Red Sox and Pirates Make History

Rather than tell you how horrible the broadcasting and the seven post season games have been thus far, I will give you an interesting fact you will not likely find elsewhere.

The two teams (Boston Red Sox franchise and Pittsburgh Pirates) that met in the first World Series 110 years ago, won post season games on the same day for the first time in history on Friday.

The Pirates eased (7-1) in a noon or so start at St. Louis and squared the division series at a game apiece.

The Red Sox beat the Tampa Rays (12-2) in their division series opener. This snapped a four game Red Sox post season game loss skein that started with a game seven loss to the Rays in the 2008 ALCS.

Other than in 1903 when they faced each other, only twice before have the Red Sox and Pirates been in the post season the same year.

In 1975 while the Red Sox swept the Oakland A’s, the Cincinnati Reds, (who, 38 years later, today fired their manager, Dusty Baker despite a 90 win season, after their loss to the Pirates) swept the Pirates. Each series went three  games in a best of five LCS.

The other time both teams made the post -season in the same year was 1990 and each team (The Red Sox and Pirates) faced the same opponent.

The Reds again beat the “Bucs,” this time it was 4 games to two in a best of seven series. Meanwhile the A’s, who had swept the Red Sox in 4 straight in the 1988 ALCS, did it again winning four straight from them in the 1990 ALCS.

Thus on Friday October 4, 2013, 110 years after meeting in baseball’s first post season contest, the Red Sox and Pirates won post season games on the same day for the first time in history.

Let’s cite the exception to the bad broadcasting: it’s Bob Costas, broadcasting the sixth of seven “little or no drama” games (Pittsburgh Pirates’ rout of the St. Louis Cardinals) in this horrible extra round(s) of baseball playoffs.

Costas mentioned that the Cards’ “pitching advantage” upcoming in #4 last year, when broadcasting #3 of St. Louis/ Washington Nationals (the Cards lost that game but rallied to dramatically win the decisive 5th game), cited the Pirates “edge” in #3 this year with starter Francisco Liriano pitching at home.

“Las Vegas” “agrees” as the Pirates are three to two favorites in the upcoming tilt. The series is considered even after St. Loo was a nearly three to one series favorite after game one.

Costas is still a joy to hear, making the best of a bad game without trying to con us that the game’s winner is in doubt.

As always, Bob did a good, professional job. Sadly it is his only broadcast of the post season and I believe just his second in the last thirteen seasons.

Bob Costas