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--

Game 1  - ‘32 Chicago  12,  ‘99 Atlanta 5

Cub's Manager Jim Walden made a decidedly unorthodox move by not starting either of his 2 top aces, Lon Warneke and Guy Bush. Hoping to get a first game win in Atlanta from Charlie Root, so he could bring Warneke in game 2 and Bush in game 3. Root came through only giving up 2 runs through his six innings of work. In a tie game going into the 7th, Chicago broke loose with a 6 run 8th and added 4 more in the top of the 9th to take the first game handily.

Shortstop Mark Koenig went 4 for 6 with 4 rbi while first baseman Charlie Grimm went 3 for 4 with 3 rbi. Atlanta pounded out 13 hits, but stranded 12 runners as Chicago took game 1.

Game 2 - ‘32 Chicago  9,   ‘99 Atlanta  1

The second game in Atlanta saw the Cubs start their ace, Lon Warneke. Warneke went 22-6 in the regular season and were hoping Warneke could take game 2 on the road. Chicago pushed across 5 runs in the first 2 innings on 5 hits, one being a stroke into the right field seats by Gabby Hartnett. The Cub outburst came against Greg Maddox, who gave up 8 hits and 6 runs in his seven innings of work. SS Mark Koenig, LF Riggs Stephenson and C Gabby Hartnett went a combined 8 for 14 while they drove in 8 of Chicago's 9 runs. Warneke needed an amazing 65 pitches to pitch a 4 hit gem.

Game 3 - ‘99 Atlanta  6,   ‘32 Chicago  7

Game 3 moved back to Wrigley where Chicago put Guy Bush on the mound against Atlanta's John Smoltz. Atlanta was hoping to stave off elimination and in a great game tried but were found wanting as Chicago swept the Braves. Chicago started the scoring in the bottom of the first as CF Johnny Moore knocked one into the left field seats with a 2 run shot. Atlanta scored 3 in the top of the second capped by a Javy Lopez 2 run shot. Chicago countered with 2 more in the bottom of the inning as a walk to Charlie Grimm and a triple by 3B Woody English was followed by a Guy Bush squeeze led to a 4-3  Chicago lead. Chicago would take a 7-4 lead into the 8th where a HR by Chipper Jones would make it 7-5. Atlanta would get a lead off triple by Andruw Jones to start the 9th and he would score on a Lopez single, but Chicago reliever, Bud Tinning would shut the door on the Braves and Chicago would have the sweep.

--submitted by Jim Walden--

GAME 1 - Ebbets Field - PHI 3, BKN 1
Cole Hamels vs Carl Erskine
Who would figure that two offensive juggernauts would go 8 innings before either team would score a run.  Kudos to the starting pitchers who were lights out.  Cole Hamels went 7 2/3 innings and allowed just 1 run on 6 hits while fanning 5.  "Oisk" went 8 1/3 innings and gave up just 1 unearned run on 6 hits while fanning 9.  With 2 outs in the 8th Carl Furillo lost an easy pop up by Chase Utley in the sun.  J-Roll would easily score from second since he was moving on the pitch.  Brooklyn would answer right back when Jackie Robinson walked with 2 outs and scored easily on a Duke Snider double to right center.  It would remain tied until the top of the 11 when Clem Labine gave up a 2 run shot to Ben Francisco, who entered the game as a defensive replacement 3 innings earlier.  Scott Eyre would get the win with 2 innings of shutout ball as he easily dispatched the fearsome sticks of Snider, Furillo and Campy in order.
Phillies lead the series 1-0

GAME 2 - Ebbets Field - BKN 2, PHI 1
Cliff Lee vs Bob "Bobo" Milliken
Who woulda' thunk it ?  Another pitchers duel between these two clubs in that small ballpark on Bedford Ave ?  Cliff Lee (8 IP / 2 ER) turned out to be the hard luck loser, while Bobo Milliken (8 IP / 1 ER) wound up the winner.  Duke Snider would supply all the offense that his team would need/get on the day.  His 2 run blast scored Pee Wee Reese, who doubled to lead off the bottom of the 1st.  Milliken and Wade would make Snider’s runs stand up.  Philly would score their lone run in the 4th when Raul Ibanez singled home Ryan Howard with 2 outs.  The closest they would come to scoring would be in the 7th when Ibanez led off with a double and Pedro Feliz flew out to Robinson on the warning track in left.
Series tied at 1-1

GAME 3 - Citizens Bank Ballpark - BKN 7, PHI 4
Clem Labine vs Joe Blanton
Dem Bums didn't wait long to get at Blanton.  3 runs in the first and 3 runs in the second sealed Philly's fate.  A 3 run outburst in the bottom of the 9th off of Wade made it somewhat interesting, but the outcome was never in doubt.  Clem Labine went 7 2/3 innings giving up just 1 run on 5 hits.  Labine, who is usually a relief specialist, got the rare start in game 3 and made the most of it.  Once again Snider provided the offense with a bases clearing double with 1 out in the 1st.  Jackie Robinson would hit a 3 run shot in the 2nd.  Jayson Werth's 3 run shot in the 9th made the final tally look respectable.
Dodgers lead the series 2-1

GAME 4 - Citizens Bank Ballpark - BKN 4, PHI 2
Carl Erskine vs Jamie Moyer
Some Dodger fans who made the trip 90 miles south on the turnpike were heard to say, "Moyer, he's so old he coulda' pitched for Dem Bums".  Laugh as they might, Moyer has been around so long because he's been affective.  For 5 of the 6 innings he worked today he shutout the HOF lineup that Brooklyn presents.  Unfortunately for "Old Man River" Brooklyn got to him for 4 runs in the top of the 3rd.  After walking Billy Cox with 1 out Moyer looked to be in good shape as Carl Erskine bunted Cox over to second for out number 2.  Brooklyn would then have the next 5 batters reach base successully with 4 getting singles.  Junior Gilliam and Jackie Robinson would have RBI singles and Skoonj (Carl Furillo) would knock in 2 for his.  The Dodgers did not hit Moyer hard, but they did bleed him for 4 runs.  Pedro Feliz would hit a 2 out homer in the bottom of the 5th off Oisk to make it 4-1.  A sac fly by Snider in the 8th made it 5-1.  Oisk began to run out of gas and was replaced by Jim Hughes who got the final out of the game and the series.
Dodgers win series 3-1

Back Story:  Baseball series feature team vs team, but make no mistake about this series being personal.  This would be the battle of Willie Mays vs Hank Aaron.  Most times this matchup would be pretty much even, but we should make a note here that in 1951 Willie Mays was a green rookie, who begged to be sent down to Minneapolis.  He was so afraid of his shadow that he actually would sleep in the same bed with veteran Monte Irvin (get your minds out of the gutter) because he was so homesick.  Compare that to Aaron, who by 1958 was at the top of his game.  In '57 he actually won the NL MVP award.  Either way, we are looking at two of the best 5 tool players that the game ever had to offer.  After the series we will tally up to see who bested who and it it mattered in the series outcome.

GAME 1 - Polo Grounds - MLN 16, NYG 4
Warren Spahn vs Sal "the Barber" Maglie
With all the hoopla surrounding this classic pitching matchup the final score more closely resembled a Packers/Giants game then a Braves/Giants game.  Milwaukee broke a scoreless tie with a steady barrage of runs starting with 3 big ones in the top of the 3rd.  Two more runs in the 4th spelled the untimely departure of Maglie, who's famed curveball was hanging like a Picaso in the Louvre.  A bases clearing double by Hank Aaron started off all the scoring in the 3rd thanks to an untimely error by Giant shortstop Alvin Dark, which prolonged the inning.  RBI singles by Johnny Logan and Max Roach made it 5-0.  New York would answer back with a 3 run homer by the Say Hey Kid to make it 5-3, but reliever George Spencer got shelled to the tune of 5 runs on 11 hits in 3 miserable innings.  His successor, Sheldon "Roadblock" Jones was more like a pylon that everyone went around as he chipped in with 6 more runs over two forgettable innings.  Luckily for Jones it was raining steadily by the time he entered the game and most fans began exiting out onto 155th street en route to the 8th Avenue local train.  New  York was totally humiliated by a 25 hit outburst by their guests from the mid west.  Every batter in the the Brave lineup had at least 2 hits, except for Eddie Mathews (1).  Warren Spahn went the distance and gave up only 1 more run after Mays' 3 run shot in the 4th.  Lost in the shuffle, and there was a lot to shuffle, Del Crandall had 2 homers for the Braves.
Braves lead series 1-0
Back Story:  Aaron went 4-6 with a double and 3 RBI's and 2 runs scored.  Mays was only 1-4, but did have that big 3 run shot that for the time kept the Giants in the game.
Decisive edge to Aaron.

GAME 2 - Polo Grounds - MLN 9, NYG 5
Lew Burdette vs Larry Jansen
Burdette, the 1957 World Series MVP, did not have much in the tank in this high scoring affair.  Luckily for Burdette and the Braves, Jansen had even less.  Milwaukee got on the board first when Eddie Mathews lifted a sack fly to the deepest part of the ballpark (center field).  In every other ballpark in the league that would have been a homer.  Mays caught the ball 4 strides short of the clubhouse steps and didn't even bother to attempt throwing Max Roach out at the plate.  New York would answer back by taking its first lead of the series thanks to a 1 out two run shot by Monte Irvin.  Don "Mandrake" Mueller would follow Irvin's blast with a single and Mays would double him home to make it 3-1 New York.  Mathews would double home Frank Torre in the top of the 3rd to cut New York's lead to 1.  Alvin Dark’s solo shot in the 4th bumped New York's lead back up to 2 and after scoring 2 more in the 5th New York had a comfy 6-2 lead.  New York's comfortable lead wouldn't even last a half inning as 9 men came to the plate for the Braves in the 6th and 5 of them safely touched home.  "Hammerin" Hank Aaron would have his signature moment of the series with a bases clearing double that took the Braves from being down by 1 run to being up by 2.  Milwaukee's clutch rightfielder cleared he bases with one mighty swing all with 2 out.  Aarons big hit came off of reliever Al Corwin, who replaced Jansen with 2 out.  Corwin, a lefty, did his job by getting Torre to pop out to short.  He also did his job by fanning Mathews to end the inning.  However, he was completely overmatched against the lefty killing Aaron, who he could not walk with the bases loaded.  Milwaukee would add 2  more runs in the 8th to make it 9-6.  Humberto Robinson would pitch the final 2 innings and notch the save for Milwaukee as Burdette barely limped through 7 innings.  Milwaukee would head home needing just 1 more win to close out the series.  New York's fans were not amused.  The few who remained in the rain were heard in the 9th saying, "Youse guys stink".
Braves lead series 2-0
Back Story:  Aaron went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI's, which included a game changing go ahead 3 run double.  Mays was 3 for 5 with a double and a RBI, but Aaron's timely hit had more impact, so the edge in game 2 goes to Aaron, who's BA was now .600 for the series.

GAME 3 - County Stadium - NYG 2, MLN 0
Jim Hearn vs Joey Jay
After two slugfests back in Gotham the series moved to the Midwest.  New York's hopes clearly rested on the right shoulder of Jim Hearn, who had to be his team's stopper or the series would be over in 3.  Long story short:  Hearn did not disappoint as he went 8 shutout innings scattering 7 hits, but most importantly not allowing a single run.  For his part, Joey Jay was rock solid, and on most days he would walk out of the ballpark a winner.  The game was scoreless until Monte Irvin led off the top of the 4th with a homer.  New York would add a valuable insurance run in the 7th when Willie Mays homered with 1 out to make it 2-0.  Hearn would make it all the way to the 9th, but after walking the leadoff man (Mathews) and giving up a solid single to Crandall he was lifted in favor of reliever Dave Koslo, who was nothing short of brilliant.  Joe Adcock came off the bench to hit for Bill Bruton and flew out to Mays in center.  Logan lined out to Dark at short and pinch hitter Red Schoendienst grounded weakly to Eddie Stanky at second to end the game.  New York had to sweat this one out, but the lived to fight another day.
Braves lead series 2-1
Back Story:  Aaron was 1-4 and quite possibly could have had an RBI in the 3rd if not for the fact that slow footed Frank Torre was held at third in hopes of a big inning.  Mays would go 1-3, but his "1" was a solo shot that gave his team a huge insurance run.  Mays also made a nice diving stab on Adcock's sinking liner in the 9th, so the edge definitely goes to the Say Hey kid in this contest.

GAME 4 - County Stadium - NYG 11, MLN 9
Sal Maglie vs Warren Spahn
A rematch of game 1's starters saw a reverse fortune for the two hurlers.  Spahn who pitched great in the opener, until the outcome was pretty much certain, had nothing today.  Spahnie limped into the 8th inning allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 14 hits.  Sal Maglie reversed his game 1 fortune by going 8 innings and allowing just 3 runs.  Maglie was in and out of trouble all day, but found a way to make the big pitch when he needed to.  Heading into the 9th New York had a 6-3 lead and looked poised to lock it down with Koslo on the mound and head the series back to the Polo Grounds for a decisive game 5.  In real life it is great to plan for the future, but one should never look that far ahead in the wild and whacky world of professional baseball.  With 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th Frank Torre hit a slow roller to third that Hank Thompson fielded with his bare hand.  Thompson should have realized that he had time to get the slow footed Torre hurried his throw and pulled Whitey Lockman off of first, which allowed Milwaukee a baserunner with 2 out.  Aaron stepped up to the plate, and unlike most superstars who would have tried to crank a meaningless homer, he slapped the ball into right to put runners on 1st and second for HOF third baseman Eddie Mathews, known in these parts as Eddie Mattress.  In most years Mathews would be a sure thing at the plate, but not in 1958, where he uncharacteristically slumped to .251 which was well off his HOF pace.  Koslo, who had relieved Maglie and should have been out of the inning, made a 2-2 pitch that hung over the inside part of the plate.  Balls that hang over the inside part of the plate are hung out to dry when you throw them to hitters like Mathews who crushed it into the parking lot in right center to tie the game at 6-6.  Just like that New York blew a "sure thing" win.  Cancel the reservations back to Laguardia, we have some more baseball to play in Milwaukee.  Bob Trowbridge would start the 10th for the the Braves and give up an opposite field single to pinch hitter Don Mueller.  Alvin Dark would follow with an opposite field single of his own to put runners on the corners.  Darks knock would come vs veteran reliever Don McMahon.  Whitey Lockman would step up to the plate and hit a humped back liner to right to score Mueller and give the Giants and 7-6 lead.  After Irvin grounded out to push the runners up to 2nd and 3rd Bobby Thomson was mysteriously given an intentional pass in order to face the nervous rookie Mays.  In retrospect maybe Ralph Branca should have done the same thing almost 60 years earlier, but that's another  story.  Up stepped Willie Mays to the plate.  Quickly McMahon fell behind 3-1.  On the call was Russ Hodges for NY's WMCA Radio: "McMahon is in a jam.  He toes the rubber.  3 balls, 1 strike.  McMahon winds, and the pitch, breaking ball, Mays cuts...line drive to left center.  It's well hit.  Bruton racing back.  He's running out of room.  Grand Slam !  a 389 foot homer.  New York would now have themselves an 11-6 lead heading into the bottom of the 10th.  George Spencer would come on board to close it out and boy would he make things interesting.  With 1 out he would walk McMahon, who would get doubled home by pinch hitter Joe Adcock.  Bruton grounded out to first for the 2nd out of the inning, but Torre lined a double to left center to make it 11-8.  Aaron, who would go 3-6 on the day singled home Torre to make it a 2 run game.  Mathews was pitched around and walked and Del Crandall would end the game with a one hopper to Dark at short.  The series would head back to New York for an decisive game 5.
Series tied 2-2
Back Story:  Aaron was 3 for 6 with 2 RBI's.  Mays was 2 for 6 with 4 RBI's.  If you just look at stats you'd probably say that it was a push, but Mays gets the nod here because his 10th inning grand slam provided the margin for victory thanks to Spencer’s 3 run melt down in the bottom of the inning.

GAME 5 - Polo Grounds - NYG 12, MLN 2
Lew Burdette vs Larry Jansen
No tougher place to play a game 5 or game 7 than Gotham city.  The fans are rabid and the press turns everything into a fishbowl.  Teams like the Giants, Dodgers and Yankees are used to this type of pressure, while teams from smaller hamlets are not.  Larry Jansen, who was pitiful in game 2 decided to pitch his butt off in this one.  After giving up a solo run in the first on a sac fly by Mathews and another solo run in the third on a Bruton DP Jansen shut the door on the Braves.  This was important, because his opposite number (Burdette) was once again not pitching up to his MVP status.  New York would answer with 3 runs in the bottom of the first and put Burdette firmly up against the ropes ready for the knock out punch.  Dark led off the bottom of the 1st with a sure fire double only to be cut down at second by a beautiful throw from Billy Bruton in center.  Lockman followed with a clean single to center.  Irvin's one hopper to third was turned into a circus act by Mathews who booted it back to the pitchers' mound to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out.  Bobby Thomsom wasted no time launching Burdette's 0-1 offering into the gap in right center just beyond the reach of Bruton and Aaron.  When all the dust cleared Thomson was safe at third with a 2 run triple.  With 2 outs Mays hit a bullet to first that ate up Torre.  Once Torre was able to corral it he was in a foot race with the speedy Mays.  This was a race that Torre would lose every time out. The "Scottsman" would easily score from third to make it 3-1.  Alvin Dark would double home Stanky in the 4th, then score himself on Lockman's second single of the day (he would have 4 before it was over).  Whitey Lockman's third single would easily  score Dark in the 6th after New York's shortstop tripled with 2 outs.  A five run 8th would completely put the game out of reach and ensure that this team, known as the kings of comebacks, would easily take game 5 and win the series after spotting Milwaukee the two opening games.  Jansen went the distance and seemed to get stronger as the game went on as evidenced by him shutting out Milwaukee's potent offense over the final 6 frames.
Giants win series 3-2
Back Story:  Game, set & match to Mays who was 2 for 5 with 2 doubles and a huge hustle play in the first to cause Torre's error, which allowed Thomson to score.  Aaron had just a lead off single in the 4th in 4 trips.  Aaron finished the series batting an incredible .500, but Mays (.391) had the more timely and opportune hits along with his stellar defense.

Game 1 - October 1 - Candlestick Park
Giants 7, Braves 5
Marichal Vs. Smoltz
Atlanta built a 5-1 lead behind HRs by Marquis Grissom and Ryan Klesko.  But San Francisco fought back to tie the game with 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th.   The key to the comeback was a Jeff Blauser error that allowed 3 unearned runs to cross the plate.  The game remained tied until the bottom of the 9th when Willie McCovey blasted a 1-out, 2-run homerun off Pedro Borbon to give the Giants the walkoff victory.
(Interesting sub-plot:  For most of this series the Braves seemed to play defense as if they were wearing their gloves on the wrong hand.  Let’s keep track of the Braves HRs Vs. Braves Errors scoreboard for each game.  Game 1: Braves Errors 3, Braves HRs 2).  
Giants lead Series 1-0

Game 2 - October 2 - Candlestick Park
Giants 1, Braves 0
Sanford Vs. Maddux
A classic pitcher’s duel.  Jack Sanford yields only 4 singles and a double, with no walks, in 7.1 innings.  Larsen and Buffalo shut the door the last 1.2 innings.  Maddux’s only mistake was a 1-out triple to Giants catcher Ed Bailey, who scored the game’s only run moments later when Atlanta shortstop muffed a groundball, his 3rd error of the series.  Maddux allowed only 5 hits and an uncharacteristic 5 walks in 7 innings of work.  Yet always managed to get out of trouble, aside from the lone San Francisco run in the 4th.  But regardless, this one belonged to Sanford.   
(Interesting sub-plot:  Game 2: Braves Errors 1, Braves HRs 0).  
Giants lead Series 2-0

Game 3 - October 4 - Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Braves 8, Giants 0
Glavine Vs. O’Dell
With their backs against the wall, the Braves responded with a stellar pitching effort from starter Tom Glavine and 2 relievers, plus solid hitting to shut down the Giants.  Glavine gave the team the lift it needed, scattering only 4 hits and 3 walks over 7 innings.  Not only did Jeff Blauser manage to keep the ball in front of him on the field, but his 2-run shot in the 3rd inning gave the Braves all they would need to win this one. 
(Interesting sub-plot:  Game 3: Braves HRs 1, Braves Errors 0).  
Giants lead Series 2-1

Game 4 - October 5 -Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Braves 9, Giants 5
Bielecki Vs. Pierce
Both teams turned to their #4 starters for Game 4.  And while San Francisco starter Billy Pierce was giving up 3 Launching Pad home runs in 6 innings of work,  Atlanta starter Mike Bielecki pitched well and game the team the5 strong innings it needed.  His only mistake was a 2-run blast by Orlando Cepeda that gave the Giants a short-lived 2-0 lead.  But by the end of the 7th innings Atlanta was on top 8-3 thanks to Chipper Jones and Fred McGriff back-to-back long balls in the 5th and a Jermaine Dye solo shot in the 6th.   San Francisco tried to come back in the 9th.  But it was too little, too late. 
(Interesting sub-plot:  Game 4: Braves HRs 3, Braves Errors 1).  
Series tied 2-2

Game 5 - October 6 - Candlestick Park
Braves 7, Giants 3,
Marichal Vs. Smoltz
The Game 1 starters returned for the 5th and final game of the series.   The Atlanta infield did its best Brooks Conrad impersonation by committing 5 errors and making life very difficult for John Smoltz.  The Braves struck first in the 3rd inning, scoring 2 runs on a Fred McGriff double.  But Jeff Blauser’s error in the bottom of the 6th inning, his second of the game and 5th of the series, led to 3 Giants runs, 2 of which were unearned, and San Francisco was now on top 3-2.  However, Atlanta answered with 4 runs in the top of the next inning, as 4 consecutive Braves reached base after 2 were out.  Marquis Grissom’s 2-run single was the big blow, as it became clear that Marichal had not brought his A-game  to the stadium this day.  After the 5th, a poised John Smoltz and 3 relievers allowed San Francisco only 3 singles and a walk to close out the game, and a 0-2 comeback series win.      
(Interesting sub-plot:  Game 5: Braves Errors 5, Braves HRs 0).  
Braves win Series 3-2 (despite committing 10 errors)
--submitted by Douglas Zaner--

The Dodgers used good pitching and some late-inning luck to sweep the series 3 games to 0.

Oct 1 – Kevin Brown vs Don Sutton
The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the first when Dave Lopes reached on an error and scored on Steve Garvey’s double.  In the 4th Ron Cey led off with a single, moved to 2nd on a wild pitch, then scored on Steve Yeager’s single, 2-0 Dodgers.  LA bumped the lead to 3-0 in the 5th when Cey singled in Dusty Baker, who had doubled with 2 outs.  Finally the Padres answered in the 6th when the dangerous Greg Vaughn homered to make it a 3-1 game.  Two innnings later Tony Gwynn duplicated Vaughn’s feat with a 2-out HR to make it a 3-2 game.  That blast chased Sutton, and when Elias Sosa walked the next batter, Charlie Hough came on to get the final out of the inning.  Bottom of the 8th and Steve Garvey led off with a single.  Brown departed, Donnie Wall replaced him.  A single by Dusty Baker, and a walk to Ron Cey loaded the bases for Rick Monday with nobody out.  Scott Sanders took over for San Diego, and Monday delivered the back-breaker, a 2-run single to reclaim a 3-run margin at 5-2.  In the 9th Hough surrendered a hit, but no runs.  The final was 5-2 Los Angeles.
SD  2   6   2
LA  5  12   1
W – Sutton
L – Brown
S – Hough
HR – Vaughn, Gwynn

Oct 2 – Andy Ashby vs. Tommy John
This time it was the Padres who took the first inning lead when Tony Gwynn quickly turned on a Tommy John fastball for a leadoff HR and a 1-0 lead.  From there, John retired 8 in a row, and allowed just 3 more hits through 5 innings.  Meanwhile the Dodgers had no answer for Ashby, who allowed a pair of harmless singles and two walks through 5.  Top of the 6th the Padres added another run on Greg Vaughn’s solo HR, and like Gwynn his 2nd of the series, to extend the Friar’s lead to 2-0.  Ashby ran into some trouble with 2 outs in the 6th when Reggie Smith walked and Steve Garvey singled...but he got Dusty Baker to line out to keep the score at 2-0.  Bottom of the 7th, more issues for Ashby, and perhaps the help came too late.  Ron Cey led off with a single.  Ashby got the next two batters, then gave up a PH single to Manny Mota, putting runners on the corners.  Dave Lopes followed with a single to make it 2-1.  Up next was Bill Russell, with Ashby still on the mound.  Russell doubled down the left field line, scoring both Mota and Lopes and giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.  Dan Micelli came in to get Reggie Smith, but was it too late?  Top of the 8th, Charlie Hough got the first two batters, then allowed a single to Ken Caminitti.  He walked Greg Vaughn, bringing Wally Joyner to the plate.  Joyner launched one to deep right, but it died right in front of the wall for the final out, still 3-2 Dodgers.  Top of the 9th, Hough trying to close it out.  He walked the first two batters, Carlos Hernandez and Steve Finley.  Mike Garman entered, and Chris Gomez’ bunt attempt resulted in a force out at 2nd.  Now with men on the corners, the tie run at 3rd, 1 out, PH Andy Sheets came to the plate.  LA played the infield back, and the Padres attempted a squeeze bunt!  Sheets missed the ball and Hernandez was tagged out at the plate!   Like Houdini in a locked chest, Mike Garman got Sheets to fly out to end the game.  The final was 3-2.
SD   2   7   0
LA   3   7   0
W – John
L – Ashby
S – Garman
HR – Gwynn (2), Vaughn (2)

Oct 4 – Burt Hooton vs. Sterling Hitchcock
Los Angeles scored the game’s first run when Dusty Baker homered in the 2nd.  The game stayed at 1-0 until the 6th when a single by Burt Hooton and Reggie Smith’s first hit of the series, a 2-run HR, extended the Dodger lead to 3-0.  With desperation creeping in, San Diego put together a 2-out threat in the bottom of the 6th.  Tony Gwynn singled, Greg Vaughn walked.  Ken Camitti send a ball to deep right, but Smith was there to end the inning and maintain a 3-0 score.  Hooton pitched a perfect 7th and 8th and the game went to the 9th.  Gwynn and Vaughn were retired, but Caminiti singled.  Charlie Hough replaced Hooton to face PH Wally Joyner, who walked.  Chris Gomez followed, and he walked to load the bases!  With 2 outs, Hough stared in a Steve Finley.  Finley lined one to first and Garvey grabbed it for the final out.  Dodgers win 3-0.
LA   3   6   0
SD   0   6   0
W – Hooton
L – Hitchcock
S – Hough
HR – Baker, Smith

--submitted by Jesse Elicker--

GAME 1 - Sportsman Park - STL 5, NYM 1
Al Leiter (16-8, 3.20) vs Max Lanier (15-7, 1.90)
Leiter and Lanier hooked up in a scoreless duel until Ray Sanders led off the home half of the fifth with a homer.  Things would get much worse very quickly when Walker Cooper blasted a grand slam to make it 5-0 Cardinals.  That would mark the end of Leiter's day as well as the Mets chances.  New York would get a run in the 8th when Edgardo Alfonzo doubled home Jay Payton with 1 out, but that was as close as it would get for the Amazin's.  Every Met batsman, except for Mike Bordick had 1 hit.  Nobody in the lineup had more than 1.  The first 5 hitters in St. Louis' lineup scored a run.
Cardinals lead the series 1-0

GAME 2 - Sportsman Park - NYM 8, STL 7
Rick Reed (11-5, 4.11) vs Howie Pollet (8-4, 1.75)
Once again the early innings seemed like a feeling out process like in a big heavyweight bout.  The bottom of the 4th was the ice breaker as St. Louis posted 2 runs.  They would do the same thing two innings later to take a 4-0 lead into the top of the 7th.  Pollet's relief, Howie Krist had a rough go of it in the 7th giving up 3 runs to narrowly hold on to a 1 run lead.  Lenny Harris' pinch hit single netted two runs with 2 out and the bases loaded.  A Wally Kurowski error at 3rd on a Melvin Mora chopper scored Jay Payton from third.  New York would score 4 more runs the following inning to take a 7-4 lead.  Harris once again came through with the big hit, a two out two run triple, which followed Payton's 2 out 2 run single.  New York was now in business, but they forgot to tell St. Louis who scored a solo run in the bottom of the inning on a Walker Cooper homer to make it 7-5.  Benny Agbayani's 2 out homer in the ninth bumped New York's lead back up to 3 runs.  They would need all 3 of those runs to hang on as both Armando Benitez and John Franco looked to be in generous moods.  Franco gave up 2 homers (Kurkowski/Litwhiler) with 1 out in the 9th to make it a 1 run game.  Walker Cooper, who was a triple away from the cycle lined into a 6-3 DP to end the game and save Franco's bacon.
Series tied at 1-1

GAME 3 - Shea Stadium - STL 2, NYM 0
Mort Cooper (21-8, 2.30) vs Mike Hampton (15-10, 3.14)
Mike Hampton, who spent just one glorious season in Flushing, pitched a dandy giving up no runs in almost 8 innings worth of work.  Unfortunately for Hampton his team could not solve Mort Cooper, who went the distance allowing just 3 hits and no runs over 10 innings.  Seldom do we see a scoreless tie go to extra innings, but the fans were treated to some fine pitching for sure.  That was until Brooklyn's own Johnny Franco took the mound in the 10th and walked Harry "the Hat" Walker.  Up came Stan "the man" Musial and you can just about guess what happened...Well if you can't guess I'll tell you...Stash hit a blast off the 396 marker in right center for an RBI triple.  Franco then bounced a curve in the dirt that skipped by Mike Piazza to allow Musial to score and make it 2-0.  The Metsies went weakly in the bottom of the 10th as Cooper locked down his shutout.
Cardinals lead the series 2-1

GAME 4 - Shea Stadium - STL 6, NYM 1
Harry Gumbert (10-5, 2.84) vs Rusch (11-11, 4.01)
New York was lucky to enter the 6th inning tied at 1 with the Cards.  The Mets once again could not find their lumber and would record just 1 lone run on the day.  Unless they found a way to get the great Tom Seaver on the hill 1 run was not going to do it.  Glendon Rusch was definitely pitching over his head battling to keep his team in it.  After Melvin Mora booted a Harry Walker bouncer Stan Musial once again came through with a game breaking RBI triple.  Kurkowski followed that up with an RBI single to make it 3-1.  Kurkowski would single reliever Brecheen in the following inning to make it 4-1 and when St. Louis added two more in the 8th the game and the series was over.  The Mets went down weakly in both the 8th and 9th.  Curiously Mike Piazza wasn't in the starting lineup and didn't enter the game until the 7th as a pinch hitter.
Cardinals win the series 3-1

Don't be fooled by the final results, which was a sweep by Brooklyn.  All 3 games could have had the exact opposite results thanks to two evenly matched teams and 2 managers who have faced each other hundreds of times.

GAME 1 - Ebbets Field - BKN 3, CIN 2
Jim O'Toole (19-9, 3.10) vs Ralph Branca (21-12, 2.67)

Dem Bums struck first with 2 runs in the bottom of the 2nd off of O'Toole.  Spider Jorgensen led off with a double and with 1 out "The Reading Rifle", Carl Furillo tripled him home.  "Pistol" Pete Reiser's single easily scored Furillo to give Branca a 2-0 lead.  Cincy positioned themselves for a big inning when O'Toole led off the 6th with a single, then went all the way to third on Vada Pinson's safety.  Wally Post grounded to third, but Jorgensen decided to try to nail O'Toole at the plate, which did not work out so well for Brooklyn.  That left runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out and the score 2-1 Brooks.  Branca was able to work his own brand of magic by getting the heart of the Red lineup (Frank Robinson, Gordy Coleman & Gene Freese) to all fly to Furillo in center without another run scoring.  All looked good for Branca until Frank Robinson hit a bomb into the left field pavilion to tie it a 2-2.  Heading to the bottom of the 9th the game remained tied.  With one out Jorgensen doubled off the scoreboard narrowly missing the Abe Stark sign.  Catcher Bruce Edwards singled to put runners on the corners to set the stage for second year sensation Furillo to single home the winning run to put the Dodgers out in front in the series.

For the third game in a row the Dodgers had themselves an early 2-0 lead.  Back to back RBI singles by Dixie Walker and Carl Furillo gave Vic Lombardi an nice cushion to start with.  Lombardi did not allow a hit until Jerry Zimmerman legged out an infield single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 5th.  Back to back doubles by Jorgensen and Walker accounted for two more run to increase Lombardi's lead to 4-0.  By the bottom of the 8th Lombardi began to tire and Cincy finally got on the board when Wally Post scored on a Gordy Coleman sac fly to left.  Hugh Casey was summoned from the pen to get the final two outs of the inning and he did so in stlye by popping up Gene Freese and fanning Eddie Kasco.  Brooklyn would add an insurance run in the top of the 9th to make it 5-1.  At the time nobody knew just how important that run would be.  After Cincy scored 3 runs off of Casey in the bottom of the 9th everyone knew how important that insurance run from the top half of the inning was.  Jerry Lynch, who was sent up to pinch hit for Purkey Doubled home Blassingame with nobody out.  Wally Post singled home 2 to make it a 1 run game with superstar Frank Robinson coming to bat.  Casey vs Robinson.  Heat vs Power.  Everyone in the house was on the edge of their seat.  Robinson ripped Casey's 97mph fastball on a hop to Reese at short, who flipped it to Stanky at second, who pivoted and beat Robinson at first by 2 strides to end the game and clinch the series.

Immediately following the "Airing of Grievances" the "Feats of Strength" begins. In our case those Feats would be managing h2h online a team that had the inglorious opportunity to have lost in the fall classic to the Evil Empire...aka the New York Yankees.

One participant said to me, "We could have held this tournament with just Dodgers and Giants teams alone". An astute observation for sure !

You can click here to view the tournament website.

Here is an example of the playoff bracket.