MLB Showdown Obsession

Not every perfect game can be a battle between titans like Don Larsen's in the '56 World Series, nor can they all be like the Addie Joss game where the opposing pitcher was almost as masterful and struck out 15 and only allowed the single run in a 1-0 duel...but Tom Browning gave us a bit of a combo of both. On September 16, 1988, Tom Browning and the Cincinnati Reds played host to the future World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds themselves were only a couple of seasons away from winning the World Series. By time this game happened, the Dodgers pretty much had the NL West wrapped up, with the Reds a distant 2nd place, but Cincinnati got a memorable moment over them before the season ended. But first, everyone had to wait for the rain. The game had to wait until late night to begin after a two and a half hour rain delay. Tom Browning and his opponent, Tim Belcher, both worked efficiently. Breezing through each others lineup. While Browning was perfect, Belcher wa...

 Before there was the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, NBA Finals or even the World Cup, there was the World Series. Heck, the World Series predates even the creation of any of the other major sports leagues in America. The National League was long established by the turn of the century as an alternative league was starting up in 1901. There were some finalizing to happen in the next couple season, but by 1903 the "modern era" of baseball had begun. In this inaugural of baseball as we know it, the Boston Americans were the perfect representatives of the American League. Their name was literally to distinguish themselves from the NL Boston team (the Beaneaters, who would go on to eventually be known as the Atlanta Braves). Player-Manager Jimmy Collins and the Americans coasted to the AL pennant with a 91-47 record, with the 2nd place Philadelphia Athletics 14.5 games back and the last place Washington Senators 47.5 games out. From the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates emerge...

 For 1962, the HoF rules were changed to helped ensure there would be new entries. The BBWAA failed to vote anyone new in for both 1958 and 1960, so they planned another run-off election in the event of a 3rd straight failure. Thankfully, they got their act together and managed to vote in not one, but two players on the first try. Meanwhile, the Veterans Committee met and added two entries of their own to swell the 1962 class to four men. Also inducted: Bill McKechnie (Manager - Cincinnati Reds / Pittsburgh Pirates / St. Louis Cardinals / Boston Braves / Boston Bees)

1937 tends to get lost in the shuffle of the vast library of Yankees titles, but it turned out to be a pivotal year. After their title in '36, the Yankees were sitting on 5 titles in all, tying them with the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics for the most in baseball. As for supremacy of just New York City, they were also stuck in a tie, with them having split with the Giants with 2 titles each. By time the dust settled in the 1937 World Series, the Yankees broke all those ties. First order of business was for Joe McCarthy and the Yankees to take care of the competition in the American League. With a near identical record from the previous season, the 102-52 Yankees had no problem leaving the rest of the league in the rearview, finishing 13 games ahead of 2nd place Detroit while the Browns were 56 long games in last place. The New York Giants met them for a rematch of the previous years series. Everything was on the line, with not only the tie breaking series against the Yan...