Posts

Showing posts from 2025

2006 World Baseball Classic - Canada

Image
 Canada has a bit of a rough existence in the WBC. Currently they've never escaped the first round, even some years having to requalify for the competition. It wasn't always so bleak. In 2006, Canada put up a good fight and almost made the 2nd round, but a bit of bad luck and tie-breakers left them out in the cold. Things started out strong for Canada, with an 11-8 victory over South Africa, but allowing so many runs compared to how Mexico and America would beat SA would come back to hurt. Up next would be the high point of Canada in their entire WBC existence: a shocking 8-6 upset victory over the United States. All they had to do now was beat Mexico and they'd be able to punch their ticket to round 2...but Mexico thrashed them 9-1. After the round 1 games, Canada, the United States and Mexico all were sporting a 2-1 record, but only 2 teams could advance. Enter: the controversial tie breaker system. Ranking of these three teams would be based on Runs Against per 9 Innings...

1963 Hall of Fame

Image
 Cooperstown saw four more names added to it's hall in 1963, all from the Veterans Committee with the regular BBWAA off for that year. Three of them were alive to be notified of their upcoming honor, with two living long enough for enshrinement day. While it wasn't surprising that Clarkson (who played his entire 300 Win career in the 1800s) was already gone, Rixey dying before he was formally enshrined was a sad reminder that some of these legends were getting really old and posthumous inclusion to the Hall for guys during the World Series era was going to become a more and more common practice.

2006 World Baseball Classic - Australia, Italy, Netherlands, Panama, Taiwan

Image
A while back I created team sets for the MLB participants of the 2017 World Baseball Classic . Afterwards, I took a break from the concept, but made it a note to hit up the pervious WBCs that came before it. Today, we begin that project with the very first tournament.  Today, the competition garners a bit more interest from MLB talent, but the first few times around, a lot of guys passed on it and less than stellar talent took up roster spots that I cannot utilize for the 2006 season. Crazy to think that the battle took place so soon after MLB Showdown ceased making cards. Fun little thought experiment to think of what kind of special set Wizards of the Coast might make if they had the chance (and the rights) to such an opportunity. Another drawback of this being the first attempt: not quite as many countries available, hence the (so far) brief inclusion of South Africa. They had, unsurprisingly, no MLB talent on roster when they competed and thus will not be included in this colle...

Perfect Game - Tom Browning

Image
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...

1903 Boston Americans

Image
 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...