2010-11 Holiday Festivus Tourny

GAME 1 - Forbes Field - PIT 5, BKN 4
Sal Maglie (13-5, 2.87) vs Lee Meadows (19-10, 3.40)
A 3 run opening salvo by the Brooks had Lee Meadows squarely on the ropes.  After Jackie Robinson grounded into a routine 6-4-3 DP the top of the first looked to be over before it started.  Singles by Duke Snider and Sandy Amoros didn't mean a heck of a lot until "the quiet man" Gil Hodges walked to load the bases.  "Skoonj", Carl Furillo slammed a bases clearing double into the right field corner to do all the damage.  Campy followed with  what looked like an RBI single to left, until Furillo stumbled going around third and Kiki Cuyler threw a pea to Johnny Gooch who blocked the plate expertly to easily tag Skoonj out to end the inning.  At the time that missed opportunity didn't seem like much, especially when Brooklyn matched a Pirate solo run in the 1st with a solo run of their own in the second.  Paul "Big Poison" Waner cranked a 1 out homer in the bottom of the 8th to make it 4-2 and with  relief ace Clem Labine toeing the rubber in the 9th all looked good for the Brooks.  Labine and his replacement Don Bessent would walk 4 batters in the 9th.  Oh, those bases on balls come back to haunt you and these certainly did.  Couple that with an error by Robinson at third and a walk off single by 1st basemean Joe Harris and you have grand larceny for the Bucs.
Pittsburgh leads the series 1-0

GAME 2 - Forbes Field - PIT 7, BKN 6
Don Newcombe (27-7, 3.06) vs Carmen Hill (22-11, 3.24)
Same result as Game #1 only this time Pittsburgh had to reclaim their early lead with more late inning heroics.  Heading into the top of the 5th the Bucs staked Carmen Hill to a 5-1 lead.  An error by catcher Earl Smith would prolong Gil Hodges at bat and the quiet man would cash in with a double.  Furillo doubled him home to make it 5-2 and Campy singled home Skoonj to make it 5-3.  "Popeye", Don Zimmer, would pinch hit for the ineffective Newcombe to single home Campy, who moved to second on a sac bunt by the captain, Reese.  Junior Gilliam would single home Zim and Jackie would double home Junior to give Dem Bums a 6-5 lead.  Labine would come in to relieve Newk and gave up a game tying RBI double to George Grantham with 2 out in the bottom of the inning.  It would stay that way until the bottom of the 9th when Grantham would step to the plate with 1 out and slam a walk off homer off of Labine to win the game.
Pittsburgh leads the series 2-0

GAME 3 – Ebbets Field – Tied at 6 in the 8th

The 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates completed a three game sweep of the 1956 Boys Of Summer Brooklyn Dodgers, with a 7-6 win at Ebbets Field. The series could have easily gone exactly the other way with a key hit here, or out there.

Righthanders Vic Aldridge for Pittsburgh, and Roger Craig for Brooklyn, toed the slab as the series shifted to the borough of churches. Both starters were effective, each going 7 innings and departing with the Dodgers up 4-2 heading into the 8th. It looked like Brooklyn would climb back into the series after losing two tough ones in Pittsburgh.

Young Don Drysdale took the mound in the 8th for Brooklyn, and the Pirates showed no mercy to the big kid from California. Glenn Wright and Moon Harris started the inning with singles, then Drysdale booted Pooch Barnharts sacrifice bunt attempt to load the bases. Johnny Gooch then doubled home two runs to tie the ball game. Oil Smith pinch hit for Aldridge and singled home Barnhart. Gooch then scored on Lloyd Waner's ground out.

Drysdale escape without any further scoring, but the Pirates now lead 6-4. Jug Handle Johnny Morrison came in for Pittsburgh, and returned the favor, giving up 3 walks and two singles, the big blow a two-run hit by Carl Furrilo tying the game.

Bonus Baby Sandy Koufax came on in the ninth for Brooklyn, and gave up a pair of walks sandwiched around a pop out and a ground out. Lloyd Waner than slapped a fastball the other way to plate Pooch Barnhart, the first of the two walks, with the lead run. Sandy then got Boots Grantham to ground out.

Emil Yde came on for Pittsburgh and retired the first man as Ray Kremer warmed up. Kremer was being saved to pitch game four, but with a ninth inning lead, he was summoned to finish the series after Yde retired Junior Gilliam leading off the ninth.

But the plan backfired, as Jackie Robinson greeted Kremer with a triple, putting the tying run at third with only one out. Kremer then bore down against lefty hitting Duke Snider, striking him out with a nasty curve ball that dove down and in. With two outs, the Dodgers gambled and had Sandy Amoros bunt, hoping that the speedy Robinson might force the Pirates to hurry the play and make an error. But the sure handed Pie Traynor grabbed the ball and threw a perfect strike to first, ending the series.

--Game 3 write-up submitted by Bike Mike--