all four series are in action today; gibson and silver king are both pitching (though not against each other). box scores right here, summaries after the jump:
Game 4, 1885 v 2006
Game 4, 1946 v 1967
Game 3, 1888 v 1968
Game 3, 1942 v 1982
1888 BROWNS v. 1968 CARDINALS
Game 3
(1968 leads, 2 game to 0)
summary by lboros
You're gonna think I'm nuts. I am nuts. But with Silver King starting today's game for the 1888s, I got curious to know what his record is throughout the tournament. Although it sometimes seems as if he's started a third of the damn games overall, only 2 versions of him have been abroad to date --- the 1888 and 1887 versions. The 1886 King hasn't appeared yet, and he didn't pitch for the 1885s. Anyway, I went back and tallied up his tournament stats ---- it didn't take as long as you might imagine, only 15 minutes or so. Here's what I got:
| IP | H | BB | SO | HR | W | L | ERA | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| overall | 114.2 | 107 | 35 | 36 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 3.45 | 1.238 |
| King v1888 | 69 | 55 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1.96 | 0.942 |
The lone homer off either version of King in this tournament was hit by Reggie Sanders in Game 5 of round 2 against Silver King v1888. As you can see, the '88 version is by far the better of the two; the 1887 incarnation of King went 2-4 with a 5.72 ERA / 1.686 WHIP in his team's round 1 loss to the '96 Cardinals.
He pitches today against Ray Washburn, who twice went toe-to-toe vs Pete Alexander in the second round. One change in the '88 lineup: Ed Herr gets the start at SS, replacing error-prone Bill White.
| 1888 | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Arlie Latham, 3b | Lou Brock, lf |
| Yank Robinson, 2b | Curt Flood, cf |
| Tip O'Neill, lf | Roger Maris, rf |
| Charlie Comiskey, 1b | Orlando Cepeda, 1b |
| Tim McCarthy, rf | Tim McCarver, c |
| Ed Herr, ss | Mike Shannon, 3b |
| Harry Lyons, cf | Julian Javier, 2b |
| Jocko Milligan, c | Dal Maxvill, ss |
| Silver King, p | Ray Washburn, p |
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King's on his game again today, retiring the first 9 batters he faces. His teammates threaten in the first with a pair of 2-out singles and a stolen base, but McCarthy grounds out to strand both runners. Latham tries a little too hard to make something happen in the 3d; after reaching on a fielder's choice he steals second base but then gets caught trying to steal 3d. The Cardinals mount their first threat in the 4th, although it doesn't amount to much; Brock leads off with a single, Flood forces him at 2d, and then with 2 outs Cepeda reaches on a 2-base error by O'Neill. McCarver has a chance to drive them both in with a hit, but his line drive finds Comiskey's glove and the score remains 0-0.
Nobody reaches for either side in the 5th; Brock gets on via the walk in the 6th but again gets forced at 2d by Flood (why isn't Brock running?), and the rally goes nowhere. In the 7th Comiskey reaches on Javier's error with nobody out and promptly steals 2d base. In a game like this --- scoreless tie, only 4 hits for both sides combined --- you'd think the Browns would try to bunt the man over to 3d. But McCarthy swings away and pops out for the first out. Comiskey then attempts to swipe 3d and gets nailed by McCarver, the second time in this game the Brownies lose a runner on an attempted steal of 3d. King is just mowing guys down with no effort; aside from Brock (who singled in the 4th for his team's only hit, then walked in the 6th) he hasn't allowed a Cardinal to reach base. But Washburn very quietly is matching him almost pitch for pitch; from the 4th through the 8th he gives up no walks and no hits. When Sim-Schoendienst lifts him for a pinch-hitter with two out and nobody on in the bottom of the 8th, his line reads 8 innings, 3 hits, 1 walk, no runs. Quite an effort.
Dick Simpson, who pinch-hits for Washburn, makes some noise with a ringing double over Lyons' head. That brings up Brock with a chance to put the '68s ahead, but he chops on down to Comiskey and the inning is over. Ron Willis comes on and pitches around a 2-out hit in the 9th; in the bottom half El Birdos get another 2-out double, this one by Cepeda, but again they can't get the big hit. McCarver strands the man this time.
So we head into extras, tied at 0-0. Comiskey leads off the 10th with a hit, and McCarthy walks immediately thereafter; looks like trouble. Sim-Red gives the call for Wayne Granger, who faces Ed Herr in the most obvious bunting situation of all time. But Herr swings away and sends one deep into the left-field corner; Brock chases it toward the line, makes the grab, and crashes into the facing of the stands; Comiskey very alertly tags up and scampers to 3d, where he's safe with no play. The infield has to come in now, and Lyons just wants to put it in play. He does, but it's a shallow pop fly; Maris closes on it and puts it away for the 2d out. Jocko Milligan steps in needing a hit; he bounces to 2d base instead, and the scoreless tie holds.
The Cards go in order in the 10th, with Latham making a nice play on Shannon's grounder leading off the frame. King is due up in the 11th, and Comiskey lets him bat; why not? He's barely over 100 pitches and shows few signs of cracking. Granger doesn't pitch him too fine, not wanting to fall behind in the count, but he makes a pitch a little too good and King lays into it. The ball soars toward the left-field bleachers. Brock and Flood both give chase, but it's clear they're not going to catch up with it. Looks like extra bases . . . . no, it's better than that. The ball is gone. It's a home run for King. Now, for the record, Silver King did hit a home run in 1888; 1 homer in 207 at-bats. In his career he hit 4 dingers in 1305 at-bats. So this is pert-near miraculous, about the least likely route to the game's first run that can be imagined. But it happens; King circles the bases and touches the plate, and it's 1-0 Browns.
Latham follows with a double, which drives Granger from the game and sets up an insurance run a few batters later. King takes a 2-0 lead back to the mound for the bottom of the 11th. He gets Dick Schofield (pinch-hitting) on a strikeout, just his 2d of the game; but then Brock, ever the thorn in King's side, ropes a double into right field and ends up on 2d. Flood hits it in the air to center, but Lyons hauls it in as Brock tags up and slides into 3d. Maris is the Cards' last chance. A home run would tie it, but of course this pitcher has only allowed a single homer in the tournament so that's not very likely. He pitches; Roger swings; the ball is popped up on the infield. Ed Herr settles under it and makes the catch, and that completes the shutout --- a 4-hit, 11-inning complete game. Silver King pretty much wins this one single-handedly, hitting the game-winning homer in addition to his shutout. It's easily the best individual performance of the tourney so far, and it gets the Browns on the board in this series. They trail 2-1 with a chance to tie it all up tomorrow.
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1942 CARDINALS v. 1982 CARDINALSGame 3
(1942 leads, 2 games to 0)
summary by Pujols Shot Ya
For game three, we shift over to Busch stadium. The '82 squad put up 5 runs in the last two innings of Game 2, but '42 still came out on top after Slaughter's two-run walk-off home run. A great game for '42, but a deflating loss for the '82 team. The Whiteyballers were able to rough up Johnny Beazley (#2 ERA in the NL) for six runs in seven and a third innings but still couldn't pull it out.
Game 3 pits the lefty Max Lanier (2.96 ERA, 116 ERA+) against Bob Forsch (3.48 ERA, 105 ERA+). On paper, this is a little more even than the first two games. Down 2-0 and with a lefty on the mound, Sim-Whitey shakes up his lineup. Ozzie's up in the two spot, with Herr dropping down to 8. The Greek God of Walks (Tenace) gets the start, batting fifth, and Willie sits in favor of David Green. On the other side, Sim-Southworth shifts Musial to first base to get Harry Walker's bat into the lineup. Musial didn't play any first until 1946, so it'll be interesting to see how he handles it in this sim.
Alright, the game's about to get underway. We've got Redbirds all over the field; 62-year-old Stan threw out the first pitch while 22-year-old Stan looked on. . . . . . looks like Mike Shannon picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue. Here are your lineups:
| 1942 | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Jimmy Brown, 2b | Lonnie Smith, lf |
| Terry Moore, cf | Ozzie Smith, ss |
| Enos Slaughter, rf | Keith Hernandez, 1b |
| Stan Musial, 1b | George Hendrick, rf |
| Walker Cooper, c | Gene Tenace, c |
| Harry Walker, lf | David Green, cf |
| Whitey Kurowski, 3b | Ken Oberkfell, 3b |
| Marty Marion, ss | Tom Herr, 2b |
| Max Lanier, p | Bob Forsch, p |
Forsch retires the first two batters easily to start off the game. Then Game 2 hero Enos Slaughter steps in --- and he's still sizzling. He cranks it to straightaway center, and it's gone. A no-doubter, 414-feet-plus. That's two homers in a row for the Hall of Famer. Not to be outdone, Musial steps up and hits a moonshot of his own into the right-center field bleachers. Walker Cooper grounds out to end the frame, but '42 is on top 2-0 before Whitey's boys even get a chance to bat.
They avoid a scare in the top of the second when, after a Lonnie Smith error, Lanier muscles up and cranks one deep to right. But it dies on the warning track, and Hendrick is able to track it down. He and his mates get their first scoring chance in the bottom of the inning. David Green gets aboard with a single and steals second. Oberkfell follows with a deep shot into right field, but Slaughter runs under it and pulls it in at the wall. Oberkfell just missed tying the game. They threaten again in the 3rd: Herr leads off with a single, and Forsch bunts him to second. With one out, Lonnie Smith grounds a single into right, scoring Herr, and then swipes second himself to get into scoring position. Ozzie and Keith can't bring him home, but '82 is on the board, trailing 2-1 after three.
The top of the 4th starts with a Musial walk. Cooper follow with a slow roller to 3rd, and Oberkfell's only play is to first for the out as Musial takes second. Harry Walker flys out to short right, but Kurowski hit a sharp grounder into left to score Musial and make it 3-1. The '82 bats go silent for a while --- their only baserunner from the 4th through the 6th is Tenace, who walks but goes nowhere in the 4th. Forsch does his best to keep it close despite the lack of support. After an uneventful 5th, he gives up a single to Walker Cooper with one out in the 6th. Walker pops up for the second out, and Game 1 star Whitey Kurowski lifts a little bloop into left-center. The ball is in no man's land. Lonnie Smith dives for it, but it's down. Cooper scores, and the score is 4-1.
Lanier has them mesmerized. He puts down the side in order in the 7th to complete a string of 11 up / 11 down, then gives way to Murry Dickson in the 8th. He pitches around a walk, and with 3 outs to go the '82s have only 3 hits in the game and trail it 4-1. They're 3 outs from an 0-3 series deficit --- and when a Jimmy Brown bloop double scores another run (off Bair) in the top of the ninth, the stands start to emptyh. Dickson, on for his second inning of work, starts the 9th by walking Hernandez. Hendrick grounds into a force out, but Tenace smokes one to deep center for a double. One more baserunner and the '82s might have a chance. But Green flies out, and it's all up to Oberkfell. After jumping ahead 1-2, Dickson throws three straight balls and walks him. That's the baserunner Whitey's boys needed; the bases are loaded and a home run would tie. But the batter is Herr, homerless in 1,100-plus career at-bats through 1982. Well, maybe the simulator doesn't know . . . . Herr grounds one to shortstop and this should be the game. But just a second --- Marion botches it! That's his second error of the series. Hendrick scores from third, everyone's safe, the tying run's on first and the winning run is at-bat in the person of Dane Iorg. Sim-Southworth sticks with Dickson, who jumps ahead 1-2 against the Dane. On the next pitch, he busts Iorg inside. Iorg fights it off into right, but it looks like it's gonna hang up for Slaughter. Enos glides in and makes an easy catch. That's the ballgame. 1942 wins 5-2 and takes the 3-0 series lead.
1982 had a chance there at the end, but you're not going to win many games with only four hits. It doesn't look too good for them now. Let's see if they can at least make it interesting in Game 4.
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1885 BROWNS v. 2006 CARDINALSGame 4
(2006 leads, 3 game to 0)
summary by Zubin
So far, the 2006s have completely outplayed the 1885s. Here are the lines:
| runs | avg | obp | slg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 browns | 4 | .211 | .242 | .274 |
| 2006 cards | 16 | .306 | .330 | .423 |
It's a pretty horrid contrast and, quite frankly, hasn't made for a good series. In fact the 1885s have not held a single lead --- not even for 1 inning --- so far in this series. I do realize that 1885 is probably over-rated as a #1 seed. They only got past the 2000s because of some terrible middle relief by Mike James and Heath Slocumb. But even without James and Slocumb, the 1885s hit .265 / .327 / .413 through 5 games of that series, which is a good bit better than how the Browns are faring against the 2006 staff. Furthermore, I would think that Kile-Ankiel are a better 1-2 combination than Carpenter-Suppan.
I can't really explain why the sim "likes" 2006, but my best guess would be that it is a combination of dumb luck and a relatively strong bullpen. Then again, the 2006 pen has yielded 3 of the 4 Brown runs. I wasn't exactly sure how 2006 did it in real life, and I'm not sure how they are doing it in the sim, but they are a victory away from advancing.
Today's matchup pits Mark Mulder against David Foutz. I left J-Rod in left and Belli is back on second for 2006.
| 1885 | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Arlie Latham, 3b | David Eckstein, ss |
| Bill Gleason, ss | Chris Duncan, rf |
| Tip O'Neill, lf | Albert Pujols, 1b |
| Sam Barkley, 2b | Jim Edmonds, cf |
| Charlie Comiskey, 1b | Scott Rolen, 3b |
| Yank Robinson, rf | John Rodriguez, lf |
| Curt Welch, cf | Ronnie Belliard, 2b |
| Doc Bushong, c | Yadier Molina, c |
| Dave Foutz, p | Mark Mulder, p |
The Browns look to get a fast start off Mulder --- not surprising, given his 7.00+ ERA. Gleason and O'Neill hit back-to-back singles with one out in the first, and Sam Barkley walks to jam the bases. The Browns' captain and manager is up with a chance to give his team its first lead of the series. He grounds one to the right side, but it heads straight to Pujols. Albert gloves and without hesitation throws to home to get Gleason; Yadi relays back to 1st to complete the nifty 3-2-3 double play and extinguish the early threat.
Foutz rolls through the top of the Cardinals' order in the 1st, pitches around a walk in the 2nd and a 2-out double in the 3rd. Meanwhile Mulder continues to live dangerously. Welch hits a 1-out single in the 2d but is gunned down by Yadi trying to steal. Mulder then proceeds to walk both Bushong and Foutz before Latham flies out to deep left, just missing a 3-run homer. In the 3rd Gleason reaches base again, this time on a walk, and is again thrown out trying to steal. Tip follows with a groundball single, and Barkley reaches on an E6 to make it 2-on 1-out. But neither Commey nor Robinson can get the runner home; they both fly out.
And that does it for Mulder. Of the 5 batters he faced, 8 reached base via hit, walk, or hbp, and a 9th got on via an error. But the 3-2-3 double play and the two CSs kept the runs off the board. Weaver comes in for the 2d day in a row, and he must be tired after yesterday's 3-inning stint because he rapidly pitches into trouble. With one out, Doc Bushong grounds one past Eck for a single. One out later Latham rips a liner for a run-scoring double. The Browns go up 1-0 --- at long last, a lead !!! --- and still have a runner in scoring position. But Gleason fails to reach for the first time in the game, grounding out to end the frame. And the lead proves short-lived: J'Ed singles with a 1-out single, Rolen singles him over to 3rd, and J-Rod makes it 3 hits in a row and plates Jimmy. After a shallow flyout by Belli, Molina walks the sacks full and Jeff Weaver comes to the plate. Why Sim-Tony doesn't pinch hit, I can't figure --- sometimes this sim really makes you appreciate the flesh-and-blood Tony --- but the result is an IF pop up. 2006 ties the game but wastes a golden opportunity for more.
Weaver continues to pitch into trouble in the 5th, and Molina continues to save the day. Barkley singles to start the inning but immediately takes himself off the bases on an attempted steal, Yadi's third CS on the day. When will the Brownies learn? Naturally the next batter, Comiskey, hits a double but gets stranded when Yank Robinson grounds out to end the inning. The Browns have had 13 men reach base in 5 innings, yet they only have 1 run to show for it.
In the 6th, they go down in order for the first time in the game. Rolen starts the bottom half of the inning with a single; J-Rod walks; Belli then flies to left to advance Rolen to third. Runners are at the corners for Molina who then lines one to right center, scoring 1. Hector Luna (what is he doing on the team at the same time as Belliard???) pinch-hits for Weaver and gets the 6-4 grounder to score J-Rod, making the score 3-1. The inning ends Eckstein's 6-3 grounder. 2006 can smell the sweep.
Looper sets the Browns down 1-2-3 in the seventh, and the Cardinals to go right back to work on a tired Dave Foutz. Albert singles with one out, Edmonds and Rolen hit back-to-back doubles to score a couple; then J-Rod singles, and Gleason throws Belliard's roller away to let Rolen score with the Cards 6th tally. It's now 6-1 in the game and 22-5 in the series; complete domination.
But just a second. Looper begins the 8th inning by jamming the sacks (hit, walk, HBP), and he gets the hook. Sim-Tony goes to Flores, a curious choice considering he's a lefty and the Browns have an all-righty lineup. The results are what 2006 fan typically expect from Flores: Welch hits a sac fly to plate 1, and Bushong follows with a double to make it 6-4. Foutz keeps things going with a single, putting the tying runs on base for Arlie Latham. The Cardinals stay at double-play depth, and Arlie rolls the ball to Pujols; he scoops and wisely throws to second for the easy out, conceding the run. It's now 6-5, and with the tying run on 1st Sim-Tony finally pulls Flores for Wainer. Undeterred by the string of failed base-stealers before him, Latham takes off on the pitch; this time he's safe (the Browns' first successful theft in the game), and the tying run is in scoring position for Gleason. Adam keeps his cool and gets him on an easy fly out to end the frame.
The Cards can't plate an insurance run in the 8th, so the Browns have to score to keep the series alive. Sim-Tony continues to do his part to help the Browns' cause: He pulls Wainer and puts in Izzy to close it out. This is the one-legged Izzy, remember, hobbling around on a painfully impaired hip that robs him of his command. He walks O'Neill leading off the inning and lets him steal second to reach scoring position with nobody out. The bunt is in order, but Sam Barkley, 2-for-3 on the day, grounds to short for the first out without advancing the runner to third. O'Neill, trying to atone for that sin, takes off for 3rd with Comiskey at the plate, but Molina's throw beats him by a country mile. The dejected team captain then pops to second to end the game and the series.
For the 2006s it's a great victory, a complete and utterly surprising sweep of the #1 seed by the #16. Scott Rolen is player of the game for his 3 hits, but I think Molina made the biggest contribution with the go-ahead double in the 6th and the four base-stealer kills. To me, he is the game and series MVP. As far as series goats, I can't really single anyone out --- the Browns sucked collectively. Their bats came alive only once, but it was too little too late. 1885 gets oh-foured (the double entendre is intentional) on a 6-5 Cardinal victory. Here's the final series line:
| runs | avg | obp | slg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 browns | 9 | .242 | .292 | .313 |
| 2006 cards | 22 | .306 | .342 | .422 |
Kind of a sad way to end things for our first World Champions, so I'll end this series with this memory of happier times for the '85 Browns.
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1946 CARDINALS v. 1967 CARDINALSGame 4
(1946 leads, 3 games to 0)
summary by Brock 20
Sure, on paper the 1946 Cardinals, an eighth seed, are slight favorites to the ninth seeded 1967 Championship team. But, as anyone who has filled out an NCAA bracket can tell you, an eight versus nine matchup is a pick `em game, a coin flip, a chance to pick with your heart and it not cost you that much. This possible sweep goes against the conventional math.
The game one starters take the hill again. Bob Gibson vs. Howie Pollet. No changes in the field as the managers run out their normal starting lineups.
| 1946 | 1967 |
|---|---|
| Red Schoendienst, 2b | Lou Brock, lf |
| Terry Moore, cf | Curt Flood, cf |
| Stan Musial, 1b | Roger Maris, rf |
| Enos Slaughter, rf | Orlando Cepeda, 1b |
| Whitey Kurowski, 3b | Mike Shannon, 3b |
| Joe Garagiola, c | Tim McCarver, c |
| Harry Walker, lf | Julian Javier, 2b |
| Marty Marion, ss | Dal Maxvill, ss |
| Howie Pollett, p | Bob Gibson, p |
With elimination on the line, Gibson puts the team on his back and carries them through the first six innings. Six innings, eighteen batters, sheer perfection. The 1946 Championship team, the team with an almost .400 series OBP, cannot get a runner on base. Gibson strikes out five, induces six ground outs, and seven fly/line outs. He strikes out the side in the second --- Kurowski swinging, Slaughter and Garagiola looking. Only Musial hits Gibson hard --- he lines out Shannon in the first and flies out deep to left-center in the 4th.
Gibson pitching to Musial. Savor that thought for a moment.
As would happen many times in Gibson's career, the offense fails to back up his dominating performance with runs. Howie Pollet is almost flawless for five innings. In the second, he gives up a two-out single to Maris, but gets Cha-Cha to ground out to end the inning --- and that's it. That's the only baserunner of the game through five and a half innings. In the bottom of the sixth, with some prodding and choice words from Gibson (or so I would like to believe), El Birdos' offense finally comes through. Consecutive two-out singles from Brock and Flood create the game's first scoring threat, and the 1967s capitalize when Maris booms a line drive to the gap in right. The two swift baserunners motor home. and it's 2-0 at the end of six. The way Gibson's pitching, it might as well be 20-0. Can he complete the perfect game?
In the seventh --- probably because I just typed that last sentence --- Sim Player Red grounds the first pitch right up the middle. Maxvill dives and knocks it down, but he doesn't have a play. The infield hit breaks up the perfecto and the no-no, and it brings the tying run to the plate. But Sim Southworth plays for one run; Moore drops a perfect bunt to the first base side, and Red scampers to second. Musial grounds out to Gibby, who checks Red and throws to first. With two outs and Slaughter on deck, Gibson goes right after Kurowski. But he makes one a little too good; Whitey takes it the other way and the ball carries high, deep, and over the wall. The brief lead is gone; it's 2-2 and Gibson's out of the game.
That's right --- Gibson's low workload in 1967 (he missed two months with a broken leg, remember) causes the simulator to assign him a high fatigue quotient. It's not as if they're hitting him hard --- one of the two hits against him was of the infield variety --- but Sim Red calls in Ron Willis anyway. Willis, the goat in Game 1, has been worked extensively in this series, while closer Joe Hoerner has yet to appear. During the 1967 season, Hoerner was used to working multiple innings saves, so an outing of two and a third innings wouldn't be too much for him. My second guessing of Sim Red proves wrong. Willis gets Slaughter to fly out to right and the inning is over.
Somewhere in the dugout, Gibson is disgusted with himself.
McCarver leads off the bottom of the seventh with a single to center. On the next play, Javier hits a mile-high ball that falls into the outfield for a double. McCarver is chugging hard for home. Moore fires to the plate, Garagiola lays down a perfect tag on McCarver, and he is OUT!! The energy and momentum is drained out of the concrete doughnut and its occupants. But only for a moment --- Maxvill picks everybody up on the next AB as he singles home Javier. El Birdos retake the lead 3-2; perhaps they're going to survive after all.
Sim Dyer makes a pitching change, going to the stopper of the series, Ted Wilks. In an unusual move, Sim Red does not pinch hit for Willis, allowing him to bat. Here I have to question Sim Red's decision. Runs in this series have been hard to come by for El Birdos. With Maxvill at first, and Brock in the on-deck circle with only one out, it would seem like the ideal time to pinch hit. As I discussed above, Hoerner is fresh in the pen. Also, if push came to shove, he could go to Game 2 starter Dick Hughes, who only threw three innings. Sim Red is not managing to win this series.
Finally, one of my second guesses proves true. Willis nubs one in front of the plate. Garagiola, on his second smart play of the inning, throws to second for the force. Sim Red has a chance to redeem himself: The speedy Bobby Tolan is sitting on the bench, ready to pinch run. Red leaves Willis out there to run the bases for Brock's AB. Brock singles to right, moving Willis around to 3d base; Tolan would have scored on that if he'd pinch-run and swiped 2nd base. Flood has a chance to make the whole argument moot, but he grounds out to third to end the inning. The '67s get a double and three singles in the inning, but they only have one run to show for it.
Still, they lead by one after seven.
Willis issues two walks to open the eighth, one to Garagiola and another to Harry Walker; why was he allowed to hit for himself again? Marty Marion flies out to left (shouldn't he have been bunting there?), which brings up a pinch-hitter: Erv "Four Sack" Dusak, so named in a fan-penned poem written after Dusak hit a game-winning home run. (Maybe there's hope for "Sno Cones" catching on, eh gang?) Without delay, Dusak creates the need for more meter: he jacks a no-doubter to left field, a line drive that just keeps rising. Brock doesn't even move. It plates three, and the '46s lead by two runs. Now Sim Red makes the pitching change, bringing in Al Jackson. . . . . he gets out of the inning.
Sim Dyer goes to Ken Burkhart, his fireman in this series. He has saved each of the three previous games, throwing four and a third scoreless innings. He has given the 1967 club opportunities in each game, but quickly dashed them. Sounds like the 1940's version of Izzy. True to form, he allows a leadoff single to Maris in the eighth to bring up Cepeda as the tying run. But he pops out to third, and Shannon grounds into a 6-4-3 DP. El Birdos are down to their last three outs and staring elimination in the face.
Again showing a flare for the dramatic, Burkhart walks McCarver to put the leadoff batter on base. Javier goes down swinging on strikes, bringing Dal Maxvill, the pride of Granite City, Illinois, to the dish. Burkhart gets the shortstop to ground to Marion. Marion flips to Red. Red throws to Musial. 6-4-3 DP!!
The series is over in a sweep, but the competition was a lot closer than that. Compare the two aggregate lines:
| avg | obp | slg | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 cards | .267 | .360 | .323 |
| 1967 cards | .265 | .335 | .303 |
The difference in the series? A few clutch hits from unheralded players: Dusak's 8th-inning pinch-hit homer to win Game 4, Del Rice's clutch double to plate both runs in Game 3 (and seal a 2-1 win), and Joe Garagiola's walkoff two-out single in the 13th inning of Game 1.