We kick off the bottom half of Region One with a couple of World Series Champions
16. 1975 Cincinnati Reds v. 113. 1934 St Louis Cardinals
Game One
Cards 3
Reds 4
WP Gullett
LP Dean
The Big Red Machine opens up with a home win over the Gas House Gang; Don Gullett beating Dizzy Dean.
1st: Gullett gave up a one out single to Spud Davis, but otherwise it was a quiet top of the first.
1st: 30 game winner Dizzy Dean takes the hill against an all time great offense; after an out, Joe Morgan walked and stole second; another out later George Foster singled to left center to plate Morgan and give the Reds the lead.
2nd: After an out, Jake Rathrock hit an absolute bomb, a solo shot to left that tied the game.
2nd: Dean set down the Reds in order.
3rd: 3 up, 3 down.
3rd: Gullett was a pretty good hitter for a pitcher; had 14 hits on the season including a couple extra base hits - but you wouldn't expect he'd lead off the inning with a double off of Dizzy Dean. He wound up at third but that's it, as Dean survived the gauntlet of Rose/Morgan/Bench.
4th: Gullett gets them in order.
4th: Dean matches Gullett.
5th: Rothrock, whose homer tied the game for the Cards in the second, leads off here with a double to left; an error puts Ernie Orsatti on base and the Cards are on the corners with no one out. Leo Durocher grounds to third - Rose doesn't have a play at the plate, Rothrock's going to score, he gets the runner at second, but Durocher beats the attempt at the double play. After a second out Frankie Frisch singles, but Gullet's able to limit the damage to the one run.
5th: With all the thunder in the Reds lineup - it's Davey Concepcion hitting a leadoff triple to start the 5th, then scoring on a safety squeeze from Cesar Geronimo - Pepper Martin charged from third and threw home - but Concepcion was under the tag to tie the score.
6th: Ripper Collins hit 35 homers on the season and he leads off the 6th with a solo shot to right - it's 3-2 Cards.
6th: After an out, Dan Driessen worked a walk; Ken Griffey singled to right on a hit and run and the Reds had them on the corners. Dean was very careful with Concepcion after that previous inning's triple, and he walked him. Bases loaded the Reds with just one out. Dean struck out Geronimo. A much talked about Sparky Anderson decision was to sit Tony Perez in favor of the left handed Driessen against Dean - but in this spot, Sparky called on his veteran to pinch hit for Gullett - and Perez came through with a 2 run single to right field to give the Reds the 4-3 lead.
7th: Clay Carroll got the call for the Reds in the 7th; he gave up a 2 out walk, but that was it.
7th: 40 year old Jesse Haines took the mound for the Cards; 3 up. 3 down.
8th: An error allowed the Cards to get a runner in scoring position - but Collins/Medwick/Martin couldn't capitalize.
8th: Griffey got a one out single, but that's all Haines allowed and we head to the 9th.
9th: Rawly Eastwick got the call to nail down the save; he did. 3 Cards up. 3 Cards down and this one belongs to the Reds.
The Reds heroes in this one didn't start the game - it was Perez with the big 2 run pinch hit that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead and then Carroll and Eastwick throwing 3 hitless innings to wrap it up. Homers by Rothrock and Collins kept the Cards in this one.
So-we're off to Sportsman's Park for Game 2; Paul Dean will look to do what his older brother could not and keep the Cards alive; the Reds are going to counter with Gary Nolan.
Game 2
Reds 6
Cards 7
WP Vance
LP Eastwick
Can I interest you in a dramatic 9th inning comeback to keep the Gas House Gang alive and force a winner take all game 3 in Cincinnati?
1st: 19 game winner Paul Dean in the must win start for the Cards; Pete Rose opens with a single and after a Joe Morgan groundout, Johnny Bench walks and the Reds have two on and one out - but that's it, Dean strikes out George Foster and gets a harmless fly ball from Tony Perez.
1st: 15 game winner Gary Nolan going for the Reds; both pitchers today right handed; Nolan sets down the Cards in order.
2nd: 3 Reds up, 3 Reds down
2nd: The Cards score first; Ducky Medwick leads off with a fly ball to right center that just finds a hole and scoots between Geronimo and Griffey; Medwick gets all the way to third base with a triple, and an out later Pepper Martin rocks one off the center field wall to double him home.
3rd: Rose gets a one out single but nothing else for the Reds.
3rd: Nolan sets the Cards down in order.
4th: Dean matches Nolan.
4th: Ripper Collins is easily the Cards best hitter; he homered in game one and leads off the 4th with a homer to dead center that puts St Louis up 2-0. A Medwick walk and two outs later, Ernie Orsatti hit a 2 strike double to right center, Medwick was going on the pitch, scored all the way from first, and St Louis has a 3-0 lead.
5th: It's tough to keep this Reds lineup down; Ken Griffey opens up with a base hit; moves to third on a Concepcion single to right. Cesar Geronimo hit a sac fly to center that scored Griffey and also advanced Concepcion to second. That was critical as an out later, Rose singled Concepcion home and the Reds had cut the deficit to 3-2.
5th: The Cards get a two out single but nothing else
6th: The Reds threaten again; with one out Perez got a base hit, and after a second out Concepcion's single put men on the corners. But Dean struck Geronimo out to end the threat.
6th: Nolan sets the Cards down in order and we head to the 7th, 3-2 Cards.
7th: A Rose walk was surrounded by two outs - and Johnny Bench tied the score with a double off the wall in right center.
7th: Nolan gets the Cards in order again. 3-3 headed to the 8th.
8th: Jesse Haines came on for St Louis and it did not go well. Tony Perez drew a four pitch walk and the fifth pitch Haines threw was a rocket double that hit the very top of the center field wall - Perez scored all the way from first base and the Reds had the 4-3 lead. That was enough for Billy Southworth, he went to his bullpen lefty, Jim Mooney, who had an ERA over 5 in the regular season. Mooney got an out - but then gave up a ground ruled double to Concepcion that made the game 5-3 - Sparky made the move to hit Dan Driessen for Nolan, and he singled home Concepcion to make it 6-3 Cincinnati. That brought Southworth out to the mound once again - 43 year old Dazzy Vance got the call and he got out of the inning.
8th: Clay Carroll had two hitless innings in game one; he comes on now, gives up a hit, but nothing else and we head to the 9th inning with the Reds up 6-3.
9th: Vance stays on; gives up a walk but nothing else and its onto the bottom of the 9th.
9th: Rawly Eastwick came on to close, as he had in game one - needing only to protect a 3 run lead to advance the Reds to the next round. Jack Rothrock opened up with an 11 pitch at bat, fouling off pitch after pitch until working a walk. Pepper Martin followed with a 9 pitch at bat - also working a walk. Ernie Orsatti had 14 doubles in the regular season - but he then hit his second of the game, scoring both runners to suddenly slice the deficit to 6-5, still with no out - and now the tying run was in scoring position. Sparky came out to the mound - but chose to leave Eastwick in to face Leo Durocher - who slaps a single to left center to score Orsatti and tie the game. That was all for Eastwick - Will McEnaney, the Cards bullpen lefty, came on - got an out - but then the Gas House Gang Cards did what they did - Frankie Frisch dropped a perfect bunt down the third base line, the Reds didn't have play, Frish beat it out and now there were two on, one out - and Bill DeLancey slapped a base hit to left center that scored Durocher with the winning run. Absolute bedlam at Sportsman's Park - a 4 run 9th inning comeback to stave off elimination and we're going back to Cincinnati for game 3.
Cards heroes - Collins had his second homer of the series, Orsatti had 2 doubled and 3 RBI and how about Dazzy Vance, stopping the bleeding and allowing the Cards to hold the deficit at 3 runs. The Reds got a 3 hit game from Rose.
Back to Riverfront we go - The Cards will go with a lefty, Bill Walker, in the winner take all matchup; Cincinnati turns to Jack Billingham.
Game 3
Cards 3
Reds 5
WP Carroll
LP Walker
3 tight games - all won by the home team - and the favored Reds live to see another day.
1st: Jack Billingham was nominally the Reds ace - but he had the highest ERA in the rotation (4.11) to Sparky's rolling the dice a little bit - it looked maybe like error just two batters in, Frankie Frisch led off with a single to right, Bill Delancey followed with a walk - and the Ripper Collins hit a ball to the track that just hung up enough for Ken Griffey to gather it in. Frisch took third on the play and the Cards had runners on the corners - but that was it, Billingham escaped unscathed.
1st: Southworth went with the left hander in his rotation, Bill Walker, who was 12-4 on the season; he gave up a one out walk to Joe Morgan but nothing else.
2nd: Jack Rothrock led off the second with a single, but was erased on a double play and the Cards went down in order.
2nd: Walker set the Cards down in order.
3rd: Walker helped himself with a leadoff single, but nothing beyond that.
3rd: With one out, Cesar Geronimo walked-Billingham bunted him over - and with two out Pete Rose slapped a base hit to right and the Reds led 1-0.
4th: Billingham set them down in order.
4th With one out, George Foster smashed one into the second deck in right field to put the Reds up 2-0.
5th: The Cards hitting star continued to be Walker, he got a two out single, but the Cards didn't threaten.
5th: 3 up, 3 down
6th: Delancey led off with a walk and then Ripper Collins hit his third homer of the series; a 2 run shot that died the score. Sparky was not messing around - he got the hook right then and brought in Clay Carroll; he retired the next 3.
6th: The Reds got the runs right back. Morgan led off with a walk and then stole second; an out later Southworth made a fateful decision - intentionally walk Perez to get to Griffey. It made some sense given the platoon advantage of Walker facing the left handed Griffey - but Ken Sr beat him with a single to right that scored Morgan and Concepcion followed with a slow ground ball that just squeezed through the hole into left to score Perez and it was 4-2 Reds headed to the 7th.
7th: The Cards struck immediately; Ernie Orsatti led off with a walk and then Leo Durocher drove him home with a double that rattled around the right field corner. Orsatti scored and it's 4-3 with the tying run at second and no one out. 23 year old Will McEnaney came on for the Reds. After an out - Frankie Frisch singled to right field - Durocher got the green light and came all the way around - Griffey threw home - Bench blocked the plate (legal, it's 1975 rules) Durocher slammed hard into him -- and Bench held on. That was it for the Cards, McEnaney got out of the threat.
7th: The Reds got it right back. Jim Mooney had an ERA approaching 5 and a half, but he got the call for St Louis, he gave up a one out single to Rose, and then a walk to Morgan - after a second out, Perez blooped a single to left center, Rose came around to score and it was 5-3 Reds; 43 year old Dazzy Vance ended the threat and we headed to the 8th.
8th: McEnaney gave up a two out single to Rothrock, but nothing else.
8th: Vance gave up a lead off walk to Griffey and a base hit to Concepcion, an out later Dan Driessen entered as a pinch hitter and Vance kept the Cards alive with a 6-4-3 double play.
9th: Closers need a short memory; Rawly Eastwick came on in game 2 with a 3 run lead and couldn't hold it - but Sparky gave him the ball again - 3 up. 3 down. And this one belongs to the Reds.
The player of the series - Griffey; 2 hits in each of the 3 games including the big base hit in the 6th to give the Reds the lead - and then the big play where he threw out Durocher at the plate.
The Reds move on to the next round - they'll take on the winner of this next series:
49. 1941 New York Yankees v. 80. 1911 New York Giants
This series should have a bit of a losers bracket feel - we've seen both the '39 Yankees and the '08 Giants fall already in this region - tack on a couple of years and both teams are back. I'm going to add the lineups going forward in the recaps.
Game 1
Giants (Ages)
SS Fletcher (26)
C Meyers (30)
2B Doyle (24)
CF Snodgrass (23)
RF Murray (27)
1B Merkle (22)
3B Devlin (31)
LF Devore (23)
P Mathewson (30)
Yankees (Ages)
LF Keller (24)
C Dickey (34)
CF DiMaggio (26)
RF Henrich (28)
2B Gordon (26)
SS Rizzuto (23)
3B Rolfe (32)
1B Sturm (25)
P Russo (26)
Final Score:
Giants 12
Yankees 1
WP Mathewson
LP Russo
The first blowout we've seen in any tournament game; the Giants go into Yankee Stadium and pound out a dozen runs on 18 hits and take game one.
1st: The Lefty Marius Russo got the call for the Yanks; he was 14-10 on the season, he gave up a leadoff single to Art Fletcher, but that's the extent of the damage.
1st: 26 game winner Christy Mathewson took his 1.99 ERA into this one; he sends the Yanks back to the dugout in order.
2nd: With one out, Red Murray doubled over DiMaggio's head; an out later Art Devlin slapped a single to left to put the Giants up 1-0.
2nd: 3 up...3 down
3rd: Chief Meyers gets a two out single, but that's all for the Giants.
3rd: The Yanks tie it up; Red Rolfe hits a fly ball that Red Murray loses in the sun - it falls for a two base error. Johnny Sturm singles to put runners on the corners - Mathewson gets Russo to ground into the 6-4-3 double play, but the tying run scores.
4th: After an out, Fred Snodgrass singles just under Phil Rizzuto's glove and then steals second; Red Murray walks; Fred Merkle grounds out to the right side - moving both runners over the give the Giants two men in scoring position - but it went no further than that.
4th: 3 up, 3 down.
5th: Josh Devore led off with a double down the left field line, Mathewson bunted him over, Art Fletcher than tripled into the right field corner to score Devore. Meyers followed with a single to drive home the Fletcher. Larry Doyle then singled to put them on the corners with just one out - but Russo stopped the bleeding.
5th: 3 up. 3 down
6th: 2 more for the Giants - Murray leads off with a walk and scores all the way from first on a Fred Merkle double - Devlin singles right through the box and that brings Merkle around and it's 5-1 Giants.
6th: Buddy Rosar enters to pinch hit for Russo - he singles, but that's it for the Yankees.
7th: The Giants put the game out of reach; 26 year old Norm Branch comes on for the Yankees, he gives up a leadoff double to Doyle and then a run scoring single to Snodgrass - after an out, Merkle doubles off the wall in right, Snodgrass comes all the way around and it's 7-1. After the second out, Steve Peek took the ball for the Yankees and gave up back to back walks to Devore and Mathewson to load the bases. Art Fletcher clears the bases with this second triple of the game - and Meyers follows with a single to make it 11-1 Giants.
7th: An error and a Rizzuto single gave the Yankees two on with one out, but the Yankees couldn't score
8th: 3 up, 3 down.
8th: Mathewson sets them down in order.
9th: Tony Bonham becomes the 4th Yankee pitcher, the Giants finish off the scoring with two out singles by Mathewson/Fletcher/Meyers for their 12th run.
9th: The Yanks get their fifth hit of the game, but Mathewson finishes what he started and the Giants have the blowout win.
4 hits, including 2 triples, 4 RBI for Fletcher. 4 hits and 3 RBI for Meyers. Merkle had two doubles and 2 RBI - every single Giant got a hit. Complete game 5 hitter for Mathewson, all the hits were singles. DiMaggio went 0-4.
We head to the Polo Grounds for Game 2 - the Giants have 24 game winner Rube Marquard ready to go; the Yanks counter with 33 year old Spud Chandler, both right handed.
(this is fun stuff, the readership will understandably be super low, I do not care at all about that; if, for whatever reason, this is your jam, it's mine too)
Game 2
Yankees (Ages)
LF Keller (24)
C Dickey (34)
CF DiMaggio (26)
RF Henrich (28)
2B Gordon (26)
SS Rizzuto (23)
3B Rolfe (32)
1B Sturm (25)
P Chandler (33)
Giants (Ages)
SS Fletcher (26)
C Meyers (30)
2B Doyle (24)
LF Devore (23)
CF Snodgrass (23)
RF Murray (27)
1B Merkle (22)
3B Devlin (31)
P Marquard (24)
Final Score
Yankees 4
Giants 3
WP Breuer
LP Crandall
The road team wins again; the Yankees scoring two in the 9th to keep their hopes alive.
1st: Marquard won 24; he sets the Yanks down in order.
1st: Chandler was 10-4, he gives up an Art Fletcher single and later a Larry Doyle walk, but the Giants do not score.
2nd: Marquard gets them in order again.
2nd: The Giants get on the board; after an out, Red Murray slaps a single to left - and the Fred Merkle drove him home with a double to right.
3rd: The Yanks go down in order again
3rd: Nothing for the Giants
4th: With one out, Bill Dickey and Joe DiMaggio single back to back and the Yanks are in business - but Marquard strikes out Tommy Henrich and gets an easy groundout from Joe Gordon.
4th: Josh Devore gets a one out single, but that's all Chandler allows.
5th: Phil Rizzuto opens up the inning with a triple into the right field corner and when Red Rolfe walks the Yankees have men on the corners with nobody out. Marquard strikes out Johnny Sturm and then gets Chander 5-4-3 to end the inning. We head to the 6th with the Giants still up 1-0.
6th: The Yankees tie the score - Charlie Keller and Bill Dickey open up with back to back singles - that brings up the great DiMaggio, who scuffled in the 1939 loss at the top of the region and has been quiet so far here - but he singles to center to score Keller. Marquard limits the damage to that one run.
6th: 3 up, 3 down.
7th: Marquard settles down and gets the Yanks in order.
7th: Red Murray gets a one out walk but that's it - such a clutch outing from Spud Chandler, going into the Polo Grounds after the Giants scored 12 runs in game one and shutting down McGraw's group.
8th: The Yankees take the lead. Keller singles, Dickey walks and is Joe DiMaggio heating up? He gets his third hit of the game, a single that brings home the go ahead run. McGraw leaves Marquard in the game and he keeps the Yankees from scoring further.
8th: 26 year old right hander Norm Branch comes on for the Yanks; after an out he gives up a base hit to pinch hitter Beals Becker. Art Fletcher grounds to short - Rizzuto makes a really nice play ranging to his left - he doesn't have a shot at the lead runner but guns down Fletcher for the second out. 2 out - tying run in scoring position - Chief Meyers singles to center and Becker scores the tying run. Doyle then singles, hitting a ball almost in exactly the same spot as did Fletcher, but this time Rizzuto's throw is just late. 2 on, 2 out, 27 year old Marv Breuer comes out of the pen - and Josh Devore beats him with a single to center; there's a play at the plate, but Meyers slides in just under Dickey's tag and the Giants head to the 9th inning up 3-2.
9th: 23 year old right hander Doc Crandall won 15 games; he comes on to close out the series. Sturm works the count to 3-2 and then singles to right. After an out, Keller gets his third single of the game - Sturm was running on the pitch and there are men on the corners for Bill Dickey - he singles to center, Sturm scores and the game is tied, still just one out and here comes DiMaggio. 24 year old Bert Maxwell only pitched 34 innings on the year -- but he gets DiMaggio to ground out - he hit it to the right side, advancing both runners, so the Yankees have men on second and third with two out for Tommy Henrich. McGraw really rolls the dice here - they decide to put Henrich on so Maxwell can face the right handed Joe Gordon. And Gordon beats him. Single to left; Keller scores the go ahead run - Dickey gets the green light, but Devore guns him down and ends the inning.
9th: Johnny Murphy is the Yankees closer; he had 15 saves and an ERA under 2 - he gets the first two and then Fred Merkle just crushes - I mean just crushes a ball to dead center field - center field in the Polo Grounds is 483 feet from home plate - DiMaggio mimics that famed Mays catch from the '54 Series as he is able to gallop the needed distance to track the ball down and end the game.
3 hits each for Keller/Dickey/DiMaggio and a great 7 inning start for Spud Chandler.
We head to Yankee Stadium. Winner take all. The Yankees will go with 36 year old Red Ruffing; the Giants with 28 year old Red Ames. Red v Red, like Lenin against Trotsky.
Game 3
Giants (Ages)
SS Fletcher (26)
2B Doyle (24)
C Meyers (30)
LF Devore (23)
CF Snodgrass (23)
RF Becker (24)
1B Merkle (22)
3B Bridwell (27)
P Ames (28)
Yankees (Ages)
LF Keller (24)
CF DiMaggio (26)
RF Henrich (28)
C Dickey (34)
2B Gordon (26)
3B Rolfe (32)
SS Rizzuto (23)
1B Sturm (25)
P Ruffing (36)
Giants 2
Yankees 7
WP Ruffing
LP Ames
The '75 Reds were favorites who advanced in the prior series - they'll meet favorites who advanced, the '41 Yankees, in the next round.
1st: Both lineups heavy with left handers against the right handed starters; Ruffing won 15 and sets the Giants down in order.
1st: Ames isn't as successful, Charlie Keller and Joe DiMaggio open with back to back singles - a 6-4-3 Tommy Henrich double play leaves Keller alone at third, but Bill Dickey singles him home to give the Yanks the lead. An Ames wild pitch moves Dickey into scoring position - and Joe Gordon took advantage with a base hit that made the game 2-0.
2nd: Fred Snodgrass got a one out single, but that's it.
2nd: 3 up, 3 down.
3rd: Al Bridwell got the start at third in this one; he gets a one out single, but that's all for the Giants.
3rd: With one out, DiMaggio took a fastball to the ribs; after a second out Bill Dickey laced a single to right - DiMaggio noticeably did not attempt to go to third on the play; Ames got out of trouble and we have to wonder about DiMaggio's health the rest of the way in this one.
4th: 3 up, 3 down.
4th: Johnny Sturm got a two out single, but no threat by the Yanks.
5th: With two out, Fred Merkle singled; Joe McCarthy wasn't taking chances, they put Bridwell on intentionally and then Ruffing got his opposite number Ames on a route groundout.
5th: After two out, Henrich singled to right and Bill Dickey drew a walk - Joe Gordon came through again, he singled to right and the score was 3-0.
6th: Chief Meyers and Josh Devore had back to back two out singles, but Ruffing kept them off the scoreboard.
6th: Phil Rizzuto opened up with a single, after two out he moved to second on a Charlie Keller walk - and they both moved up on Ames's second wild pitch of the day. But DiMaggio, visibly in pain, weakly popped to short.
7th: The Giants inch closer, with one out Fred Merkle and Al Bridwell singled back to back to put men on the corners. Red Murray entered as a pinch hitter and hit a sac fly to make it 3-1.
7th: 23 year old right hander Doc Crandall entered and gave up a leadoff walk to Henrich - after two out, Crandall then walked both Red Rolfe and Phil Rizzuto to load the bases, but then struck out Sturm to keep the game within reach.
8th: Ruffing gets the Giants in order.
8th: With 2 out, DiMaggio took a deep breath and doubled to right; Henrich singled to left, and DiMaggio chose discretion and stayed at third, Bill Dickey blooped a single to right to score DiMaggio and then Joe Gordon ended the series with a 3 run homer that sent Yankee Stadium ablaze. 7-1 Yankees.
9th: Steve Peek entered for the Yanks; with one out, he gave up 3 straight singles to Becker/Merkle/Snodgrass to get us to our 7-2 final score
Joe Gordon had the go ahead base hit to win game 2 and came back in game 3 with 5 RBI; he's the MVP of this Series.
This Region is 3/4 of the way done. 2 more series to go - next time we'll see the 1929 A's meet the 1997 Braves and the 1935 Tigers meet..wait for it...the 1943 Yankees.
