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.
While the Cleveland Guardians made it (3-0) on the road in these playoffs overcoming an early (2-0) deficit and beating the top seed Tampa Bay Rays in their ALCS opener, the Milwaukee Brewers in a bid for just their second pennant, took a (2-0) NLCS lead over the two time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers with a (7-4) game 2 win, which followed a (2-1) triumph in the opening game.
Cleveland lost the first two games of their best of 5 “div” series vs the Chicago White Sox at home, however became just the fourth team to overcome such a situation and win the series, joining the 2001 Yankees, 2012 San Francisco Giants and 2015 Toronto Blue Jays.
Meanwhile the Brewers thrice ousted by the Dodgers in post-season play, all in the last 8 seasons and twice in the NLCS including being swept last year, head to L.A. with their first ever (2-0) lead in a best of seven series.
A second time was needed for the broadcast to note that the Brewers are bidding for just their second pennant not just their first since 1982.
Cecil Cooper delivered the big hit in Milwaukee’s game 5 home win vs the Angels in that series, an all home teams wins, best of five, in which the Angels won the first two, but the Brewers took the last three.
The above referenced League Championship Series begin tonight in Milwaukee, where all four L.A. vs Milwaukee series with the National League Pennant as the prize, have started. Tomorrow night after L.A./Milw plays a late afternoon #2, the Rays of Tampa Bay host the Cleveland Guardians (their pitching fanned 19 White Sox in game 3 and 21 in last night’s decisive 5th game as “Cleve” overcame a (2-0) best of 5 series deficit, having lost the first two games at home), in their opener.
L.A. Dodgers won all three previous such and also a Covid year, say wild card round entity, going on to title thrice (’59, 2020 and 2025).
In ’59 it was an unscheduled playoff for the pennant that the Dodgers won in 2 straight games, one in each city but the Milwaukee team, a darn good one was the Braves, not the Brewers.
On their way to the not so hot 2020 title that turned their post-season fortunes, L.A. beat the Brewers in 2 straight wild card round games and they also swept Milwaukee (4-0) in last year’s NLCS before (4-3) ing Toronto and repeating as World Series winners for the first time in franchise history.
Pictured as a Brooklyn Dodgers player below, Carl Furillo as an L.A. Dodger singled and that combined with an error scored another more Brooklyn than L.A. player, Gil Hodges with the 1959 pennant clinching run.
Both WNBA semi-final series ended 2 nights back with the second year and second seed Golden State Valkyries sweeping the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the 4th seed Atlanta Dream doing same vs the “8” seed, New York Liberty.
Now the teams must wait a week for the best of seven final (first such in this the league’s thirtieth season), to commence.
The series is considered even, with G.S. slight game 1 favorites on Saturday afternoon.
Why the long wait?!
“Waterfront,” “North By Northwest,” Classy, So Talented And More
Eva Marie Saint, who died days back at age 102, burst into “that which moves us cinema,” in the seminal film “On The Waterfront.”
I believe in the scene above with the superb actor Marlon Brando, Ms. Saint truly burst, beginning an epic film career after some excellent work on the stage.
Even with commercials and multiple times having viewed “Waterfront”–it being so complicated, with such a great cast and issues beyond the literal, the Kazan directed classic never fails to move and entertain me.
Ms. Saint is certainly an integral part, as she is in the Alfred Hitchcock directed “North by Northwest,” opposite Carey Grant with James Mason and young Martin Landau as “bad guys.”
What a cast!
There are so many others in an extraordinary career, two being– Exodus (“nevers” Dad regarding peace there and to Mom as I still have not finished the great Leon Uris book upon which the film was based) and “Nothing In Common” where she had touching scenes with her estranged husband played by Jackie Gleason.
In closing no “they don’t make them like (actually love) Eva Marie Saint any longer, however, clearly ‘they’ do not!
There are more details about Eva Marie in the article, a click away, below. You live, you charm and we can still see you. That is a marvel and truly marvelous.
With Carey Grant in “North by Northwest.”
Eva Marie Saint, star of “On the Waterfront” and “North by Northwest,” dies at age 102 – CBS News
