CHICAGO — With one mighty swing, Jody Davis and the 1984 Chicago Cubs completed an unthinkable run and captured the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “The Best Teams of the 1980s” Strat-O-Matic World Series with a dramatic, come-for-behind, 8-7, victory over the stunned 1986 New York Mets.
Davis’ two-out, three-run home run in the seventh inning erased the Mets’ 7-5 lead and propelled Chicago to its eighth victory in nine games. The Cubs defeated the heavily-favored Mets, four games to one.
Chicago was the eighth and last seed in Bracket B of “The Best Teams of the 1980s” tournament, which consisted of two, eight-team brackets. The Cubs won four straight games, including defeating the 1983 Chicago White Sox in the winners bracket finals and again in the championship round. They followed with an impressive World Series against New York.
The Cubs were dominant offensively, scoring 37 runs in five games — 7.4 runs per game. They won the last two games by one run and didn’t score less than seven runs in their four victories.
They scored 65 runs in nine games — 7.2 per game — and had a run differential of 65-to-45 (+20) in the nine games.
The Cubs’ series-winning seventh inning was keyed by a lead-off double by centerfielder Bob Dernier and walks to Ryne Sandberg and Gary Matthews. After third baseman Richie Hebner hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-5, Keith Moreland flew out. Davis then crushed a Rick Anderson pitch into the left field bleachers .
Chicago relievers pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Scott Sanderson.
George Frazier was perfect in the seventh and eighth innings and after Smith allowed a two-out double to Keith Hernandez, he struck out Darryl Strawberry to end the series.
Chicago led 3-1 after one but New York scored once in the fourth on a Howard Johnson home run and five times in the fifth. A three-runs n home run by Strawberry — his third of the series — gave the Mets a 7-3 lead.
A solo shot by Sandberg in the bottom of the fifth cut the lead to three.
It was Sandberg’s 10th and final hit of the series and his sixth RBI.
In all, Sandberg was 10-for-22 (.455) with eight runs scored, two doubles and the home run. He posted a .430 on-base percentage, .682 slugging percentage and a 1.112 OPS. He hit safely in all five games with four multiple-hit games.
For his efforts, Sandberg was named Most Valuable Player. He also handled 33 chances — 12 put outs, 21 assists (33 total chances) and two double plays — flawlessly at second base.
Davis hit .421 with a .435 OBP and a .579 OPS and 1.014 OPS with six RBI.
The series defeat muted an outstanding effort by Johnson for the Mets.
Johnson went 9-for-16 (.563) with a .625 OPB and .938 SLP. His OPS was 1.563 with a series-high eight RBI.
In Game 5, Chicago got two hits from Bob Dernier, including a double; a hit and two walks from Gary Matthews, who reached base at a .583 clip in the series with 10 walks.
Lenny Dykstra had two hits and two stolen bases for the Mets. Backman had two hits, while Keith Hernandez had a single, double and home run. Ray Knight added three hits, including an RBI double.
The ‘84 Cubs will be one of the top three seeds in the 20-team “The Grand Champions” Strat-O-Matic tournament later this year.
Also qualified are the ‘86 Mets, ‘86 Houston Astros and ‘83 White Sox. They join the 1970s World Series champion 1975 Cincinnati Reds, 1972 Oakland A’s, 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers.
The top four teams in the “Best Teams of the 1990s” SOM tourney will join those eight in the Grand Champions tournament along with eight wild cards teams selected by @Jack Sacco6 and @sacco_john.
“The Best Teams of the 1990s” tournament will commence later this week.
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
John Sacco
sacman18@comcast.net
@sacco_john
Monday, June 15, 2020
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Trivia Time: How many of these 10 Questions Can You Answer? Without Looking Them Up!!!
1. Name the two Pirates' players who played for managers Danny Murtaugh, Chuck Tanner and Jim Leyland.
2. Rennie Stennett went 7-for-7 on September 16, 1975, against the Chicago Cubs. After his seventh hit, a triple, he was lifted from the game for a pinch runner?
3. In Stennett's 7-for-7 game, name the losing pitcher. Also, a native of Washington County (Pa.) played in that game. Who was it?
4. Name the three Pirates players that were part of the World Series championship teams in 1971 and 1979? Stennett played during the regular season in1971 but was not on the World Series roster.
5. In late 1976 the Pirates traded this player to the Chicago White Sox to acquire pitchers Rich “Goose” Gossage and Terry Forster.
6. The Opening Day lineup of the expansion Montreal Expos featured three players who either played or would play for the Pirates. Name them.
7. The Opening Day lineup of the 1969 San Diego Padres featured one former Pirates player. Who was it?
8. Three Rivers Stadium opened July 16, 1970 -- Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates. There were seven future Hall of Famers on the field that night in uniform. Who are the seven?
9. In 1987, because of MLB's system of rotating the first pick between the NL and AL for the MLB amateur draft, the Seattle Mariners held the top pick while the Pirates were second. The Pirates had the worst record in baseball in 1986. Unlucky for them, the rotating system had the AL team with the worst record picking first that particular year. Seattle selected Ken Griffey, Jr. Who did the Pirates take with the NO. 2 pick?
10. The Oakland A's used pinch-running specialist Herb Washington in 1974 and part of 1975. Washington stole 31 bases in that time but never played a position. He was replaced in 1975. Who replaced him in the role for the A's?
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
John Sacco
sacman18@comcast.net
@sacco_john
John Sacco
sacman18@comcast.net
@sacco_john
Moreland Slugs Cubs Past Mets, Moves Chicago Close to Championship
CHICAGO — Keith Moreland blasted Jesse Orosco’s first pitch of the bottom of the ninth to Waveland Avenue. Now, the 1984 Chicago Cubs are one win away from winning the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “The Best Teams of the 1980s” Strat-O-Matic World Series and waving goodbye to the mighty 1986 New York Mets.
Moreland’s walk-off home run made the Cubs a, 7-6, winner over the Mets and gave Chicago a commanding three-games-to-one lead over heavily-favored New York.
Two of the Cubs’ three wins in the series have come in their last at bats.
Moreland’s HR made a winner out of reliever Dennis Eckersley, who worked two innings in relief of starter Rick Sutcliffe.
Eckersley’s clutch pitching in the top of the ninth set the stage for Moreland.
With the game tied 6-6, Mets’ lead-off hitter smacked a double off Eckersley to open the ninth. After a Wally Backman ground out to second, moved Dykstra to third, Chicago Manager @JackSacco6 ordered Eckersley to intentionally walk Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry — New York’s No. 3 and No. 4 hitters — to load the bases.
With no margin for error, Eckersley responded by striking out Gary Carter and the series’ hottest hitter, Howard Johnson, to end the threat.
Chicago jumped on Gooden for two runs in the first, but the Mets responded with three-run second off Sutcliffe.
The Cubs came right back with a three-run second inning of their own to re-take the lead at 5-3.
New York tied the score in the third with two runs with three consecutive hits from Dykstra, Backman (a double), and the first of two RBI singles by Hernandez.
The starting pitchers held it together through the middle three innings until Chicago scored in the bottom of the sixth.
With one out, Gooden walked three consecutive batters then yielded a run-scoring single to third baseman Richie Hebner.
The Mets answered right back as pinch-hitter Stanley Jefferson smacked a one-out triple in the seventh. After Dykstra lined out to second, Backman walked, and Hernandez drove Jefferson home with a single.
Gooden was touched for nine hits in his seven innings. He walked six.
Johnson led the Mets with three hits, including an RBI triple. Dykstra had a double and Strawberry a home run.
Ryne Sandberg had two hits for Chicago while Gary Matthews reached base in all five of his plate appearances — two singles and three walks.
First baseman Leon Durham had a single and two-run double and walked twice. Hebner had two hits.
Game 5 will be played Monday with Chicago’s Scott Sanderson dealing against the Mets’ Bobby Ojeda.
Game 6 and 7, if needed, will be played in New York’s Shea Stadium.
NOTES — The Cubs have scored 29 runs (7.25 per game) in the series while New York has tallied 26 runs (6.5 per game). . . Chicago and New York have combined to score 10 of the series’ 55 runs in the last inning of the four games and 17 runs of the 55 in the last two innings of each game. . . Sandberg is hitting .421 with five runs scored and four RBI in the series. He has hit safely in all four games. . . Matthews, hitting just .250, has reached base safely in 11 of 20 plate appearances (.550 on-base percentage) with eight walks. . . Durham, who has hit safely in the four games, has two doubles, two runs and five RBI. . . Moreland also has hit in all four games with four RBI. . . Jody Davis is six-for-15 (.400) with a .471 OBP and two RBI. . . Johnson is seven-for-14 (.500) for New York with a .533 OBP, .786 slugging percentage and 1.319 OPS. Johnson has hits in all four games, two doubles, a triple and series-high seven RBI. . . Strawberry is hitting .313 with a .450 OBP and .625 SLP for a 1.075 OPS. He has two home runs and three RBI. . . Mets pinch hitters are four-for-10 (.400) with a .455 OBP, .800 SLP and 1.200 OPS with two double, a triple and four RBI.
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
John Sacco
sacman18@comcast.net
@sacco_john
Saturday, June 13, 2020
1986 Mets Finally Overcome 1984 Cubs, Blast Way Back Into Series
Finally. The 1984 Chicago Cubs have lost.
With that, the 1986 New York Mets are back in the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “Teams of the 1980s” Strat-O-Matic World Series with a, 11-5, Game 3 win over the torrid Cubs.
Chicago (6-1) now leads the series, 2-1.
Ray Knight blasted two home runs and had three hits and four RBI to get the Mets back in contention.
New York turned the tables on the Cubs, who had won six straight games, by getting two pinch-hit doubles by Howard Johnson and Lee Mazzilli in a four-run, ninth inning.
In the first two games, Cubs pinch hitters had three hits and a sacrifice bunt.
Sid Fernandez (1-0) worked seven innings and yielded 11 hits. Rick Anderson and Ron Darling worked a scoreless inning a piece for the Mets.
Chicago starter Steve Trout (0-1) was bounced around. Relievers Rick Reuschel and George Frazier held the Cubs in the game before Tim Stoddard was knocked around hard in the ninth, yielding three hits, two walks and the pinch-hit doubles.
The Mets had 17 hits compared with 11 for the Cubs. Each team had an error.
New York (5-3) broke a 4-4 tie with a three-run sixth. Shortstop Rafael Santana singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Fernandez and went to third on a Mookie Wilson single. It was Wilson’s second hit. He had a double earlier in the game.
Knight followed with his second homer to make it 7-4.
Keith Hernandez, who has been uncharacteristically shaky defensively in the series, had three hits and a home run. Second baseman Tim Teufel had a pair of RBI singles.
Johnson now has four hits in the series and six RBI.
Ryne Sandberg (single and double) and Larry Bowa had two hits each for the Cubs. Sandberg had two RBI. Gary Mathews hit a home run and Ron Cey belted two doubles for Chicago..
Chicago has scored 22 runs (7.3 per game) in the series while New York has tallied 20 runs (6.7 per game).
Games 4 and 5 will be played at Wrigley Field. If needed, Games 6 and 7 will be played in New York.
The Cubs will start Rick Sutcliffe in Games 4 against the Mets’ Dwight Gooden. Neither was particularly effective in Game 1, a 9-6 Chicago win in 11 innings.
Chicago centerfielder Bob Dernier, injured in Game 2 and not available in Game 3, will return for Game 4.
With that, the 1986 New York Mets are back in the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “Teams of the 1980s” Strat-O-Matic World Series with a, 11-5, Game 3 win over the torrid Cubs.
Chicago (6-1) now leads the series, 2-1.
Ray Knight blasted two home runs and had three hits and four RBI to get the Mets back in contention.
New York turned the tables on the Cubs, who had won six straight games, by getting two pinch-hit doubles by Howard Johnson and Lee Mazzilli in a four-run, ninth inning.
In the first two games, Cubs pinch hitters had three hits and a sacrifice bunt.
Sid Fernandez (1-0) worked seven innings and yielded 11 hits. Rick Anderson and Ron Darling worked a scoreless inning a piece for the Mets.
Chicago starter Steve Trout (0-1) was bounced around. Relievers Rick Reuschel and George Frazier held the Cubs in the game before Tim Stoddard was knocked around hard in the ninth, yielding three hits, two walks and the pinch-hit doubles.
The Mets had 17 hits compared with 11 for the Cubs. Each team had an error.
New York (5-3) broke a 4-4 tie with a three-run sixth. Shortstop Rafael Santana singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Fernandez and went to third on a Mookie Wilson single. It was Wilson’s second hit. He had a double earlier in the game.
Knight followed with his second homer to make it 7-4.
Keith Hernandez, who has been uncharacteristically shaky defensively in the series, had three hits and a home run. Second baseman Tim Teufel had a pair of RBI singles.
Johnson now has four hits in the series and six RBI.
Ryne Sandberg (single and double) and Larry Bowa had two hits each for the Cubs. Sandberg had two RBI. Gary Mathews hit a home run and Ron Cey belted two doubles for Chicago..
Chicago has scored 22 runs (7.3 per game) in the series while New York has tallied 20 runs (6.7 per game).
Games 4 and 5 will be played at Wrigley Field. If needed, Games 6 and 7 will be played in New York.
The Cubs will start Rick Sutcliffe in Games 4 against the Mets’ Dwight Gooden. Neither was particularly effective in Game 1, a 9-6 Chicago win in 11 innings.
Chicago centerfielder Bob Dernier, injured in Game 2 and not available in Game 3, will return for Game 4.
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
John Sacco
sacman18@comcast.net
@sacco_john
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
1984 Cubs Bust Out, Roll Past 1986 Mets, Again
Ain’t no stopping the 1984 Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs broke open a 1-1 tie with a seven-run, eighth inning to roll to an 8-3 win over the shell-shocked 1986 New York Mets in Game 2 of the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “The Best Teams of the 1980” Strat-O-Matic World Series.
Chicago, winners of six straight, hold a two-game-to-none lead in the Series.
Scott Sanderson pitched seven innings, allowing just three hits and one run. He struck out six to earn the win. Warren Brusstar and Dennis Eckersley got the last six outs.
New York pitchers cannot avoid the big inning. Bobby Ojeda, who surrendered just one run in seven innings was rocked in the eighth. An error by second baseman Wally Backman helped to undermine the inning.
The Cubs have scored 15 of their 17 runs in the first two games in three innings. They scored five runs and three runs in two different innings in their 9-6 Game 1 victory and the seven runs in the eighth inning of Game 2.
Another factor for Chicago is that its pinch-hitters are three-for-four with a sacrifice bunt and five RBI in two games.
Gary Woods delivered a key two-run single in the eighth inning. It was his second pinch-hit in as many games. Thad Bosley hit a pinch hit, three-run, game-winning home run in Game 1.
Ryan Sandberg had three hits and Jody Davis had two hits for the Cubs. Davis has five hits in the Series and has been on base in seven of 10 plate appearances.
Bob Dernier added a double and single for Chicago. He was hit by a pitch in the eighth. He was forced to leave the game and will miss Game 3, which will be played at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have not revealed the injury.
The Mets got two hits and two stolen bases from centerfielder Lenny Dykstra. Darryl Strawberry added a hit, his fourth of the Series in nine at bats.
Third baseman Howard Johnson had two hits and two RBI. He has three hits and four RBI in the Series.
New York's Sid Fernandez will meet Steve Trout of the Cubs in Game 3.
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
John Sacco
sacman18@comcast.net
@sacco_john
The Cubs broke open a 1-1 tie with a seven-run, eighth inning to roll to an 8-3 win over the shell-shocked 1986 New York Mets in Game 2 of the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “The Best Teams of the 1980” Strat-O-Matic World Series.
Chicago, winners of six straight, hold a two-game-to-none lead in the Series.
Scott Sanderson pitched seven innings, allowing just three hits and one run. He struck out six to earn the win. Warren Brusstar and Dennis Eckersley got the last six outs.
New York pitchers cannot avoid the big inning. Bobby Ojeda, who surrendered just one run in seven innings was rocked in the eighth. An error by second baseman Wally Backman helped to undermine the inning.
The Cubs have scored 15 of their 17 runs in the first two games in three innings. They scored five runs and three runs in two different innings in their 9-6 Game 1 victory and the seven runs in the eighth inning of Game 2.
Another factor for Chicago is that its pinch-hitters are three-for-four with a sacrifice bunt and five RBI in two games.
Gary Woods delivered a key two-run single in the eighth inning. It was his second pinch-hit in as many games. Thad Bosley hit a pinch hit, three-run, game-winning home run in Game 1.
Ryan Sandberg had three hits and Jody Davis had two hits for the Cubs. Davis has five hits in the Series and has been on base in seven of 10 plate appearances.
Bob Dernier added a double and single for Chicago. He was hit by a pitch in the eighth. He was forced to leave the game and will miss Game 3, which will be played at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have not revealed the injury.
The Mets got two hits and two stolen bases from centerfielder Lenny Dykstra. Darryl Strawberry added a hit, his fourth of the Series in nine at bats.
Third baseman Howard Johnson had two hits and two RBI. He has three hits and four RBI in the Series.
New York's Sid Fernandez will meet Steve Trout of the Cubs in Game 3.
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
John Sacco
sacman18@comcast.net
@sacco_john
Monday, June 8, 2020
"Oh My Darling": 1984 Cubs are on a Roll; Stun '86 Mets
Thad Bosley hit a pinch-hit, two-out, game-winning home run in the top of the 11th inning to stun the 1986 New York Mets and lift the red-hot 1984 Chicago Cubs to a 9-6 win in Game 1 of the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “The Best Teams of the 1980s” Strat-O-Matic World Series Monday.
Bosley’s bomb came off reliever Ron Darling (0-1). He was pinch-hitting for Lee Smith (1-0), who pitched a scoreless 10th. George Frazier earned the save for the Cubs, now 5-0 overall.
Chicago was the bottom seed in Bracket B before winning for straight to advanced to the World Series.
The Mets jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run home run by rightfielder Darryl Strawberry.
The Cubs cut the lead in half then scored five runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-2 lead.
New York scored twice in the bottom of the fifth and and twice more in the sixth to tie the game.
The bullpens took over from there as Warren Brusstar pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Chicago starter Rick Sutcliffe worked six innings.
The Mets received quality relief work from Rick Anderson, Rick Aguillera and Jesse Orosco before Darling walked two after one out in the 11th. After recording the second out, Darling was scorched by Bosley.
“Walks always kill you,” said @sacco_john, Mets’ manager. “You expect a little more from a veteran right there. This one stings. Right now, these Cubs can do no wrong.”
Dwight Gooden was rocked for six runs in a poor start for the Mets.
“Have many in a row have (we) won,” said @JackSacco6. “Who says only the Mets can be Amazin’?
The Cubs pounded out 12 hits, including a three-run home run by third baseman Richie Hebner, RBI doubles from Ryan Sandberg and Leon Durham and three singles by catcher Jody Davis. Gary Woods added a pinch-hit double.
Strawberry had three hits to lead the Mets. Lenny Dykstra, Wally Backman, Howard Johnson and Kevin Mitchell all smacked doubles for New York. Danny Heep had an RBI, pinch-hit single.
The Cubs’ bullpen pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. The bullpen was perfect over the last four innings.
Game 2, which will be played at Shea Stadium will feature Chicago’s Scott Sanderson and the Mets’ Bobby Ojeda.
Games 3, 4 and 5, if necessary, will be played in the “Friendly Confines” of Wrigley Field.
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
Bosley’s bomb came off reliever Ron Darling (0-1). He was pinch-hitting for Lee Smith (1-0), who pitched a scoreless 10th. George Frazier earned the save for the Cubs, now 5-0 overall.
Chicago was the bottom seed in Bracket B before winning for straight to advanced to the World Series.
The Mets jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run home run by rightfielder Darryl Strawberry.
The Cubs cut the lead in half then scored five runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-2 lead.
New York scored twice in the bottom of the fifth and and twice more in the sixth to tie the game.
The bullpens took over from there as Warren Brusstar pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Chicago starter Rick Sutcliffe worked six innings.
The Mets received quality relief work from Rick Anderson, Rick Aguillera and Jesse Orosco before Darling walked two after one out in the 11th. After recording the second out, Darling was scorched by Bosley.
“Walks always kill you,” said @sacco_john, Mets’ manager. “You expect a little more from a veteran right there. This one stings. Right now, these Cubs can do no wrong.”
Dwight Gooden was rocked for six runs in a poor start for the Mets.
“Have many in a row have (we) won,” said @JackSacco6. “Who says only the Mets can be Amazin’?
The Cubs pounded out 12 hits, including a three-run home run by third baseman Richie Hebner, RBI doubles from Ryan Sandberg and Leon Durham and three singles by catcher Jody Davis. Gary Woods added a pinch-hit double.
Strawberry had three hits to lead the Mets. Lenny Dykstra, Wally Backman, Howard Johnson and Kevin Mitchell all smacked doubles for New York. Danny Heep had an RBI, pinch-hit single.
The Cubs’ bullpen pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. The bullpen was perfect over the last four innings.
Game 2, which will be played at Shea Stadium will feature Chicago’s Scott Sanderson and the Mets’ Bobby Ojeda.
Games 3, 4 and 5, if necessary, will be played in the “Friendly Confines” of Wrigley Field.
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
John Sacco
@sacco_john
Sunday, June 7, 2020
1986 Mets, upstart 1984 Cubs battle for 1980s Supremacy
The 1986 New York Mets will meet the upstart 1984 Chicago Cubs in the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “Best Teams of the 1980s” Strat-O-Matic World Series.
The ‘86 Mets, who won three straight games to advance to the Bracket A finals, were defeated, 3-0, by the 1986 Houston Astros in the championship round. Bob Knepper and Nolan Ryan, in relief, shutdown the New Yorkers.
But the Mets scored nine runs off Mike Scott in the deciding game and held on for a 9-7 victory.
The top-seeded ‘86 Mets (4-1) were lifted by a five-RBI performance by Howard Johnson. Other top performers in the Mets' run were Darryl Strawberry, Sid Fernandez, Doc Gooden and Jesse Orosco.
The ‘84 Cubs are quite the story. As the No.8 seed in the eight-team Bracket B, they upended top-seeded 1984 Detroit Tigers, fourth-seeded 1982 Milwaukee Brewers, and No. 7 seed Chicago White Sox. The Cubs followed with a 5-3 win over their crosstown rivals in the championship round to go 4-0.
Chicago was spurred by pitchers Rick Sutcliffe and Lee Smith and third baseman Ron Cey, outfielder Gary Matthews and first baseman Leon Durham.
Previously, the ‘75 Cincinnati Reds defeated the ‘72 Oakland A’s in the @JackSacco6 sacco_john the “Best Teams of the 1970s” SOM World Series.
The top four team of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s will advance to the 20-team, Grand Championship SOM tournament later this summer.
Eight teams have qualified for that tournament including (from the 1970s) ‘75 Reds, ‘72 A’s, 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers; and (from the 1980s), the ‘86 Mets, ‘84 Cubs, 1986 Astros and the 1983 White Sox.
The 1990s, 16-team (2 brackets of 8 teams) double-elimination tournament will be held following the conclusion of the 1980s WS.
Teams will include the 1990 A’s, 1991 Twins, 1992 Blue Jays, 1995 Indians, 1996 Yankees, 1997 Marlins, 1998 Astros, 1998 Padres, 1990 Reds, 1990 Pirates, 1993 Phillies, 1993 Giants, 1994 Expos, 1996 Braves, 1997 Orioles and 1998 Yankees.
Jack and I agree the 1970s tournaments were more fun than the 1980s. Neither of us are Cubs or Mets fans. We are looking forward to the 1990s tournament, which has a number of great teams.
The top four teams from the 1990s and eight wildcards — selected by @JackSacco6 and @sacco_john — will battle the others who have qualified in the Grand Championship tournament, which will feature four pigtail, best of three-game series’, and then eight, best-of-five quarterfinal series’. All other rounds will be best-of-seven.
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
The ‘86 Mets, who won three straight games to advance to the Bracket A finals, were defeated, 3-0, by the 1986 Houston Astros in the championship round. Bob Knepper and Nolan Ryan, in relief, shutdown the New Yorkers.
But the Mets scored nine runs off Mike Scott in the deciding game and held on for a 9-7 victory.
The top-seeded ‘86 Mets (4-1) were lifted by a five-RBI performance by Howard Johnson. Other top performers in the Mets' run were Darryl Strawberry, Sid Fernandez, Doc Gooden and Jesse Orosco.
The ‘84 Cubs are quite the story. As the No.8 seed in the eight-team Bracket B, they upended top-seeded 1984 Detroit Tigers, fourth-seeded 1982 Milwaukee Brewers, and No. 7 seed Chicago White Sox. The Cubs followed with a 5-3 win over their crosstown rivals in the championship round to go 4-0.
Chicago was spurred by pitchers Rick Sutcliffe and Lee Smith and third baseman Ron Cey, outfielder Gary Matthews and first baseman Leon Durham.
Previously, the ‘75 Cincinnati Reds defeated the ‘72 Oakland A’s in the @JackSacco6 sacco_john the “Best Teams of the 1970s” SOM World Series.
The top four team of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s will advance to the 20-team, Grand Championship SOM tournament later this summer.
Eight teams have qualified for that tournament including (from the 1970s) ‘75 Reds, ‘72 A’s, 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers; and (from the 1980s), the ‘86 Mets, ‘84 Cubs, 1986 Astros and the 1983 White Sox.
The 1990s, 16-team (2 brackets of 8 teams) double-elimination tournament will be held following the conclusion of the 1980s WS.
Teams will include the 1990 A’s, 1991 Twins, 1992 Blue Jays, 1995 Indians, 1996 Yankees, 1997 Marlins, 1998 Astros, 1998 Padres, 1990 Reds, 1990 Pirates, 1993 Phillies, 1993 Giants, 1994 Expos, 1996 Braves, 1997 Orioles and 1998 Yankees.
Jack and I agree the 1970s tournaments were more fun than the 1980s. Neither of us are Cubs or Mets fans. We are looking forward to the 1990s tournament, which has a number of great teams.
The top four teams from the 1990s and eight wildcards — selected by @JackSacco6 and @sacco_john — will battle the others who have qualified in the Grand Championship tournament, which will feature four pigtail, best of three-game series’, and then eight, best-of-five quarterfinal series’. All other rounds will be best-of-seven.
My blog appears on a regular basis and focuses on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.
John Sacco
@sacco_john
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)