Fall Classic Rewind

2023 Hall of Fame: Contemporary Era Managers, Executives, and Umpires As Baseball Winter Meetings get underway, the Contemporary Era committee for the Baseball Hall of Fame will have eight candidates to consider. On this year’s ballot are a selection of managers, umpires, and executives, who are listed below. On today’s episode, we discuss the candidates, their cases, and some of top moments from...

2023 World Series Game 5 Rangers (90-72) @ Diamondbacks (84-78) TEX leads 3-1 The Texas Rangers stand just one win away from their first ever World Series Championship after taking games three and four in convincing fashion. To seal the deal, they turn to one of the best postseason pitchers of this era, Nathan Eovaldi. The Texas-born righty has been electric this postseason and looks to become the...

2023 World Series Game 3 and 4 @ Chase Field Rangers (90-72) @ Diamondbacks (84-78) Series Tied 1-1 We head to Phoenix with the series tied at a game apiece. The Texas Rangers have yet to drop a game on the road this postseason, and they will be sending Max Scherzer to the hill to start game 3. Mad Max has not been his dominant self due to a late season injury, but manager Bruce Bochy will likely...

2023 World Series Games 1 and 2 @ Globe Life Field Diamondbacks (84-78) @ Rangers (90-72) A dozen teams entered the postseason, and now only two remain. The Fall Classic gets underway down in Arlington, Texas, with the Rangers back in the series for the first time since 2011 and the Diamondbacks returning for their second ever appearance. Just two years ago, both of these teams lost over 100 games...

2023 NLCS - Games 6 and 7 @ Citizens Bank Park Diamondbacks (84-78) @ Phillies (90-72) - PHI leads 3-2 The Snakes stayed alive by winning two out of three in Phoenix, but they will face an uphill battle heading back to Philadelphia. Rob Thomson’s Phillies are just a win away from a return to the World Series, and they have been absolutely dominant at home. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper continue...

2023 ALCS - Games 6 and 7 @ Minute Maid Park Rangers (90-72) @ Astros (90-72) - Houston leads 3-2 With a dramatic comeback victory in game five, the Houston Astros are just a win away from heading back to the World Series for the fifth time in the last seven years. With a game to give and home field advantage, surely Dusty Baker’s squad is ready to seal the deal? The problem: the ‘Stros are much b...

2023 NLCS - Game 3 - 5 @ Chase Field Phillies (90-72) @ Diamondbacks (84-78) The battle for the NL Pennant heads out to the desert, with the Phillies ahead in the series two games to none after convincing victories in Philadelphia. Everything worked just as Rob Thomson planned: the big bats provided power, the defense was flawless, the aces dominated, and the bullpen was solid. But can they bring...

2023 ALCS - Games 3, 4, and 5 @ Globe Life Field Astros (90-72) @ Rangers (90-72) - TEX leads 2-0 The Rangers went into Houston, dominated, and now they head back to Arlington up two games to none in this series. Montgomery and Eovaldi were outstanding, the bats came through in big moments, and the bullpen held on to shut the door. In all facets of the game they have outplayed their rival Astros,...

2023 NLDS - Games 1 and 2 @ Citizens Bank Park Phillies (90-72) vs. Diamondbacks (84-78) For the second straight year, the NLCS will contain two Wild Card teams, with the Phillies and DBacks taking each other on. Arizona has yet to drop a game heading into this series, having easily dispatched two division champions already. They’ll have their pitching lined up with Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly fo...

2023 ALCS - Games 1 and 2 Astros (90-72) vs. Rangers(90-72) Minute Maid Park - Houston, TX Deep in the heart of Texas, in-state rivals will face off with a trip to the World Series on the line. This should be a legendary matchup, with future Hall-of-Fame managers Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker taking each other on once again. These teams finished with identical records in the regular season, but the...

2023 NLDS Phillies (90-72) vs. Braves (104-58) Game 1 - ATL RHP Strider vs. PHI LHP Suárez @ Truist Park Game 2 - ATL LHP Fried vs. PHI RHP Wheeler @ Truist Park Game 3 - PHI RHP Nola vs. ATL RHP Elder @ Citizens Bank Park Game 4 - PHI LHP Suárez vs. ATL RHP Strider @ Citizens Bank Park In a rematch of last year’s NLDS, the Braves and Phillies square off once again with a trip to the NLCS on the l...

2023 Division Series NLDS Diamondbacks (84-78) vs. Dodgers (100-62) Game 1 - ARI RHP Kelly vs. LAD LHP Kershaw @ Dodger Stadium Game 2 - ARI RHP Gallen vs. LAD RHP Miller @ Dodger Stadium Game 3 - LAD RHP Lynn vs. ARI RHP Pfaadt @ Chase Field The Dodgers are back in the postseason for the 11th straight season, winning the NL West for the 10th time in that span. They’ve put together yet another 100...

ALDS Twins (87-75) vs. Astros (90-72) Game 1 - HOU RHP Verlander vs. MIN RHP Ober @ Minute Maid Park Game 2 - HOU LHP Valdez vs. MIN RHP López  @ Minute Maid Park Game 3 - MIN RHP Gray vs. HOU RHP Javier @ Target Field Game 4 - MIN RHP Ryan vs. HOU RHP Urquidy @ Target Field The Twins finally advanced in a playoff series for the first time since 2002, breaking an 18 game losing streak in the playo...

ALDS Rangers (90-72) vs. Orioles (101-61) Game 1  - BAL RHP Bradish vs. TEX LHP Heaney @ OPACY Game 2 - BAL RHP Rodriguez vs. TEX LHP Montgomery @ OPACY  Game 3 - TEX RHP Eovaldi vs. BAL RHP Kremer @ Globe Life Field After quickly dispatching the 99 win Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card round, the Rangers head to Baltimore to face the upstart, 101 win Orioles. Just two years ago, both of these team...

2023 NL Wild Card Round Diamondbacks (84 - 78) @ Brewers (92 - 70) - American Family Field Milwaukee, WI The Brew Crew are back in the postseason for the fifth time in the last six years, capturing their third NL Central crown in that timespan. Under manager Craig Counsell’s stewardship, this Milwaukee ball club excels at preventing runs. With a three-headed monster at the top of their rotation, t...

October 2023 - Blue Jays @ Twins - Target Field The 2023 Postseason is underway, with the Wild Card series concluding earlier this week. Before the Division Series start, let's quickly recap the first round of the playoffs. The Blue Jays head to Minneapolis to take on the AL Central Champion Twins, who are looking to end an 18 game losing streak in the postseason dating back to 2004 (mostly at the...

Baltimore’s Hoover. Mr. Oriole. The Human Vacuum Cleaner. The greatest defensive third baseman to ever grace the diamond. Baseball lost a legend this week. Brooks Robinson was not only a Hall of Fame baseball player, he was a Hall of Fame human being. From Little Rock, Arkansas, Brooks Robinson exemplified the Oriole Way for 23 seasons as a ballplayer, and many more as a broadcaster and as a membe...

Wednesday October 17th, 1979 @ Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MD It all comes down to this. Game Seven. Chuck Tanner’s Terrors have forced a winner-take-all battle against the Earl of Baltimore and his Birds. These Pirates, who call themselves the ‘Family’, have rallied from a 3-1 deficit, besting two of the Orioles’ aces, Mike Flanagan and Jim Palmer. Can they make it three in a row? Standing in...

Tuesday October 16th, 1979 @ Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MD The Pirates were able to rally around their heartbroken manager and stave off elimination in game five behind huge performances from Tim Foli, Bill Madlock, Bert Blyleven, and unexpectedly Jim Rooker. The series now heads back to Baltimore, with the odds still against Chuck Tanner’s Terrors. To try and close out this series for the Ori...

Sunday October 14th, 1979 @ Three Rivers Stadium Pittsburgh, PA On the verge of elimination, the Pittsburgh Pirates have just received heartbreaking news; manager Chuck Tanner’s mother passed away. It is undoubtedly a blow to 'the Family’, but perhaps the grief may serve as a rallying cry. The Buccos will need to stay together if they want to do what just three teams have done in World Series...

Saturday October 13th, 1979 @ Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA Not even twelve hours after Scott McGregor finished off a complete game victory following a rain delay, the Orioles and Pirates are back at it in a pivotal game four. Earl Weaver's squad has the advantage, and their bats came alive in game three. Big Jim Bibby (12 - 4 2.81 ERA 137 IP) takes the hill for Chuck Tanner’s Pirates, lo...

Friday October 12th, 1979 @ Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA The series is tied at one game apiece as we head to Pittsburgh for games three through five. Rain is in the forecast for tonight's game, but with the turf only a downpour will cause a delay (spoiler alert, there will be a downpour). Tonight's pitching matchup will consist of two lefties. Young hurler Scott McGregor (13 - 6...

Thursday October 11th, 1979 @ Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MD The outfield is torn up, the warning track riddled with puddles, the infield is choppy, and the grass is wet. Suffice it to say, Memorial Stadium is a mess. But that won't stop the World Series. The Baltimore Orioles jumped out to an early lead in game one, but they just barely held off the Pirates late rally to secure a 5-4 victo...

Wednesday October 10th, 1979 @ Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MD After a rainout the previous night, the 1979 World Series is set to begin at Memorial Stadium in weather fit for football (40 degrees and wet). A rematch of the 1971 Fall Classic, Earl Weaver's Baltimore Orioles look to get the edge on Chuck Tanner's Pittsburgh Pirates. These are two evenly matched ballclubs, the champions of...

Friday Afternoon, October 5th, 1979 @ Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA After two thrilling extra-inning victories in Cincinnati, the Pirates are headed home on the precipice of another World Series berth. The 'Family', as they are referred to by their loyal fans, have excelled in all facets of the game: great starting pitching (Candelaria and Bibby), tremendous defense (Foli, Madlock...