In 1988, I had a very pleasant experience, being a contestant on a show called NFL Trivia, hosted by Gabe Kaplan. A highlight “involved” the great NFL safety, Larry Wilson, who died weeks back and who is being honored by his team, the Cardinals, wearing his number 8 on their uniforms.
It was obvious to me that Larry was an answer to my question. I knew of him as he and his safety blitz, revolutionized the position.
Larry was rightfully named to the NFL team of the first 100 years.
At any rate, my team on NFL Trivia was destined to finish second, which was fine. The first place team was very loud with their answers and considerably louder, if not better than us.
We were going to the lose the finale and when I gave my answer of Larry Wilson, as “Wiiiilson,” I was lauded by many, including the other team. It is a nice memory.
I have similar fine memories involving Larry Wilson, especially during the 1966 season, when he was so great, leading a contending St. Louis Cardinals football team.
Larry maintained his greatness and while I am not a big fan of those long introductions where names are extended, perhaps when Larry entered a better place?, which he deserves, an angel used “Wiiiiilson” as an introduction.
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays (3-1) in game 6, to win their seventh World Series crown, sixth as the Los Angeles Dodgers, after leaving Brooklyn and its fans heartbroken, after the 1957 season.
Down (1-0) and having been stymied by Rays’ starter, Blake Snell, the Dodgers went ahead B6, when after Austin Barnes singled with one out, Kevin Cash opted for Nick Anderson to replace Snell.
Mookie Betts “greeted” Anderson (hey “they” keep unfairly knocking Bill Buckner, so I cite another Nick Anderson, a good player, but one who missed 4 free throws, I believe somehow in one sequence at a crucial time in game 1/’95 NBA final for an Orlando Magic team, which like fellow North Florida team, the Rays, stands (0-2) in final round play, at this moment and probably for a long time) with a double, that sent Barnes to third.
Next, Anderson uncorked one of the most damaging wild pitches in baseball annals, (alas though maybe it should have been a Rich Gedman passed ball, I “must” cite that Bob Stanley was charged with a fateful wild pitch, that enabled the Mets to tie #6/’86 W.S. vs Boston, yet that is cited exponentially less, than the play involving Buckner) as Barnes scored the tying run and Mookie (another Mookie, namely Wilson, was at bat for both the tying and winning runs in that #6 Mets’ win en route to a title clinched 2 nights later and 34 years to the date, before Mookie and the Dodgers “titled” last night) went to third with just one out.
Corey Seager, who was named W.S. MVP (I would have opted for someone else, maybe Mookie or Max Muncy) hit a fielder’s “choi”ce as T.B. first sacker, Choi threw home, but too late, to get a “pumping” Mookie Betts.
Since they won, all the L.A. pitchers deserve “mucho credito,” even starter Tony Gonsolin, who survived the first inning, yielding one run as Randy Arozarena hit yet another home run. As I watched that part, I missed most of the rest–did see the end, but my recording did not manifest, I scoffed at the telecast, which continually showed Arozarena.
A key spot was T2, when “Mr.” Roberts, just the third Dodgers manager to title, (they have played 115 seasons with a title possibility)— the great Walt Alston and the highly over rated Tom Lasorda, being the others—lifted Gonsolin and opted for Dylan Floro, who fanned Arozarena.
L.A. got an insurance run B8 (Mookie homered) and Mr. Urias, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth up a run in #7 NLCS vs the Braves, hurled 2 and a third scoreless innings.
Only the Chicago White Sox, 114 years earlier, other than 2020 L.A. last night, won games 1, 3, 5 and 6 of the World Series.
There is so much going through me, certainly the fact I once loved both the Lakers and Dodgers, now each is an “anti” team, although now that they won again, the Lakers after 10 years and for the 5th time in a “0” year and the Dodgers after my #, 32 years–I will not root, but might bet vs them, as I would advise “you,” at least, as far as repeating titles.
It is the third time the Lakers and Dodgers are simultaneous champions (’81 baseball, also a shortened seasons whose World Series dates were the same through 5 games as the one 39 years later followed by ’82 basketball and then ’88 basketball followed by baseball), the Lakers staying 10 titles ahead (17 to 7) and now with twice as many crowns in L.A. as the Dodgers (12 to 6).
It was just the fourth time that the game 4 winner in a Dodgers’ W.S. failed to win the World Series, that following just the second time in 14 Dodgers’ NLCS that the #4 winner failed to win the pennant, awarded to the LCS winner.
That’s all folks, maybe more esoteric tomorrow.
Dodgers’ title winning manager, Dave Roberts, pictured above.
After a (4-2) game 5 win, exactly 39 years (that one was played during the day) after another that put them up 3 games to 2 in a World Series, the L.A. Dodgers can win their 7th title with a win in game 6 tonight.
In #5, the Dodgers (6-14) in World Series play (5-6) as L.A.), got a (3-0) lead vs now 2 time World Series losing pitcher, Tyler Glasnow of the Rays (0-1) in previous W.S.).
Glasnow again made it easier, for long time playoffs bust/regular season great, Clayton Kershaw, the latter getting far too much credit. (Someone named Passan wrote these 2 wins by Kershaw, make up for his many post-season failures. It does not just as it does not for Alex Rodriguez, who somehow gets a free pass in life or Barry Bonds, who does get criticism and unlike Rodriguez, did not even win one title).
Mookie Betts doubled and Corey Seager drove him home. The Dodgers led (1-0) before they made an out, achieving an “L.A. ” first inning “prop” win for a third straight tilt. The Rays won the first inning of game 2 in the Snell/Gonsolin matchup, which has a redux tonight.
Cody Bellinger “tuned” in a second first inning run while Joc Pederson and Max Muncy (I would consider Muncy the series MVP through 5 games by a close margin) added home runs for the Dodgers, who led (3-0), (3-2) and won (4-2) in the tilt.
Kershaw coughed up two thirds of his lead and faced a “corners” none out situation in the bottom of the fourth. Credit him for getting the next 2 batters, no advance and then he stepped off the pitching rubber and despite his “high set” threw home to catcher Will Smith to get Mr. Margot, who attempted a steal of home.
Muncy homered with 2 outs in the top of the 5th vs Glasnow, who is on track to be a “reg” good/’offs bad pitcher (certainly World Series) and that ended the scoring.
Even long, red haired, hard throwing Dustin May was effective and now the Dodgers, with their fans making the Arlington Texas setting, far from neutral are likely, but not certain to title in Arlington, where they overcame a (3-1) NLCS deficit to “7” the Braves and where their long time arch rivals, the Giants ended a 56 year title drought, just under 10 years ago.
The first 5 games of this series were played on the exact same day/date as the first 5 of the 1981 World Series. #6 was scheduled for Tuesday October 27th (today’s date as well) but was postponed. The Dodgers won their 5th title, the next night, Wednesday October 28th.
That season was far from a full one due to a player’s strike while this one, of course spanned but 60 regular season games due to the coronavirus, which sadly is still very much in evidence.
The last six times and in all but one (1906) of the seven times (1997,1962, 1946, 1940, 1924, 1909 1946), that teams alternated victories in the first 5 games of the World Series, the trailing team won game 6. The ’97 Marlins vs the Cleveland Indians, ’62 Yankees vs the Giants and 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates vs the Detroit Tigers “recovered” and won game 7. In ’46, the Cardinals won both games 6 and 7 to beat the Boston Red Sox. Ditto the Cincinnati Reds also vs the Tigers in 1940 and the Washington Senators vs the New York Giants in 1924. Only the 1906 White Sox vs their intra city rivals, the Chicago Cubs won game 6 in that scenario.
Corey Seager,pictured above.
Of course last night’s thrilling (finally!) game 4, a Tampa Bay Rays’ (8-7) win on Brett Phillips’ 2 out, 2 strike rbi single that coupled with 2 L.A. players’ miscues, transformed a 1 run deficit, into a series squaring “T.B.” win made this World Series compelling, even in a 60 game regular season.
In addition the exciting ending evoked memories of other game 4 Dodgers’ World Series games classics.
Start with the fact, that exactly 39 years earlier, on Saturday October 24, 1981, in a season that was also considerably shorter due to a player’s strike, the Dodgers held on for an (8-7), game 4 win vs the Yankees, that squared a series, L.A. eventually won in 6 games.
In that tilt, the trailing team, as was the case in #4’s in 1941, 1947 and last night, had runners on first and second two out, facing defeat in at that time, a last at bat.
Exactly 39 years ago yesterday, (that tilt was in the glorious day, think how many missed last night’s conclusion, as it was too late), Steve Howe got Willie Randolph on a long fly ball, that Derrell Thomas caught against the centerfield wall at Dodger Stadium, to end the (8-7) L.A. win. Of course last night, they lost (8-7).
Players named Charlie Keller (he on the road, but his team down a run, runners at first and second two outs, albeit up 2 games to 1 in the 1941 World Series), Cookie Lavagetto in 1947’s #4 and now Brett Phillips all delivered clutch hits on plays that resulted in 2 runs scored and either victory (last night and in ’47 game ending victory) or eventual victory as the Yankees actually added 2 more runs on Joe Gordon’s double and (7-4’d) Brooklyn to take a (3-1) World Series lead, as cited on the road in 1941.
The Yankees went on to “5” the Dodgers in 1941 and despite the game 4 loss in ’47, in which Floyd “Bill” Bevens suffered the defeat, though allowing but one hit, that by Lavagetto, (they) 7’d the Dodgers.
We shall see what transpires in this one, the oddsmakers still have L.A. a (2:1) series “fave.” Tonight with Kershaw and Glasnow, a repeat of game 1’s starting pitcher matchup, L.A. is over an 8 to 5 favorite.
Brett Phillips, as an Omaha Chasers player just last year, pictured above.
The Los Angeles Dodgers took a 2 games to 1 lead in the 2020 World Series, with a (6-2) Arlington Texas based win, in #3, last night.
Justin Turner set the tone with a 2 out, top 1, home run, vs losing pitcher, Charlie Morton.
The Dodgers added a pair of runs in the 3rd and 4th to back the excellent pitching of Walker Buehler.
The Rays are now (0-2) in game 3 of the World Series, as this series through 3 games is the same as the Phils, Rays, Phils and eventually Phils, Phils 2008 version. That was the only other Rays’ World Series appearance.
T.B. won game 3 and the series in both of their ALCS appearances.
The Dodgers, as L.A. played in their 7th Friday World Series game last night. They have been in one, 3 of the last 4 seasons and were in 3 in 5 seasons from (’77-’81). Counting a win game (that game 2 in the glorious day at Comiskey Park in Chicago), win series result in 1959, the Friday, World Series game winner in an L.A. Dodgers series is (5-1) and now a 5 to 1 “fave” to make it (6-1).
L.A. lost Friday World Series tilts in ’77,’78 and ’17 in eventual World Series losses. In addition to ’59, L.A. had a win/win (think Pesci’s comments to De Niro’s Jake LaMotta in “Raging Bull”) in ’81, while despite an 18 inning win in another excellent Buehler start (that a no decision for him but an L.A. win on Max Muncy’s home run—Muncy had a big 2 rbi single with 2 outs/T3 last night), L.A. lost that series to the Red Sox, who repeated a World Series triumph from 100 years earlier.
The game 4 winner of a Dodgers’ World Series is (17-3) and (12-1) starting in 1955.
Max “Friday night game 3” Muncy, pictured above.
The words from Joe Garagiola were “as expected the starters for game 1 of the 1965 World Series are Don Drysdale for the Dodgers and Jim “Mudcat” Grant for the Minnesota Twins.
There was no explanation, at least none in the pre game comments as to why Dodgers’ ace Sandy Koufax (Don was no slouch, having won 23 games, but clearly Sandy would have been the game 1 starter) was not the game 1 starter.
The reason was that Sandy decided not to pitch as game 1 fell on Yom Kippur. It is interesting, as Artie Johnson Might say “verrry,” that the reason Koufax was not pitching is not cited, at least not at the “top” pf the broadcast.
It has been too long since a “What’s My Line?” episode appeared here. This is much needed after my perhaps too somber viewpoint about recent events.
Maybe the best approach is to quote, the one and only Michael Santasieri, who once, when asked what he thought of recent events, retorted “they were (very) recent.”
George Burns is the mystery guest and in great form, on this February night, eight months before his beloved wife and great comedic partner, Gracie Allen passed away.
The panelists on either end were Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf. In between in both seating and introduction, Martin Gabel introduced his wife, Arlene Francis.
John Charles Daly was the show’s host.
Enjoy watching.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won a World Series opener for the second time in 4 seasons, a third in 32 completed, and just the fourth, (#32 Sandy Koufax set a then World Series strikeout mark in winning the 1963 opener vs a great Yankees team, that had “a bit” more hitting prowess than the woeful hitting Rays, who are a very good team, but simply not hitting) in 57–winning (8-3) vs Tampa Bay in game 1.
A very cocky, but tremendous player, Cody Bellinger again put L.A. ahead to stay, this time with a 2RHR/B4, one out after losing pitcher Tyler Glasnow yielded a leadoff walk to Max Muncy.
Walks undid Glasnow and the Rays in the bottom of the 5th, after Kershaw, who now again is getting far too much praise, as if his excellent 6 innings, 1 run, 2 hits performance, erases a career of post-season failures–maybe it does, but not in my book—did give one back T5.
Mookie Betts walked and stole second, talked incessantly with the Rays’ Willie Adames and was nearly picked off. NLCS MVP, Corey Seager drew his third walk and when “Just” Turner fanned, Betts and Seager “double stole.” (I did not have sound on, but in listening to highlights, Smoltz seems to credit Turner for the advance, “even though he struck out.” I had a nice little sign once, that said “put brain in motion before moving mouth” and Smoltz needs to adhere to that, more than just about any person who ever walked this earth). Muncy’s fielder’s choice, not shown with any clarity by Fox cameras, tuned Betts and eventually 3 more runs yielded an L.A. opener.
The Rays are (0-2) in World Series openers while the Dodgers are (7-14), (5-7) as L.A. and (2-7) when in Brooklyn.
In 40 percent of the 20 previous Dodgers’ W.S. the game 1 loser came back to “title,” 4 times vs the Dodgers (the Yankees doing so in ’52,’56 and ’78 while the Astros did so in 2017, something the Dodgers are still making excuses about. All 4 of those times, the first two in Brooklyn in a game 7 and the next two in respective games 6 and 7, the Dodgers were ousted on their home field) and 4 times favoring the Dodgers (’55, ’59,’65 and ’81–the first and last of those in 7 and 6 respectively clinched at Yankee Stadium while ’59 in 6 was at the White Sox and ’65 was at Minnesota and the only home World Series loss ever suffered by the Twins, victors in their other 11 home World Series tilts).
The oddsmakers do not give the Rays much chance of making 9, as L.A. is nearly a 4 to 1 series choice and even a 3 to 2 “fave” in #2 tonight, despite the Snell/T.B. vs Gonsolin and L.A. staff pitching matchup.
I have seen this “handwriting on the wall” for some time, though it got murky, as Atlanta led 3 games to 1 and seemed to lead (3-0) in #5.
However, a player named Ozuna left third too soon.
I once loved the Dodgers, still do re Sandy and those teams. (By the way, while Lou Johnson, Ron Perranoski and Jay Johnstone were not Whitey Ford–their aggregate contribution was immense, helping the club win titles in ’63, ’65, and ’81. The Yankees got a tribute onto their uniforms the same day, Whitey died. In the weeks since Lou, Ron and Jay died couldn’t the Dodgers have done similar?) but said no more after Lasorda stubbornly and frankly stupidly, pitched to Jack Clark. That cost the Dodgers any chance of winning the ’85 NLCS.
My father said he heard it before, as far as me giving up on this team, one whose fortunes and more misfortunes, I followed via “every half hour” sports reports on either WINS or WCBS, before each became far right and in better days. Yet I did stop rooting for them and as usual, I pay the price–this time seemingly emotional and not financial.
Also on October 15th, the anniversary (#32) of the L.A. win on Gibson’s HR in #1/’88 W.S. the Dodgers lost and fell down (3-1) vs Atlanta. They recovered and on the October 18th/43rd anniversary of Chambliss and of course Reggie’s 3 HRS to 6 L.A. and devastate me in ’77–the Dodgers won the NLCS with a 7th game triumph vs the Braves.
In another “reverse” outcome regarding the Dodgers, in their only other (maybe baseball’s only other) Tuesday October 20th, World Series opener, the Dodgers lost game 1 of the 1981 World Series to the Yankees. They recovered and won that World Series, their first after a 16 year drought.
Now they are top heavy “faves” to end a drought of double that time, having last won the World Series in 1988.
Thank you for your indulgence but alas what a year this has been, certainly not a good one!
Cody Bellinger, pictured above. Bob Welch’s #.
Again you can only get this here.
Unofficially, the Atlanta Braves have been in 20 post-season series that had a Sunday game and only in 1995, the year in which the Braves won what is the lone Atlanta major professional North American sports league crown in 179 aggregate, completed seasons (Braves (54) ’66-2020, with no conclusion to the ’94 season, Falcons also (54) and (1-4) at this point having won Sunday, the day the Braves lost as is their Sunday, if not almost entire ‘offs history. Hawks (52) ’69-2020 and the two now “elsewhere” NHL teams, the Flames (8) (’73-’80) and the Thrashers (11) 2000-2011 with no NHL season in 2005), did the Braves both win a/the Sunday game and the series.
They won game 2 of the ’95 World Series on a Sunday night and the title, that one time in 6 games, clinching on a Saturday night.
They are (4-17) in Sunday post-season games, having been eliminated from post-season play 6 times after Sunday losses (’82 NLCS, ’91 World Series, ’01 NLCS and in “div” series (’03-’05), the latter 3 all vs teams managed by Dusty Baker (’02) or vs Baker’s current team, Houston (Astros), who were ousted also in a 7 game LCS on Saturday night. (Alas in and speaking of “Saturday Night” there was an “Astro” named dog in a sketch, the night T.B. 7’d the Astros.
Only in the ’91 World Series did the Braves play 2 Sunday games in the same series, losing #’s 2 and 7 to the Twins. That year, the Braves lost a Sunday game 4 to the Pirates, as they also did in the ’92 NLCS, but each time Atlanta won that series only to lose the World Series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, trying to join the NBA Lakers as simultaneous champions for a third time (’81 W.S.-’82 NBA and ’88 NBA followed by ’88 W.S.) will meet the Tampa Bay Rays, who hope to join the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning as simultaneous/same city title holders.
L.A. won the franchise’s 21st pennant with a World Series to follow, (4-3) (4-3), and overcame a (3-1) series deficit in doing so.
Tampa Bay (Rays) will be seeking its first title, in what will be their second World Series appearance. The Dodgers are (6-14) in previous World Series, (1-7) as Brooklyn and (5-7) as Los Angeles.
Only here: “The game 4 indicator,” i.e. the winner of game 4 wins the series, “failed” for just the third time in a combined 27 Dodgers’ LCS and World Series starting in 1955 (the other LCS in which the game 4 winner did not win the series was in ’17 when the Cubs stayed alive in #4 but were 5’d by L.A. the next night).
In World Series play, starting with the Dodgers’ 1955 crown, their lone such accomplishment while in Brooklyn, the game 4 winner of a Dodgers’ W.S. failed to title, also only in 2017, when Houston (Astros) took the crown, though losing game 4.
Andy B Sports 