REGIONAL #234:  Another two leagues, the 1994 and 2007 American League, saw their final entries in the tournament selected in this group, and in both instances it was the Red Sox that would provide the grand finale for those seasons, still smarting from a pair of semifinal losses in the previous regional..  One of those Boston teams was a World Series winner and looked like the team to beat in this group. The other double entry here was the A’s, with two teams from the 2010s that I suspected weren’t very good, unlike the Red Sox tandem.  Among the other contestants were a Phillies team a few years away from what emerged as a mini-dynasty in this tournament and a pretty modern Toronto squad that probably wasn’t too bad, along with Padres and Indians teams thatI suspected were mediocre.  My hunch here was that the 2007 version of the Red Sox would make up for those that fell short in Regional #233 and take the finals, perhaps over the Phillies.  The ELO rankings were quite enthusiastic about my pick of 2007 Boston, ranking them among the top 75 teams of all time, but predicted they would beat the Padres to win the regional, but with their greatest challenge being the Blue Jays in a potential semifinal matchup.

First round action

The 2004 Padres were the #3 seed in this bracket, with the NL ERA leader in Jake Peavy (15-6, 2.27) on the hill and 2B Mark Loretta getting some MVP votes for his .886 OPS as a middle infielder.  They faced a 1994 Red Sox team that went 54-61 in a strike-shortened season, as although they had a variety of offensive weapons, they had some rough spots on defense and other than Roger Clemens (9-7, 2.85) the pitching staff was pretty rough.  It doesn’t take long for the Red Sox to get on the board, as Otis Nixon leads off the bottom of the 1st with a single, steals second, and scores when a grounder back to Peavy gets thrown into the dugout for a two-base error.  They give the run back in the top of the 2nd with a 2-base error from CF-2 Nixon and an RBI single from Terrence Long, and then disaster strikes in the top of the 3rd when Clemens is hurt trying to field a Phil Nevin grounder and Boston is forced to go to a shaky bullpen and Chris Howard.   He gets out of the inning, but then in the bottom of the 4th the Red Sox also lose 3B Scott Cooper for the tournament, and it’s a good thing that Fenway is close to several hospitals because it looks like they’re going to get a lot of business.  However, San Diego proves sympathetic as an error by SS-2 Khalil Greene sets up a two base, two run error by CF Jay Payton, and armed with the two run lead the Sox move to closer Ken Ryan to begin the 6th.  In the bottom of the 6th, Boston loses yet another player to injury, this time C Damon Berryhill; when Nixon raps a double in the 7th, the Padres decide to move on from Peavy and try reliever Scott Linebrink, who promptly yields a double off his card to Mike Greenwell to make it 4-1 Boston.  The Padres get the run back on a two-out RBI double from Brian Giles in the 8th, and then Greene atones for his fielding miscues with another double that scores Giles and it’s a one-run game.  But Ryan makes the most of his final inning of eligibility for the regional and shuts the Padres down in the 9th, and the Red Sox move on with a 4-3 win, but with no bullpen and an injury depleted lineup heading forward.

The ELO ratings for the 2015 A's and the 2002 Phillies were virtually identical, with both teams portrayed as slightly better than average.  The Phils went 80-81 with Bobby Abreu and MVP vote-getter Pat Burrell leading the offense, and Randy Wolf (11-9, 3.20) had a good year to earn the first round start.  The A’s lost 94 games, but their Pythagorean projection suggested that they should have been nearly 10 games better; however, they had holes in their defense and no decent starters after Sonny Gray (14-7, 2.73) who finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting and looked to be the equalizer between the two teams.  The A’s give Gray a quick lead in the top of the 1st on a 2-run double from Stephen Vogt, and they add to it in the 3rd when a Josh Reddick triple, a sac fly from Danny Valencia, and a solo shot from Vogt makes it 4-0 A’s.  Gray is dominating through the 5th, but in the 6th he commits a 2-out 2-base error (P-2) to set up a 2-run single by Placido Polanco and it’s a ballgame again.  A leadoff single in the 7th by Josh Reddick and the Phils are warming up a bad bullpen, but after striking out two straight the Phils think that Wolf is out of the woods–but a 2-run homer by Lawrie sends Wolf packing and closer Jose Mesa has to come in to get the third out.  In the bottom of the 8th A’s SS-4 Marcus Semian drops a Polanco grounder to allow a run to score, but Gray keeps his composure to prevent further damage and the A’s head to the ninth holding a three-run lead.  That proves to be plenty as Gray wraps up the complete game 6-3 win, striking out 12 Phillies in the process and sending the A’s to the semis.

The 2007 Red Sox were the bracket favorite, tapped as one of the 75 best teams of all time having won 96 games, the AL, and sweeping the World Series.  The offense was impressive, led by David Ortiz and Mike Lowell who were #4 and #5 in the MVP votes, and Josh Beckett (20-7, 3.27) won 20 games and was runner-up for the Cy Young.  All of this seemed to spell trouble for the 78-84 1988 Indians, who had little punch past Joe Carter and Cory Snyder, although Greg Swindell (18-14, 3.20) was credible at the top of the rotation and had the potential to keep Cleveland in the game.  Back to back errors by SS-3 Julio Lugo and 1B-1 Kevin Youklis set up a Cory Snyder sac fly in the bottom of the 1st, and then an RBI double from Joe Carter is followed by a 2-run tape measure blast by DH Ron Kittle to provide a quick 4-0 lead for the underdog Indians.  The Red Sox rapidly cut that margin to two in the top of the 2nd on a Jason Varitek RBI single and a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Coco Crisp, but Willie Upshaw responds in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single and Cleveland leads 5-2.  The Red Sox then commit back to back errors with two out in the 3rd by 2B-2 Dustin Pedroia and 3B-2 Mike Lowell, setting up a 2-run double from Brook Jacoby off Beckett’s card and the Red Sox have to try something different, so Hidecki Okajami comes in from the pen to yield a single to Julio Franco and another to Upshaw that gets under Lugo’s glove to make it 8-2 Indians.   Andy Allenson adds an RBI single in the 4th to expand the Cleveland lead even further, but 3B Brook Jacoby is knocked out of the game with an injury, although he’s expected to be available for a likely semifinal game.  Meanwhile, the vaunted Red Sox offense is quiet until the 9th, when Dustin Pedroia singles in a run, but Swindell retires Manny Ramirez with the bases loaded to wrap up the 9-3 win, sending the bracket favorites back into storage having committed five errors to hand away the game.   

The Zoom game of the week involved Toronto partisan Eaglesfly Roy at the helm of the #2 seeded 2022 Blue Jays, while Nacster decided to try his luck with the 2011 A’s who had an undistinguished performance in his 2011 replay.  Roy’s Jays went 92-70 and made the postseason but were quickly eliminated in a wild card game; however, he had an excellent Alek Manoah (16-7, 2.24), 3rd place in the Cy Young voting, on the mound and two nepobabies, Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr., received MVP votes.  Nac’s A’s lost 88 games and although Brandon McCarthy (9-9, 3.32) was a solid starter option, there wasn’t much offense to provide run support.  And that became evident, as Manoah went through the A’s order without breaking a sweat, but McCarthy also proved he had plenty of grit, continuously getting out of jams often caused by the terrible A’s defense.  Nac, with no confidence in his offense, tries to manufacture a run when AA stealer Coco Crisp draws a two-out walk in the 8th, so he steals second, steals third, and sets sail to steal home–but he’s out with a 17 split.  Thus the game enters the 9th inning in a scoreless tie, with more action generated by the trivia questions than by any batters for either team.  However, in the 9th once again McCarthy is faced with a jam, this time with the bases loaded and Matt Chapman at the plate, known more for his glove than his bat.  But Chapman delivers a two-run single, providing a lead that looks insurmountable to both Oakland fans in attendance.   Nonetheless, don’t leave for Las Vegas yet, because with one out, 37-year old Hideki Matsui proves there is still life in Godzilla as he swats a solo homer in the bottom of the 9th. But Manoah shakes it off and finishes out a 4-hitter as the Jays eke out the 2-1 win to earn a berth in the semis.

The survivors

With a better version having been eliminated in the first round, the 1994 Red Sox were now carrying the Boston banner by themselves in an effort to reach the regional final.  Having lost Clemens and their starting third baseman to injury, in the first round, the Red Sox must turn to Aaron Sele (8-7, 3.83) with a depleted bullpen unlikely to provide much help.   Meanwhile, the 2015 A’s were at full strength, but Jesse Chavez (7-15, 4.18) was an unimpressive selection for their #2 starter.  The Red Sox strike early with a Mike Greenwell double off Chavez’s card resulting in an RBI single for John Valentin in the top of the 1st.   The A’s, however, are unfazed and respond immediately in the bottom of the inning with back to back RBI doubles from Danny Valencia and Steven Vogt, followed by an RBI single by Bret Lawrie, the first RBI of the game not driven in by a surname beginning with V.  Tim Naehring converts a HR 1-16 split in the top of the 2nd for a solo shot to make it a one-run game, and a 2-base error by Lawrie in the 3rd sets up a Tom Brunansky RBI single, which is followed by a 3-run blast from DH Andre Dawson and Boston has reclaimed the lead by a 6-3 margin.  A leadoff single by Greenwell in the 5th and Chavez is pulled for Tyler Clippard, who walks Mo Vaughn to set up a triple play by John Valentin, a remarkable bit of strategy.  In the 5th Boston suffers its 4th injury of the regional as Dawson is lost for the rest of the bracket; their next batter, C Damon Berryhill also rolls his injury but is able to remain in the game on a 1 split result.  Hesketh’s wildness loads the bases for the A’s in the 6th, but Oakland is only able to convert one run on a Jake Smolinksi sac fly and the Red Sox still lead by a pair.  They extend that in the 7th when A’s RF-2 Josh Reddick commits a 2-base error that allows two runners to score, and a rattled Clippard then grooves one to Mo Vaughn, who launches a moon shot to put Boston in double digits and Fernando Rodriguez takes his turn as the Oakland pitcher.  Oakland tries to respond in the bottom of the inning, as Billy Burns leads off with a triple and he scores on a Reddick single, but Hesketh just needs to be adequate to rest the bullpen and he does so with a 10-5 win to send Boston to the finals.  

The 2022 Blue Jays were the top remaining seed in the semifinals, although their lackluster offensive performance in round one had Eaglesfly threatening to deport the lot of them.  Fortunately for them, the 1988 Indians had eliminated the bracket favorite and were now hoping that Tom Candiotti’s (14-8, 3.28) knuckler would continue Toronto’s woes; the Jays had a solid option in Ross Stripling (10-4, 3.01).  The Indians move ahead when Ron Kittle leads off the 2nd with his second homer of the tournament, but Candiotti gives the run back in the bottom of the inning by fielding a grounder and tossing a knuckler to first that ends up in RF for a two-base error, setting up an RBI sac fly by Lourdes Gurriel that ties the game.  Cleveland reclaims the lead in the 4th with back to back doubles from Ron Washington and Brook Jacoby that make it 4-1 for the Tribe, Jacoby shows that he’s fully recovered from the injury suffered in round one as he notches his third hit of the game in the top of the 9th, an RBI single that provides additional insurance; another single and Stripling is gone for Jays closer Jordan Romano, but his 3B-1 Matt Chapman drops a grounder that loads the bases for Joe Carter, and we all know about his late inning prowess–a 2-8, solid homer for a grand slam and the rout is on.  Candiotti easily disposes of the Jays in the 9th and the underdog Indians are barking all the way to the regional finals with the easy 9-1 win.  

This would be a most unlikely final featuring the only 20th century teams, who were also the bottom two seeds in the regional that had taken somewhat different paths to reach this point.  The 1994 Red Sox had managed to survive four injuries, and they would still be short DH Andre Dawson, 3B Scott Cooper, and #1 starter Roger Clemens in their quest for the crown.  On the other hand, the #8 seeded 1988 Indians had blown out the top two seeds in the bracket, averaging nine runs a game in doing so, and they would be at full strength for the final.  For the Red Sox, Aaron Sele (8-7, 3.83) was mandated for the start given inning shortages caused by the season ending strike, but he was their best option regardless; for the Indians it would be John Farrell (14-10, 4.24) on the mound.  In the top of the 2nd, injury replacement Carlos Rodriguez finds and converts Farrell’s HR split for a 3-run shot, and in the 4th Tim Naehring adds a 2-run blast to make it 5-0 and for the first time in the regional the Indians turn to their pen, going all out with closer Doug Jones.  However, the beatdown doesn’t stop and Jones ends up loading the bases for Mike Greenwell, who continues his torrid tournament pace with his second double of the game that clears the bases.  John Valentin adds an RBI double and by the time Jones records the third out the Red Sox lead 10-0 and even if Cleveland can match their regional average in this game, it won’t be enough.  The Indians begin the comeback attempt by capitalizing on an error by 1B-4 Mo Vaughn that leads to a Willie Upshaw RBI single, and Cory Snyder adds a solo shot in the 8th.  But even though Jones and Brad Havens hold Boston at bay for the final five innings, Sele closes the door on the Indians as Boston’s 10-2 win captures the 11th regional crown for the Red Sox–and they will get Dawson back for their first game of the super-regional, whenever that might occur!

Interesting card of Regional #234:  If someone gets a September callup for their first appearance in the major leagues, it would be nice to take advantage of the opportunity, and Luis Medina certainly did so at age 25 for the regional runner-up Indians.  Posting some big numbers in the minors, there was hope on Lake Erie that Medina would become an offensive force for a franchise that needed one, but it wasn’t to be; he saw limited action for two more seasons, never recording more than 100 ABs in a season, and he finished his major league career with a .205 career average and 10 homers, the majority of which are represented by this card.  In his final stint in 1991, he went 1 for 16 with 7 strikeouts, numbers that would produce a decidedly different card.  Given his limited appearances, in my tournament he was only eligible to appear after five complete innings, and with a red-hot Ron Kittle already at DH for the Indians, he was mainly limited to PH duties, where he only managed four AB in their three games going hitless in those chances.  Even so, I can’t help but ponder what this card might be able to do for those Indians in a full season of plate appearances.