Oh, the memories of great games, especially playoff games involving the then and now Los Angeles Rams, certainly those involving the superb running back Lawrence McCutcheon, who died last week, among the most prominent.
Slot 2, the later Saturday game played in the late afternoon, at least Eastern time (’70-2000), produced some classic finishes (’71, ’74, ’76 among them).
Additionally, there were some great individual performances in one sided games, a truly outstanding one turned in by Mr. McCutcheon (Lawrence his name, as the great Pat Summerall once told us, Larry is his brother), in the later Saturday Rams’ rout of the then St. Louis–{the Rams played there and were ’99 season title winners] Cardinals, as part of the 1975 playoffs.
McCutcheon “toted the pigskin” for a then playoffs record, 202 yards in that tilt. A nice memory!
In Super Bowl XIV, (1979 season), McCutcheon threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Ron Smith, giving the Rams a 19–17 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Rams went on to lose the game, 31–19.
Legendary Rams RB McCutcheon dies at 76 | Kansas City Star
Lawrence McCutcheon, pictured in a 1968 photo.
Milwaukee Braves lost the ’57 opener but won the series, while they went up (2-0) and (3-1) in ’58, however, lost the ’57 redux vs the Yankees, in 7 games.
See Game 2 “Div” Series vs San Diego regarding Chourio
The Milwaukee Brewers won a replay affected (3-2) home tilt in last night’s 2026 World Series opening game.
Jackson Chourio, pictured above, who has been very effective in post-season, tuned what proved to be the deciding run and scored the World Series first run, B1 when Milwaukee took a (2-0) lead vs Tampa Bay starter Nick Martinez, a lead they never relinquished as reliever Tyler Megill completed a “high wire act,” fanning Jonny DeLuca to end game 1.
The Brewers are (2-0) in W.S. openers, the Rays fall to (0-3).
All 3 previous World Series involving the Brewers and Rays stood at (1-1) after two games.
The great Paul Molitor, pictured above, went 5 for 5 as the Brewers “opened” the Cardinals in St. Louis in game 1 of the 1982 World Series.
Tonight the 122nd World Series matching National and American League teams commencing in Milwaukee, a city that has first housed a National (Braves) then an American (the Brewers) and now the American League Brewers.
Milwaukee ranked first in regular season wins, their opponent the Tampa Bay Rays were third (the two time champion Dodgers swept out by the Brewers were second).
First game World Series winners went (24-6) from ’85-2015, however, were just (6-4) the last ten seasons, the former a “nice” even 80%, the latter 60.
All three Milwaukee World Series (’57 Yankees opener–Braves title, ’58 the opposite and ’82 Brewers opener/Cards title) manifested in the game 1 losing team taking the crown.
The game 1 winner won both in the two previous Tampa Bay World Series appearances, as the Dodgers took the very much shortened season 2020 crown preceded by the Phils winning both game 1 of and the 2008 title.
Milwaukee Braves (1954-1965)
Dane Iorg Helped ’82 Cards win then had the biggest hit as his Royals 7’d them in 1985.
The team with home advantage in the World Series was a stellar (23-4), from the advent of the best of 7 LCS in ’85-2013. They were (15-2) from ’85-2003 and (12-1) in series contested (’85-’98). Of course no World Series was played in 1994.
However, the home advantage team is just (6-5) in the past 11 non “bubble” World Series, winning in 2015, 2018, and (2021-2024), while falling in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and last year when L.A. handed Toronto an excruciating 7th game, extra inning defeat, from which they obviously did not recover, at least, in 2026.
The Rays are (0-2) in previous World Series, the Brewers are (0-1).
Milwaukee, as the Braves, won a 7 game World Series vs the Yankees in 1957 before dissipating a (3-1) W.S. lead and losing in 7 games, to the Yankees in 1958.
Bob Turley, pictured above, had one of the great pitching performances in World Series annals as his 2 wins and one save in the last 3 ’58 World Series games was the key to the Yankees’ triumph.
Last night’s second (7-3) Rays win of the series (they also won (3-1) twice while one of the two Cleveland wins was also by a (7-3) count) clinched the team’s third American League Pennant, second not Covid affected and assures baseball will have a first time champion, as neither the Rays (0-2) in such or Milwaukee (0-1) have ever won it all.
T.B. is (3-0) in ALCS play while “Cleve” is (3-3) in such entities.
This is the first World Series sans a previous winner of it as an entrant since 1980 when “original” Philadelphia (Phillies) 6’d the ’69 expansion team K.C. Royals who subsequently won 2 titles matching the Phils, still under Mattingly (hint), who added one in 2008.
Before 1980 one has to go back 60 years for a matchup between this year’s semis losers, the Dodgers (9 titles, 2 at least a bit phony since Cleve last won one of their 2, the other vs the Dodgers/Robins in 1920) and Cleveland in 1920.
Some apples and oranges, however some similarities, thus the touching Mr. Goldsboro song below.
Today a truly great episode of What’s My Line from December 2, 1956.
Milton Berle is great as the mystery guest.
Wait until you see the first contestant, Frank Gifford, who accounted for four touchdowns in the eventual ’56 champion, New York Giants win vs Washington that day.
Panelists are Dorothy Kilgallen, Stubby Kaye, Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf.
John Charles Daly is the program host.
Enjoy it.
Tonight in a game to be telecast on TBS (this is just the second time in the twenty possibilities (2007-2026), in which the LCS on TBS had more games than the one being ‘cast by Fox or its secondary channel), the A.L. top seed Tampa Bay Rays (2-0) in previous LCS–(0-2) in the subsequent World Series are in Cleveland vs the Guardians nee Indians, in game 5, with the series squared at two games apiece.
“T.B.” won (7-3) in #4 and (3-1) in game 2 while “Cleve” broke through by that score in their road opener and won (3-2) in the Thursday afternoon 1 P.M. start game 3. #4 was postponed on Friday and played last night.
Cleveland in its sixth ALCS (3-2 in previous) will play a 5th with the series standing at two games apiece, the other in ’98 when the Yankees won games (4-6) to win the A.L. Pennant.
Both previous Tampa Bay ALCS stood at (3-1) after 4 games.
In the second best of seven WNBA final round opening game, the home team Golden State Valkyries won by 4 (raffles at the door) vs the Atlanta Dream.
Golden State is in just its second season while the Dream, (0-3) in previous final rounds is in their 19th season.
There was one previous semi final or later matching these areas and it resulted in the San Francisco 49ers going to Atlanta and beating the Falcons in the 2012 NFC Title Game.
Game 2 of this final is Monday night, again at Golden State.
There is a 2-2-1-1-1 format in the series.
The Milwaukee Brewers nee Seattle Pilots (will it be a nee World Series,” odds say yes, as the Guardians nee Indians lead Tampa Bay (2-1)–in their 57th completed season, swept the two time defending champion, L.A. Dodgers and will appear in their second World Series, commencing a week from today on Friday October 23rd.
This is just the second time the Dodgers, either when as Brooklyn or Los Angeles were swept in a best of 7 or best of 9 (Cleveland (5-2’d) them in 1920) series.
It was the Baltimore Orioles managed by Hank Bauer who turned that “trick.” Jake Bauers was named NLCS MVP in this the second best of 7 sweep, against the Dodgers.
Below pictures and a partial past post, regarding Hank Bauer then Jake Bauers pictured as well.
Before telling you I have some hope for Cleveland in game 3, with (Josh) Tomlin as a huge underdog, vs (Kyle) Hendricks, the Cleveland losing pitcher in #2 was (Trevor) Bauer, evoking Hank Bauer.
The latter Bauer holds the World Series record of hitting in 17 straight games and once told me, at the 1985 W.S. how Mr. Roberto Clemente, who hit safely in all 14 W.S. games in which he played, would have broken his record given more world Series games.
Perhaps I can gain perspective in noting Mr. Clemente was denied World Series entry via a heartbreaking game 5 NLCS defeat in 1972, and then denied life, losing his as a true hero, trying to help earthquake victims in Nicaragua, less than 3 months later.
Back to Bauer and not so meaningful notes, Hank was (4-0) as a World Series manager, guiding the Baltimore Orioles to a 4 game sweep over the heavily favored Dodgers in the 1966 World Series, famously saying “guys who make odds do not play baseball.”
I believe ex Yankees Bauer and Lou Piniella, managing the O’s and Cincy Reds respectively, are now tied with (4-0) records, the best such World Series managerial records, sans a defeat.
Obviously Francona’s record is stellar, but I fear it will not be rewarded with a third title. I think the Indians will get to play again in Cleveland, their best chance to do so is with big underdog Tomlin vs Hendricks, who will not be as great as last Saturday’s game 6 NLCS clincher, in game 3 on Friday.
Jakub “Jake” Bauers pictured as a Cleveland player (maybe his Brewers vs one of his former teams in the W.S.), the 2026 NLCS MVP.
Below, a truly interesting and revealing interview with Pete Lollar, the son of All-Star catcher Sherm Lollar.
Pete talks of great memories of such greats as Luis Aparichio, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra.
A truly revealing father son and mom story complete with some great baseball memories.
Enjoy.
