It’s that time again. With a $25 Strat gift certificate as the ultimate prize, I’ll be conducting my third annual “Best Of” tournament featuring the 16 best teams from 2012. Seeded 1-8 in each league in NBA/NHL playoff style, four rounds of best-of-7 series will be played, and here’s your chance to take the prize!

 

• Jason Stapley of Kearns, UT won with the 2010 Giants over the Yanks.

• Nathan White of Ottawa, ONT won with the 2011 Dodgers (a #7 seed!) over the Tigers.

• Who will be next??

 

Once again, all I will need from each participating manager is a 4-man pitching rotation and starting lineups against lefties and righties. First, though, email me your top three team choices from the list of opening round matchups below, to jefftourney.13@gmail.com Deadline for team requests is November 8th at midnight!

 

White Sox vs. Yankees

Angels vs. Athletics

Tigers vs. Rangers

Rays vs. Orioles

 

D-Backs vs. Nationals

Brewers vs. Reds 

Dodgers vs. Braves

Giants vs. Cards

 

Finally, I’ve launched a new Web site for my replays called Jeff’s Strat Replay Bucket, and that’s where I’ll be posting all tournament game results as they’re played. Check it out at http://replaybucket.wordpress.com/

 

Getting in the spirit of 2013, I did a quick World Series replay in the last few days featuring the 2004 Red Sox championship team against the 1967 Cardinals, who back in the day survived the “Impossible Dream” Red Sox in seven games. My series went six, and except for the first game was fantastically dramatic:

 

 

BOS 000 000 010 – 1 8 0

STL 100 102 05x – 9 12 0

 

W-Gibson L-Schilling

HRS: Ramirez, Flood, Cepeda-2, McCarver

 

Gibby whiffs seven in a complete game victory. Brock-Maris-Flood-Cepeda at the top of the Redbirds lineup go a combined 10-for-16 with six extra base hits.

 

 

 

BOS 100 010 200 001 – 5 8 2

STL 300 010 000 000 – 4 12 1

 

W-Foulke L-Willis SV-Mendoza

HRS: Damon-2, Bellhorn

 

Brock, Cepeda, and McCarver all double in the 1^st off Pedro Martinez, but the Sox chip away off Dick Hughes. Damon ties the game after a pinch-hit Dave Roberts double with a 7^th inning homer, then wins it with a solo shot off Ron Willis in the 12^th! On to Boston…

 

 

 

STL 200 050 000 – 7 11 2

BOS 004 030 10x – 8 10 2

 

W-Mendoza L-Lamabe SV-Foulke

HRS: Shannon, Damon, Nixon, Varitek

 

Another nail-biter, highlighted by big innings. Nelson Briles and Bronson Arroyo are both shaky, and after Mike Shannon’s three-run bomb gives the Cards a 7-4 lead, Trot Nixon and Jason Varitek come right back with consecutive homers to tie it 7-7. Two outs in the 7^th, Nixon is hit by Jack Lamabe, Varitek singles, Orlando Cabrera is safe on a Julian Javier error, and Mark Bellhorn singles in the eventual winner.

 

 

 

STL 030 000 000 04 – 7 15 0

BOS 001 101 000 00 – 3 11 0

 

W-Gibson L-Schilling

HRS: Javier, Ramirez, Nixon

 

Gibson isn’t as strong as he was in Game 1, but he’s toe-to-toe with Schilling into the 11^th, when Javier breaks the tie with a solo shot and Dal Maxvill doubles. In comes Alan Embree to face Brock, Maris, and Flood, and all of them double to knot the series at two games apiece.

 

 

 

STL 010 002 000 – 3 8 0

BOS 200 010 02x – 5 8 0

 

W-Mendoza L-Willis SV-Timlin

HR: McCarver

 

Steve Carlton vs. Tim Wakefield, and it’s a battle of the bullpens by the 6^th inning. Boston’s wins, as Mendoza and Timlin shut the Cards down without a hit for three and two-thirds, while a Bill Mueller double and Gape Kapler single off Joe Hoerner give the Sox the series lead heading back to St. Louis…

 

 

 

BOS 300 000 008 – 11 10 1

STL 012 100 020 – 6 13 0

 

W-Timlin L-Willis

HRS: Mueller, Ortiz-2, Ramirez, Cepeda

 

Well, wasn’t this a fine how-do-you-do? After Boston scores three times in the 1^st, Hughes shuts them down on three hits until the top of the 9^th. Trailing 6-3 with the series seemingly going to a seventh game and a third Schilling/Gibson matchup, the Sox string five walks, a single, wild pitch, Manny Ramirez grand slam and Ortiz’s second homer of the game for eight shocking runs and take the series 4 games to 2!

 

Seems to me it was the deeper Boston hitting beating the deeper St. Louis pitching…