22. 1976 World Champion Cincinnati Reds v. #43. 1928 World Champion New York Yankees
Region 6 ends with an absolute madhouse of a series. Babe Ruth has yet to advance to the next round - and this is his very last shot. They face the Big Red Machine Reds - the '75 version has already advanced and this version won the all time WAR 128 team tournament I held a couple years ago. Even if this were a series in the Round of 32 it would seem a little early. Just a monster series.
The '75 Reds and the 1919 Reds have already advanced, this is the last Cincinnati team in this round.
Yankees Teams moving on: 1943, 1947, 1953, 1961, 1977, 1998. There are still 5 Yankee teams to come.
Reds 102-60 Mgr. Sparky Anderson
1st in NL West
d. Phillies in NLCS
d. Yankees in WS
d. #107 1906 White Sox (MVP-Pete Rose)
All-Stars: C Johnny Bench, SS Dave Concepcion, OF George Foster (2nd NL MVP), OF Ken Griffey, 2B Joe Morgan (NL MVP) 1B Tony Perez, 3B Pete Rose (4th NL MVP)
Hall of Famers: Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Sparky Anderson
Yankees 101-53 Mgr. Miller Huggins
Won AL Pennant
d. Cardinals in WS
d. #86 1974 Dodgers (MVP-Tony Lazzeri)
Hall of Famers: OF Earle Combs, RP Stan Coveleski, C Bill Dickey, SS Leo Durocher, 1B Lou Gehrig, SP Waite Hoyt, 2B Tony Lazzeri (3rd AL MVP) SP Herb Pennock, OF Babe Ruth, Miller Huggins
Yankees-Miller Huggins
CF Combs (29) (LH) 124 4.6
RF Ruth (33) (LH) 206 9.4
1B Gehrig (25) (LH) 193 8.9
2B Lazzeri (24) 145 3.8
SS Koenig (23) (SH) 105 2
LF Meusel (31) 114 2.1
C Collins (31) 104 1.2
3B Dugan (31) 84 0
P Pennock (34) (LH) 149 5.2
Bench
SS Durocher (22) 76
3B Robertson (28) (LH) 77
C Grabowski (28) 51
C Bengough (29) 59
LF Durst (31) (LH) 62
SP2 Hoyt (28) 113 4.2
SP3 Pipgras (28) 112 4.4
Unlikely to see any alterations here. Yankees going to ride these 8.
Reds-Sparky Anderson
3B Rose (35) (SH) 141 7
LF Foster (27) 150 6.1
2B Morgan (32) (LH) 187 8.9
RF Griffey (26) (LH) 140 4
1B Perez (34) 118 3
CF Geronimo (28) (LH) 125 3.1
C Bench (28) 109 4.9
SS Concepcion (28) 107 5.3
P Zachry (24) 128 3.3
Bench
1B Driessen (24) (LH) 116 1.4
SS Flynn (25) 83
C Plummer (29) 94
LF Lum (30) (LH) 91
LF Bailey (33) 148
SP2 Norman (33) (LH) 114 2.3
SP3 Nolan (28) 102
Driessen and Perez are platooning; Bailey has a lot of bench bat and theoretically could replace Geronimo with Foster moving to center if the Reds needed the bat against a LH.
WAR:
C-Reds
1B-Yankees
2B-Reds
SS-Reds
3B-Reds
LF-Reds
CF-Yankees
RF-Yankees
SP1-Yankees
SP2-Yankees
SP3-Yankees
Bullpen-Reds
WAR: Reds 6 Yankees 6 -- so, it's really close, the Yankees have the advantage with each starting pitcher and they have Ruth, the best player in the series. Reds have the advantage at most spots in the lineup and they have the seed advantage. Narrowly, we'll say Cincinnati is the favorite to claim the 24th spot in the next round and face the '69 Orioles (in what would kind of be a rematch of the '70 World Series, although it's 6 years later for Cincinnati).
GAME ONE
1st: Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati; the '76 Reds looking to join the '75 Reds in the Round of 32; Pat Zachry is a 24 year old RH and he gets the ball in Game 1. 14-7, 2.74. Zachry won the NL Rookie of the Year award this season; next year, he's sent to the Mets for Tom Seaver. He's never really this pitcher again, his last season is '85 with the Phillies. He walks Babe Ruth with one out, but nothing else.
1st: 34 year old lefty Herb Pennock goes for the Yankees; 17-6, 2.56, he was 18 when he broke in with the A's back in '12, missed '18 for WWI, the Yankees bought him from the Red Sox in '23 and he was 4th in the AL MVP in '24 and 3rd in '26. He returns to Boston to finish up in '34. He gives up a 2 out single to Joe Morgan; that's it.
2nd: Mark Koenig opens with a base hit. He was 20 when he broke in in '25, he and Waite Hoyt get shipped to the Tigers in '30, he'll play a season with these Reds, '34 and finish with the Giants in '36. Pat Collins then walks, that's it.
2nd: Tony Perez singles. We've seen this Reds lineup discussed previously; '76 was Perez's last All Star team and the last season of this Cincinnati stint as he's sent to Montreal. He comes back to the Reds in '84 and finishes here in '86 at 44 years old. Cesar Geronimo follows with a single, and after an out, Davey Concepcion drives home a run with a single. Yankees 0 Reds 1
3rd: Lou Gehrig singles with 2 out. Like Ruth, Gehrig has yet to advance, but he has another shot after this series. Gehrig is 25, he broke in back in '23, led the league in triples in '26, won the MVP in '27, led the league in doubles, RBI, OBP this season, in '30, he will lead the league in RBI and total bases. From '31-'35 he finishes in the top 5 AL MVP every season. Wins it in '36, is 4th in '37, his last full season is '38 and he's dead in '41. That's it.
3rd: 1-2-3
4th: Bob Meusel hits a one out double. Meusel was 20 when he broke in back in '23, he led the league in RBI in '25, his bat really falls off after this year and in '30 he's sold to the Reds where he finishes up. After the second out - Sparky orders the intentional walk to Joe Dugan and that works.
4th: Cesar Geronimo draws a two out walk. He won his third gold glove this year; he'll be in Cincinnati until he's dealt to the Royals in '81. That's it.
5th: With one out - Ruth and Gehrig hit back to back doubles to tie the score. This is Babe Ruth's last chance to advance. He's 33 - broke in back in '14 with the Red Sox, led the league in ERA in '16 and complete games in '17. Led the league in homers and OPS in '18, In OPS+ in '19 and then sold to the Yankees. 3 straight seasons leading the league in OPS+ and then wins the MVP in '23. Another league leading year in OPS+ in '24 and then again in '26. He hit those 60 homers in '27. He led the league in OPS+ this year and will again in '29 and '30. Finished 5th in the MVP in '31, 6th in '32. was an All Star in both '33 and '34. That ends his Yankees career - in 1935 he's 40 years old and spends the final 28 games of his career with the Braves. Tony Lazzeri follows with a double and the Yankees take the lead. Koenig then singles home Lazzeri. Collins singles after the second out and that's all. Yankees 3 Reds 1
5th: Sparky gets the hook - with one out he brings on Bob Bailey to hit for Zachry and he singles and after the second out George Foster doubles Bailey home. Foster finished 2nd in the MVP this year and wins it next year. They deal him to the Mets in '82 - Morgan draws a walk - that's it. Yankees 3 Reds 2
6th: Pedro Borbon is a 29 year old RH with a 3.35 ERA and he comes on for the Reds; he gets two - but then Ruth rockets one out of here and the Yankees go up 4-2; Gehrig singles and it's back to the pen for 24 year old lefty Will McEnaney with his 4.85 ERA. Tony Lazzeri doubles home Gehrig and it's 5-2. Lazzeri, MVP of their first round win, was 22 when he broke in two years ago, he finished 10th in the MVP that season and third this year. The Yankees release him in a decade, he finishes as a Giant in '39. Yankees 5 Reds 2
6th: Perez doubles. That's it.
7th: Pat Collins walks with one out. 3 catchers split time for the Yankees this year; Collins is the only one with a bat. He broke in with the Browns in '19, the Yankees got him in '26, this is his last season as a Yankee, he plays 7 games for the Braves next season and is done. Joe Dugan doubles him to third. Ben Paschal comes off the Yankee bench and singles home two runs -- the Yankees in firm, firm control of this one. The Reds 4th starter is Don Gullett, who we've seen advance with both the Reds and the Yankees and he comes on. He gets the second out - but then gives up as loud a homer as you're ever going to see to Ruth - an upper deck rocket to left center and the Yankees are pouring it on. Yankees 9 Reds 2
7th: Unrelated to the Reds starter today - Tom Zachary is the new Yankee pitcher, 32 year old lefty. He gives up a pinch double to Dan Driessen. Driessen's platooning with the Perez in this series, and like Perez he will one day be traded to the Expos. Pete Rose singles. Foster reaches on an error that scores a run. An out later Ken Griffey clears the bases with a double and it's 9-5. 27 year old lefty Fred Heimach comes out of the Yankee pen, he gets the second out but then gives up a Geronomo double that scores another run. Big inning for the Reds. Yankees 9 Reds 6
8th: 20 year old RH Manny Sarmiento brings in a 2.06 ERA to the mound; Lazzeri singles and an out later scores on a Koenig single. Collins then doubles Lazzeri home and the Yankee onslaught continues. Yankees 11 Reds 6
8th: Rose draws a two out walk - Rose was 4th in the NL MVP this year at the age of 35. He retires a Red at the age of 45 in 1986. 31 year old RH Wilcy Moore comes on, that's it.
9th: 1-2-3
9th: Joe Morgan singles - Ken Griffey walks. 30 year old RH Myles Thomas comes on for New York, after the first out, a Geronimo groundout scores a run. Bench then singles - but it ends here.
Yankees 11
Reds 7
WP Pennock
LP Zachry
These are two offenses that we don't want to lose in this round for sure; in game one, it's the Bombers who outslugged the Big Red Machine. 10 pitchers and 30 hits for these two teams today.
For New York...
Ruth 4x/2HR
Gehrig 3x
Lazzeri 3x
Koenig 2x
Meusel 2x
Collins 4x
Dugan 2x
For Cincinnati...
Rose 2x
Griffey 2x
Perez 2x
Geronimo 3x
2B Lazzeri (24) 145 3.8
RF Ruth (33) (LH) 206 9.4
1B Gehrig (25) (LH) 193 8.9
LF Meusel (31) 114 2.1
CF Combs (29) (LH) 124 4.6
C Collins (31) 104 1.2
SS Koenig (23) (SH) 105 2
3B Dugan (31) 84 0
SP2 Hoyt (28) 113 4.2
2B Morgan (32) (LH) 187 8.9
3B Rose (35) (SH) 141 7
RF Griffey (26) (LH) 140 4
LF Foster (27) 150 6.1
CF Geronimo (28) (LH) 125 3.1
1B Driessen (24) (LH) 116 1.4
C Bench (28) 109 4.9
SS Concepcion (28) 107 5.3
SP2 Norman (33) (LH) 114 2.3
GAME TWO
1st: Babe Ruth is down to his last bullet; if this '28 team gets bounced he is out of the tournament. He hit 2 homers in game one and the Yankees grabbed it. 33 year old lefty Fred Norman is tasked with shutting him down. 12-7, 3.09. Norman's advanced with the '75 team, he'll be in Cincinati until his final season, 1980, with the Expos. He opens the game with 3 straight walks -- Lazzeri, Ruth, Gehrig. He gets two -- but then Collins and Koenig clear the bases with back to back singles and the Yankees are on top. Yankees 3 Reds 0
1st: 28 year old RH Waite Hoyt enters with the big lead. 23-7, 3.36. Hoyt broke in with the Giants a decade prior. Was a teammate with the Babe in Boston; came to the Yankees in an 8 player deal in '20. Led the league in wins last year and finished 10th in the MVP race this year. He and Koenig are sent to Detroit in 30 and he finishes with the Dodgers in '38. He gets one, then gives up back to back singles to Rose and Griffey. Hoyt gets the second out and then Geronimo singles home a run. Driessen walks - that's all. Yankees 3 Reds 1
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: 1-2-3
3rd: Gehrig doubles. In 119 career postseason at bats he had a 1.214 OPS. Lou Gehrig hit the ball. Norman gets one but then gives up a run scoring Earle Combs single. Combs is a career Yankee, 1924-35. After an out, Koenig walks - that's all. Yankees 4 Reds 1
3rd: Griffey singles with one out, this is the best year of his career, finishing 8th in the MVP. In '82, he's dealt to the Yankees, he'll finish up playing with his kid in the Mariner outfield in '91. Foster walks and after the second out, Driessen walks for the second time. Bench comes through with a single that scores two. The hitting picks up where game one left off. Yankees 4 Reds 3
4th: Hoyt singles - an out later Norman walks Ruth and Gehrig - understandably, Norman pitching very, very carefully to those bats - but that ends his day and Don Gullett enters for the Reds. He escapes.
4th: Rose walks with 2 outs, that's all.
5th: 1-2-3
5th: Geronimo singles with one out - and after the second out Johnny Bench hits a two run home and the Reds have their first lead of the series. Bench is 28, made his 9th All Star team this year, won his 9th Gold Glove. Yankees 4 Reds 5
6th: 1-2-3, 8 straight for Norman.
6th: Morgan singles with one out - Morgan's the NL MVP, this is the best year of his career with the stick. That's it.
7th: Gehrig and Meusel single. Combs then reaches on an error to score a run. Collins walks and then a Koenig sac fly gives the Yankees the lead. Pedro Borbon enters - he gives up a run scoring single to Dugan. Yankees 7 Reds 5
7th: All time legendary offenses have not disappointed. Geronimo walks with two out - but thats all. The Yankees are 8 outs from taking both games at Riverfront.
8th: After two out, Gehrig walks and Meusel singles. That's all.
8th: 27 year old lefty Fred Heimach comes on for the Yanks; He gives up a 2 out pinch single to Bob Bailey, Morgan walks - that's all.
9th: Will McEnaney is on for the Reds; he gives up a Collins double then walks Koenig. After an out, Ben Paschal pinch singles home a run. That might be it for this one. Manny Sarmiento is brought on to get the second out, but Ruth singles home a run. This looks done. Yankees 9 Reds 5
9th: Wilcy Moore is on to close; he gives up a one out Foster double but that's all.
Yankees 9
Reds 5
WP Hoyt
LP Norman
The Yankees are playing like a team that knows it doesn't have any more bullets to fire.
For New York...
Ruth 7x/2HR
Gehrig 8x
Lazzeri 4x
Koenig 5x
Meusel 4x
Collins 4x
Dugan 3x
For Cincinnati...
Morgan 2x in game 2
Rose 4x
Griffey 4x
Foster 2x in game 2
Driessen 2x in game 2
Bench 2x in game 2/HR
Perez 2x
Geronimo 6x
So - the scene shifts to Yankee Stadium, New York a win away from claiming the last spot in Region 6 and facing the '69 Orioles.
2B Morgan (32) (LH) 187 8.9
3B Rose (35) (SH) 141 7
RF Griffey (26) (LH) 140 4
LF Foster (27) 150 6.1
CF Geronimo (28) (LH) 125 3.1
1B Driessen (24) (LH) 116 1.4
C Bench (28) 109 4.9
SS Concepcion (28) 107 5.3
SP3 Nolan (28) 102
CF Combs (29) (LH) 124 4.6
RF Ruth (33) (LH) 206 9.4
1B Gehrig (25) (LH) 193 8.9
2B Lazzeri (24) 145 3.8
SS Koenig (23) (SH) 105 2
LF Meusel (31) 114 2.1
C Collins (31) 104 1.2
3B Dugan (31) 84 0
SP3 Pipgras (28) 112 4.4
GAME THREE
1st: Yankee Stadium. George Pipgras can finish off the Reds today. 24-13, 3.38. He led the league in wins. He'll wind up getting sold to Boston in '33. 1-2-3.
1st: Can anyone slow these Yankees? 28 year old RH Gary Nolan has that task. 15-9, 3.46; the end comes fast for Nolan, the Reds deal him to the Angels and 18 innings later his career ends. He gives up a 2 out double to Gehrig; that's the 9th time Gehrig has reached in the series. Lazzeri then singles him to third; That's it.
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: Meusel doubles; he's at third after an out and scores on a Joe Dugan sac fly. Dugan will be released at the end of the year and eventually finish as a Tiger in '31. Reds 0 Yankees 1
3rd: Concepcion hits a 1 out triple. He spends his entire 19 year career in Cincinnati. After the second out, Morgan walks - and Rose comes through with the game tying single. Griffey and Foster follow with their own run scoring singles. Geronimo then singles -- big big inning for the Reds 4 Yankees 1
3rd: After an out - Ruth hits his third homer of the series; Babe Ruth refuses to go home in Round 2. Gehrig singles and Lazzeri doubles. Gehrig has reached 10 times. But that's all. Reds 4 Yankees 2
4th: Bench singles and two outs later Morgan walks again; that's all.
4th: Pat Collins homers on the first pitch and the Yankees draw within a run. Pipgras walks an out later but that's all. Reds 4 Yankees 3
5th: 1-2-3
5th: Gehrig reaches for the 11th time with a one out single. Lazzeri follows with a single, 3 hits today for Lazzeri, but that's all.
6th: Concepcion walks. That's all.
6th: Dugan singles with 2 out - that's it. 3 innings to go for the Reds to get one back.
7th: Rose singles with one out, Nothing else.
7th: Combs doubles -- and here's that man again --Babe Ruth hits a 2 run homer, a majestic, towering shot to right -- it's the 4th homer for Ruth in the series, that's the record for the tournament and there haven't even been 3 full games - it puts the Yankees out in front and they are 6 outs away from sweeping this all time great Reds team. 2 outs later Koenig doubles, that's all. Is that enough? Reds 4 Yankees 5
8th: Driessen singles with 2 out - but Pipgras stops it there, the Reds haven't scored since the 3rd and they are 3 outs from going home.
8th: Dugan hits a 1 out single, that's all. 9th.
9th: 3 outs from a sweep, 3 outs from Ruth and Gehrig claiming spot #24 in the next round.
Pipgras stays on and he gets Concepcion to fly to Combs. One.
Bob Bailey has pinch singles in both games 1 and 2. He comes on. Pipgras strikes him out. Two.
Morgan lines sharply to Dugan and it's over.
Reds 4
Yankees 5
WP Pipgras
LP Nolan
Gehrig reached 11 times. Ruth had 4 bombs. They are co-MVPs and we will see them again.
