Baseball: American League Championship Series Notes

Tomorrow night the American League Championship Series begins with the unlikely match-up of the Baltimore Orioles vs the Kansas City Royals.

As was the case in both National League Division Series, the series underdogs won in the American League Division Series.

The Orioles, who had home advantage, beat the underachieving Detroit Tigers, while “KC” with or without “The Sunshine Band,” took the top ranked Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Each team won in three straight games.

This will be the first post season clash between the Royals and Orioles, whose most telling association until now, was the difficulty in reading scores in games involving the two teams. For example “Royals 4, Orioles 3” is a bit of a “tongue twister.”

The Royals, in their 6th ALCS and first since 1985, once appeared in 4 in 5 seasons, all vs the New York Yankees from (1976-1980).

They are (2-3) in ALCS play having won their last two, in 1980 and 1985. They followed their 1985 ALCS win with a World Series triumph vs the St. Louis Cardinals, who of course, are a possible World Series opponent this year.

The Orioles, who were in the first 3 ALCS (1969-1971) and 5 of the first 6, are in one for the first time since 1997. Baltimore is (5-4) in previous ALCS.

If both the Orioles and Cardinals win their LCS, there would be a World Series battle between the two franchise that met in the all St. Louis World Series of 1944. The Orioles were once the St. Louis Browns, having moved to Baltimore in 1954. The Cardinals won that 1944 World Series in six games.