World Series GAME 2 – White Sox 9, Braves 8

BSN - Nichols (5-2, 3.21) vs CHW - Bahnsen (5-5, 6.40)
On paper the matchup clearly favored the Braves.  Unfortunately for Boston these games are played on the field (ok...a computer).  With the game scoreless the Chisox scored 3 runs in both the 3rd and 4th innings to take a "safe" lead.  In the 3rd they played some small ball and got RBI hits from Bill Melton, Buddy Bradford and Ken Henderson.  A costly throwing error by Bob Elliott in left also helped the Chisox score.  The 4th inning was pretty much a carbon copy of the 3rd.  This big hit in the inning was a 2 run double by Dick Allen.  Buddy Bradford plated Allen when Brave shortstop Sibbi Sisti booted a sinking liner and allowed it to trickle into the outfield.  The top of the 6th saw the Braves halve the score by posting 3 runs of their own.  Sid Gordon launched 2 run double in almost the exact spot Dick Allen's two bagger landed.  The power of "3's" seemed to rule the day as the Chisox got back 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th when Melton singled home Dent.  Pat Kelley was called upon to pinch hit for Bradford and he singled home Melton.  A passed ball allowed Kelly to score 2 batters later for the 3rd run of the frame, which gave Chicago it's second 6 run lead of the game.  With 3 outs to go Skip Pitlock headed back out for his 3rd inning in relief of Bahnsen who went 5 2/3 with 3 runs allowed.  To this point Pitlock had not allowed a run or a hit.  He walked cleanup man Bob Elliott and was immediately sent to the showers in favor of Moran, who got the first batter he faced (Bob Addis) to ground back to the box for out #1.  Earl Torgeson followed with a run scoring double that almost cleared the fence in right center.  Sibbi Sisti grounded to short for the second out and the game looked all but over.  Roy Hartsfield had a seeing eye single up the middle  to score Torgeson to make it 9-5 with 2 outs.  Sam Jethroe singled to right and Willard Marshall put a big scare into the faithful fan of 35th street.  Marshall hit a mammoth shout to dead center, that on most days either hits the wall on one hop or is caught.  Today that ball caught the jetstream and wound up landing safely in the batter's eye for a 3 run shot to make it a 1 run ballgame.  The only sound you could hear on the Southside at this point was the whistle of wind swirling in the outfield.  Walker Cooper was the  next batter and he singled right up the middle off a 101 mph fastball thrown by young reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage.  Gossage might have still been shell shocked after he served up Marshall's 3 run shot.  Gossage can bring the gas, but he needs to learn to locate his pitches better if he's going to make it in this game.  With 2 outs an a runner on first Gossage now had to get cleanup hitter Sid Gordon out.  Gossage was able to get the ball in on Gordon's hands with more than enough velocity to saw the lumber in half.  The ball rolled back to the box and Gossage easily tossed it to first for the final out of the game.  This was a must win for Chicago and it went from being a laugher to almost a choker in 1 inning.

Series tied at 1-1

World Series GAME 1 – Braves 10, White Sox 3

GAMES 1-2 - Comiskey Park
BSN - Spahn (9-3, 3.26) vs CHW - Wood (8-6, 3.94)
The series opener featured a battle of tough lefties.  Boston went with HOF'er Warren Spahn and the Chisox tapped All-Star Wilbur Wood.  Spahn struggled in the first and gave the Chisox a quick 1-0 lead when Bucky Dent led off with a triple and scored on a Jerry Hairston single. After 3 innings Wood allowed only 1 hit and fanned 5.  Things were looking good for the Southsiders until the Braves batted around and scored 7 runs in the top of the 4th. A couple of RBI hits by Ebba St. Claire and Earl Torgeson set the stage for Sam  Jethroe's 3 run homer, which pretty much put it away for the visitors.  Spahn took his 6 run lead and went aggressively after the hitters.  He did give up solo runs in the 4th and the 5th, but he was smart enough not to play around. The Braves added 3 more solo runs off of reliever Tatum, who replaced Wood with 2 outs in the 4th.  Game time temperature was a nippy 53ø and the wind was blowing 10 mph from left to right.  Brave catcher Walker Cooper had a perfect day at the plate (4-4 with 3 runs scored).

KOD9 World Series Preview

1951 Boston Braves (29-22) – Mgr Terry Priest

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1974 Chicago White Sox (29-22)  - Mgr Dan Holm

GAME 7 - White Sox 6, Indians 1

For all the hype that these magical game 7's receive this one never once approached expectations.  After 4 innings the Chisox had a nice 4 run lead.  They posted 2 quick runs in the top of the 1st, when Jorge Orta hit a 2 run shot.  Orta struck again with an RBI single in the 2nd and Bill Melton hit his 3rd long ball of the series in the 3rd.  Bill Keller put his trust in Mudcat Grant and for that trust he got no reward.  Meanwhile Jim Kaat was going about his business posting goose eggs inning after inning.  in the top of the 6th the Pale Hose put it away when Carlos May singled home Pat Kelly, who led off the inning with a triple.  After a wild pitch by Grant, Ed Herrmann, who has been Chicago's MVP, singled home May to make it 6-0.  If you were watching at home you could have turned off your TV sets at this point and not missed a thing.    Cleveland broke the shutout and the hearts of their fans in the bottom of the 9th as the Chisox celebrated the AL pennant on the Indians' home turf.  Congrats to Chisox manager Dan Holm, who won his first pennant after 7 seasons piloting Chicago.  Up next he will get to face Terry Priest and his 1951 Boston Braves for the World Championship.

White Sox win series 4 games to 3

GAME 6 - Indians 5, White Sox 3

GAME 6-7 - Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Cal McLish rebounded to the form that made him a Cy Young candidate during the regular season.  Bart Johnson also rebounded.  His unfortunately for Chicago fans was a rebound back to mediocrity.  McLish scattered 8 hits by only allowing 2 runs over 8 innings of work.  Johnson was tagged for 5 runs in 6 innings.  The game was actually scoreless until Cleveland scored a run in the bottom of the 4th when Bobby Avilla singled home Larry Doby.  The bottom of the 5th would be Johnson's complete undoing as the Indians put up a 3 spot and never looked back.  The big guns, Minoso and Doby had RBI singles in that frame.  Will Harrell hit a solo shot in the 6th to make it 5-0.  Chicago finally got on the board in the 7th when Tony Muser hit a pinch hit homer to lead off the inning.  They also got another on a Buddy Bradford sac fly after pinch hitters Jerry Hairston and Ron Santo singled.  Bradford, the Chisox 3rd pinch hitter in a row had the opportunity to bring his team within one if he could have had another 4 feet on his sac fly.  Dick Allen grounded out weaky to short to end it as the series headed to a decisive game 7.

Series tied at 3-3

GAME 5 - White Sox 9, Indians 3

With the series knotted at 2 the stage was now set for the all important pivotal 5th game.  Both teams decided to go with starters who were not exactly on the top of their game of late.  Cleveland's Herb Score, who has been trying to return from injury, just didn't have it.  Score spotted the Chisox 4 runs in the first, and never got out of the opening frame.  Stan Bahnsen, who has been less than average all season allowed only solo runs in the 1st, 3rd and 7th innings.  By avoiding the "big innings" that victimized him all season, Bahnsen was able to keep his team in the game and protect the lead his offense supplied him with.  cy Acosta came on board for the final 2 and 1/3 innings to throw shutout ball and lock down the win.  Cleveland actually out hit the Pale Hose (11 to 9), but couldn't not get the big hit when it counted.  Colavito went 3 for 3 in the losing effort as Chicago took a 3-2 series advantage into game 6.

Chisox take a 3-2 series lead

GAME 4 - White Sox 5, Indians 3

Oh, the baseball purists were ticked off at this one.  How in the heck can a LCS playoff game be stopped due to rain and awarded to the team that was ahead ?  Why did the league allow it to start in the first place with the weather threatening as bad as it was.  In fact it was already raining before the first pitch was thrown.  Throw into the mix the Windy City's swirling winds and this was more football than baseball weather, and since the Browns weren't playing the Bears, the game should never have even started.  With all that said the game was official and 5 full innings of play were recorded.  Both pitchers seemed to fight the weather from the get go.  Don Mossi, who gave up 5 runs in almost 5 innings worth of work seemed to have the most trouble, although Wilbur Wood, who gave up 3 runs wasn't exactly enjoying it either.  Mossi's pitch count was  at 110 when the game was called.  After Cleveland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first the Chisox scored 3 in the bottom of the 2nd.  A bases clearing double by Jorge Orta accounted for all 3 runs.  A two run homer by Mickey Vernon tied it up for the Tribe, but an RBI single by Melton in the 4th and a run scored by Buddy Bradford on a fielder's choice in the 5th gave the Chisox their 2 run margin for victory in the abbreviated post season game.

Series tied at 2-2