It’s time for an old game I haven’t played in a long time… fun with the 9th Edition of the Baseball Encyclopedia.
After 9 innings of some very good baseball, the World Series teams for 2006 have been decided and its going to be a rematch of the 1968 World Series. The Tigers beat the Cards* in seven games that year. And who hit .333 with a homerun and 4 RBI for St. Louis that series? None other than our favorite Fox announcer, Tim McCarver.
It’s also a rematch of the 1934 World Series, another 7 game series, but this one won by the Cardinals. All four of the Cardinal wins were attributed to the Dean brothers — two each for Dizzy and Daffy. Mother must have been so proud. Not to be outdone in the fun names department, the Tigers three winning pitchers were Schoolboy Rowe (this is how he’s listed in the Players Register), Elden Auken, and Tommy Bridges. Well, two out of three, anyway.
So, what can we expect of the coming World Series if history is to be any indication? Seven games and a bunch of colorful characters.
Of course, the last time there was a World Series rematch involving the Cardinals, history didn’t even come close to repeating itself, so what do I know.
* — Sidebar: I was talking to a friend yesterday and he was asking me who I wanted to win the NLCS. I responded with “I think I’m going for the Cards,” and he thought I was making some reference to our weekly poker game.