Since last winning a title at home with the Browns in December, 1964, Sunday/yesterday’s Cleveland loss was the fourth time one of the city’s teams had a chance to win a sports titles in a Sunday road game.
The first was at a place that had recently been named Lambeau Field, but had been City Stadium. In that city, Green Bay, the Packers denied the Browns a repeat title winning vs Jim Brown, (in his last game) and Company by a (23-12) score in the mud of Lambeau Field on that early January day in 1965.
(3-2) scores against Cleveland was the case in all three title denying losses, (allowing some “slack” on twenty THREE to 1TWO/twelve), all on Sundays, all on the road, of course including a (3-2) loss last night in a game “Cleve” manager, Terry Francona, (11-2) in World Series tilts and his Indians (10-3) thus far in this post-season, allowed his team to lose with Trevor Bauer.
The great Paul Hornung, pictured above ran for the clinching touchdown. A great broadcaster, Ted Moore intoned after the play, “The Green Bay Packers ran the power sweep as in the days of yore.”
The New England Patriots are extremely likely to win an incredible 13th straight AFC East crown in a season in which Tom Brady played more than one game.
After an impressive win at Buffalo, easily covering the 6 point spread, the Pats are now (7-1), the best record in the NFL and have the same mark vs the “number.”
New England avenged its lone loss and remember they went (3-1) without Brady.
If N.E. gets the division crown, it would be their 14th in the last 16 seasons, beginning with the 2001 season when coach Bill Belichick inserted later round draft choice, Brady into the lineup, replacing the injured Drew Bledsoe.
While 14 of 16 first place finishes, (they missed the ‘offs in ’02 and in ’08 when Brady missed all but the first game of the season) in an entity, one of 8 NFL divisions and often a relatively weak one, is nowhere near the incredible 14 American League pennant in 16 seasons, notched by the New York Yankees (1949-1964), it is quite a feat.
Most would agree that most of those Yankees’ pennants came in years the other league, the National League was better, but the Yankees beat the teams put in front of them.
They won the World Series after the first 5 pennant winning seasons in that span and then managed (Casey Stengel managed the first 10 of those pennants, Ralph Houk, the next three and Yogi Berra, the final one in 1964) to win it all 4 times in the World Series, after the last nine pennants.
New England has 4 crowns, and football’s current structure is far different than the better days of baseball. The Yankees had to win A post-season series, the Pats had to and will have to win three post-season games sans defeat, to notch a fifth crown. There is a long way to go, but for now hail their greatness and the even greater “14 of 16” the Yankees achieved.
My right to be cryptic, unlike the case with Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” not many care.
Click below to view Carly sing “You’re So Vain.”
Carly Simon – You’re So Vain – live -HQ full export
The Chicago Cubs scored three, fourth inning runs and won (3-2) in game five last night, forcing a sixth game for Fox and their fans, scheduled for Cleveland on Tuesday night.
Kris Bryant hit a very important tying home run off losing pitcher Trevor Bauer, who has lost twice in this World Series.
Aroldis Chapman pitched two and two thirds scoreless innings, in relief, to notch a save and as was the case in 1948 when Cleveland last won the title, they failed to do so in game 5, with a (3-1) series lead.
Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell and even free swinging Javier Baez (a bunt single) had base hits in the big inning for the Cubs, while winning pitcher Jon Lester’s “personal catcher,” David Ross delivered a sacrifice fly that gave “Chi” a (3-1), in an eventual (3-2) win.
As I will cite in upcoming posts, (3-2) has not been a good score for Cleveland teams seeking titles, as this loss was by the same score the Florida Marlins denied the baseball Indians the title in an 11 inning, road Sunday night, winner take all game in 1997.
In their game 3 win, four Cleveland pitchers combined for a shutout in the baseball finals.
Their names are Tomlin, Miller, Shaw and Allen.
As often is the case, only I in almost complete obscurity, note their namesakes, one of each, have coached in NFL finals/title games/Super Bowls.
Mike Tomlin, still at it with Pittsburgh won a Supe in ’05, lost in another after the 2010 season.
Red Miller made, but lost the Super Bowl after the 1977 season.
Buck Shaw guided the Philadelphia Eagles to the 1960 NFL Title game win vs the Green Bay Packers. It was the only post-season game, legendary Packers’ coach vince Lombardi ever lost. (Bonus: pitcher, Vic Lombardi started 2 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1947 World Series).
Last but not least, George Allen made, but lost the Super Bowl after the 1972 season.
Again no predictions this week in NFL games.
My record remains (14-8-2), the loser/loser/underdog vs winner/winner/favorite “system” was (3-2) last week.
There are just two such games this week.
One is the (0-7) Cleveland Browns (maybe this will be a great, if not the greatest day in Cleveland sports’ history, although an Indians’ win would almost equal that distinction on its own) plus two points at home vs the (2-5) New York Jets.
The other is the (4-3) Buffalo Bills vs the (6-1) New England Patriots. Remember the Bills handed the Pats their lone loss this season at New England.
Cleveland is ahead three games to one in the World Series for the first time since 1948, when they last won it, after a (7-2) win at Chicago, vs the Cubs, in game four Saturday night.
Corey Kluber allowed one run in six innings, to notch his second win of the series.
The game had the first lead change of either of the two LCS and World Series, in what was the 15th such game.
Carlos Santana homered to tie the game vs game 4 losing pitcher, John Lackey. Later in the inning, Lackey, the winning pitcher in home World Series clinching games for two different teams, 11 years apart (the Angels in ’02 and the Red Sox in ’13) was victimized by two errors from third baseman, Kris Bryant that enabled “Cleve” to take the lead in the same second inning.
Kluber’s slow grounder between home plate and third, an infield hit, with a second Bryant throwing error of the inning on the play, gave Cleveland the lead to stay.
Francisco Lindor, who later started another one run inning with a walk, singled in Jason Kipnis, to make it (3-1) in the third inning.
Kipnis, who grew up in Chicago, rooting for the Cubs, iced the game with a three run home run in the seventh inning.
In 1948, Cleveland was ahead three games to one and playing at home, but lost in that game 5 vs the Boston Braves. They won the title in Boston, where they had won a one game playoff for the American League Pennant, vs the Red Sox.
Tonight with Trevor Bauer opposing the Cubs’ Jon Lester, again the Indians will be underdogs, hoping this is the game and day, the team ends a 68 year title drought.
Before their game 3 win in this World Series, the last time the Cleveland Indians won a game 3 of the World Series was in 1995.
That night, a man named Murray, the quiet, often called sullen by the many babies in the sports media, Ed Murray, drove in the winning run.
I will take that type of “Murray” any day, compared to what I saw last night concerning celebrity, Bill Murray.
That Murray, for a long time, publicized as a big fan (try being a fan when you can not afford tickets and still go, to his credit not a Murray problem for at least three plus decades), talked of beer and then did a ridiculous rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
In days past I was home, and one year before the cable company greed and ridiculous blackouts in certain areas set in, I could watch the Cubs on WGN, their so called superstation eminating from Chicago.
An original, Harry Caray, led the song and I kept tabs of the boring games, not as boring as most baseball now, but boring enough, to not miss Caray, in the daylight, sing the song.
Why did they not just let it go when Caray died? Also in their tributes to departed Cubs, they rightfully cite Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and I guess Caray, though he should be best known for his work with the St. Louis Cardinals, but leave out their great announcer Jack Brickhouse.
This can not end soon enough, it is almost as bad as this so called “election cycle,” no not really, but I surely could have lived without Bill Murray last night? Oh yes, was he not at the White House last week, doing a not so funny bit.
It is all related, they “dumbed us down,” myself included, and now look at US.
They took my T-Bird and “fun-fun-fun” away, many moons ago.
Thus far in this World Series involving the Cleveland Indians, there has been quite a connection with the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
On Tuesday, both game 1 of the World Series and the first game of the Cavs’ new season, complete with a ceremony honoring last year’s title, were played. Both Cleveland teams were victorious.
Wednesday, the night of game 2 of the World Series, was a different story. On a dreary night in Cleveland, the Cubs squared the World Series with a (5-1) win. The Cavaliers were idle.
Last night, both teams won on the road, the Indians’ exponentially more important win in game 3 of the World Series, and the Cavs’ 3 point win at Toronto, vs the Raptors in just their second game of the season.
Tonight both teams play again, the Indians 6 to 5 underdogs at the Cubs in game four, while the Cavs host the Orlando Magic.
In “The Great Gatsby” “Nick Carraway” is looking for a business “connection.”
Cleveland took a two games to one lead in the World Series for the first time since 1948, the last time they won it, posting a (1-0) victory at Chicago, vs the Cubs in game three last night.
Coco Crisp, in his second stint as a Cleveland player, who caught the last out when the Red Sox completed a comeback from a (3-1) A.L.C.S. deficit under Terry Francona vs “Cleve” in 2007, drove in the game’s only run with a 1 out 7th inning single that scored pinch runner, Michael Martinez from third base.
Meanwhile 4 pitchers (Josh Tomlin, Andrew Miller, Brian Shaw and Cody Allen) combined to hand the Cubs their 4th shutout loss, (second in the W.S.), of this post-season.
Allen struck out the much hyped Javier Baez with runners on second and third to end yet another three hour plus game, this one at least, competitive, a 14th in as many L.C.S. and W.S. games, sans a lead change.
It seems much was made of the fact that 24 of the last 28 teams to win game 1 of the World Series went on to win the title.
As noted here, the team with home advantage in the series has won 24 of the 30 World Series contested since the advent of the best of seven LCS in both major leagues in 1985.
Only one team in the previous 30 World Series has won the title sans home advantage and after losing game 1.
That team was the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays, who prevailed in six games winning the title on a Saturday night in Atlanta.
The last four teams to lose game 1 of the World Series on the road and win game 2 also on the road, eventually lost the World Series (the ’13 Cardinals, ’11 Rangers, ’97 Indians and ’93 Phillies).
Again it is the 1992 Blue Jays, who were the last to “defy” that pattern, riding Ed Sprague Jr.’s dramatic home run, to a game 2 win in Atlanta.
Andy B Sports 