#43 1928 World Champion New York Yankees v. #54 1969 Baltimore Orioles
5 teams have advanced to the Elite 8 - two of them are Yankees and one is an Orioles squad. This matchup features Babe Ruth's last entrant in the tournament against the '69 Orioles, who are largely a replica of the '70 team that has already advanced. Winner plays the 2016 Cubs in the Region 6 Final.
Yankees 101-53 (Pythag 95-59) Mgr. Miller Huggins
Won AL Pennant
d. Cardinals 4-0 in World Series
d. #86 1974 Dodgers 2-1 (MVP-Tony Lazzeri)
d. #22 1976 Reds 3-0 (MVP-Lou Gehrig/Babe Ruth)
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
Urban Shocker died from pneumonia in September. Yanks outscored Cards 27-10 in WS. Yankees had uniform numbers for first time. Miller Huggins dies next year.
Orioles 109-53 (Pythag 110-52) Mgr. Earl Weaver
1st in AL East
d. Twins 3-0 in ALCS
lost to Mets 4-1 in World Series
d. #75 1949 Yankees 2-0 (MVP-Mike Cuellar/Jim Palmer)
d. #118 1917 Giants 3-1 (MVP-Davey Johnson/Mike Cuellar)
All-Stars: OF Paul Blair, 2B Davey Johnson, SP Dave McNally (4th AL Cy Young) 1B Boog Powell (2nd AL MVP) 3B Brooks Robinson, OF Frank Robinson (3rd AL MVP)
Cy Young: SP Mike Cuellar
Hall of Famers: Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Earl Weaver
109 wins, 19 games ahead of the Tigers in AL East. Same year – heavily favored Orioles lost to Mets, heavily favored Colts lost to Jets (and best NBA record – Bullets, lost in playoffs to Knicks), 1970 team also in field, this team had best winning % in Orioles history.
Orioles-Earl Weaver
LF Buford (32) 128 (SH) 4.5
RF Robinson (33) 165 6.5
1B Powell (27) 160 (LH) 6.2
CF Blair (25) 122 6.9
2B Johnson (26) 107 3.5
C Etchebarren (26) 96 1.6
SS Belanger (25) 95 4.3
3B Robinson (32) 92 4.5
P Cuellar (32) 149 (LH) 5.2
Bench
C Hendricks (28) (LH) 100 2.4
OF Rettenmund (26) 104
RF May (25) (LF) 87
SP2 Palmer (23) 152 3.9
SP3 McNally (26) 111 (LH) 3.1
Platoon at C. Phoebus is the 4th starter if they advance.
Yankees-Miller Huggins
2B Lazzeri (24) 145 3.8
RF Ruth (33) (LH) 206 9.4
1B Gehrig (25) (LH) 193 8.9
CF Combs (29) (LH) 124 4.6
LF Meusel (31) 114 2.1
C Collins (31) 104 1.2
SS Koenig (23) (SH) 105 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
SP3 Pipgras (28) 112 4.4
SP2 Hoyt (28) 113 4.2
Unlikely to see any alterations here. Yankees going to ride these 8. Hank Johnson is the 4th starter.
Lineups:
C-Hendricks/Etchebarren
1B-Gehrig
2B-Lazzeri
SS-Koenig
3B-Robinson
LF-Buford
CF-Blair
RF-Ruth
SP1-Push
SP2-Pipgras
SP3-Hoyt
Pen-Orioles
WAR: Yankees 6 Orioles 5, On the strength of the starting pitching, Yanks nudge Baltimore; they also have easily the two best position players (you can figure that out) and home field based on a narrow seed advantage. It's close - but all the way around the Yankees are just a little better and are favored.
GAME ONE
1st: Helluva matchup here in the second Region 6 semi-final; 34 year old lefty Herb Pennock stands on the Yankee Stadium mound. 17-6, 2.56.After 3 years with the A's and 7 with the Red Sox, Pennock became a Yankee in '23. he's been strong each year in NYC, this year he led the bigs in HR/9. Don Buford walks. Frank Robinson singles. Pennock gets a Boog Powell double play, but it scores a run. Paul Blair singles, steals second - scores on a Davey Johnson double. Big start for the Orioles 2 Yankees 0
1st: There isn't a pitcher in big league history who wouldn't be a little bit concerned about staring down the barrel of Ruth/Gehrig in the first inning. 32 year old lefty Mike Cuellar will take on that task today. 23-11, 2.38. Cuellar won the Cy Young this year and was 8th in the AL MVP. He gets two - then Lou Gehrig singles. Earle Combs draws a walk. That's all.
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: Mark Koenig singles; the Yankee shortstop is 23, in his 4th season. That's all.
3rd: Buford doubles. The Oriole LF is 32, it's his second year in Baltimore after 5 with the White Sox. Frank Robinson follows with a double and now it's 3-0. Pennock gets one - but then Blair and Johnson each rip run scoring doubles. We know how potent this Oriole attack can be - the 1970 squad is sitting in the Elite 8 - and this team is all over the Yankees today. Orioles 5 Yankees 0
3rd: Cuellar gets 2 - then Ruth singles and Gehrig walks. That's all.
4th: Brooks Robinson singles. The third baseman is 32, he broke in with the Orioles way back in '55. He made his 10th straight All Star team this year, won his 10th straight Gold Glove, An out later Buford singles. He's aboard three times - and Frank Robinson grounds out next to score the 6th run. Pennock's day is over; Tom Zachary comes on, he's a 32 year old lefty, 3.94. Boog Powell hits his first pitch a billion miles to dead center and this one is over. Orioles 8 Yankees 0
4th: Bob Meusel walks. The Yankee LF is 28, it's his 8th season in the Bronx. his bat falls off next year. Koenig singles with one out. That's it.
5th: Andy Etchebarren is platooning at catcher, he singles with one out. He's 26. It's his 6th year in the bigs. After the second out, Brooks Robinson singles. That's all.
5th: Tony Lazzeri doubles. The Yankee second baseman is 24, he's in his third season and finished third in the AL MVP. An out later, Gehrig drives him home. After the second out, Meusel doubles home another run. Orioles 8 Yankees 2
6th: 30 year old RH Myles Thomas enters for the Yanks. 3.41. Buford rips a double; 2 outs later Blair triples him home and it's 9-2. The 38 year old RH Stan Coveleski now comes on; he's got a 5.74 ERA. he gives up a Johnson base hit and that's 10 runs for the Os. Etchebarren singles, Belanger reaches on a run scoring error and the third Yankee pitcher of the inning, 27 year old lefty Fred Heimach, 3.31, comes on - he walks Brooks Robinson, it ends there. This one is long over. Orioles 11 Yankees 2
6th: 1-2-3
7th: Buford walks; he's reached 5 times. That's it.
7th: 1-2-3
8th: 31 year old RH Wilcy Moore is the 6th Yankee pitcher of a long game one for New York, he walks Paul Blair - the Oriole CF is 25, in his 6th season, made his first All Star team this year and won his second Gold Glove. Johnson singles, Etchebarren walks the Orioles have loaded the bases with nobody out. Belanger grounds out to score another. Al Shealy is the Yankee 5th starter and he comes on. 28 year old RH, 8-6, 5.06. He ends it. Orioles 12 Yankees 2
8th: 1-2-3
9th: Buford singles. Don Buford reaches 6 times in game one. An out later Boog Powell doubles; The big first baseman is 27, he's been with the big club since he was 19, he made his second All Star team this year and was 2nd in the AL MVP. After the second out, Johnson finishes the scoring for Baltimore with a double that adds two more. Orioles 14 Yankees 2
9th: Cuellar's day is over, 28 year old RH Dave Leonhard has 7 wins and a 2.49 ERA. He gives up a Koenig single, gets an out, gives up a pinch single to Ben Paschal, a 32 year old RH bat, Lazzeri singles home a run -- and then Babe Ruth just demolishes a fastball, into the deepest part of right field, just obliterates a 3 run homer. 25 year old lefty Marcelino Lopez is quickly into the game, 5 wins, 4.41. He walks Gehrig on four pitches - that's as close to an intentional walk in a 14-6 game as you'll find. It ends here.
Orioles 14
Yankees 6
WP Cuellar
LP Pennock
Strong 8 innings for Cuellar; the Orioles pound out 20 hits including 8 doubles. 8 doubles! and just dominate game one.
Buford 6x/2 doubles
Frank Robinson 2x/double
Powell 2x/HR, double
Blair 4x/triple/double
Johnson 5x/3 doubles (5 game 1 RBI)
Etchebarren 3x
Brooks Robinson 3x
Lazzeri 2x/double
Ruth 2x/HR
Gehrig 4x
Combs 1x
Meusel 2x/double
Koenig 3x
LF Buford (32) 128 (SH) 4.5
1B Powell (27) 160 (LH) 6.2
RF Robinson (33) 165 6.5
CF Blair (25) 122 6.9
C Hendricks (28) (LH) 100 2.4
2B Johnson (26) 107 3.5
SS Belanger (25) 95 4.3
3B Robinson (32) 92 4.5
SP2 Palmer (23) 152 3.9
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
LF Meusel (31) 114 2.1
SS Koenig (23) (SH) 105 2
C Collins (31) 104 1.2
3B Dugan (31) 84 0
SP3 Pipgras (28) 112 4.4
GAME TWO
1st: George Pipgras on the mound against an Orioles team that had 10 extra base hits in game one. 28 year old RH, 24-13, 3.38. He hed the league in wins. Don Buford hits his first pitch for a double. This Oriole offense. Buford's now reached 7 times with 3 doubles. Boog Powell follows with a single and the Orioles are already up. After a double play Paul Blair singles, then steals second and scores on an Elrod Hendricks base hit. Is this series over? Orioles 2 Yankees 0
1st: Jim Palmer was co-MVP in round one and is on the mound today. 23 year old RH, 16-4, 2.34. He led the league in winning %. 1-2-3
2nd: 1-2-3
2nd: 1-2-3
3rd: Palmer walks. That's it.
3rd: 31 year old RH Pat Collins is catching for the Yanks and he walks. He split time behind the plate during the season but has enough of an offensive advantage that he catches every day in this series. That's all.
4th: Paul Blair singles. Again. Steals second. Again. Scores on a Hendricks base hit. Again. Hendricks gets the start today against a RH, he's 28, in his second big league season. There are 5 teams that have advanced to the Elite 8 and he's on two of them, he played in 10 games for the '77 Yankees. Orioles 3 Yankees 0
4th: Earle Combs walks. Combs was 6th in the AL MVP and led all of baseball in triples. But that's it.
5th: Buford singles with 1 out, he's reached 8 times. That's it.
5th: Tony Lazzeri walks, he was 3rd in the AL MVP. But that's it - through 5 innings Palmer has yet to allow a hit.
6th: Davey Johnson had a monster game 1, 3 doubles and 5 RBI. He walks here with 2 out, the second baseman and future manager is 26, he made his second All Star team and won his first Gold Glove. That's all.
6th: 1-2-3....the Yankees do not have a hit.
7th: 1-2-3
7th: Babe Ruth singles. Palmer gets one then gives up back to back singles to Lazzeri and Meusel and the Yanks are on the board. Orioles 3 Yankees 1
8th: 1-2-3, 7 straight for Pipgras - the Yankees are still in this one.
8th: 1-2-3, nice inning for Palmer.
9th: 27 year old lefty Fred Heimach for the Yanks. 3.31. Hendricks walks, after an out, Belanger and Brooks Robinson single back to back and the Orioles got that run back. Palmer stays in to hit for himself, he grounds out and now it's Orioles 5 Yankees 1
9th: Palmer gets one, gives up a single to Ruth, but that's all -- Jim Palmer throws a complete game 3 hitter; the Orioles take both games at Yankee Stadium.
Orioles 5
Yankees 1
WP Palmer
LP Pipgras
Buford 8x/3 doubles
Frank Robinson 2x/double
Powell 3x/HR, double
Blair 6x/triple/double
Johnson 6x/3 doubles (5 game 1 RBI)
Etchebarren 3x
Brooks Robinson 4x
Hendricks 3x
Belanger 1x
Lazzeri 4x/double
Ruth 4x/HR
Gehrig 4x
Combs 2x
Meusel 3x/double
Koenig 3x
Collins 1x
2B Lazzeri (24) 145 3.8
RF Ruth (33) (LH) 206 9.4
1B Gehrig (25) (LH) 193 8.9
CF Combs (29) (LH) 124 4.6
LF Meusel (31) 114 2.1
C Collins (31) 104 1.2
SS Koenig (23) (SH) 105 2
3B Dugan (31) 84 0
SP2 Hoyt (28) 113 4.2
LF Buford (32) 128 (SH) 4.5
1B Powell (27) 160 (LH) 6.2
RF Robinson (33) 165 6.5
CF Blair (25) 122 6.9
C Hendricks (28) (LH) 100 2.4
2B Johnson (26) 107 3.5
SS Belanger (25) 95 4.3
3B Robinson (32) 92 4.5
SP3 McNally (26) 111 (LH) 3.1
GAME THREE
1st The Yanks are up against it; they dropped both games at home and now the Orioles are a game from advancing to the Regional Finals where the 2016 Cubs await. Dave McNally takes his turn for Baltimore. 26 year old lefty, 20-7, 3.22. McNally finished 4th in the Cy Young, it's his 2nd of 4 straight years with 20+ wins. McNally gets one and then Babe Ruth hits a blast over everything in center field. Unless the Yankees take both games in Baltimore the Babe's tournament will end in his home town. Ruth is 33, led MLB in runs scored this year for the 8th and final time, led MLB in homers for the 10th time, in walks for the 7th time, in slugging for the 9th time, in OPS for the 9th time, in OPS+ for the 7th time, in total bases for the 6th time. Yankees 1 Orioles 0
1st: Can Waite Hoyt slow this Orioles attack? 28 year old RH, 23-7, 3.36. Hoyt broke into the bigs with the Giants a decade ago, he won 22 last year and finished 10th in the MVP, this year he added 8 saves to those 23 wins, which led all of baseball. Hoyt will be in the league another decade, but only has another year and change with the Yanks. He gives up a 2 out single to Frank Robinson. This series features two of the all time great right fielders, Frank is also 33, it's his 4th year in Baltimore, he finished 3rd in the AL MVP, made his 9th All Star team and led the league in being hit by pitches for the 7th time in his career. That's it.
2nd: Bob Meusel homers. Yankees offense showing up today. Pat Collins singles and is then erased on a double play before Jim Dugan hits the third homer of the day for the Bombers. The Yankee third baseman is 31, it's his final season in New York after arriving in '22. Hoyt walks, that's all - but New York is aiming to extend the series one more day. Yankees 3 Orioles 0
2nd: Elrod Hendricks doubles. two outs later Brooks Robinson reaches on a run scoring error. Yankees 3 Orioles 1
3rd: Gehrig singles with one out; Gehrig's 25, it's his 4th season as the every day first baseman. Gehrig led the AL in doubles and OBP and all of MLB in RBI. That's all.
3rd: Buford singles. He's reached 9 times on the series, leading both clubs. An out later Frank Robinson walks, that's all.
4th: 1-2-3
4th: Brooks Robinson singles after 2 out and that's all.
5th: McNally gets 2 -- but then the Babe does it again, he slams a homer to right center - two on the day and 3 on the series. The Bambino comes home to Baltimore and is trying to keep the home team from advancing. Yankees 4 Orioles 1
5th: Buford doubles and comes around to score on a Boog Powell single. Frank follows with a double - Powell motors around; the Oriole offense was kept in check today for 4 innings but no longer. Yankees 4 Orioles 3
6th: 1-2-3
6th: Belanger reaches on an error and Brooks Robinson singles. The Orioles have men on the corners with nobody out. Weaver goes to his bench for Curt Motton, 28 year old RH bat, he hit 6 homers all year and hits one here == a pinch hit 3 run jack to left - Memorial Stadium explodes - the Orioles have come all the way back and have taken the lead. Fred Heimach is the new Yankee pitcher, maybe one batter too late, Buford singles - that's 11 times on base - 2 outs later Blair walks and that's all. Yankees 4 Orioles 6
7th: Pete Richert comes on for Baltimore; 29 year old lefty, 7 wins, a dozen saves, 2.20. 1-2-3 and now the Orioles are 6 outs from the sweep.
7th: Davey Johnson doubles. That's his 4th double of the series. Huggins is back out to the mound, he brings in Wilcy Moore - and he gets through it.
8th: 1-2-3, Richert gets both Ruth and Gehrig and that might be the end of the road.
8th: After 2 out, Frank Robinson walks and Paul Blair singles and that's all.
9th: The Orioles go to Eddie Watt. 28 year old RH, 16 saves and a 1.65 ERA.
Earle Combs rips a line drive that is dead at Boog Powell, he doesn't need to move a step.
Bob Meusel flies to left -- nice, nice running grab by Buford.
Watt strikes Collins out and it's done.
The Orioles celebrate at the mound, they have swept the '28 Yankees and eliminated Babe Ruth from the tournament.
Yankees 4
Orioles 6
WP McNally
LP Hoyt
The Yankees get only 6 hits in a game they had to win and they did not win. Great outing for the Oriole pen - 9 up, 9 down and Motton hit that 3 run pinch hit homer to win this game.
Buford 11x/ 4doubles
Frank Robinson 6x/2 doubles
Blair 8x/triple/double
Johnson 7x/4 doubles (5 game 1 RBI)
Brooks Robinson 6x
Palmer had a great outing in game 2 but the Oriole bats are the story here - lots of strong performances but Don Buford just kept getting on base and had 4 doubles. He's the MVP.
