From (1956-1966) one Cy Young Award was given, theoretically to the best pitcher in the major leagues.
Since 1967, Cy Young Awards have been given to the “best pitcher” in both the American and National Leagues.
In 1964, Dean Chance of the Los Angeles Angels won the award.
From (1962-1966), a Los Angeles pitcher won the award, Sandy Koufax three times (1963, 1965 and 1966) and Don Drysdale (1962), the latter two being Dodgers’ pitchers.
There is still a long way to go, but the cities (Milwaukee and Los Angeles) that clashed in an unscheduled playoff for the National League Pennant 59 years ago in 1959, are the top two N.L. seeds and will have the home advantage in the baseball tournament quarterfinals/division series.
The Milwaukee Brewers gained the N.L. top seed, I believe for the first time, winning the N.L. Central in an extra game, (3-1) at Chicago vs the Cubs.
Milwaukee will face the winner of tonight’s “10 to 8” teams game, again in Chicago, as the Colorado Rockies will be the opponent.
Meanwhile the L.A. Dodgers, who lost Game 7 of the World Series at home last year to the Houston Astros, will have the home advantage and be big favorites vs the Atlanta Braves, yes the once Milwaukee Braves that faced L.A. in the aforementioned ’59 ‘off, in the quarters/division series.
Christian Yelich, pictured above, has been great for Milwaukee.
Exactly 67 years ago today, on Monday October 1st, a best of three, unscheduled playoff series for the National League pennant between the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers commenced.
The series culminated in a Giants’ victory on Bobby Thomson’s home run.
In the first game Thomson homered as well. Both times Ralph Branca was the Brooklyn pitcher.
One might be that the Dodgers won a coin toss and elected to play the first game at home.
There is still National League seeding to be decided (the Cubs and Brewers tied entering today’s final scheduled games, are battling to be the top seed rather than the “4,” while similarly tied, Colorado (Rockies) and the L.A. Dodgers will likely be the two seed, at worst “3” or the five seed) but the ten baseball tournament teams are known.
Perhaps an interesting note is that other than today’s NFL clash between Oakland and Cleveland (of course the cities have met in the last 4 NBA final series, Oakland beating the now L.A. Laker Leb James and Cleveland three times), the other 8 baseball tournament cities with a total of 10 NFL teams, will or have played teams from cities, without a baseball tournament team in this week four of the NFL season.
Boston, Houston, New York (Giants and Jets) of the American League cities with tournament entrants face Miami, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Jacksonville respectively.
None of those cities/areas has a baseball ‘offs team, only Miami has a big leagues baseball team and those Marlins have the worst record in the National League. The (46-115) Baltimore Orioles have baseball’s worst record.
In an order to be determined today or perhaps tomorrow (a Cubs/Brewers extra game would be in “Chi” while if it manifests involving Colorado and L.A, the latter would host) Chicago, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Colorado and Los Angeles (Rams and Chargers) have/had (the powerful Rams went to 4-0 on Thursday night) week 4 NFL opponents from 6 cities (Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Minnesota and San Francisco respectively), none of whom have a baseball tournament team.
Among them, only Buffalo is sans a major league baseball team.
Boston whose great, long ago pitcher Babe Ruth is pictured above had baseball’s best record.
In 48 completed seasons (1969-2017, no completed season in 1994) only one quarter (12) of the teams which had the best regular season record, won the World Series.
Twice the team was the Red Sox (2007 and 2013).
Sixty four years ago today, the New York Giants on their way to a 4 game sweep, defeated the Cleveland Indians (5-2) in the 1954 World Series opening game.
Dusty Rhodes’ pinch hit, tenth inning home run ended the game and note the World Series started 24 (a relevant number, it in view but more and more faint, as he raced in the words of the television broadcaster at the time, Jack Brickhouse, “way back in center field,”) days before it will start this year.
In defeat, Bob Lemon pitched the whole game. That feat has gone the way of the dinosaur, that not a good thing.
Cleveland squandered opportunities and as in any games there were vicissitudes.
Nothing one can see is available, but Willie Mays himself, the above referenced #24, one of baseball’s greatest players of his or any time, says he made better catches, one off the bat of Bobby Morgan, referenced the most often.
However, that game 1 of the ’54 Fall Classic will rightfully be remembered more for Mays’ over the shoulder catch of a drive hit off the bat of Vic Wertz (the only “failed” at bat in Mr. Wertz’ 4 for 5 game) and perhaps more important and difficult, the great throw by Willie, back to the infield.
Yes, as Mr. Brickhouse intoned “Doby is(was) able to go to third” referencing the often forgotten superb player, the first black man to play in the American League, but that throw, (subsequent and previous Cleveland failures and Mays himself walking and stealing second ahead of Rhodes’ blow all were factors), that play by that player will resonate across time because it was truly great and more than any other, ignited the truly improbable Giants’ 4 game sweep which yielded their last New York title and last franchise crown for 56 years.
Need I cite, 70 years have passed since the Cleveland Indians “titled.” They get another ‘offs crack, as they will be one of the eight teams entering quarterfinal series play.
Click below to view Willie’s catch with Jack Brickhouse’s masterful call.
Willie Mays makes “The Catch”, an amazing over-the-shoulder grab
Both the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies have full one game, “one eighth” division leads entering the three game final weekend.
The Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers (the team one game behind the Cubs), and a former Milwaukee team, the Atlanta Braves, have clinched spots in the playoffs.
While Colorado has not clinched as much as an ‘offs spot, (they lead the Dodgers by one game and the Cards by two games and even have a half game edge over the Braves for the N.L. two seed) and certainly is a long way from a World Series berth, their current seven game win skein evokes memories of “same calendar” 2007, when they won 21 of 22 games, including all 7 N.L. post-season games and a tiebreaker game for playoffs qualification, before losing the World Series in 4 straight games to the Boston Red Sox.
Certainly Mark Belanger is one of the greatest defensive shortstops in major league baseball history.
Belanger and the fabulous Brooks Robinson at third base gave the Baltimore Orioles an incredible left side defense.
In the team’s great run from (1969-1971), Add Dave Johnson and Boog Powell to form a magnificent infield.
Mr. Belanger was tall and thin and known as “The Blade.”
He was not known for his hitting but on the one title those Orioles won in 1970, Mark weighed in with some big post-season hits.
Last night, all four results in the biggest games made the two remaining National League Division races closer, in fact, only a half game apart with 5 scheduled baseball days remaining.
In the N.L. Central, the Cubs still lead the Brewers by a half game, (it is in the loss column and a tiebreaker game between the two teams would be in “Chi”) but two Milwaukee wins at St. Louis coupled with two Pirates wins at Wrigley Field, manifest in the half game margin.
The race in the N.L. West is even closer as the Dodgers lead over the Colorado Rockies is also only a half game, but the two teams are even in the loss column. A tiebreaker game between the two teams would be played in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile the wild card race where very likely the N.L. Central second place team, either the Brewers or Cubs will be the “4” seed, has 3 other teams within one game, as the Cardinals trail the Rockies by a half game and L.A. by a full game, both in the loss column.
The American League, clearly superior (that does not mean their representative will win the World Series, though any of its teams save Cleveland, who might in some pairings, will have the home advantage) and exponentially more boring/settled, has three official “div” winners, in order the Red Sox, defending World champion Astros and Indians. Almost certainly the Yankees/A’s 10 teams to 8 round game will be in New York a week hence, exactly (save the fact it will be at night) 67 years after a game for World Series entry went to the New York Giants over the Brooklyn Dodgers, largely due to Bobby Thomson’s game ending 3RHR.
What were the odds that with 5 days left, only the “division fourth choice,” Atlanta Braves would have clinched a post-season berth in the N.L. when the season began?!
Tommy McDonald, a great player on both college and pro football championship teams, died yesterday at the age of 84.
The last player not to wear a face mask, Tommy played on and caught a touchdown pass in the Philadelphia Eagles’ last NFL title win (1960) before last year’s Super Bowl win.
Philadelphia handed the great coach Vince Lombardi his only post-season loss (9-1), winning (17-13) on a Monday, the day after Christmas, in 1960, Tommy catching a touchdown pass from Norm Van Brocklin before being pushed into some remaining snow at venerable Franklin Field.
In college McDonald was an integral part of coach Bud Wilkinson’s Oklahoma teams that won 47 straight games, 31 without defeat for McDonald’s (1954-1956) teams that claimed 2 national titles.
Tommy was a great player and a good, vibrant man.
Tommy McDonald, pictured above.
There were two shocking, all time type upsets, one in college and one in pro football, the last two days.
On Saturday, unheralded Old Dominion, an underdog of over 40 points, defeated 13th ranked Virginia Tech.
Yesterday the Buffalo Bills, a 17 point underdog, not only beat the Minnesota Vikings in Minne, but did so easily, building a (27-0) lead, en route to a (27-6) win.
Again, a special category, these regarding upsets.
Andy B Sports 