REGIONAL #34:  This group provides the long-awaited debut of the team that many consider the greatest of all time (although only third in the ELO ranks):  the 1927 Yankees of Murderer’s Row fame.   Also contending would be another great pennant-winning team, the 1920 Indians, along with a fair-to-middling collection of squads from later in the 20th century.  The ELO prediction was obvious, with the ‘27 Yanks picked over the Indians in the final, but given that  the second ranked team of all time, the 1906 Cubs, didn’t survive the first round in this tournament, no chickens should be counted prematurely.

The first round started off with a bang, as the 1970 Tigers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead on the 1961 Red Sox, but Boston tied it in the 2nd with a grand slam from the unlikely Carroll Hardy.   A Vic Wertz homer gave the Bosox a 6-4 lead in the 5th, although a Bill Freehan RBI single in the 8th makes it a one run game.  However, the Red Sox pour it on in the bottom of the 8th, including a 2-run double from Wertz, and Boston moves on with a 10-5 win.  The next game sees the 1982 Braves, behind a 5-hitter from Phil Niekro, upset the 1920 Indians 3-1, with the tandem of Dale Murphy and Bob Horner accounting for all the Atlanta runs.  The 1978 Rangers and Doc Medich hold off a 9th inning comeback attempt by the 1975 Cubs to move to the semis with a 4-3 win.  There, they will face the intimidating 1927 Yankees, who struggled against the 1984 Dodgers’ Alejandro Pena but survived thanks to a 6-hit shutout from Waite Hoyt to eke out the 2-0 win.

In the semifinals, it was all Dale Murphy for the 1982 Braves as he hit two homers and drove in five to account for all the scoring in the 5-2 win against the 1961 Red Sox, Pascual Perez tossing a 3-hitter against Boston although one of those was a 2-run double from Gus Malzone.  In the other semi, the 1927 Yankees moved to an early 3-0 against Ferguson Jenkins and the 1978 Rangers, but the Rangers manage to take the lead at 5-4 against Urban Shocker in the top of the 6th, assisted by a 3-run homer from Bobby Bonds. However, Ruth, Gehrig, and Lazzeri all drive in runs in the bottom of the inning and the Yankees prevail in the 7-5 win.

For the finals, it’s the #1 seed 1927 Yankees against the #4 seed 1982 Braves, Herb Pennock against Steve Bedrosian for all the regional marbles.  The Braves jump to lead when a Bruce Benedict single drives in Murphy in the top of the 2nd, but a Mike Gazella triple in the bottom of the inning ties it up.  However, a Bob Horner solo homer in the 4th, a Chris Chambliss solo shot in the 6th, and a Jerry Royster RBI single in the 7th push the Braves to the lead, and the vaunted NY offense has no answer against Bedrosian, as the Braves pull off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament to become the regional champs with a 4-1 win, with the Yanks held to only six hits.  Dave Murphy was the NL MVP for 1982, and the Braves award him with similar honors in this regional; it’s not every day that you can outdo the Babe in leading your team to victory.