpen arm is Donald Knowles, 30 year old lefty with 5 wins, 11 saves and a 1.37 ERA. He gets one, then walks Camilli and Walker, then walks Medwick and the Dodgers have loaded the bases - but they don't extend the lead.
7th: Just 5 hits today for Oakland. 1-2-3, 11 straight for Higbe, the game one starters need to get ready to go.
8th: 34 year old RH Bob Locker enters for the A's, 6 wins, 10 saves, 2.65. 1-2-3
8th: Rudi walks with 2 outs and Alou singles -- could be the last chance for Oakland to do something today - Bando singles, it scores a run. Higbe then walks Duncan to load the bases. And Tom Cullen comes through - he doubles home 2 runs - and this game is tied! They are going wild here in Oakland - Cullen had 8 doubles all season - but he comes through in this huge spot to tie this game. All of this happening with 2 outs. Hugh Casey comes on for the third straight game and ends it. Dodgers 4 A's 4
9th: Locker stays on; 1-2-3
9th: Ed Head is Brooklyn's new pitcher - 28 year old Ollie Brown, a RH bat, comes off the bench to hit - he singles but is erased on a double play. AND THEN REGGIE JACKSON HOMERS TO LEFT FIELD AND ITS DONE!
Reggie Jackson hits a walk off homer to left -- the A's are streaming from the dugout - the fans are pouring out on the field -- it is a full celebration here in Oakland - Reggie Jackson hits a walk off home run to sweep the Dodgers and move Oakland into the Region 5 Final!
Dodgers 4
A's 5
WP Locker
LP Head
Jackson 4x/double, HR
Rudi 7x/double
Alou 4x/double
Rudi was the only consistent bat for Oakland in the series; Alou had the big game one hit and Reggie just won game 3. Let's say the MVP is Hunter, his complete game one win setting the tone for the series.
