Mickey Rivers KOD15 World Series MVP

• Mickey Rivers - .448, 13 hits, 4 runs, 4RBIs, HR – was named Series MVP.
• Pete Rose finished the Series hitting .481 with a .588 OBP.  He probably would have been MVP if Cincinnati had won the Series.
• George Foster led all hitters with 10 RBIs.
• Bobby Grich, Jim Spencer, Bob Oliver, Mickey Rivers, Ken Berry, and Leroy Stanton entered the Series with a combined 3 HRs for the entire season, including the LDS and LCS. Yet they combined for 7 HRs in the World Series.
• Despite finishing the season 2nd to last in the AL in number of HRs hit as a team, California out-homered Cincinnati 9-5 in the World Series.      
• Tanana’s loss in Game 2 and Messersmith’s loss in Game 3 were only the 2nd loss for each on the season, including the entire post-season.
• Tom Seaver’s loss in Game 6 and Don Gullett’s loss in Game 7 were only the 2nd loss for each on the season, including the entire post-season.

GAME 7: Angels 5, Reds 1 - Halos win series after being down 3-0

October 25, Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati 

Andy Messersmith vs Don Gullett
Angels 5, Reds 1
As unlikely as it seemed 4 days earlier, a 7th game would be played in the Series.  Each team responded with their best starter.  Cincinnati handed the ball to Don Gullett (9-1, 1.51), while California chose ace Andy Messersmith (7-2, 2.80).  Through 5 innings, both pitchers rose to the challenge.  Only Gullett showed a momentary lapse of concentration when he surrendered a 1-out triple to Ken Berry in the top of the 3rd, followed by a double by Mickey Rivers.  The score was still 1-0 when Joe Rudi led off the top of the 6th with a solo HR to give the Angels a 2-0 lead.  And with Messersmith firing bullets, having yielded only 3 singles thus far, perhaps that would be enough for victory.  Andy Etchebarren opened the 7th inning with a walk. Ken Berry then shocked the hometown Cincinnati crowd with his 1st HR of the season, a clutch 2-run shot, and suddenly the Angel lead was 4-0.  One out later, Gullett’s day was done. On came closer Tom Hall, who struck out Bobby Grich.  But then Angels’ team HR and RBI leader Don Baylor parked on into the left field seats to give California an imposing 5-0 lead.

Cincinnati managed to load the bases with 2-outs in the bottom of the 7thth inning.  But Messersmith escaped the jam by getting Dave Concepcion to groundout to shortstop. After California went quietly in the top of the 8th, Angels’ manager Lefty Fregosi Zaner decided to lift Messersmith after 116 pitches. And to use his well-rested the bullpen to get the last 6 outs.  However the strategy appeared to backfire when reliever Rudy May walked Joe Morgan and Pete Rose to lead off the bottom of the 8th, and Ken Griffey singled to knock in Morgan with the Reds’ first run.  Lloyd Allen was called on out of the pen and delivered exactly what the doctor ordered: a round-the-horn double play grounder, and then another infield groundout to limit the damage to 1 run.  With the score still 5-1, Cincinnati put 2 runners on base with 1-out in the bottom of the 9th.  When Bobby Tolan was announced as a pinch hit for Concepcion, Mel Queen, a righty who specializes in getting out left-handed batters came in in relief, and induced a 6-4-3 twin killing, the Angels’ 4th of the game.

And as improbable as it was, the California Angels, down 0-3 after 3 games had come back and won 4 straight against the best team in baseball to earn the KOD15 World Series trophy.  Indeed, anything can happen in a short series.

Angels win series 4-3

--submitted by Douglas Zaner--

GAME 6: Angels 7, Reds 3

October 24, Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati 

Frank Tanana vs Tom Seaver
Angels 7, Reds 3

Back at Riverfront Stadium, game 2 starters Tom Seaver and Frank Tanana faced each other once again for Game 6.   Same pitchers, same location, but different results.  Jim Spencer hit a solo HR to lead off the 2nd inning, followed by 3 consecutive singles.  By the time the inning ended, the Angles had stake Tanana to a 3-0 lead.

California continued to chip away at Seaver doing just enough to score single runs in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th innings, the final run scored courtesy of Leroy Stanton’s 1st HR of the season.

In the meantime, Tanana put his Game 2 performance behind him, and returned to his usual top notch form, pitching into the 8th inning, and yielding only 6 hits and 1 run, a Joe Morgan solo HR.  The Angels’ bullpen mopped up to finish the game, allowing a couple more Reds to cross home plate.  When it was all over, California had topped Cincinnati 7-3, and had managed to tie the Series, forcing a Game 7.

Spencer and Stanton each finished with 4 hits, and Ken Griffey had 3 hits for the Reds in a losing effort.  But this game clearly belonged to Frank Tanana.
Series tied 3 games each
--submitted by Douglas Zaner--

GAME 5: Angels 7, Reds 6

October 22, Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim 

Gary Nolan vs Nolan Ryan
Angels 7, Reds 6
The Nolans who started Game 1 (Ryan and Gary) returned for Game 5. California grabbed early control of the game, scoring twice in the bottom of the 2nd and 3rd innings, helped by Bob Oliver’s 2-run HR.  Nolan Ryan struck out 6 Reds in the first 4 innings and appeared to be cruising.

But the Big Red Machine got into gear in the 5th, scoring twice behind a Dave Concepcion triple, a Pete Rose double, and a George Forster single.  The real damage was done an inning later when, after 2 were out, Ryan completely lost his mojo, and yielded 3 walks and 3 singles.  By the time the dust had settled, Cincinnati was up 6-4.  And when the Angles failed to score in the bottom of the 6th, the Anaheim stadium staff began covering the Visitor locker room in protective plastic, while the Reds cub house staff began chilling the champagne.

Still, California refused to go quietly. In the bottom of the 7th, Jerry Remy led off with a bunt single. When Mickey Rovers followed with a hit & run single, the Angels had runners on the corners with no outs.  Ross Grimsely came on to induce a double play grounder from Bobby Valentine.  The Angels scored on the play to make it a 6-5 game.  But now they had 2 outs and bases empty.  The quite Anaheim crowd then came alive suddenly when next batter Bobby Grich launched one down the left field line for a game-tying solo HR.

California relievers Lloyd Allen and Mel Queen managed to keep Cincinnati off the board for the 7th, 8th and 9th innings.  In the bottom of the 9th, the Angels loaded the bases with 2 outs off reliever Rawley Eastwick.  Ken Berry, California’s best hitter all season, was called on to pinch hit, and delivered a ground ball through the hole on the right side to score Jerry Remy with the winning run.  The comeback, walk off victory gave the Halos some needed confidence, as well as one more day of life.
Cincinnati leads the Series 3-2
--submitted by Douglas Zaner--

GAME 4: Angels 2, Reds 1

October 21, Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim

Jack Billingham vs Bill Singer
Angels 2, Reds 1

On the verge of a Series sweep, Cincinnati chose Jack Billingham to start game 4, while California surprised everyone by tapping seldom-used Bill Singer, who was not even on the Angels’ post-season roster for the LDS and the LCS.  But although the Angels had two strong left-handers available, California management noticed that the Reds were 9-1 against left-handed starters this season, and decided to roll the dice with the right-handed Singer instead, despite his having made only 1 other start the whole year.

Perhaps it was a good omen for the Angels when Mickey Rivers led off the bottom of the 1st with a HR, his first of the season.  A Ken McMullen single 5 batters later gave California a 2-0 lead, one of the few they had yet to experience in this series.

As the game progressed, Singer’s 6 walks allowed shocked nobody.  But through 7 innings everybody was shocked that no Cincinnati batter had managed a hit off Singer, which was good for the Angels since they had no more success against Billingham after the 1st inning.  Yet, with one out and one on (via a BB) in the top of the 8th, Joe Morgan lined a single to left-center to put runners on the corners.  Not only was the no-hitter gone, but the slim 2-0 lead was also in jeopardy. Closer Dave LaRoche was called on and got just what the doctor ordered, a Pete Rose groundball that resulted in a 5-4-3 twin killing.

The 9th inning also proved to be a nail-biter when Ken Griffey led off with a double, followed by 1-out singles from Johnny Bench and Tony Perez to make the score 2-1 with thy tying run on 2nd base.  But LaRoche managed to strike out Dan Driessen and induced a routine grounder from Cesar Geronimo to seal the win.  The Halos were alive for yet another day.
Cincinnati leads the Series 3-1
--Submitted by Douglas Zaner--  

GAME 3: Reds 7, Angels 4

October 20, Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim

Don Gullett vs Andy Messersmith
Reds 7, Angels 4

California hoped that playing at home and going with their best starter Andy Messersmitrh would allow the team to get on track and get back into the Series.  However, despite the new location and ace starter, the result was more of the same.   Cincinnati demonstrated their lack of intimidation by bringing 8 men to bat in the top of the 1st innings, banging out 4 hits, including a Tony Perez RBI double. California tried to battle back with base runners in almost every inning.  But could not get the hit they needed when they needed, and managed to plate only 1 run through 6 innings off Reds’ starter Don Gullett.

RBI hits by Dave Concepcion and Pete Rose in the 4th inning, and a solo HR by Tony Perez to start the 8th innings allowed Cincinnati to build a 7-1 lead going to the bottom of the 9th.
Although the first 2 Angels were retired in the 9th, the next 5 reached against reliever Pedro Borbon, thanks in part to a Pete Rose error at 3rd base. When Jim Spencer’s single plated the Angels’ 3rd run of the inning, Bob Oliver came to the plate representing the tying run.  But Reds’ closer Tom Hall came to the rescue, striking out Oliver, and preserving the 7-4 victory for Gullett. 
Cincinnati leads the Series 3-0
--submitted by Douglas Zaner--

GAME 2: Reds 13, Angels 5

October 18, Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati

Frank Tanana vs Tom Seaver
Reds 13, Angels 5

A Jim Spencer 2-RBI double and a Mickey Rivers RBI single allowed California to establish a 3-1 lead after 1.5 innings.  Cincinnati made it 1 run closer thanks to a Pete Rose triple in the bottom of the 2nd, and then broke through for 4 runs in the bottom of the 4th to build a 6-3 lead.  Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and George Foster provided the RBI hits, as yet another Angels’ starter – Frank Tanana – was given an early exit.

Bobby Grich’s 2-run HR in the top of the 5th off Cincinnati starter Tom Seaver cut the deficit to 6-5.  And for a moment it was again a close game.  But the Reds continued to score in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th innings off an Angels bullpen that was completely unable to slow down the Big Red Machine. Joe Morgan’s 2-run HR was the final blow in Cincinnati’s 17 hit outburst that resulted in 13-5 victory, with Morgan, Rose and Tony Perez accounting for 10 of the hits.
Reds lead the Series 2-0.
--submitted by Douglas Zaner--

GAME 1: Reds 7, Angels 3

October 17, Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati

Nolan Ryan vs Gary Nolan
Reds 7, Angels 3

George Foster’s 3-run HR in the bottom of the 3rd inning opened the scoring.  Cincinnati continued to score, built a 6-1 lead, and chased California started Nolan Ryan after 5.2 innings.  Reds starter Gary Nolan lasted 7.1 innings, scattered 10 hits, and yielded only 2 runs. Foster finished with 5 RBIs, Pete Rose’s solo HR in the bottom of the 8th capped the scoring, as Cincinnati cruised to a 7-3 win.
Reds lead series 1-0

--submitted by Douglas Zaner--

NLCS: Big Red Machine Sweeps Dodgers

GAME 1 - Riverfront
Sutton vs Billingham
Reds 3, Dodgers 2

Cincy broke up a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 7th with a 2 out clutch single by Charlie Hustle himself.  Pete Rose went 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBI's.  Burt Hooton took the loss in relief.  Jack Billingham went 7 and gave up 2 (1 earned) to get the win.  Rawley Eastwick fanned 2 in the 9th for the save.
Reds lead series 1-0

 
GAME 2 - Riverfront
Messersmith vs Seaver
Reds 8, Dodgers 4

The Big Red Machine's bats came alive and put the hammer down on Messersmith.  With Seaver on the hill the Dodgers faced an uphill battle that they could not win.  The top of the Reds order went an incredible 712 with 3 runs scored and 5 RBI's.  2 time NL MVP Joe Morgan was a monster.  Little Joe went 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 3 knocked in.  Cincy banged out 13 hits.  Morgan had 2 homers.  Seaver added a long ball himself
Reds lead series 2-0

GAME 3 - Dodger Stadium
Nolan vs Osteen
Reds 6, Dodgers 3

Change of venue, but no change in results.  The Big Red Machine once again doubled up the Dodgers.  The top of the order once again did damage.  Morgan remained hot going 3 for 4 with 3 RBI and another homer.  Rose and Griffey did their job setting the table.  LA is now on the brink of elimination.
Reds lead series 3-0

GAME 4 - Dodger Stadium
Gullett vs Rau
Reds 7, Dodgers 1

To close things out Don Gullett pitched a 4 hit gem, not that the Reds needed such a performance with all the runs that they scored.  Once again the top of the order for Cincy was unstoppable.  Cincy's first 5 hitters each had 2 hits.  Ken Griffey and George Foster each had 2 RBI's.  Morgan and Rose each scored twice.  LA was glad the bloodletting was now officially over.
Reds win series 4-0