The Milwaukee Brewers, who have won 12 straight games–the last 8 “reg” which includes an ‘offs tilt win at Chi, vs the Cubs, to gain the National League “1” seed and 4 in post-season, “opened” L.A. last night, winning (6-5), for a (1-0) NLCS lead.
In just their third LCS in this the 49th possibility, (the franchise began and played one year as the Seattle Pilots, that in 1969, the first year of LCS play) and third best of seven series–the Brewers have never won a best of seven series and only twice in seven previous post-season series, did they win both the opening game and said series (2011 division series vs Arizona with Nyjer Morgan striking the series ending hit, in the decisive fifth game and in this year’s 3 game sweep of the Colorado Rockies).
Twice before, in #1 ’82 World Series when the great player Paul Molitor went 5 for 5 and the 2011 NLCS, both vs the St.Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee won a best of seven series opener, only to lose the series.
The Brewers, hoping to join the Houston Astros, who are decent sized favorites vs the Red Sox to be there again, as the only teams to represent both major leagues in the World Series, did win an ALCS best of 5 vs star crossed manager, Gene Mauch and the Angels in 1982.
That game and I believe the clincher vs Arizona in ’11 were on Kol Nidre, the holiest night in the Jewish religion.
Cecil Cooper, a tremendous player had the big, “go ahead to stay,” 2 rbi single in that tilt.
Cecil Cooper, pictured above.
Late in the 1974 baseball season I reached Cecil at the New York hotel in which his team, the Red Sox were staying.
He knew that his Red Sox had all but faded from the A.L. East race and I asked his opinion as to whether “Balti” or the Yankees would win the then, had to finish first, one quarter division.
I believe he correctly predicted Baltimore, however I KNOW he said “if we can FOOL AROUND and win” I think it was 9 of 10, we still have a chance.
I have never forgotten that terminology, his not giving up despite the circumstance and I should have cited first, that he was so friendly and made 18 year plus old me, feel very good.
Tonight the 49th LCS commence with a National League game 1 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers. Tomorrow afternoon, those teams play game 2 while tomorrow night, Boston (Red Sox) hosts the Houston Astros in game 1 of their ALCS.
Houston defeated Los Angeles in 7 games to win last year’s World Series.
This is just the fifth time in 49 possibilities (LCS play began in 1969 and there was no post-season baseball in 1994), that both of the previous season’s World Series participants have advanced as far as the LCS/baseball semi-finals.
The other times were 1973 (Oakland A’s and Cincinnati Reds), 1978 (New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers), 1993 (Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves) and 2010 (New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies).
Above in parenthesis, I listed the previous year’s winning World Series teams (I will do so again the A’s, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Yankees).
Three of those teams the ’73 A’s, ’78 Yankees (vs the Dodgers again) and ’93 Blue Jays repeated as World Series winners. In ’10 both the Yankees and Phillies lost in the NLCS. In ’73 the Reds lost in the NLCS as did the Braves in ’93.
The Yankees have won the World Series 5 times in years ending in “8.” They did so in 1928,1938,1958,1978 and 1998.
In ’58 Bob Turley’s brilliant pitching denied a then Milwaukee team, the Braves, a second straight crown.
Last week, the Carolina Panthers now (3-1) edged the (1-4) New York Giants as Graham Gano’s 63 yard field goal (evoking memories of Tom Dempsey in 1970 vs the Lions) ended the game.
Last season the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles got a 60 yard field goal from Josh Elliott to break a tie and top the Giants on the game’s last play.
Tonight the Eagles are a field goal (perhaps appropriate) favorite in the Thursday Night tilt on the Giants’ home field.
It will be the teams with the two best records in baseball, the (108 wins) Boston Red Sox vs the defending champion, (104 wins) Houston Astros clashing in the ALCS beginning Saturday night in Boston.
Last season, en route to their first title in their 56 season history, the Astros beat the Red Sox in 4 games in the baseball “quarters”/divisional playoff series.
Current Boston manager Alex Cora was the Astros’ bench coach, assisting “Hous” manager A.J. Hinch.
The Red Sox (0-2) in ’99, (2-2) in ’03 and ’04 and (2-0) in ’18 are (4-4) in post-season play at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox lost both the ’99 and ’03 ALCS to the Yankees, but won the ’04 ALCS and the ’18 “div” series.
In 1949 a great pennant race, one without the safety net of the wild card presence, came down to the Yankees needing to win the last two games at Yankee Stadium, which they did.
I visited Mr. Ruth’s grave in 2001 and remarked that he won only one less title (3) with Boston, than he did with the Yankees.
Maybe he heard me, but perspective, hopefully, makes that much less important.
This is the second straight season that both the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers, last year’s World Series opponents, advanced to the L.C.S. with same day Monday, road victories.
Last season, Houston wrapped its div series, winning an early start game 4 at Boston vs the Red Sox, while this season again in an early start, completed a 3 game sweep at Cleveland, vs the Cleveland Indians.
Meanwhile the Dodgers, who swept Arizona (Diamondbacks) last season, won in 4, clinching yesterday/Monday at Atlanta vs the Braves.
The Dodgers will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the N.L.C.S. beginning Friday in Milwaukee while Houston will meet the winner of the Boston/Yankees “div” series, in which Boston, exactly 62 years after Don Larsen pitched an unprecedented World Series perfect game for the Yankees, scored 16 runs and took a (2-1) series lead.
The A.L.C.S. will begin Saturday night either in Boston or Houston.
Add two to the post below that cites the incredible fact that now in 14 post-season series managed by current Cleveland skipper, Terry Francona, one team or the other (8 times Francona’s team and 6 times the opposition won 3 straight games en route to the series win. One could also add the ’04 Yankees, who won the first three games but lost that A.L.C.S.) won 3 straight games en route to a series win.
Click below to read the post from October 2017 regarding this fact. Remember add div series losses (to the Yankees last season and this year vs Houston to the note). By the way, as you can see, the notes were posted here one year apart on respective October 9th’s.
- Terry Francona And Other Notes on October 9, 2017
After losing the first 7 “div” series games this season, the road team has won 5 of the last 6 such tilts.
This is the third time that the Dodgers and Braves are meeting in the baseball quarterfinals/division series.
The teams split in the previous two such series, a defending World Series champion Braves team sweeping L.A. in 1996 while the Dodgers prevailed 3 games to 1 in the 2013 “quarters.”
Also the franchises met in an unscheduled playoff for the N.L. Pennant in 1959.
L.A, which won that series in 2 straight games leads this “div” series two games to one, with game 4 today in Atlanta.
Only the Yankees, who won (6-2) in game 2 last night in Boston, among the 4 division series road teams, won a game in the first eight played.
Their win last night made them (4-0) in game 2 of a post-season series vs the Red Sox, (5-0) counting the winner take all, last game of a 2 game series, the 1949 season final game, in which the great Vic Raschi and the Yankees prevailed, then proceeded to win a record 5 straight World Series.
The Yankees ended a 5 game losing streak vs Boston in post-season, their last win before last night also on a Saturday, a rout that gave them a (3-0) ALCS lead, Boston would overcome (the only baseball or basketball team to do so).
Elsewhere my 59/’59 series theory is very likely to manifest as the Dodgers and Milwaukee, now housing the Brewers as L.A. is facing the Braves, each lead (2-0).
The defending champion Astros flying under the radar (far from the days of Doug Rader, a good player), playing earlier, won the first two vs Cleveland.
A current film, “The Wife” based on the book by Meg Wolitzer, with Jane Anderson’s screenplay, is superb.
Glenn Close leads a fabulous cast that includes Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater, Elizabeth McGovern and Max Irons.
The film is a fascinating character study that effectively uses time, that inexorable mover, to reflect and comment on past mores and limitations, still so relevant today.
One of my favorite players from the 1960’s is Julian Javier.
He was an integral part of some excellent St. Louis Cardinals’ teams.
His best moment was getting the big hit to get the Cards going in game 7 of the 1967 World Series, played on the real Columbus Day, October 12th.
I seem to recall watching that game, meaning there was no school, thus feel pretty sure even on a Thursday, the real Columbus Day was celebrated.
All four division series match ups have been determined.
Today the National League Series begin with the Colorado Rockies, this year as was the case in “same calendar” 2007, a victor in a one game must win, visiting the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves in L.A, to face the Dodgers.
Tomorrow the above referenced teams will meet in game 2 while the A.L. “div” series commence.
In those tilts, the Cleveland Indians visit Houston (Astros), while the New York Yankees meet the 108 win Red Sox, in Boston.
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, pictured above, in one of their many renditions of the classic routine “Who’s On First.”
Andy B Sports 